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I just happened to pull some old games down off my shelves (Older TRUE Sierra games are like that, always coming back to them) and I guess I kind of started to remember the times, the hours, the days and week spent trying to complete just one more game!!! And then Sierra popped back into my mind and I decided to take a look at the current state of things at sierra.com
All I can say is “WHAT IS GOING ON?”
The Sierra site (Vivendi Universal) is almost always ½ completed. Portions of things missing, other sections taken down, or half taken down. Some sections you can get to, only to see pictures gone with little “x” in their places. Even the main screen is missing graphics and looks like someones Web Design Project for School. I also noticed that the whole Hoyle Franchise is now with Encore Entertainment. What happened there??? Is this slowly turning into the final resting place of Sierra? By the current state of thing, it could possibly be…
I’m just disgusted to see what Vivendi has done to everything that Sierra was. It’s a hollow shell of what Sierra On-Line was a one time. Almost a joke, or a nightmare depending on how much you looked up to the place when Ken was minding the store.
It’s a sad shame that they took a name that WAS gaming, and turned it into something horrible to look at. The only thing the is recognizable is the name. Nothing else.
I just feel that a long time ago, the company lost its heart when Ken stepped down. It’s been on life support all this time, but now it just seems like the old life support machine is starting to break down, and there is no one left to fix it.
I think the great old games will live on in our memory and hearts, but will never see the light of day after our generation has passed. The generation that knew what gaming was. Not by today’s standards. So few companies bring anything new or original to the table, something worth the time or money. They all look like repacks of the game before it. Sure the textures have changed, and the names of the characters have changed, but deep down, they are all the same game anymore. Nothing original. That was something you could always rely on with Sierra. Great original games that you wanted to pull your hair out waiting for the next installment.Oh well. That was my walk down memory lane I guess. It’s just sad to see how things came to be. There used to be a time when I would walk into my local Gaming shop just trying to sniff out the latest Titles, (Sierra games always on my mind) but now I find myself not even stopping in at all anymore. Oh sure, I guess if I want the latest game that looks like the game before it, and the one before that, I guess there is still something to find.
But look harder. There on the bottom shelf. There is a game box or two there. Covered in dust and hardly ever moved or looked at anymore. The last price tag fell off years ago, and I doubt anyone will even remember what it sold for. But pick it up, dust off the Sierra On-Line Logo, and grab your wallet. Buy that game, and prepare yourself for a breath of fresh air!!!
Take Care… -
I just happened to pull some old games down off my shelves (Older TRUE Sierra games are like that, always coming back to them) and I guess I kind of started to remember the times, the hours, the days and week spent trying to complete just one more game!!! And then Sierra popped back into my mind and I decided to take a look at the current state of things at sierra.com
All I can say is “WHAT IS GOING ON?”
The Sierra site (Vivendi Universal) is almost always ½ completed. Portions of things missing, other sections taken down, or half taken down. Some sections you can get to, only to see pictures gone with little “x” in their places. Even the main screen is missing graphics and looks like someones Web Design Project for School. I also noticed that the whole Hoyle Franchise is now with Encore Entertainment. What happened there??? Is this slowly turning into the final resting place of Sierra? By the current state of thing, it could possibly be…I’m just disgusted to see what Vivendi has done to everything that Sierra was. It’s a hollow shell of what Sierra On-Line was a one time. Almost a joke, or a nightmare depending on how much you looked up to the place when Ken was minding the store.
It’s a sad shame that they took a name that WAS gaming, and turned it into something horrible to look at. The only thing the is recognizable is the name. Nothing else.
I just feel that a long time ago, the company lost its heart when Ken stepped down. It’s been on life support all this time, but now it just seems like the old life support machine is starting to break down, and there is no one left to fix it.
I think the great old games will live on in our memory and hearts, but will never see the light of day after our generation has passed. The generation that knew what gaming was. Not by today’s standards. So few companies bring anything new or original to the table, something worth the time or money. They all look like repacks of the game before it. Sure the textures have changed, and the names of the characters have changed, but deep down, they are all the same game anymore. Nothing original. That was something you could always rely on with Sierra. Great original games that you wanted to pull your hair out waiting for the next installment.
Oh well. That was my walk down memory lane I guess. It’s just sad to see how things came to be. There used to be a time when I would walk into my local Gaming shop just trying to sniff out the latest Titles, (Sierra games always on my mind) but now I find myself not even stopping in at all anymore. Oh sure, I guess if I want the latest game that looks like the game before it, and the one before that, I guess there is still something to find.
But look harder. There on the bottom shelf. There is a game box or two there. Covered in dust and hardly ever moved or looked at anymore. The last price tag fell off years ago, and I doubt anyone will even remember what it sold for. But pick it up, dust off the Sierra On-Line Logo, and grab your wallet. Buy that game, and prepare yourself for a breath of fresh air!!!
Take Care… -
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Come on guys I am a fan of Old Sierra games as well, but blaming Vivendi for the fact that some of those types of games are no longer comercially viable is just wrong. I know there is a often a need to find a scapegoat, but the fact is Vivendi/Sierra put out some awesome games this year. FEAR – SWAT4 – Empire Earth 2 – all for the PC and all up for numerous GOTY nominations.
And I don’t know what your talking about, but the Sierra.com website looks fully updated to me. Time to update your browser.
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I blame Vinvendi for one major thing. They have held onto the liscense of all of the old Sierra games, they have done nothing to further the games, and they have attacked anyone who tries to continue the games without their blessing. If you are a fan of the wonderful Sierra games this alone should be enough. I don’t want a shoot-em-up Swat game. A gore galore Fear game. I want a story of adventure where everywhere I go there is something different to see and experience.
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Well, scapegoat or not, anyone who was around at the time of the Sierra / Vivendi change over will tell you how it went down. Friends that were supposed to be friend played the stabbing game. And from what I understand, without regret. (Even worse). People who were to remain with the company were handed pink slips. So many talented people were shown the door. All you had to do was hang out in the right places to hear the stories from the people themselves. I could understand the “He said, she said” theory, but when your in chat room, or “TalkSpot” and you heard and read things from those who were involved, you kind of felt the horror that went down when they ended up dealing with a snake pit.. The whole deal stunk of sour grapes but one would think I’m doing this to find a scapegoat? Really. I know I should not say such things, but call a spade a spade. They barely did anything that they promised they were going to do. Simple as that. And for that… I can’t think of any other words then “They suck!” They (Vivendi) told people what they wanted to hear when they wanted to hear it and once the deal was signed, they closed the door and locked it. I heard mention by one individual that if they knew what was going to happen and how it was going to happen, they would have stopped the whole deal. It’s on those thoughts alone they killed what Sierra was.
I’ll give you one. Empire Earth and Empire Earth 2. They were good games. The rest of them? Like everyone else. No “meat” to the games at all. Like I said before, sure the names were changed, and the textures were changed over, and even a new story line, but deep down in the core, they were like all the rest. Kill’em and Grill’em. Lets shock them with a blood bath. Now I’m in no way a prude saying those games are sheer crap on content alone, because I played a round or two of games like that, but based on the content that was Sierra, they are just plain crap.
I’m sure by today’s standards, Sierra was the Atari 2600 of its day. But damn those were great days. And I would be willing to pull out my old Atari 2006 just to play them again. As for the current games? If I play them at all, they will hold very little shelve life. If I ever try to look back and remember what neat thing I seen in one of the games I’ll be searching forever because they will all be the same. But if I wanted to check out something about “Pulsating Pectorals” I’ll know exactly where I need to go to see it again. 20, 30 years from now, I’ll remember that. 20 30 years from now, I’ll hardly remember a cool looking monster in Doom. They were cool at the time, but easily replaced by the next one to come along.
There is no way you can compare the old games to today’s games. It’s just an empty thought. Back then you had structure and content that kept the mind moving along. Sometimes painstakingly. Today, as long as your hand-eye coordination is good you’re bound to stumble your way through the game somehow. When I was younger, I remember it taking weeks if not months to finish a game because you had to think and use your brain just as much as hand eye coordination. It made buying the game just as important as playing it. You knew for the $30.00 you would be busy for a month or two. Today you’re lucky if it takes you a few days. (Well for me anyway) Hardly worth the investment. But I’ll give you this, once in a great while, there comes a game that boarders on the old and the new, and it’s something I simply can’t ignore, and I dive in like the rest of them, but the majority are nothing more then repackaged crap.
I have been buying Sierra Games back when Kings Quest was first brought out. Yea, the old EGA one with PC Speaker Sound. When Leisure Suit Larry 1 came out for the Tandy Color Computer 3. Back at a time when they were pioneers when they included Tandy 3 Voice Sound and finally started to build compatibility for a new sound card called the Game Blaster (From a little known company back then, called Creative Labs)
I have run the evolution of the adventure game with Sierra. I guess that’s why I understand them so well. I guess that’s why I miss them so much. And that’s why when I look at the Sierra of today, I’m disgusted and appalled that they even use the Sierra name for the crap they put out anymore.
They will never “Be” Sierra. Just like when I put on a mask at Halloween, I’ll never be “Jason” All I’ll be is some ordinary Joe behind a mask of something better known. Something I’ll never be able to be. They keep the Sierra name for one thing and one thing only, so someone somewhere will remember the name and buy a game based on what they remember from the Sierra name.
Cheers!
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