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Just wanted to share what's going on with my favourite game Championship Manger (CM). It has taken some time for me to fully appreciate the situation. Links are provided for those who wish to read the details. So here goes...
CM originally started in 1992 as the creation of Paul and Oliver Collyer:-
http://www.championshipmanager.co.uk/server/show/nav.459?PHPSESSID=b81303d319f30fd9143e6da8cb3ba449
Sometime in late-2003/early-2004 Sports Interactive (SI), the original creators of CM, split from Eidos, thus creating the situation where Football Manager (FM) and ChampMan (CM) become separate games being run and developed by separate entities.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...miles-jacobson
SEGA took full control of SI in 2006, FM helped them scale new heights, while Eidos and its new developer Beautiful Game Studios (BGS) struggled with CM5, which didn't exactly make big waves in the market as it turns out (the author did purchase a copy, and thoroughly enjoys it still though!).
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-manager-plans
Since then BGS has been focused on bring CM back to basics: what CM really stands for that is distinct from other football sims and in particular, from FM. Apparently the goal is to let CM come into its own, or carve its own niche, after splitting from SI, which is no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...n-admits-eidos
To achieve that BGS proposes a "vertical franchise model", where there should be consistency of look and feel of CM (and other BGS games) across platforms i.e. PC, online, PSP, mobile etc. Certainly the game itself CM should be strengthened, and if things work, micro-payments for editors and add-ons may materialise.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-mind-part-one
Having said that, the path is long and narrow. CM2008 did not have a patch as in previous versions because there is just too much developmental work that needs to be done for CM2009. In fact the usual cycle of 12 months may simply be insufficient for devs to come up with new versions, although BGS is determined not to deny us patches for new versions as it seriously wants to do right by us.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-mind-part-two
All this has resulted in a delay of the release of CM2009, possibly till July 2009. Clearly the devs want to make sure that the game is as good as promised (and thoroughly tested) before releasing it.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ampman-release
To top it off, Square Enix of Final Fantasy (FF) fame is set to take over Eidos. Whether there will be FF influences in subsequent versions of CM remains to be seen.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...en-green-light
Interestingly enough, I have stuck steadfastly with CM and I haven't even played or seen FM in action before. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm happy to wait for CM2009, hopefully out in stores by September 2009.
;-)
CM originally started in 1992 as the creation of Paul and Oliver Collyer:-
http://www.championshipmanager.co.uk/server/show/nav.459?PHPSESSID=b81303d319f30fd9143e6da8cb3ba449
Sometime in late-2003/early-2004 Sports Interactive (SI), the original creators of CM, split from Eidos, thus creating the situation where Football Manager (FM) and ChampMan (CM) become separate games being run and developed by separate entities.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...miles-jacobson
SEGA took full control of SI in 2006, FM helped them scale new heights, while Eidos and its new developer Beautiful Game Studios (BGS) struggled with CM5, which didn't exactly make big waves in the market as it turns out (the author did purchase a copy, and thoroughly enjoys it still though!).
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-manager-plans
Since then BGS has been focused on bring CM back to basics: what CM really stands for that is distinct from other football sims and in particular, from FM. Apparently the goal is to let CM come into its own, or carve its own niche, after splitting from SI, which is no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...n-admits-eidos
To achieve that BGS proposes a "vertical franchise model", where there should be consistency of look and feel of CM (and other BGS games) across platforms i.e. PC, online, PSP, mobile etc. Certainly the game itself CM should be strengthened, and if things work, micro-payments for editors and add-ons may materialise.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-mind-part-one
Having said that, the path is long and narrow. CM2008 did not have a patch as in previous versions because there is just too much developmental work that needs to be done for CM2009. In fact the usual cycle of 12 months may simply be insufficient for devs to come up with new versions, although BGS is determined not to deny us patches for new versions as it seriously wants to do right by us.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-mind-part-two
All this has resulted in a delay of the release of CM2009, possibly till July 2009. Clearly the devs want to make sure that the game is as good as promised (and thoroughly tested) before releasing it.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ampman-release
To top it off, Square Enix of Final Fantasy (FF) fame is set to take over Eidos. Whether there will be FF influences in subsequent versions of CM remains to be seen.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...en-green-light
Interestingly enough, I have stuck steadfastly with CM and I haven't even played or seen FM in action before. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm happy to wait for CM2009, hopefully out in stores by September 2009.
;-)
