Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

Ok, I'm going to do a little promo for PureSim 4, as it was formerly a Matrix product, so bear with me. Shaun Sullivan is planning on releasing the official product sometime in March 2011, and we're on Beta 39 right now. The changes he's made since the Matrix version are astounding, and I think we're gonna have the best baseball text sim on the market, bar none. You CAN try out the "lite" version for free. See http://puresimmer.squarespace.com/download-lite-version/

I hope I don't offend anyone for doing this, but I've been playing this game and following the changes in it since 2005. If you're a baseball fan, you owe it to yourself to give this game a try.

For the guys who know me, it's become my second-favorite game other than the venerable SPWAW. That's why I'm doing this.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

Yes, OOTP fans are pretty vociferous in their opinions, but PS4 excels in its attention to historical career associations. Don't knock it until you try the newest version.

Amongst the latest beta improvements are automatic historical ballpark imports, along with pics.

Note that the free "lite" version only offers one mode of play --- with the full "paid" version you have options galore.

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ORIGINAL: King of All Games

quote:

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

Yes, OOTP fans are pretty vociferous in their opinions, but PS4 excels in its attention to historical career associations. Don't knock it until you try the newest version.

Amongst the latest beta improvements are automatic historical ballpark imports, along with pics.

Note that the free "lite" version only offers one mode of play --- with the full "paid" version you have options galore.

"Automatic historical ballpark imports?" Is that supposed to be a big selling point to attract new customers and OOTP stalwarts??

I've followed Shaun's work for years and his programming skills are top notch, but his marketing efforts (by himself and with others) have been sub-par at best. After trying the "lite" version, the game has come a long way, but still has a long way to go. Seems like his endless tinkering and updating often throws off other previously stable parts of the game, thus leading to a never-ending cycle of fixes and updates. A finite development cycle for each version would end this sort of "ongoing beta" stigma the game has in many circles. Also, it doesn't help matters that when visiting the forum, the same half dozen or so guys are making all the posts...thus giving the game a very fringe, "small time" feel. Are these the only folks playing the game? I imagine that's not the case, but it sure seems like it is to potential new customers visiting the forum for the very first time.

It would also help if Shaun would lay out what makes his game better or more enjoyable than the primary competition (OOTP, Mogul, whatever). I saw his claims a couple of weeks back that his game now surpasses not only OOTP, but also Strat, Action, and Diamond Mind. Instead of a blanket declaration, give us the reasons, tell us why, draw the clear distinction between your game and the competition. Simply put, MARKET the damn thing.

And finally, Shaun's "retirements" have been another turn-off in the past. Again, his programming skills are fantastic, but will he and his game be around for the long haul? Will there be a version 5 next spring...and a version 6 the spring after?? If he doesn't sell enough games this year, will he throw another tantrum and "retire" again...only to "un-retire" a few days later?? With most of the companies he's declared victory over (OOTP, Mogul, Strat, Action), you know there's going to be a new version every year because there has been a new version every year. With Shaun, there's no guarantee.

All this stuff matters in the eyes of potential customers who would like to take the game seriously...but instead view it as much more of a side project or hobby, as opposed to a serious venture.