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              <p><font color="#0000FF"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000CC">volume 
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        <p align="LEFT"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0022A8"><b><a target="" href="../../corner/index.html"><font size="-1">Guest 
          Editorial</font></a><font size="-1">:</font></b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="+3" color="#0022A8"><br>
          History</font></p>
        <p align="right"><font color="#804000"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By 
          <a href="mailto:dsmart@pobox.com">Derek Smart</a></font></b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:randyp@home.com"></a></font></font></p>
        <p align="right">&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In late 1996 to early 1997, 
          I decided to set up a support network of supporters and gamers to help 
          fix the game. I created a mailing list, built a strong testing team 
          and got a web site. To date, those are the only resources I have. Take 
          Two, the publisher, has never participated in this endeavor, leaving 
          the game for dead. Testing and supporting the game was the responsibility 
          of the publisher. My contract says so because I do not have those resources. 
          </font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>DAMAGE CONTROL....</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In early 1997, I then decided 
          to sue Take Two for all the breaches in my contract.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm not going to list them 
          but they include releasing a beta product with no manual, not reporting 
          sales figures, putting my company at risk, causing me aggravation etc. 

          They decided to negotiate rather than go to court. My attorney spent 
          many, man hours drafting a contract amendment which simply required 
          them to (a) re-release the title (b) provide a printed manual and new 
          CD-ROM to existing users (c) accurately report sales/royalty figures 
          (d) pay me from unit #1 of the re-release among other things. I in turn, 
          would lose all claims against them, provide a manual manuscript based 
          on the finished version of the work and a finished version suitable 
          for commercial release. That contract was never signed. Take Two continues 
          to operate under my original contract and its 1996 amendment as if nothing 
          happened; claiming that the game did not sell enough units to warrant 
          royalty payments. How could a game that was released incomplete and 
          buggy sell enough units anyway?</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Meanwhile, everyone out there 
          was looking up to me to fix this game. Something I've been doing effectively, 
          with what little resources I have, with nothing to show for it but a 
          game that is 99.99% true to my vision. For me, it would be payment enough 
          if it paid the goddamn bills. </font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>MORE CORPORATE DECISIONS...</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Take Two did an OEM deal 
          with GameTek UK which they had no rights to do. The first time I got 
          wind of it was when GameTek UK called me and asked what had gone wrong 
          with the game in the US. I told them. They listened and agreed not to 
          master and ship the CD-ROM that Take 2 had sent them. They wanted to 
          wait for my version of the completed game. They joined the testing team. 
          They never shipped any of the patches. Take Two continued to ship the 
          dud US units in the US and even to international countries; causing 
          problems for GameTek who were then forced to release v1.01C4 of the 
          game in March in the face of dropped orders - without telling me. I 
          was livid. The first time I knew about it was when I received a tech 
          support email from the UK. I then asked Peter to go out and buy a copy. 
          Once again, I was not part of the process. The game then entered the 
          top 20 UK charts. I was still livid; it was not THE GAME. I then told 
          them that I was not supporting it. They quickly drew up a contract which 
          had them paying me a point for supporting the UK version because they 
          doubted that the game would ever sell enough units to earn me any US 
          royalties and also because they doubted that Take Two would ever pay 
          me. I agreed. The game reached #12 and stayed in the charts for over 
          8 weeks. I was still upset but it was a small victory at best.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">They then contracted me to 
          do the foreign translations for the title due to its popularity in Europe. 
          That was supposed to be in the C patch. It didn't make it for several 
          reasons. They agreed to wait for the next patch, v1.01D. I sent them 
          the second set of text to translate. I never got it back. I then found 
          out that they were shipping UK version of the game to European countries, 
          with translated manuals.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">To this day, I have not been 
          paid those royalties.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>IT GETS WORSE....</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In late 1997, Take Two bought 
          GameTek UK who in turn, stopped talking to me and refused to submit 
          accurate sales figures and didn't pay any royalties as per our agreement. 
          They're now a Take Two company and as far as they're concerned, <b>BC3K</b> 
          and Derek Smart don't exist. This left me to also deal with and provide 
          support for international users who bought the game in Europe and as 
          far away as South Africa. Until I threatened legal action, the Take 
          Two web page did not promote the game, made no mention of it or even 
          posted the latest patches and info. It wasn't even featured in the list 
          of products they were publishing. </font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>WHO STARTED THIS MESS 
          ANYWAY?</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whose fault is all this? 
          It depends on who you ask and whose side you're on. <b>BC3K</b> has 
          always been a huge, complex and ambitious project. There was no way 
          to chop up the game, absolutely no way. Everyone seems to think I have 
          something against making money. Why would I not want to trim down the 
          game and release it if it meant making some money? Does anyone have 
          any idea how huge and complex this game is? Take Two knew and knew this 
          all along. I have been in millions of dollars in the red for this project 
          with no hope of ever turning a profit. This is why: <b>BC3K</b> was 
          not designed to be a one off title. All the engines it has were written 
          from the ground up and that's where my investment lies. To this day, 
          the core of <b>BC3K</b> does not even use 50% of what the engines are 
          capable of. You could sit down and write a full blown space flight sim, 
          planetary flight sim, strategic sim, arcade shooter (all the things 
          <b>BC3K</b> has) and have room left to do it all over again in a different 
          fashion.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Anyway, once word got out 
          that the game was almost fixed, people started finding places to buy 
          it. Some places would sell it for a low price and the gamer had to locate 
          and spend hours downloading the patches to make the game work </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">NOW WHAT?</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, <b>BC3K</b> was released 
          in beta form by the publisher. The whole mess got dumped on my lap. 
          I've fixed 99.9% of it. The game was a hit in Europe because it was 
          playable out of the box and C5.3 was already available. Why aren't I 
          happy? Because my publishers are selling a game that should've been 
          a hit, and not paying me a penny for it. Eight long years of hard work 
          and this is the ninth year I've been doing this. They blame me for taking 
          too long. I blame them for not releasing it incomplete. All they had 
          to do, and in fact my contract says this, was to terminate my contract 
          and I would owe them their expenses. They could then have taken out 
          a lien on the product, ensuring that they got their money if I ever 
          finished it. No, instead they opted to ship a Beta and cause these problems. 
          I don't think anyone doubts this for a second, that if it were up to 
          me, this game would never have shipped until it was finished. Even if 
          it took another decade. All business ventures are a risk. We all took 
          the risk and why the hell should I be sorry for them? I'm only sorry 
          for those guys who keep coming to me for help, knowing that I would 
          keep my word when I said that I would not sleep until they had a game 
          that works.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">My commitment is to patch 
          this game and bring the development to a conclusion. I would have, against 
          all odds, fulfilled my obligation to the very gamers I designed and 
          developed this game for. Those who bought it, hopefully, when they see 
          a game on the shelf with my name on it, will remember. </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Back in April 1997, I realized 
          that patching the game to completion would most likely take it into 
          the holiday season and that, once again, graphics technology would pass 
          me by. I did not believe that you folks would want to wait an entire 
          year to play a game that sported old technology considering the recent 
          crop of advanced games currently on the market. Some of you, disappointed, 
          had already stopped playing and shelved the game for that day when it 
          would be completed. My thoughts led me to sanction the upgrade of the 
          graphics technology in order to keep up with recent trends. You have 
          already seen the advancements since v1.01D patch variations which were 
          released between October and November 1997. </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This technology comes at 
          a price. I have been releasing patches for free with no financial support 
          whatsoever. I feel that the small price that I am charging for the final 
          v2.0 Developer's Edition upgrade is just that; a small price to pay 
          for a game that, when compared to the original, could well have been 
          a sequel. Is it fair to charge the gamer for a game they already bought 
          and paid for? It depends on how you look at it. This is why in February 
          of 1998, I decided to release, for free, to the public, v1.01D7C. It 
          has been featured on over 20 magazines worldwide, including PC Games 
          in which it earned a B rating in its August 1998 issue. You have all 
          seen what it is we have been creating all these years. Sporting the 
          latest technology, including 3Dfx support, <b>BC3K</b> has proven, without 
          a reasonable doubt, that it is the definitive space flight simulation 
          that it was created to be.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">As far as I'm concerned, 
          the 1996 generation <b>of Battlecruiser 3000 AD</b> is over and done 
          with. Like every product, it lived a normal, albeit troubled life span 
          and sold more units than some completed games out there. The new generation 
          you will see <b>in Battlecruiser 3000 AD</b> v2.0 - The Developer's 
          Edition as well as the sequel <b>Battlecruiser 3020 AD</b> will no doubt 
          enforce your faith in me, in my work and in the title. You have been 
          a part of these developments. You have seen all the work put forth. 
          Most of all, those of you who sought help, received it. Today, you are 
          playing and talking about a game that was DOA in September 1996. The 
          fiasco surrounding this title will be remembered for years to come. 
          Many more articles and reviews will be written. Many more Usenet wars 
          will be fought. There will be casualties. Once the praise comes, I don't 
          want it. All I want to be remembered for is the fact that I had a dream 
          that I could never give up on. You, the gamer, are the one to praise 
          for sticking with the game because after all, without you, I wouldn't 
          be here. </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Regards and see you among 
          the stars </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Derek K. Smart, Ph.D.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">President - Lead Developer</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3000AD, Inc.</font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>BATTLECRUISER : 30000AD</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>A PUBLISHING HISTORY</b></font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>BC3K</b> has been profiled 
          in every major gaming magazines worldwide since it first appeared on 
          the cover of Strategy Plus in 1992. Shortly after which it landed the 
          Three Sixty deal.</font></p>
        <p>&nbsp;</p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">THREE-SIXTY PACIFIC</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Held rights for a year (1992) 

          and went out of business shortly after. Product showcased at 1993 COMPUTER 
          ELECTRONIC SHOW (CES). CEO Tom Frisina is rumored to still be somewhere 
          in the industry. </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">VELOCITY</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The partners split up and 
          3000AD, Inc signed on <b>BC3K</b> with Mission Studios, the new company 
          formed by one of the partners. Velocity is rumored to be out of business.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">MISSION STUDIOS</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Signed distribution deal 
          with Interplay Productions for it's products. Showcased BC3K at 1994 
          winter and 1994 summer CES under the Interplay Affiliated label brand. 
          Had two high profile products (which were both late) in production. 
          Due to financial constraints, an amicable agreement was reached which 
          allowed 3000AD, Inc to seek a new publisher for <b>BC3K</b>. Mission 
          Studios (great folks btw) are still in business after having released 
          the hit title <b>Jetfighter 3</b>.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">INTRACORP</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">During the period when I 
          was allowed to stay or seek a new publisher, they bid on the rights 
          and then due to a disagreement over source code release, the deal never 
          progressed beyond a letter of intent. Showcased <b>BC3K</b> at 1995 
          E3 (back when they were marketing William Shatner's <b>Tekwar</b>). 
          Intracorp went bankrupt shortly after. CEO Lee Rothschild is rumored 
          to be in the architecture business somewhere in Florida.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Bid on the rights to <b>BC3K</b> 
          after reading a story in Computer Gaming World. Bought rights from Mission 
          Studios in early 1995 and released <b>BC3K</b> v1.00 ahead of its time 
          in September 1996. Signed an OEM deal with GameTek (UK) who also released 
          a version of the game in Europe in March 1997. Take Two Interactive 
          bought Mission Studios in late 1996 and GameTek (UK) in mid 1997. The 
          latter is no longer in business. The President (who was also in charge 
          of BC3K production), Mark Seremet, is no longer with the company. Ryan 
          Brant, CEO succeeded in taking Take Two Interactive software public 
          in mid 1997.</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </font> </p>
        <p align="right">&nbsp; 
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    <td height="22"><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2"><b>Credits:</b> 
      Guest Editorial logo illustrated and is &copy; 1999 Dan Zalkus. This Guest 
      Editorial is &copy; 1999 Derek Smart. All other content is &copy; 1999 <a target="_self" href="http://www.loonyboi.com">loonyboi 
      productions</a>. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited and not 
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