Why Sierra Games had such an effect on me

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    • #25746 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Hi everyone

      I would like to just share a few thoughts with you all about why I believe Sierra games were so special to me and why Game Developpers should inspire themselves from them.

      First, the fact that the game was partially composed of a “Type Input” interface, actually taught me a lot about english when I was younger. My first language is French, and I remember going through dictionnaries and school books to be able to find the right words, so as to understand the game and be able to use the right Inputs. For that, Sierra has really influenced my life in a positive way, because I learned a language earlier in my life, and when I got to school later I was already trained. (made a big difference I was about 7 or 8, playing Police Quest, Space Quest and Gold Rush)

      Also, the worlds in all those Quest titles were so fun and positively entertaining, it was full of colours and humor, not gratuous violence. The story actually invited you on an emotional ride, and as a young guy I was soooooooo immersed into the worlds that I would actually dream about it sometimes…. Especially that Magic Meadow in Quest For Glory One… with the fruits and stuff… and that tavern with the Troll Sweat and the thief guild…

      The thing that I find lacks in today’s games, and maybe it’ll come later when technology evolves, is that in old sierra games everything you came accross in the scenery was authentic, each house or spot was unique and so you could really feel the sense of life and magic that was behind it, even today when I play back those games, I realize that even with old graphics, they still come through with a lot of life, and the lack of detail makes you use your imagination a lot, which I find is the key in myself enjoying a game… immersion.

      But today, a lot of graphics are done in repetition, just like in a modern factory… Static meshes and objects are basically copied and pasted and minimally modified one from another to create sceneries…. and to me that plays a lot on the end result because you feel you’re in an application instead of  being invited in a world to discover.

      I really enjoyed playing Sierra Games, they taught me a lot, they helped me develop my imagination and they were just plain great games. I just bought the Police Quest, Space Quest and  King’s Quest Collections released by Vivendi, I was so happy to see that in the store, a nice suprise….  🙂

      I’d like to know, will there be a release of the Quest for Glory Collection for Win XP, because I would want to by it from Amazon but it’s 150$ and maybe it wont work well on XP…. anyone knows if vivendi will release those?

      Anyways, thanks Sierra and thanks everyone…
      I now buy land and develop projects on them for a living… Imagine if there had been a Sierra game that could have taught me that at 12!!! 😉

      Marc-Andre

    • #25747 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      It’s so heartwarming everytime someone mentions how Sierra impacted their lives. I love reading everyone’s stories. 🙂

      Unfortunately, Vivendi has no plans to make a Quest for Glory compilation. Depending on how well the current compilations sell, they might think of releasing one, or perhaps a Classics Compilation with Laura Bow, EcoQuest, Freddy Pharkas, and all the old goodies. That would be sensible.

    • #25748 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Hey Julie

      Thanks for your reply.

      I guess I’ll buy the Quest for Glory collection from the web then…
      Do you work for vivendi?

      Marc-A

    • #25749 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Haha if I did, I’d be inching my way up the ladder to free those rights! I just frequent the Sierra boards. 🙂

    • #25750 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Ah ha!  I thought you were spying on us behind the grape vines. : P

      Do you think there will be new Sierra Fans with the release of the compilations?  Or has Vivendi made such a quiet release of these compilations that only us Sierragamers know about them?

    • #25751 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      I think there will be new Sierra fans from the new compliations but I think most of them are being sold to the already Sierra fans. Some people on the Sierra boards said they are buying two of each to give to family and relatives so there’s a perfect example of recruiting..err.. new fans. 😛

      As for who knows about them, I don’t think Vivendi is really putting the full effort to advertise them as much as their lead selling games. It just seems that they released them to say, “There, you got your games, are you happy now?”

      As long as there’s a fan base like us, we’ll keep pushing until we squeeze every last game out of them!

    • #25752 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      I agree that most of the new compilations will be sold to the “old” fans. Vivendi did such a crappy job on the compilations that I don’t think people who aren’t familiar with the Sierra classics will be buying it. Heck, I’m a big fan and I’m not buying the compilations…

    • #25753 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Hello all,

      I’m also a huge Sierra On-Line fan, and I’m going to buy all available releases of original Sierra sequels – KQ, SQ, PQ, LSL… (still don’t see QFG, LB, Freddy, Phantas). Hope these complication reveal a bit glory old days of Sierra.. Let it rest in peace.

      Hope also they really run well on XP. I already had problems running Roberta Williams’s collection on new platforms.

    • #25754 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Please, please , please tell me they’ll be releasing the quest for glory collection… please please please…
      Quest for glory 1 abd 2 ARE what RPG’s are supposed to be!!!
      Crazy stories with tastefull wolrds with hackn’slash…

      Please can you tell me?
      lol

    • #25755 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      Right now we’ve heard nothing about a QfG compilation. We’re hoping for one if the other compilations make enough profit.

      Here’s one interesting thing. Quest for Glory was never on the main forums page until Vivendi (or whoever high up) saw a bit of activity going on in the forums. It eventually led its way to the main forums page. That could be a sliver of hope for a QfG compilation. 🙂

    • #25756 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      That’s the spirit Julie, and I’m sure VU love that attitude, they want to make as much money as possible after all. 😉

    • #25757 Reply
      Unknown,Unknown
      Participant

      I wonder how well Phantasmagoria would work as a DVD game for set-top DVD players. After all, it is an interactive movie. You could use the remote’s arrows to “scroll” the cursor around and click on the hotspots with the Enter button… the only problem would be the Save/Restore feature…

      -Tom.

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