Niche game or undermarketed?

Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!

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parkas3
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Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by parkas3 »

Why do you call DW niche game? In my opinion its niche only by obscurity. For example another 4x Endless Space got over 300K sales. There is no reaction to release of Shadows on games news sites. People just don't know about it.
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Velihopea
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Velihopea »

It's the sales strategy chosen for DW (and henceforth it's the perfect strategy and not debatable)
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rankalee
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by rankalee »

Steam has alot to do with the exposure for Endless Space me thinks.. hence the massive sales.

Wonder why DW isnt on there? If it wasnt for spacesector.com I wouldnt even know about this game..
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Webbco
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Webbco »

There's been loads of posts on DW and its absence from Steam, just search for the keywords in this forum and you'll see just how many...
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AminMaalouf
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by AminMaalouf »

It's not niche, it's geek.
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Tree Dog
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Tree Dog »

ORIGINAL: AminMaalouf

It's not niche, it's geek.
"Being geek" doesn't mean anything anymore.
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rwenstrup
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by rwenstrup »

Quick question...which is the better game?
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."
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AminMaalouf
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by AminMaalouf »

ORIGINAL: Tree Dog
ORIGINAL: AminMaalouf

It's not niche, it's geek.
"Being geek" doesn't mean anything anymore.
Lol, I know. It was more a look back into the age of board games.

DW is really a good game, although overhelming and I lack unfortunately the concentration required to play it most of the time. Geek would mean then more passion than actual occupation, a bit like reading a poem. ;)
gargoil
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by gargoil »

ORIGINAL: rwenstrup

Quick question...which is the better game?

Don't even go there. DW is a masterpiece. And Endless Space is a piece of....

Its like comparing a Rembrandt to graffitti.
robc04_1
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by robc04_1 »

ORIGINAL: rwenstrup

Quick question...which is the better game?

It depends what kind of game you prefer. Endless Space is a more traditional turn-based 4X space strategy game. It pretty much plays by the numbers. Very easy to get into, but maybe a bit bland. I definitely had some fun with it. Distant Worlds is a pausable real time game where it is very customizable as far as what you want to control. It is intriguing to me, but it never really grabbed me when I played it. That said, I haven't given up on it and want to take it for another spin at some point. DW certainly is the more creative and different game between the two. Perhaps Shadows fixes some of the things I didn't like about DW.
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rwenstrup
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by rwenstrup »

Thanks for the replies...I've been more of a strategic and tactical wargamer in the past...but I've been thinking it may be fun to try a space game...
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."
Zakath
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Zakath »

ORIGINAL: rwenstrup

Thanks for the replies...I've been more of a strategic and tactical wargamer in the past...but I've been thinking it may be fun to try a space game...

I can really recommend DW. It's a strategic wargame in space, where you're free to automate as much or as little as you want. Want to design every last ship and control the deployment of your fleets? Go ahead! Want to just control the high level attack targets and ship count? No problem.

Personally I'm too lazy to micromanage everything, so I pick a fleet (named Battle Fleet) and use it as my hammer. The rest of my ships run on auto, works pretty well for me.
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Shark7
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Shark7 »

ORIGINAL: Zakath
ORIGINAL: rwenstrup

Thanks for the replies...I've been more of a strategic and tactical wargamer in the past...but I've been thinking it may be fun to try a space game...

I can really recommend DW. It's a strategic wargame in space, where you're free to automate as much or as little as you want. Want to design every last ship and control the deployment of your fleets? Go ahead! Want to just control the high level attack targets and ship count? No problem.

Personally I'm too lazy to micromanage everything, so I pick a fleet (named Battle Fleet) and use it as my hammer. The rest of my ships run on auto, works pretty well for me.

I concur. To be honest, the only games I've bought for my PC in the last 10 years have been from here at Matrix (I hate the Internet DRM of Steam and the like). DW and WITP:AE do get a lot of playtime.

DW real value is the fact that every game you start is different, due to the way the game generates the galaxy. Its very old school...similar to back in the days of X86 processors and pixelated 2D graphics, but when game play and replay-ability was the only focus. And that is what I like about DW, the game play is great though the graphics are far better than we had in the 80s. I can play a game every day, and no game plays out the same.

The automation is nice, but I do like to manage my fleets and just about everything else. And that is the other advantage DW has...I can control as much or as little of my empires inner workings as I like.
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Ucchedavada
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Ucchedavada »

ORIGINAL: Shark7

DW real value is the fact that every game you start is different, due to the way the game generates the galaxy. Its very old school...similar to back in the days of X86 processors and pixelated 2D graphics, but when game play and replay-ability was the only focus. And that is what I like about DW, the game play is great though the graphics are far better than we had in the 80s. I can play a game every day, and no game plays out the same.

Could you expand on this? How does the map generation in DW differ from other 4X games?
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Shark7
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Shark7 »

ORIGINAL: Ucchedavada

ORIGINAL: Shark7

DW real value is the fact that every game you start is different, due to the way the game generates the galaxy. Its very old school...similar to back in the days of X86 processors and pixelated 2D graphics, but when game play and replay-ability was the only focus. And that is what I like about DW, the game play is great though the graphics are far better than we had in the 80s. I can play a game every day, and no game plays out the same.

Could you expand on this? How does the map generation in DW differ from other 4X games?

In truth, I don't think it differs much from other 4X games, its 4X games in general that have great replay-ability. The key point I am making is unlike FPS or historical wargames (IE other modern game genres) DW presents you with a different scenario each and every time you start a game. In other words, you can play 100 games and get 100 different outcomes. Not at all unlike the MoO series (one of my all-time favorites)...with the exception that the overpowered Antarans aren't present. [;)]
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Buio
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Buio »

ORIGINAL: parkas3
Why do you call DW niche game? In my opinion its niche only by obscurity. For example another 4x Endless Space got over 300K sales. There is no reaction to release of Shadows on games news sites. People just don't know about it.

Why does it matter? But anyway, DW is big and complex, has 2d graphics that isn't flashy and costs a lot. It's not mainstream, for everyone and their kids. Games that are somewhat similar might be Paradox grand strategy games. They have a huge following, but still are somewhat niche.

These games cater to a specific audience of fans. If you simplify and put more flashy graphics in them and sell to mainstream audience, niche gamers probably will stop buying them.
Spacecadet
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Spacecadet »

ORIGINAL: Buio
ORIGINAL: parkas3
Why do you call DW niche game? In my opinion its niche only by obscurity. For example another 4x Endless Space got over 300K sales. There is no reaction to release of Shadows on games news sites. People just don't know about it.

Why does it matter? But anyway, DW is big and complex, has 2d graphics that isn't flashy and costs a lot. It's not mainstream, for everyone and their kids. Games that are somewhat similar might be Paradox grand strategy games. They have a huge following, but still are somewhat niche.

These games cater to a specific audience of fans. If you simplify and put more flashy graphics in them and sell to mainstream audience, niche gamers probably will stop buying them.

I think the bigger issue is the "dumbing down" of the game to appeal to more casual gamers (bigger audience).

When that happens, you've pretty much nuked the game and what made it good in the first place.



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Zangi
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Zangi »

This game is probably niche...

But... marketing is nonexistent. I think I've only first heard about DW cause word of mouth on the one forum I frequent. And really, I don't see any talk about DW at game review sites or anywhere else I check-in on...
parkas3
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by parkas3 »

ORIGINAL: Buio
ORIGINAL: parkas3
Why do you call DW niche game? In my opinion its niche only by obscurity. For example another 4x Endless Space got over 300K sales. There is no reaction to release of Shadows on games news sites. People just don't know about it.

Why does it matter? But anyway, DW is big and complex, has 2d graphics that isn't flashy and costs a lot. It's not mainstream, for everyone and their kids. Games that are somewhat similar might be Paradox grand strategy games. They have a huge following, but still are somewhat niche.

These games cater to a specific audience of fans. If you simplify and put more flashy graphics in them and sell to mainstream audience, niche gamers probably will stop buying them.

It matters a lot. It means bigger community and more extensive modding. It also means more revenue for Codeforce and faster developement of patches/expansions/DW2. Games like Crusader Kings II, EU sell great despite being complex and pretty ugly. Look at Minecraft, it has very bad graphics and earned millions.
I play very different games, from Dirt 3 to Distant Worlds (including Paradox titles) there are many people like me. Problem is I found DW by accident after researching 4x games, not by reading gaming sites.
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Shark7
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RE: Niche game or undermarketed?

Post by Shark7 »

ORIGINAL: Spacecadet

ORIGINAL: Buio
ORIGINAL: parkas3
Why do you call DW niche game? In my opinion its niche only by obscurity. For example another 4x Endless Space got over 300K sales. There is no reaction to release of Shadows on games news sites. People just don't know about it.

Why does it matter? But anyway, DW is big and complex, has 2d graphics that isn't flashy and costs a lot. It's not mainstream, for everyone and their kids. Games that are somewhat similar might be Paradox grand strategy games. They have a huge following, but still are somewhat niche.

These games cater to a specific audience of fans. If you simplify and put more flashy graphics in them and sell to mainstream audience, niche gamers probably will stop buying them.

I think the bigger issue is the "dumbing down" of the game to appeal to more casual gamers (bigger audience).

When that happens, you've pretty much nuked the game and what made it good in the first place.




You hit on a big point there. I like complex games, I like having to actually think about what I am do as opposed to mindlessly mashing buttons. The big appeal of a complex game is that it not only entertains, but it is engaging.
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