NWN2/BGTSCC Marketing?

[AlwaysSummer Day]

I have actively called, emailed, and mailed multiple companies to try to find out why nwn2 was removed from steam and if it could be placed there again. I received no real answers. Steam comprises as much as 70% of digital game sales so getting it back on there would cause a population explosion for sure.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

Steam removed it due to the different publisher ownership. Atari is no longer in the picture. The game itself is still available to those who purchased NWN2 via Steam, but further sales are not permitted at this time.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

I've started on an Android application that shows server status, latest forum posts, how to acquire the game. Publishing it under the RPG game categories when complete such that it'll show up on mobile RPG searches through the Play store. Even players who used to play the Black Isle BG, and are doing lookups for the BG Enhanced edition should end up seeing us.

Extending it's function to show connected GSIDs, as well as an injected CSS to enable this forum for better mobile usability as well.

An iOS port afterward will be made.

Edit : Thread on mobile devices

[Maecius]

That's both crazy awesome and way above and beyond what I'd expect from anybody!

If it works out, be sure to let us know? Also let me know if and how we can help.

Then we can all say: "BGTSCC? There's an app for that."

[AlwaysSummer Day]

That's just it though, whoever control reverted to refuses to acknowledge control. Wotc says it's up to Hasbro and Hasbro says it's wotc. From what I understand it should be on Hasbro but they are confused as hell because Hasbro interactive is gone as well as Atari.

Also super cool work on the ap xD

[Aspect of Sorrow]

WotC is a subsidiary of Hasbro, it's up to them to utilize the license.

For what it's worth, the Hasbro v Atari legal filing can be acquired here.

[Akroma666]

WotC is a subsidiary of Hasbro, it's up to them to utilize the license.

For what it's worth, the Hasbro v Atari legal filing can be acquired here.

I don't speak lawyer, sum up?

[metaquad4]

Hasbro (Of which Wizards of the Coast is a subsidiary) made a complain against Atari and said that Atari had violated their licencing contract, and had not met the standards it set about (to really sum it up).

Later, Hasbro and Atari settle, and Hasbro gets digital licencing back from Atari (with the exception of a few things. I'm 99% sure they still have Daggerdale).

Also, thanks for the good read, Aspect of Sorrow! I hadn't read that part of the whole ordeal.

[Tsidkenu]

It seems that Hasbro's key gripe with Atari was when Atari sold (sublicensed) their European product distribution rights of D&D products to Namco Bandai, one of Hasbro's chief Japanese competitors, without asking for permission to sublicense as dictated in their licensing contract with Hasbro; also breaching their Confidentiality of Information clause (Atari were not permitted to pass on non-public Hasbro product information under any circumstances); and breaching their responsibility, as set forward in the Hasbro licensing contract, that only Atari was permitted to offer marketing, customer service and support for the products it was licensed to produce and could not, at any time, sublicense that responsibility to a third party.

Atari denied the sale but were shown up when a product labelling manager from Namco Bandai in Lyon, France, sent an email to Hasbro asking for licensing permission to produce a new 3 CD box set of some D&D game for the Italian market, an email which evidenced that confidential Hasbro information had been sold by Atari to Namco Bandai contrary to their license contract. Furthermore, evidence emerged that Atari has wholly transferred marketing, customer service and support roles for products under its license to Namco Bandai, something its contract with Hasbro prohibited it from doing.

Hasbro corresponded with Namco Bandai directly and Atari's falsehoods were exposed, and Atari's licensing rights for D&D products (including NWN2 ) were revoked by Breach of Contract clauses. Monetary damages/compensation was settled out of court in Hasbro's favour.

I can only suppose NWN2 would have to have some kind of re-release devoid of Atari's logo in order for Hasbro to approve its redistribution on Steam, meaning some other company would have to 1. ask for and 2. be given approval for such a project. But with a 10 year old game, who would bother? Then again Beamdog did do an overhaul and re-release of BG & BG2, so it's not impossible!

[Favriel]

I think an actual website (doesn't have to be huge) rather than just a forum would help to draw in new players. Making things more visual is important. For a good example, look at the Haven website. (http://www.kingdomofhaven.com)

[Aspect of Sorrow]

You have a point, though as broken as Haven's site is, it really only provides just enough content that is covered by two threads on the forum here.

I had a thought of a persistent livestream at one point, the client being scripted to move among the various public gathering points. Soap opera, if you will.

[Tsidkenu]

How about an overhaul of this website's landing page then, and leave the rest as is? I'm not sure how hard that would be to do, but I don't want to put too much on Zanniej either.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

To make the adjustment it'd take less than five minutes tops. We'd actually need content more than a lot of flashy imagery that repeats itself. I could cobble up something tomorrow that can be extended on.

[Akroma666]

So.. I think its safe to talk about now.. But I have a friend who is a animator for a specific company who makes these sorts of games *cough* Pillars of Eternity *cough*. Anyways he's a higher up and informed me privately that their team was reviewing the terms to make a baldurs gate 3. I guess what ended up happening is wizards was a bit more difficult to negotiate with than planned and they decided to run their own engine and made a different game. *cough* Pillars *cough*. Man I need to get that cough checked out.. So the project was shelved as of last we spoke.

[Nyeleni]

Well, I'm glad about it. Pillars of Eternity turned out very interesting. New settings are lately not so easy to get. And so well made.

It's like movies.