Universal Combat: AWA sold over 35,000 copies in first 11 days
by David Wyand · in General Discussion · 09/28/2005 (2:47 pm) · 40 replies
Greetings!
Doing my monthly check on the IDGA site, I noticed this featured article on the front page:
Derek Smart's universal appeal in Florida
He's been working on this series for a long time now, and appears to have built a following. What caught my eye was this:
Wow. Do the math on that and it works out to be a tidy sum for an indie developer.
I've personally not followed this series of games beyond a curiosity. So, I thought I'd track down some reviews. The few that I managed to find (the game/expansion just came out after all) were not very encouraging.
Through the rumour mill I understand that Mr. Smart has quite a reputation as someone that doesn't water-down his opinion. And looking through his web site's forum, I'd tend to agree. I guess I'd just say that he and I would disagree on how to approach customer service.
So, coming back to the 35,000 copies in 11 days, that's just amazing.
Comments??
- LightWave Dave
Doing my monthly check on the IDGA site, I noticed this featured article on the front page:
Derek Smart's universal appeal in Florida
He's been working on this series for a long time now, and appears to have built a following. What caught my eye was this:
Quote:Faithful fan following indeed, Universal Combat: A World Apart sold over 35,000 copies in his first 11 days of release.
Wow. Do the math on that and it works out to be a tidy sum for an indie developer.
I've personally not followed this series of games beyond a curiosity. So, I thought I'd track down some reviews. The few that I managed to find (the game/expansion just came out after all) were not very encouraging.
Through the rumour mill I understand that Mr. Smart has quite a reputation as someone that doesn't water-down his opinion. And looking through his web site's forum, I'd tend to agree. I guess I'd just say that he and I would disagree on how to approach customer service.
So, coming back to the 35,000 copies in 11 days, that's just amazing.
Comments??
- LightWave Dave
About the author
A long time Associate of the GarageGames' community and author of the Torque 3D Game Development Cookbook. Buy it today from Packt Publishing!
#22
09/29/2005 (2:30 pm)
You know not what you have wrought... 
#23
09/29/2005 (2:52 pm)
LOL....wow, I was unaware of this whole conspiracy thing. I'm all updated now, thanks to Ritter for posting that Flame link. ;)
#24
I've never read any posts made by the guy so I can't coment on his attitude. I know that I myself am a "tell it like I see it" kind of guy. So coming from that angle I respect him. And I've been known to get caught up in a flame war now and then. Sometimes you can't help it and it's a lot of fun. but I always keep it respectful even if the other person doesn't. Throwing FU's around only tarnishes your name and makes you look like an idiot. But I'm glad he's making money for his effort. Like someone else said in this forum, it gives hope to the rest of us.
-Ajari-
09/29/2005 (3:13 pm)
My only gripe with the guy is that he releases garbage. This last game didn't get great reviews, actually not even good reviews and judging by the comments on the forum neither did his others.I've never read any posts made by the guy so I can't coment on his attitude. I know that I myself am a "tell it like I see it" kind of guy. So coming from that angle I respect him. And I've been known to get caught up in a flame war now and then. Sometimes you can't help it and it's a lot of fun. but I always keep it respectful even if the other person doesn't. Throwing FU's around only tarnishes your name and makes you look like an idiot. But I'm glad he's making money for his effort. Like someone else said in this forum, it gives hope to the rest of us.
-Ajari-
#25
Yeah I was burnt by BC3000 as well.
09/29/2005 (3:18 pm)
Maybe his publisher rushed BC3000 but has he seriously released a single decent product? I tried the demo of one his latest creations and it was a piece of junk - THE worst interface possible, the graphics were crap and it was buggy as hell. Remember the addage about monkeys, typewriters and the works of Shakespeare? I thought that was true of Derek Smart, compilers and a decent game, but I'm proven wrong. I don't care how many people say he doesn't sugar coat anything. He's still an egotistical arsehole. You can call a spade a spade but it doesn't mean you can be an idiot. He made his bed, and he can lie in it.Yeah I was burnt by BC3000 as well.
#26
Universal Combat: A World Apart...sold 35k copies supposidly.
Here are some links on the game:
www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=ucombat
www.3000ad.com/downloads/ucawa.shtml
There are tons of threads on the internet about the nature of the person Derek Smart, but for now lets just keep it on the game. Grab the demo, talk about reviews, whatever. (I can't believe I am trying to re-rail a thread...especially a potential flamewar. The apocolypse may be near.) I think the best way of putting it would be Dave's quote:
09/29/2005 (3:40 pm)
Just to kind of steer things back on track...Universal Combat: A World Apart...sold 35k copies supposidly.
Here are some links on the game:
www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=ucombat
www.3000ad.com/downloads/ucawa.shtml
There are tons of threads on the internet about the nature of the person Derek Smart, but for now lets just keep it on the game. Grab the demo, talk about reviews, whatever. (I can't believe I am trying to re-rail a thread...especially a potential flamewar. The apocolypse may be near.) I think the best way of putting it would be Dave's quote:
Quote:
I guess I'd just say that he and I would disagree on how to approach customer service.
#27
[1]Obviously he should have used TSE - maybe he doesn't qualify for an indie license? Edit: I'm obviously joking here, although Atlas would surely have been ideal for the kind of scale Smart wants. I assume Reality Engine was decided upon before the TSE terrain was shown.
09/29/2005 (3:47 pm)
Speaking of graphics quality, I see Battlecruiser Next Generation will be using the Reality Engine[1]. With decent artists, that should cover the sucky graphics issue.[1]Obviously he should have used TSE - maybe he doesn't qualify for an indie license? Edit: I'm obviously joking here, although Atlas would surely have been ideal for the kind of scale Smart wants. I assume Reality Engine was decided upon before the TSE terrain was shown.
#28
09/29/2005 (4:13 pm)
RE does look impressive.
#29
09/29/2005 (4:18 pm)
Reality Engine doesn't really exist anymore. It was bought by Epic, and most of the guys using Reality Engine got kind of burned by that whole thing. I'm not sure what the plans for Battlecruiser are. 
#30
I know I got my "free to the first 250 orders CD copy of Battlecruiser Millenium" ordering it 2 weeks after it's release. But i'd expect that offer was extended somewhat.
No matter what people think, the guys shipped more games than most of us ever will. And that is a seriously impressive indie achievement.
09/30/2005 (5:21 am)
Derek himself actually stated the number was inaccurate here, didn't give an indication of the true number.I know I got my "free to the first 250 orders CD copy of Battlecruiser Millenium" ordering it 2 weeks after it's release. But i'd expect that offer was extended somewhat.
No matter what people think, the guys shipped more games than most of us ever will. And that is a seriously impressive indie achievement.
#31
More power to him for getting so many sales. And getting people interested in the Indie Game Development scene is definately good, but lets not be making a poster guy out of him. His unpleasent attitude alone isn't a good image to portray for Indies and the fact that game had so many problems doesn't bode well either..
However, that aside, its always good to hear that someone is able to make things go as an Indie developer.
09/30/2005 (7:32 am)
I can honestly say I wasn't a big fan of UC. I purchased it when it first came out and like some have mentioned, it was painfully buggy. Half of the commands didn't work at all or would cause massive game hiccups that often lead to a crash.More power to him for getting so many sales. And getting people interested in the Indie Game Development scene is definately good, but lets not be making a poster guy out of him. His unpleasent attitude alone isn't a good image to portray for Indies and the fact that game had so many problems doesn't bode well either..
However, that aside, its always good to hear that someone is able to make things go as an Indie developer.
#32
Good stuff!
:)
09/30/2005 (8:23 am)
Hahahahahahhaha! Until now I have never heard of this guy?! This is hillarious and I don't know how I never knew all this was going on. Oh well I guess I am entertained several years too late. He seems like one of those guys from high school who tells you his parents own a Porche but day after day they continue to pick him up in the '82 Ford Pinto. And yet he continues to claim his parents own the Porche. Etc....Good stuff!
:)
#33
09/30/2005 (4:05 pm)
There is a difference between sales and distribution.
#34
1: It seems like Derek is doing what most of us dream of. Good for him. "More power" and all that.
2: It seems like he's got some ego issues.
Having never seen an add, or heard of this game prior to "we've sold 35k copies", I have a problem "buying" that number. Maybe its a marketting tactic (everyone else has it, you should too), maybe it's just invented to make himself sound better. I have no idea. But if I had to place a bet, my money wouldn't go in the "he's being genuine" pile.
10/01/2005 (9:55 am)
Having dug through some of the links here, I'm having a hard time believing the 35k figure.1: It seems like Derek is doing what most of us dream of. Good for him. "More power" and all that.
2: It seems like he's got some ego issues.
Having never seen an add, or heard of this game prior to "we've sold 35k copies", I have a problem "buying" that number. Maybe its a marketting tactic (everyone else has it, you should too), maybe it's just invented to make himself sound better. I have no idea. But if I had to place a bet, my money wouldn't go in the "he's being genuine" pile.
#35
10/01/2005 (5:48 pm)
Yeah... I had no idea that any of this existed until just a couple days ago reading it here. From what I've read since then, I don't think I like the guy.
#36
10/02/2005 (2:05 pm)
I think Derek Smart should be required reading for all indie game devs - maybe even all internet users. A good example of one way to go about things that not everyone might agree with.
#37
Me personally i am not into Derek Smart's games. I respect him as a person and love his attitude towards games. I personally am more about graphics in games (being an artist) and he is more about AI. I believe his claims on the amount sold since looking at his house and the brand new Mercedes he just bought in cash, i would suspect that those numbers are fairly accurate. Only one way to really know for sure.....AUDIT HIM!
10/02/2005 (2:54 pm)
Edited the Engine Rant....you are right, no need to Hijack a flame thread. Me personally i am not into Derek Smart's games. I respect him as a person and love his attitude towards games. I personally am more about graphics in games (being an artist) and he is more about AI. I believe his claims on the amount sold since looking at his house and the brand new Mercedes he just bought in cash, i would suspect that those numbers are fairly accurate. Only one way to really know for sure.....AUDIT HIM!
#38
Pat mentioned commented on the fact that the writing is on the wall regarding the Reality engine: as far as the public is aware they are no longer accepting new licensees, and that the implications are that it is being phased out, or re-worked for a different price point in the future.
In any case, the thread isn't about the Reality engine, or TSE, or any other technology...so please don't hijack it like that :)
10/02/2005 (3:09 pm)
@Kenny: Woah, take it easy guy. Nowhere in this thread was there a comparison of any engine to any other engine, other than a minor comment by Andrew that he said flat out was a joke. No need to come in and start an engine discussion...Pat mentioned commented on the fact that the writing is on the wall regarding the Reality engine: as far as the public is aware they are no longer accepting new licensees, and that the implications are that it is being phased out, or re-worked for a different price point in the future.
In any case, the thread isn't about the Reality engine, or TSE, or any other technology...so please don't hijack it like that :)
#39
Why? Just because you hadn't heard of it doesn't mean much. Universal Combat has been sitting out in the open on store shelves around here for a while ... Target, EB, GameStop etc. etc... Derek said it hasn't sold 35,000 and he wanted the article that printed that to be corrected but I'm sure he has sold close to that number. I've never played one of his games but I've read about them all over the net and in magazines like PC Gamer etc... Derek Smart and his games have some decent exposure for being a smaller operation.
10/02/2005 (4:45 pm)
Quote:
Having never seen an add, or heard of this game prior to "we've sold 35k copies", I have a problem "buying" that number. Maybe its a marketting tactic (everyone else has it, you should too), maybe it's just invented to make himself sound better. I have no idea. But if I had to place a bet, my money wouldn't go in the "he's being genuine" pile.
Why? Just because you hadn't heard of it doesn't mean much. Universal Combat has been sitting out in the open on store shelves around here for a while ... Target, EB, GameStop etc. etc... Derek said it hasn't sold 35,000 and he wanted the article that printed that to be corrected but I'm sure he has sold close to that number. I've never played one of his games but I've read about them all over the net and in magazines like PC Gamer etc... Derek Smart and his games have some decent exposure for being a smaller operation.
#40
Sure, a core fanbase of a few thousand people is completely believable.
But I've played the recent demos and it doesn't inspire me to believe that no one would want to return it due to severe usability or gameplay issues.
In any case, this is an opinion thread, there's no reason to jump on people because their perceptions or opinions don't match with your own. :)
10/02/2005 (7:05 pm)
I'm sure he's distributed close to that number, but I'd be surprised if he had anywhere close to 35,000 happy users, though. Sure, a core fanbase of a few thousand people is completely believable.
But I've played the recent demos and it doesn't inspire me to believe that no one would want to return it due to severe usability or gameplay issues.
In any case, this is an opinion thread, there's no reason to jump on people because their perceptions or opinions don't match with your own. :)
Andrew Kerr
Derek Smart! Derek Smart! Derek Smart!