"Sega has put a lot of trust and even expectation on the studios to define its future, to plot that course. That gave us the freedom and flexibility we really needed to bring Relic back."
As one Homeworld/sci-fi fan, I'm happy the BBI guys are doing well with the Unity game engine. Sega-owned studio Amplitude is using Unity as well;
Showcasing the capabilities of Unity 2018;
BBI Project Eagle Trailer In collaboration with NASA (using Unity);
In collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Project Eagle is Blackbird Interactive's artistic vision of what a future base on Mars might look like. Following in the footsteps of legendary space artist Chesley Bonestell, we hope to inspire new generations to dream of human settlement beyond planet Earth and support the exploration and colonization of our solar system.
The interactive demonstration will be presented live on stage by JPL’s Dr. Jeff Norris, at the 2017 D.I.C.E. Summit on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017. Jeff will be joined on stage by BBI CEO Rob Cunningham and CCO Aaron Kambeitz.
Adam Isgreen, creative director for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, suggested the recently
released game could arrive on Steam at some point in the future.
Adam Isgreen
Creative Director at Microsoft Studios Global Publishing (this includes AoE4)
Age of Empires Franchise (2015-present) https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamisgreen/
Adam was senior game designer for Westwood Studios (C&C/Dune 1995-2003)
Interviews with Adam Isgreen Why Age of Empires, the RTS where you could "win with a Wonder," still matters - 19 February 2018
AI: I believe that any genre that exists for a long time eventually gets more and more complicated. You see that in FPS. Every genre is like ‘add more complication, add more layers, add more this or that’. I think that along the way, RTS split into many different genres: you’ve got everything from Farmville, which is like the base-building of an RTS, to Clash of Clans, which is like super-simplified RTS about input, to MOBA, which all about individual unit control. Those are all awesome vectors that RTS has gone off on.
But I don’t think we’re alone in saying that we think people still want the experience that a core, fundamental, ‘let’s build a base, let’s have a fight, let’s explore’ RTS can bring. We see that as games pop up from time to time. They Are Billions is an interesting example of a base-building/tower defence RTS that has been super successful. So I think there’s still a demand for those games.
Obviously, we’re putting our foot down and saying ‘we think RTS is relevant here at Microsoft’, because not have we got Age I Definitive Edition, but we’re also working on Age II and III, and of course we’re making a brand new Age game with Age of Empires IV, so we firmly believe that RTS has a place in the market. And I bet you that Blizzard is working on something similar, for whatever is going to happen next with Warcraft or StarCraft.
How and why Microsoft updated Age of Empires for the upcoming Definitive Edition - February 16th, 2018
Most certainly. Sometimes I don't think companies treat their IP with the respect that they deserve or they should. I've been really delighted that we've been given permission and support to go and make the Age of Empires games the way we want to make them and make them as good as they can be for the fans and support all the features that the fans would love. There's a pressure, though. We want Age of Empires 4 to be an amazing game and the team at Relic has been doing some amazing work on it. I'm very happy with how it's going now. The message we're sending with all of the Age of Empires games as we go through them and do these Definitive Editions is that we really care about this franchise and what makes an Age of Empires game an Age of Empires game. This is all part of not only showing how great these games were, but it is a build up to a new game. We have a lot of respect for this IP, so hopefully, when Age 4 comes out, people will say they've loved all three Definitive Editions and will jump in even though they don't know much about it. There are a lot of people who still play the Age games on a daily basis, a lot more than people realise. Maybe because it's not in the limelight of the press all the time. It's a big number.
At the moment, Age of Empires Definitive Edition is pencilled for launch on the Windows 10 Store but not Steam. Are you worried you might be limiting your PC audience by not bringing it to that marketplace?
Sure. I'm the one who makes the games; I don't worry too much about where they go. But of course, we want our games to be enjoyed by everybody. That's a natural tendency. Right now, because this is a UWP game, we want to make sure we offer the best experience that we can offer and UWP allows us to do all this stuff we want to do on the live side - multiplayer, cloud saves and so on. We really want to have all this in place and concentrate on this version before we think about what comes next. The Windows 10 Store is an alternative to Steam, obviously, and Steam is huge. But competition is a good thing. I can't promise where the game is or is not going to go in the future because that's not really up to me, but we want to have the best version of the game that we can make right now and then we'll figure out what we can do with it after that.
I talked with both Spencer and Booty in an interview, as both me explained what the changes will mean for Microsoft’s game business and all of the developers and executives reporting to them. Booty will be focused on making sure that the studios get the resources they need and work together to share knowledge across various development teams.
You cant blame Relic for wanting a piece of the console pie. Blame Microsoft for slow and weak DirectX/OpenGL support and the ensuing graphics quality arms race. If PC gaming was more reliable ages ago, consoles would not even exist now. Most gamers have no idea what makes a good videocard. Execution units, pipelines, cache, DDRx, bus bandwidth, etc are all arcane specifications most will never care to learn. Nor should they have to just to play a game.
However, I cant believe they have not made a top down mobile version of COH. Stripped down to bare essentials for some quick RTS action on the go. I have been kicking it around since I have most of written already :thinking:
For those interested, I updated the OP with a couple more old Relic interviews to support the idea of CoH coming to console.
We're on the search for Senior Programmers who are excited to code in all disciplines: AI, Engine & Optimization, Build, Gameplay, Rendering, Tools and UI.
Hmmm... how far back do I go? Recently, I’ve been playing Horizon Zero Dawn. The technical achievements in that game are brilliant. They’ve been able to deliver on technical prowess, as well as gameplay, and storytelling. I’ve watched presentations on how they accomplished all of that, and I’ve been really impressed with it.
Historically is tough. I know there was one point way back when I was studying for exams, and I had to call a friend and be like – dude, please can you come over and sit at my computer and play Civilization so that I can’t? I was so into that game that I felt the only way I couldn’t play was if someone denied me the resource of my computer.
Ok, you’ve been here nearly 20 years. How did it all start for you?
Well I was computing while at school and went on to study at SFU. I kept in touch with some friends who joined Radical Entertainment after graduating. I heard a lot about it from those guys, and I ended up getting a job there when I finished my degree.
A year or so later, one of my school buds joined this new company called Relic. He was telling me all this great stuff about the game that was to become Homeworld. As the game became more public, I became a bit of a fanboy. I was going over, hanging out at the office, and stuff like that. Eventually, it was like, okay, I just need to work there.
For a grizzled vet who’s seen it all, what projects stand out most for you?
Well Company of Heroes for sure, but Impossible Creatures was my first full project at Relic and it was a really important game for us. With Impossible Creatures we were figuring out how to build the tech, and how to create together. We made a good game, but Impossible Creatures was all about us learning. That process allowed us to make a great game in Company of Heroes.
Ian Back in 2000
I hear you’re involved in a big Essence Engine upgrade right now, can you explain it to a luddite like me?
Basically, we’re rebuilding a lot of the system, but the broad goal is to make our games perform better. Whether that means more units, the same number of units with better behaviors, or better stability, we want our games to perform better for a wider audience.
What’s great about working with an in-house engine?
Essence lets our programmers across the studio work together. The way we use Essence means we work closely with the creative people, like designers and artists, to bring their vision alive in game. That’s what’s so awesome about game development – working together to create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
You are a Vancouverite born and bred, what keeps you busy around here?
I’ve got family and kids here. My sister is in town, my dad’s nearby, my fiance’s family is here, so it’s very much a small bubble that keeps me pretty busy. I can sometimes end up as a tourist in my town when people come to visit. Somehow, and very embarrassingly, I’ve never done the Grouse Grind, and my son did it at the age of six!
Now for the most important question. You always wear shorts, why?
Oh man, yeah, high school. I wore shorts, and there was this other guy who wore shorts. There was this kind of mild allegiance, like yeah, we wear shorts, that’s our thing. Embarrassingly I ran into him a couple of years after high school, and I was like, you’re wearing pants? He was like yeah… of course.
Also, I’ve been ‘the shorts guy’ for so long, I don’t think I could stand the ridicule if I switched to pants.
New Content (UGC)
Although we plan to continue releasing new in-game content in future updates, we will now be leveraging UGC such as vehicle skins and maps to help offer new gameplay experiences to the community. We hope that advances to COH2’s modding tools will also take place in the coming months, allowing additional forms of content to be created by the community as well - however this is still to be confirmed.
The CoH roadmap has not been updated since 2016. Now it's just radio silence and we don't get newsworthy info beyond the community balance patches.
Relic was planning to grow with AoE4 (early production starting in 2015) and DoW3 post-launch.
CoH3 was planned to be after AoE4..
On a smaller budget, I think they have something planned before CoH3.
If they want to expand the franchise before CoH3 that most likely means console port, mobile game or going FTP with the CoH2 base game (or bring back COH Online).
Relic Has the Scale and Support From Sega To Think About a Console Return Interview with Relic studio head/GM, Justin Dowdeswell - April 12, 2017
https://www.dualshockers.com/relic-scale-and-support-from-sega-to-think-about-console-return/
As you may know, Relic has dabbed in console development before, for example, with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. But its been some time for the developer since it dabbled beyond the PC space, and according to Dowdeswell Relic is thinking about how can it craft an experience that makes sense on consoles.
Dowdeswell continues:
“Our ambition is to be a leading studio in this genre, and part of that will mean that we are branching out in the future. Would [console] fit with our existing franchises? I don’t know, referring to the gameplay side of it, but at the very high level our goal of reaching as many gamers as possible, allowing them to have as much fun as possible, we have to be thinking about other platforms.”
Dowdeswell goes on to say that the team not only has the scale within to expand to consoles but that it also has the support from Sega. But don’t just take my word on it, you can check out the quote for yourself below:
“We have the scale within Relic and we have the support from Sega to be thinking [expanding to consoles] about that.”
Company of Heroes dev reckons it's solved the RTS on console problem
But it's keeping its "plausible solution" secret - for now. - 02/06/2014
"There's some stuff that's been back burnered for years because we wanted to see how technology, the market, control and touch emerged. Hopefully we will be positioned to adapt to some of that."
*SNIP*
"The one thing we would love is to get the Relic experience on a console," Duffy enthused. "They can do great graphics and great sound. The things I love about Company of Heroes on the presentation side would translate, no problem. But the tactical squad control and cover, those would be harder to mechanically translate to a control pad.
"It's exciting. We've got an idea."
Talk of RTS on console came up as part of a discussion about the RTS genre in general, and whether there was still a potential for innovation when the core mechanics of RTS have remained the same for years.
"I think so," Duffy countered. It's just that the typical RTS audience have an... interesting relationship with change.
"You have a relatively, traditionally conservative audience of players who play strategy games," Duffy said.
"So if you want to innovate you have to do it with a plan and in steps. You have to introduce them bit by bit to something you want to ultimately get to. There's still lots of room to innovate. You just have to ease your community into it. And ease your developers. We're kind of old school ourselves."
Not trolling, and I think interesting post for SturmTigerCobra.
In October 2016 Relic hire from defunct UFG Lead Gameplay Designer veteran Chris Stimson to work on coh team.
Thanks for the info Valeran. Yeah looks like he is on the CoH team.
As our Game Director you will…
Play a key role in steering the strategic creative decisions of our franchise
Ensure the creative vision of the game is fed into every aspect of gameplay, art, story, design, and cinematics
Drive the team around creative goals
Lead kickoffs that allow for new content ideas
Create content briefs and outlines to guide art and content creation
Team up with stakeholders to ensure that the game’s creative vision is reflected both in the game & outside of it
Drive process improvement and practices that increase quality and accuracy We’re looking for someone who has…
10+ years of experience shipping AAA titles in design roles
Shipped multiple titles in a lead role with direction over design
Previous experience as a Game Director or Creative Director
Proven success from previously released titles
An exceptional ability to communicate and pitch ideas
An ability to inspire teams
The skills to lead a team on gameplay, design, story, art, and content development Experience developing RTS games
Also, Relic are recruiting new senior programmers for "exciting unannounced title" (most likely CoH related);
https://boards.greenhouse.io/relic/jobs/237032
If so, our Senior Programmer openings on an exciting unannounced title might be the perfect fit for you!
*SNIP* As our Senior Programmer, here's what you might be doing...
Maintain and develop features for our game and the tools that go with it
Contribute ideas on all aspects of game production and development
Collaborate with team members of various disciplines to review proposed features and develop those features from definition to testing
Create software systems that are intrinsically scalable and cross platform
Roll up your sleeves and work to regularly debug, profile and optimize code We're looking for someone who has...
8+ years’ experience in games or has shipped multiple AAA or console titles
A post-secondary education (degree) in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field
Strong knowledge of C++
Knowledge of C#, Java, Action Script 3, and Lua
A love for games: You’re a gamer with a passion for creating the best games for our players
A down to earth attitude: You strive to be the best in your field and you welcome feedback, change, and real talk!
Passion to evolve and grow: You want to hone your craft to create a legacy while contributing to Relic’s roadmap to the future
Relic Entertainment is "open" to the idea of Company of Heroes on a console.
General manager Alex Peters said if the studio can find a way to bring the series outside of PC it will "do it".
"RTSs (real-time strategy) have struggled to find their place on console. If we can figure out, and the timing's right, how to deliver a great experience - and I think it would be a different experience - we'll do it," he told Digital Spy.
"But, again, it has to be that we'll feel confident that we deliver that kind of experience people expect from Relic."
Announced earlier this month, Company of Heroes 2 is the sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed strategy titles of all time.
IMHO, we are going to see some new CoH content (most likely modding update) or perhaps even a new CoH spin-off game/console port before CoH3.
With most of the CoH team working on AoE4 it would be bad timing to put the DoW3 team on CoH3 don't you think?. They need to reshuffle the DoW team to work on CoH/AoE historic games which they did not plan for.
[UPDATE]: Thank you for the feedback @r_fralex, I received the corrected email and hope everyone else did too. Now, in terms of what I think of the game:
[REVIEW]: I honestly enjoy playing this RTT whenever I can; the excellent dynamic gameplay makes for interesting engagements and tactics. Excellent graphics, and the game's reward system gives you something to look forward to every few matches. 9/10 would summon tiger ace again
FYI;
Sega/Relic fucked up again, they got the dates right this time for A_E/Skynet but still not the right game : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/229932233
A_E + dow3 was moved to Friday 16th and coh2 + Skynet moved to Thursday 15th
THQ Nordic absorbs the Deep Silver publishing house along with the Metro series, Saints Row, Dead Island and others. Damn it would be nice if they bought the Company of Heroes and the Dawn of War franchise back. I do not like how SEGA disposes of these games.
Not nitpicking you, but this would not solve the internal problems/challenges Relic are dealing with. Just FYI;
https://community.dawnofwar.com/discussion/15995/well-relic-q-a/p21
R_BENB (Communications Manager at Relic Entertainment) https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminboudreau/
I know it's easy to lean into stories about who's pulling the strings but we were and are responsible for the direction of our games. There are no shadowy figures in dark rooms puppet-mastering how we work. We work very closely with all of our partners at every step of the way; everyone understood and supported the game's content and playstyle prior to launch.
We've maintained multiple game teams working simultaneously for years. The AOE vs. DOW storyline is not accurate.
*SNIP*
@HARRYY said:
thank you r_benb for your responses, we needed you much earlier for DOW3 !
That's very kind but just to stick up for the teams here, there were lots of people across the development and community teams working to bring your voices into the studio and challenging us to be more transparent from the start. The conversations they started then are the reason you're seeing this now, and why you'll be seeing a different approach moving forward. Credit where credit's due.-
Quinn Duffy: I do really like the way Sega approaches their development. They want Relic to be a craft-led studio, managing our own creative process and having more ownership of the game from beginning to end, including areas typically outside traditional development, like PR or marketing.
This means that Relic has to grow – we don’t have these positions internally. We’ve been building up the studio slowly hiring metrics analysts and our new GM who will lead a lot of the future efforts. But the independence is very interesting and challenging – Relic needs to make money, and we need to find the ways to do that while building our games, building relationships with the community, and making our games better all the time.
As one of the longest-standing and largest UK studios, Creative Assembly’s craft-led approach to games development has been the studio’s key foundation, and the driving-force behind our culture.
Amplitude wasn't short of companies interested in working with the firm, but Sega stood out because of the other studios in its stable. Sega has become a significant player in the PC space thanks to its three big Western studios of Sports Interactive, Relic and Creative Assembly, and it was the latter two that most excited de Genlis and Girard
"Myself and Mathieu are both fans of two games - Mathieu is a big, big fan of Company of Heroes [Relic]. And I have been a big, big fan of Total War [Creative Assembly] from the very beginning. I can't even begin to think how many hours I have spent in those games.
I do understand why fans are frustrated and Sega makes an easy scapegoat. I used to have the same sentiments.
But IMHO, the reality is Relic fucked up.
How do they recover from this mess? Just as I have predicted;
"New Relic/Gondor" desperate times call for "desperate measures"
They either listen to quality feedback from fans (Rohan) or die.
That being said, Relic does need good "community liaison/leaders" AND CMs that can help rebuild those bridges.
Yes, action speaks louder than words and I'm not saying any fans should blindly trust Relic nor Sega. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and legendary visionary;
Building the infrastructure (and leadership) to support these changes take time. Relic is not used to dealing with fans the same way as Amplitude has with https://www.games2gether.com/.
We have seen the first visible changes with the community patches+user generated content(UGC) and they will expand on this for sure.
It's entirely possible we'll see the entire CoH franchise on https://www.games2gether.com/ within 1-2 years.
Denmark
:
SturmTigerCobra
ihitto(wwU)
PanzerGrenadierAngreifen
TheMachine
Relic Entertainment
보드카 중대 
