Cricket 2004 - Negative inspiration

[Scatter]

Despite all hopes and the hype to the contrary Cricket 2004 is crap. Utterly pish. Actually, that's not entirely fair... it is potentially a very good cricket game that is simply unfinished, and given EAs track record on the matter, it won't ever be finished either.

So this begs the question - could we do any better?

I have a few ideas, and a pretty solid design for a cricket game. It is one of two games I have wanted to work on in recent times. The other sort of got started, but is on hold indefinately due to a personal issue with my partner in the venture (I will clarify this point for anyone who wants to know and is interested in what I am proposing here). I chose to push forward with that project ahead of cricket, ironically, because I wanted to see what EA were doing. Anyways, I digress.

I look around here and I see, not for the first time, people putting in a concerted effort to make other peoples software playable - and it's for the second release in a row. What a waste. It should not be up to the people who part with their hard earned to fix a sub standard product. That effort and time would be better employed imo on just making an all round better game. A game written by cricket fans.

Sounds a little fantasy-la-la off with the fairies???

Think of this. Sports Interactive (I was actually referred to this forum from the SI games one ) started off as two brothers who were simply football fans, that wanted to make a football management game. Last year their company released the two biggest selling PC games of the year - Championship Manager 4 and 03/04 - and it has been up until now their companies only game franchise. Do not get me wrong. I raise that point to show what can become from small beginnings, not to make promises of vast fortunes of money. If we do get this going, the primary aim will be to get the game published. Anything else will be a bonus.

In case you missed that, the primary aim for now is publication.

P U B L I C A T I O N

I know I'm harping on about it, but I don't want anyone to think that there is a promise of some fat paycheck at the end of this. Programmers don't make that much money in this industry until they are well established.

So, what will be needed?

C++ programmers - at least seven, maybe more. You don't need tertiary quals, you just need to be able to program in C++. The more the better, but I would estimate to be able to do this, we need at least seven...

Graphics Designers - at least one, preferrably two. Must be able to do 3D modelling, and textures. One specialist of each would work.

Later on down the track we will have to look at data researchers, and maybe an audio tech. The game design, production and co-ordination is pretty much already taken care of...

Any thoughts/interest?

N.B. mods - i know this thread probably belongs elsewhere on these boards, but please leave it here for now for exposure... pleeeaseeee...

 

[michaelwest]

Hmmm.... this is a good idea. I was thinking along the same lines (that people here could make a better game) after Cricket 2002 turned out to be a poor game compared to its expectation.

If the right people are found to join your project, then this could then really hold great advantages compared to trying to de-bug Cricket 2004 ourselves.

Since we will have the source code, we can fix bugs and release regular patches until the game is bug-free, unlike EASPORTS.

Also by doing this, we can finally add some proper things into the game that should be in Cricket games.

Overall I think it is a great idea, if you can get a good team of programmers etc. then this could turn out to be a great game. I just hope that others think this is a great idea too and are willing to join the project.

 

[whiteninness]

i'd luv to help but i only have basic programming experience

basic meaning BASIC as i had done a couple of months on QBASIC which i taught myself then for the last 6 months or so i have been mucking around with visual basic which i taught myself

i do have C++ on my comp (i have microsoft visual studio 6)

but realli i doubt ill be much help

i am btw working on a crciket game in visual basic but its only a simulator and u seem to be wanting to make an actual game with graphics etc

tom hick... lazy chesnut is his name i think has made some very good programs for editing c2k2/c2k4..his latest was in VB and the others probably were too but perhaps he could help

anyway sounds good though

would u be aiming to get it on the market at the stores or be going the way of selling it online...much simalar to Total Aussie Rules 2003 which is a big hit for AFL fans and sells for about 40 bucks online

 

[squiz]

thats a really good idea, but it will take a long time, like maybe a few years, i dont think much people on here would be willing to help, and how will you fund the project?

 

[GerardHato]

It's a damn good idea... if i had the skills i would like to help out!!!

I reckon you will get a few people to help... Pretty much all i read and hear is people complaining about cricket 2004.

 

[squiz]

they all would have to live around the same area to do it

 

[crick4life]

This is indeed an excellent idea and I am more than happy to devote my free time to such a project. I am so disgusted with EA sports this time around (there have now been 4 attempts excluding Cricket?97); I have vowed not to buy any game published by EA sports let alone cricket games. My wish has always been to produce a reasonably good looking cricket game free of bugs. I am an I.T professional but the game development is alien to me, I am a Data warehouse Consultant but do know quite a few programming languages like C, Java, xml if its of any help.

 

[whiteninness]

i think C++ is wat hes looking for

i too know some of the easy languages, Qbasic, Visual basic, BASIC

but they only limit me currently to making simulators which i am currently making (a cricket 1)

 

[crick4life]

Originally posted by whiteninness
i think C++ is wat hes looking for

i too know some of the easy languages, Qbasic, Visual basic, BASIC

but they only limit me currently to making simulators which i am currently making (a cricket 1)

Good on ya mate, I look forward to some fun days with the game you will be producing.

 

[Scatter]

Originally posted by squiz
thats a really good idea, but it will take a long time, like maybe a few years, i dont think much people on here would be willing to help, and how will you fund the project?

the project would be self funded insofar as people who contribute will be recompensed IF the game is published and raises any money.

the costs side of it is pretty minimal. once i know who is genuinely interested and can contribute i will set up a subsidiary company of my drafting business (Scattered Design). Any unforseen costs incurred in the project will then be tax write-offs for the subsidiary. Anything more complex than that involving finances will have to wait until we come to it. I am not prepared to make promises of funding just yet, until I know how serious this gets.

But out of curiosity I checked if the EA game had the Australian Cricketers Association endorsement, and they don't. It is the associations. I spoke to my lawyer informally this afternoon (I had to speak to him anyways, and the business side had finished, and he's a mate in my cricket team, so the filthy bugger better not include the time in the bill!!! ) about the complexities involved in getting an endorsement should such an issue arise in theory, and he said it wasn't overly complex at all. Again I know it sounds like all pie-in-the-sky stuff, but I have given the matter some thought, and want to have a serious attempt at this...

Originally posted by squiz
they all would have to live around the same area to do it

not really. the marvels of broadband et al...

obviously it would make things a hell of a lot easier if everyone concerned was located fairly close, but it is definately not an essential...

 

[Scatter]

Originally posted by crick4life
but do know quite a few programming languages like C, Java, xml if its of any help.

well, we have a start...

xml could come in handy for making menu/help/options/etc screens and menus and stuff like that...

but for the purposes of actually writing the game, we are going to need some c++ jockeys...

 

[whiteninness]

i may be able to help out with some graphics if the kits/faces are gunna be c2k2/c2k4 style

 

[jonah]

I'm afraid that I have very little programming knowledge but would like to wish Scatter and anyone who gets involved in this project all the best of luck. A game made by cricket lovers for cricket lovers would be great.

 

[squiz]

yeh you will have to create all the kits from scratch it would take a long time If you do make how will other people buy it?

 

[zimrahil]

I have no C++ skills whatsoever, but can I formally put my name down as a tester months in advance !!

Good luck to Scatter should this project take off - if you can see it through to completion you would deserve a knighthood (or Australian equivalent)