RvS News - no MAC/PC cross platform

[Toby]

Just in case anyone missed it, IMG posted an inerview with Aspyr during which the following was revealed:

Question: Any word on being able to play Raven Shield co-op with Mac and Windows players together? ? Dan Eckels

Answer: Unfortunately network play in Raven Shield will be Mac to Mac only. There were some unsolvable technical issues with how net play works in Raven Shield, and as hard as we tried there was no way around it. We are working closely with Ubisoft to see what we can do to avoid this on future games we might do that use similar technology.

Which is a trifle irritating. I only hope they keep up with the constant stream of ubi patches.

Toby

[BTs_Mysterio]

I looked over the chat transcript. There was nothing on that topic. You my friend are either a lier, a theif, or just a jackass.

Lol noob.

I quote!

"[4:12] Nestor Hernandez: Yes, the Mac version will be able to network with PC version"

Stop spreding lies.

[Cobra]

Bleh.  Gawd damn it.  Myst, Toby's correct ? take another look.  It's on the bottom of the first page, I believe.

"Unsolvable technical issues", eh?  Bah.  Bah.  And bah again.

[BTs_Mysterio]

cobra, my version clearly states yes hold while i upload image.

[BTs_Mysterio]

[4:02] Lucian: Hi everyone, welcome to IMG chat and thanks for tuning in.
[4:02] Lucian: Before we get started, let me lay out a few guidelines.
[4:02] Lucian: First of all, the chat will be "moderated", which means that only the text of the channel operators and people with "voice" will show up in the window.
[4:02] Lucian: (as you can already tell)
[4:02] Lucian: Second, please do not send any private messages (PM) to myself, the moderators, or the voiced. Excessive private messages will result in a kick or ban. I will not tolerate harassment of any kind.
[4:02] Lucian: There will be a short question and answer period after the announcement is made. At that time, you can PM me with any questions and I will pass it onto the representative. Again, no excessive PM'ing, send each question _once_. Please make your questions as intelligible as possible.
[4:02] Lucian: okay, are the "company" representatives ready now?
[4:03] Nestor Hernandez: yes
[4:03] John Phelps: yep
[4:03] Lucian: alright, it's all yours
[4:03] Jason|IMG: hit it!
[4:03] Jason|IMG:
[4:03] Auron|IMG: ::drum roll::
[4:03] Nestor Hernandez: Two words:
[4:03] Nestor Hernandez: Splinter Cell
[4:03] Nestor Hernandez: Release Date is tentatively set for late October
[4:04] Nestor Hernandez: Initial System Requirements (subject to change):John Phelps
[4:04] Nestor Hernandez: Again, I'm from Aspyr
[4:04] Nestor Hernandez: The second game we are announcing follows in the same vein however instead of playing as one super spy mercenary, you play as many, either solo or online.
[4:04] Nestor Hernandez: Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: Release date is also tentatively set for late October and is also based on the PC version as well as being handled by I5works.
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: Initial System Requirements:
[4:05] Lucian: (both ports are being handled by i5works for those who didn't catch it)
[4:05] John Phelps: hmm, copy and paste isn't working for him
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: Mac OS X, version 10.2 or later
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: Power Mac G4, iMac G4, eMac, PowerBook G4
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: 733 MHz processor or faster
[4:05] Nestor Hernandez: 256 MB of RAM
[4:06] Nestor Hernandez: 1.7 MB hard drive space
[4:06] Nestor Hernandez: 3D Graphics Acceleration required (minimum of ATI Radeon or NVidia GeForce 2 series card)
[4:06] Jason|IMG: GB i think you mean
[4:06] John Phelps: these requirements are for both games
[4:06] Nestor Hernandez: 32 MB of VRAM
[4:06] John Phelps: and yes, GB is correct.  
[4:06] Nestor Hernandez: GB yes
[4:06] Nestor Hernandez: We hope everyone enjoys them.  As a thank you for making it out here tonight, we are opening the pre-order program for both games right now and taking off $5 just for this weekend.  
[4:07] Nestor Hernandez: Starting Monday (when we officially announce these games), they will return to regular price.  Once you fill out the preorder form, you will see the discounted price at the end.  
[4:07] Nestor Hernandez: As a note, if you happen to preorder both products simultaneously, you will only see one checkout end in time.  However the timestamp will be recorded and a $5 credit will be applied.
[4:07] Nestor Hernandez: For additional information and to preorder these games, please visit:
[4:08] Nestor Hernandez: Splinter Cell:
[4:08] Nestor Hernandez: http://internal.aspyr.com/product_id_213/
[4:08] Nestor Hernandez: Raven Shield:
[4:08] Nestor Hernandez: http://internal.aspyr.com/product_id_214/
[4:08] Lucian: Nestor Hernandez, quick qusetion
[4:08] John Phelps: the regular website will be up on Monday
[4:09] Nestor Hernandez: Shoot
[4:09] Lucian: can people distribute those two URLs?
[4:09] Nestor Hernandez: yes, that will be no problem
[4:09] Lucian: so that people who can't participate in the chat can get the discount?
[4:09] Lucian: okay, great
[4:09] Nestor Hernandez: Of course, though the discount is only until Monday
[4:09] Lucian: quick announcement, PLEASE STOP PM'ING ME
[4:10] Nestor Hernandez: Early Monday
[4:11] Lucian: wait a sec
[4:11] Lucian: I think Nestor Hernandez and maybe Glenda will take some questions
[4:11] Lucian: You are free to ask about anything related to Aspyr and their new games. Please PM me with your questions now.
[4:11] Nestor Hernandez: While we can't announce any specific plans, demos are in the works
[4:11] Glenda Adams: Glenda here- I'm really excited about these games, Mac users are going to really love them.  i5works is doing a very nice job on them.
[4:12] Nestor Hernandez: Please send all questions to Lucian
[4:12] Lucian: Keep in mind that Nestor Hernandez will not be able to comment on any unannounced games so those questions will be automatically thrown out. The same goes for any questions that attempt to badger him. Again, no excessive PM'ing.
[4:12] Nestor Hernandez: Yes, the Mac version will be able to network with PC version
[4:13] Jason|IMG: of which title?
[4:13] Jason|IMG: both?
[4:13] Lucian: if you guys can think of answers to any potential questions, just lay them out, give me a minute to sort through the Qs
[4:13] John Phelps: Splinter Cell is single-player only
[4:13] Nestor Hernandez: Raven Shield, Splinter Cell is only solo play
[4:13] John Phelps: Raven Shield offers single-player campaign (several missions) and then multiplayer (including coop modes)
[4:13] Lucian: Nestor Hernandez, will there be demos of either game?
[4:14] Nestor Hernandez: Yes, demos are in the works for both
[4:14] Lucian: Will there be GameRanger support and/or built-in game-finding support?
[4:14] John Phelps: Project status right now has both games at first playable (and they looked pretty good), we expect them to reach Alpha very soon.
[4:14] Glenda Adams: quick correction- We're working to make sure Raven Shield can network with PC's, and think it will, but we can't guarantee it for a littel while longer.
[4:15] John Phelps: At this point in the development, we aren't sure how the server browser would work.  However, we will try to get it working with GameRanger.
[4:16] John Phelps: Perhaps using "direct IP" type connections.
[4:16] Galen|IMG: Similar to Ghost Recon?
[4:16] John Phelps: right
[4:16] Lucian: Will PC mods work on the Mac?
[4:16] Lucian: (I'm guessing this Q pertains to RS3)
[4:16] Nestor Hernandez: Again if you missed it earlier, Splinter Cell and Raven Shield are both titles announced.  If you want more information on them or to preorder, please visit:
[4:17] John Phelps: we can't answer that one right now.     and Aspyr won't provide support for that.
[4:17] Nestor Hernandez: http://internal.aspyr.com/product_id_213/
[4:17] Nestor Hernandez: http://internal.aspyr.com/product_id_214/
[4:17] John Phelps: However, in the experience of previous R6 games, I think they will probably work.
[4:17] Lucian: Is there an ETA on the demos?
[4:18] Nestor Hernandez: Not yet.  We will try to get them before they are released, but that is tentative
[4:18] Nestor Hernandez: Again, ETA for both games is late October
[4:18] Nestor Hernandez: Anymore Q's?
[4:18] Lucian: Nestor Hernandez, just to be clear, this is only an announcement for Raven Shield and not it's expansion pack?
[4:18] John Phelps: correct.
[4:18] Nestor Hernandez: That is correct
[4:20] Glenda Adams: Hope all Mac gamers out there enjoy these games, I have to head out. Bye!
[4:20] Lucian: Bye Glenda!
[4:20] Nestor Hernandez: Well, I think that is it for questions
[4:20] Lucian: Thanks for stopping by.

[BTs_Mysterio]

in that log you'll clearly see no mention of "Unsolvable technical issues". I got that log from IMG. Saying thats lies is like saying there are no G5s.

[Toby]

well I certainly hope you're right - but if I'm lying then so is IMG. (which is possible I guess) Check this out.

http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/view.php?ID=258

[BTs_Mysterio]

Wow, trying to start a flame war? How big of you. Secondly, the information I got was from Nestor Hernandez, not some Port company whore who does all talk. I tend to beleive Nestor more.

[Toby]

Oops. Actually, I took out the comment about your spelling as I thought it was petty on rereading - sorry - but you must have seen it before I edited it.

And, once more, I hope you are right.

[kami]

Myst, drop it, he's right, Tuncer made an interview with Glenda on IMG.com, you better believe it. And don't tell me Glenda is an unreliable source, she's one of the pillars of westlake and thus a really important actor on the mac gaming market.

[BTs_Mysterio]

She isn't westlake, shes Aspyr now. Thus the title, whore of mac porting.

[S.p.i.d.e.r.]

Aspyr is still the publisher, little one.

Leave Glenda alone.

[BTs_Mysterio]

As you say, and if you beleive, Aspyr is the mere publisher, then why should they be answering questions about the game, why arent we talking to i5works?

And what in the fuck is little one suposed to mean?

[BTs_Lee.Harvey]

[4:14] Glenda Adams: quick correction- We're working to make sure Raven Shield can network with PC's, and think it will, but we can't guarantee it for a littel while longer.

This shows that it might not be able to network w/ pc's.. that was in the post from Mysterio if you look closely. but i hope they r able to get it do it.

[Toby]

I don't even know why I'm bothering with this. But here's further confirmation taken from the IMG forums:

First, from someone named i5works (hmmm)

"Raven Shield uses Ubisoft's internet gaming service. That service is currently not available for us to use with Raven Shield on Mac OS."

And then from Glenda herself:

" I personally had to make the final call on RavenShield networking, and I made it only after I had tried every option I could find, and pushed as hard as possible for solution.  Up until the decision had to be made I kept hoping we'd find some way around the problems, but sometimes a problem is unsolvable "

The Forum link is here before I'm branded a "lier" "theif" "noob" or  "Jackass" - look on p.2

http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11572  
 

[BTs_Mysterio]

<giggles>

Oh well, all the better for GameRanger. Now we can continue to have a mac only community...and I don't take back the lier comment...I need my moments now and then...

Glenda Myst

(Fore the record that was a joke...all you feds out their can't take that seriously....I KNOW YOUR WATCHIN)

[kami]

Myst, leave Glenda alone, she's done nothing wrong. She's not responsible for that fact that it won't be able to network with PC's.

[Mr. Lothario]

     Meh. Better for Gameranger, worse for the game. I'd much rather play on a heavy-duty server with a 50ms ping against vastly skilled players than on a Gameranger server. The former forces me to improve to the level of the best players or be crushed. The latter is just the same old, same old. Playing a game (UT, MoH are the prime examples in my mind) on PC servers and playing the same game on Gameranger servers are two absolutely different experiences, and I prefer the demands placed upon me by playing on PC servers. I'm well aware that I'm virtually alone in taking that stance, but there it is. The fact that RvS will not be cross-platform networkable makes it a much less attractive game to me.

[BTs_Mysterio]

Written By Glenda on the IMG forums

This assumes the network problems are completely solvable from the Mac developers side of things.  Unfortunately this is almost always not the case.
 
 Nearly every Mac game I've seen (from any Mac developer) that didn't support PC<>Mac networking was due to technical, legal, and other circumstances out of the Mac developers' control.  Given all the fuss, hate mail, and threats the gaming public raises when a game ships without PC<>Mac play or without an editor, how could Mac developers/publishers make those decisions lightly?
 
 I personally had to make the final call on RavenShield networking, and I made it only after I had tried every option I could find, and pushed as hard as possible for solution.  Up until the decision had to be made I kept hoping we'd find some way around the problems, but sometimes a problem is unsolvable  
 

[kami]

Bitch, shut up already.