[TM:UF] Updates & Offtopic - dacSP - Defenders against Chaos

hylis schrieb:

I would like to introduce our vision of maniaplanet.

Even if we have specific development for TrackMania, ShootMania or QuestMania, our goal is to build maniaplanet as a whole. At Nadeo, we see it a little as a software console with a new dimension. The major evolution of video games came from new dimensions: 2D to 3D to the dimension of multiplayer and then to multiplayer 2.0 (user powered gaming)

It was first in arcade with one machine per game for many people, then on console with one machine for multiple games and some people and then on personal computer with one machine for multiple usage but mainly for one person. This is the personal computer used to bring your personality, your style to the party. And we don't have only one style, we don't listen to one style of music, we don't like one type of food etc. This is why we have looked to integrate the most played multiplayer genres with ShootMania and QuestMania.

In order to make this adventure, we want to start small and solid. This will surprise many of you, but it is a real choice we have made here. We want to have the smallest number of modes as possible and only one environment for one game at the beginning. Then, at a regular pace, we will make maniaplanet bigger and bigger. Our target is to release one environment every three months and maybe do updates in between. New people can come with every new release, some can stay in the previously released titles, but the adventurous community will be able to follow one program in one place moving at a good pace. For us, it is a big change compared to the last two years, and it is a changed we really wanted. The upcoming years should be an even much bigger party!

So, it will take even more time before you can get your hands on many new TM environments, but once it is all started, the wait should be more easy and full of daily discovery brought by the community or Nadeo.

Until then, be sure that all of our work is going as fast as possible. All the hours available here are important since years and for the years to come with a better team than ever.

Florent 'Hylis' from Nadeo

hylis schrieb:

Since I am quite sure this question will be asked, and I can understand why, I will answer it even before it is done

On one side, I believe a publisher should do the best to protect the sales of the games. It is his responsibility even toward the developers. If some players think that they should be able to play for free, I think it should be the producer decision, like Nadeo did already two times in the past.

I also believe a developer should do the best to improve the quality of the game. So, a protection should be the less annoying as possible. For example, I would rather look after a working internet connection ^_^ than a CD check. It is obligatory of online games and most of your computer activity these days. In that respect, I feel that Ubisoft effort is in the good direction (if they can stabilize their stuff)

So, it should be a question of balance and I will see how things get in the future in order to make my mind.

And to add to the debate, I think that if some players are able to play without a protection, because of the existence of a cracked version, I rather think that releasing somewhere the equivalent would be fair. On the other side, I like to know that people that bought the game are not feeling that they are the only one to do it, so I would prefer that a crack does not exist. If we want it to exist, we know how to make it ^_^

And by the way, even if our previous publishers still used other protections, we released TrackMania Forever without any. The game reached a particular time and it was my choice at that time to do things like this. Since maniaplanet will be even more online, I see less reason to protect it, but at the same time, I see less reason not to do it.

I will come back to you as soon as I have more information or I am making my choice over this. I would bet around September.

Florent 'Hylis' from Nadeo