Freespace 2 - In Need of Support From Its Publisher

by: Old Staff (Zarathud) - November 08, 1999 for Freespace Watch

Similar to the original, FreeSpace 2 has been well received by gamers and the gaming press. Every review gives FreeSpace 2 high marks for its impressive graphics, captivating gameplay, and improved multiplayer support. Many Wing Commander fans are giving FreeSpace their hard-earned respect and my local friends have (finally) found something worthy to replace StarCraft during our frequent LAN parties. FreeSpace 2 is bigger and better than the original, which was a damn good game to start. All indicators point to FreeSpace 2 being another critically-acclaimed hit with overwhelming support for "Best Space Simulation of 1999." In addition, the enthusiastic voice of the FreeSpace community will definitely be heard when the inevitable polls are taken on the "Best Games of 1999."

With this level of support from the gaming community, you would expect the game developer and publisher to announce a sequel or add-on disk. However, this will not be the case for FreeSpace 2. Volition's president, Mike Kulas, announced on the Volition Bulletin Board that: "Prior to the release of FS2 and shortly thereafter it was my assumption that we'd be working on an addon. For a variety of reasons things changed and Interplay elected to not have us go ahead with development." Read another way, Interplay decided that it didn’t support the idea of a FreeSpace 2 add-on or mission disk. Why?

Whatever the possible reasons for their decision, Interplay doesn't have a very good track record for its support and promotion of FreeSpace 2. With the decision not to go forward with a FreeSpace 2 add-on or mission disk, serious questions are raised about interplay's commitment to FreeSpace 2. Let's take a look at the evidence that leads me to this conclusion:

The lack of support is obvious when you look at Interplay's FreeSpace 1 web site and compare it to Interplay's FreeSpace 2 web site. To support the original FreeSpace, Interplay supported a major mission design contest and commissioned fiction from science-fiction writers and fans. Compare their FreeSpace 2 website, which lacks even the correct system specifications for FreeSpace 2. If the publisher can't even bother to update its web site, what does this tell you about their support for the game in the marketplace? Volition's FreeSpace 2 web site shows what a game page should look like -- it is not only well designed but also constantly updated with relevant news about the game. The comparison between the developer's site and the publisher's site is especially appalling, as the reason a developer obtains a publisher in the first place is to obtain the best marketing and distribution exposure possible for its game.

Unfortunately, Interplay has also failed to generate the attention in the gaming news which FreeSpace 2 richly deserves. Compare the pre-game hype generated before the release of FreeSpace 1 to the circumstances surrounding the release of FreeSpace 2. Before the original's release, there were lengthy previews in almost every video game magazine and a wide release of the demo. (It was the preview in PC Gamer caught my attention, and the excellent gameplay and customizable controls in the original demo converted me from a skeptic to a hard-core FreeSpace fan). However, you would have hardly noticed the release of FreeSpace 2, other than the entire controversy over whether the game was, in fact, released to the duplicators (going "gold"). What happened to the pre-release buzz over the first space simulation game which creates epic capital ship battles in all their glory? The initial reaction at E3 was an overwhelming impression that the jaw-dropping graphics of FreeSpace 2 was something to look forward to during the holidays. Why, then, was next-to nothing heard about the release of this much-awaited game? Even now, post-release, you'll hear more in the gaming news about Tachyon and Starlancer than FreeSpace 2 (not to mention Homeworld). Why do the promises of a game still in development receive more press than a game that delivers the goods in abundance that's on store shelves right now?

If a casual gamer can't find a game on the shelves of a local retailer, they often won't even know that the title exists. To get this exposure, many retailers require publishers to guarantee a title's sales or pay for shelf-space. This is the price for the opportunity sales received from wandering gift-givers looking for "something to buy" for that special gamer. In my experience, I found it hard to find FreeSpace 2 on the shelves of large retailers. That's not because the game has been selling off the shelves, but because of its poor placement in major retailers. In the CompUSA on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, FreeSpace 2 was tucked away in the middle of all of the realistic flight simulators and far, far away from similar action games such as X-Wing Alliance and Descent 3. In what was clearly the high-visibility "Interplay self space," I saw several rows of Descent 3 and Starfleet Command boxes. Although I certainly won't complain about Descent 3 receiving shelf space, the decision to devote all of the remaining shelf space to Starfleet Command indicates that Interplay is trying to sell a product in a licensed universe over its proprietary universe (as Interplay owns the rights to FreeSpace). Worst of all, this high-traffic CompUSA had only ordered five copies on its original order -- and they arrived several weeks after the game's release. Even the smaller retailers didn't seem to be buying many copies of FreeSpace 2. Electronics Boutique was sold out in two of the three Chicago locations on the day of its release, and the copy I did receive was only one of ten reserved by the Old Orchard EBX. That's not an overwhelming show of support by retailers, who are influenced by the sales pitch of the publishers. With the excellent marketing and awards of the original FreeSpace, why couldn't Interplay find a way to effectively convince retailers to purchase copies of FreeSpace 2?

The longer I spend writing this editorial, the more convinced I am that Interplay has only put forth the minimum effort at distributing and marketing FreeSpace 2. In my opinion, it appears that FreeSpace 2 has fallen victim to one of the worst aspects of the gaming industry -- poor support of the titles from independent developers by large publishers. The marketplace is overlooking too many good titles due to the decision by publishers and gamers alike to focus on only a few "mass-market" titles of the moment. But when a publisher doesn't even support their good games, then what are its chances of realizing its full potential audience? In the crowded holiday market, I fear that FreeSpace 2 will not receive the attention and distribution that it deserves. This is a shame, especially when there is already a growing body of FreeSpace developers using FRED 2 to create excellent user-designed missions and campaigns that could be enjoyed in the months to come.

Fortunately, Volition has been more than supportive of FreeSpace 2 and has re-affirmed their support of FreeSpace community and their fans. But Interplay seems to be leaving Volition to take over basic marketing and public relations support. Even though Volition has done a great job, it's not right for the publishers to ignore their own efforts.

What, then, can we do about it? That's a good question, and one for which I wish I knew the answer. The best thing to do, of course, is to buy a copy of the game (for yourself or for a friend). The next best thing is to tell your friends and fellow gamers about how FreeSpace 2 is one of the "best games" of its genre, a great game that everyone who enjoys a space dogfighting simulator should buy. You can help create the buzz by posting on newsgroups and participating in the FreeSpace community. Another option would be a collective e-mail from the FreeSpace community (and friends) to Interplay, suggesting that they quickly reconsider their decision not to support FreeSpace 2. Look for such a petition to appear at the Descent Chronicles in the near future.

To anyone at Interplay who reads this editorial, I suggest that you take a second look at FreeSpace 2 and you'll see what a good game you have on your hands. With a "Best of its Class" title on your hands, why not promote the game fully to reach a wider audience? When you have a good product, you tell people about it, get it into stores and sell it to the wider market who are hungry for a good game like FreeSpace 2, but don't know that much about the title. The best way to recapture the hype and convince people to take a second look at FreeSpace 2 would be to create an add-on pack that would extend the life of the game. That's the strategy that worked well with the original FreeSpace, and the strategy that's being taken with Descent 3. Why not FreeSpace 2? It's every bit as good of a game, if not better, than the other two titles. FreeSpace 2 is set to dominate the space dogfight simulation market, if only it receives the support it deserves. Whatever internal difficulties you're experiencing, it doesn't pay to let a winner fall by the wayside for lack of support. Get FreeSpace 2 the exposure it deserves, and you'll find that it makes good business sense. Isn't that why your motto is "By Gamers For Gamers"?