Pier Solar may be released soon?!?

[BlackandBlue]

So, after missing the dead line for the prosperity pack by a couple weeks, I pre-ordered my JP copy of Pier Solar.  That was around October of '08.  Month after month I checked the site for an update and it felt like I was getting dragged along for a ride.  Hell, I was even thinking about selling my pre-orders so I didn't get burned by some masterful scheme.  But alas, I got an email from the developers to confirm my shipping address! 

Is it true, is this friggin game finally going to be released?    I've had this thing pre-ordered for 2 years already!

I really hope they aren't just trying to delay longer and figured they needed something to remind us of the game's existance....

So anyone else get the email (that ordered the game of course!)  Thoughts?  Think it might finally be released soon or think there will be another year of delays? 

[TheClash603]

LAME!

Message to homebrew developers that put a lot of time into making your games...

MAKE ENOUGH OF THEM!

[RoyVegas]

I really hope they aren't just trying to delay longer and figured they needed something to remind us of the game's existance....

I really doubt this would be the case.  If they wanted to delay it, they easily could have just said nothing at all.

[BlackandBlue]

That is true, but people on those boards basically attack them when they dont post an update for a month.  Last I knew they were still working on some of the language translations, so hopefully that is all they have left.  Either that or just need native language speakers go through the game to make sure it doesn't sound like an instruction book from a knockoff Chinese manufacturer.

[Dalder]

I got the same e-mail ! hope it comes out !!! cannot wait !! .

[Joe Redifer]

It's coming, but they are still wrapping up the last round of beta tests to squash the final bugs.  I have heard from the co-programmer that now is a particularly stressful time trying to get everything finalized for once and for all.

[Mathius]

Yep, I got mine too!

[Mathius]

I started a "thank you" thread dedicated to all the hard work Water Melon did developing this game. There has been a lot of unfortunate pitch-fork raising over them cutting out the Japanese language option that was promised, so I thought they needed to be reminded that we are extremely grateful. If any of you have pre-ordered this game or have just been watching from the sidelines then please head on over to show your thanks. Joe, I know your a Sega-16 guy, so you have probably known about this project since it began. I bet they would love hearing from you.  Thanks all!

http://www.piersolar.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1096

[Colossus1574]

Oh wow!!!
      I still got my trusty Genesis/32x in a box somewhere, maybe I'll have a reason to unpack it soon???  The visuals are amazing!!! They actually can rival most of the PS1 / Saturn RPG' graphics! (at least the ones that are 2D based). Great Work guys! 

[Joe Redifer]

I've known about Pier Solar for a loooong, time, yes.  It is, by far, the most ambitious hombrew project I've ever seen.  It does something that no other game has done.  If you have a Sega/Mega CD, put in the disc and you get PCM-generated music during the game (the game still boots and runs from the cart). No Sega CD?  Cart-based music which is still very, very good.  The game's main programmer once took a video I made and digitized it so it would play back on the Sega CD.  That was crazy-awesome.

As for the lack of Japanese language in the JP-styled package, who cares?  If it really mattered to people that much, then someone who is good at Japanese would have stepped up as a proofreader (a lack of one is why the language got canned).  So I doubt there will be too many Japanese players.

[TheClash603]

I've known about Pier Solar for a loooong, time, yes.  It is, by far, the most ambitious hombrew project I've ever seen.  It does something that no other game has done.  If you have a Sega/Mega CD, put in the disc and you get PCM-generated music during the game (the game still boots and runs from the cart). No Sega CD?  Cart-based music which is still very, very good.  The game's main programmer once took a video I made and digitized it so it would play back on the Sega CD.  That was crazy-awesome.

As for the lack of Japanese language in the JP-styled package, who cares?  If it really mattered to people that much, then someone who is good at Japanese would have stepped up as a proofreader (a lack of one is why the language got canned).  So I doubt there will be too many Japanese players.

Most ambitiously poorly planned...

"Did you read that review of Pier Solar?  It looks like it is great!  Maybe I will pick one up?"

"You can't, it sold out a year ago... and it just came out this weak."

That team of guys should be ashamed of themselves.  I honestly assume they made 100 extra copies they are gonna sit on and then ebay for $300+ a pop, and their profit strategy is anti-community 100%.

[Mathius]

I've known about Pier Solar for a loooong, time, yes.  It is, by far, the most ambitious hombrew project I've ever seen.  It does something that no other game has done.  If you have a Sega/Mega CD, put in the disc and you get PCM-generated music during the game (the game still boots and runs from the cart). No Sega CD?  Cart-based music which is still very, very good.  The game's main programmer once took a video I made and digitized it so it would play back on the Sega CD.  That was crazy-awesome.

As for the lack of Japanese language in the JP-styled package, who cares?  If it really mattered to people that much, then someone who is good at Japanese would have stepped up as a proofreader (a lack of one is why the language got canned).  So I doubt there will be too many Japanese players.

Most ambitiously poorly planned...

"Did you read that review of Pier Solar?  It looks like it is great!  Maybe I will pick one up?"

"You can't, it sold out a year ago... and it just came out this weak."

That team of guys should be ashamed of themselves.  I honestly assume they made 100 extra copies they are gonna sit on and then ebay for $300+ a pop, and their profit strategy is anti-community 100%.

How much of your statement is based on fact?

[Joe Redifer]

I doubt their strategy is profit when the final product, which consists of a 64m cart, CD and box + shipping cost only $35.  I'm sure some will pop up on eBay.  Users who beat the game will try to profit for sure.  Some may have purchased multiple copies just for this reason.  There are also rumors it might eventually find its way to XBLA or PSN or WiiWare or whatever.

But yeah, it is widely acknowledged that the whole presale thing was kind of a disaster.  They did it really early.  Then a graphic artist left the team and they had to redo some stuff (of course, this is what they WANT us to believe because like the moon landing, everything is a conspiracy).  But what I mean by most ambitious homebrew is that they are doing things no other homebrew product has attempted (that I know of) and the quality also seems much higher than all other homebrew attempts (that I have thus far seen).

[Arkhan]

I doubt their strategy is profit when the final product, which consists of a 64m cart, CD and box + shipping cost only $35.  I'm sure some will pop up on eBay.  Users who beat the game will try to profit for sure.  Some may have purchased multiple copies just for this reason.  There are also rumors it might eventually find its way to XBLA or PSN or WiiWare or whatever.

But yeah, it is widely acknowledged that the whole presale thing was kind of a disaster.  They did it really early.  Then a graphic artist left the team and they had to redo some stuff (of course, this is what they WANT us to believe because like the moon landing, everything is a conspiracy).  But what I mean by most ambitious homebrew is that they are doing things no other homebrew product has attempted (that I know of) and the quality also seems much higher than all other homebrew attempts (that I have thus far seen).

profits cant be on their list of ideas.  The money would be split among at least like 6 people last I checked.... and the market for new sega games isn't really too great.

Any homebrew group thats trying to profit off of physically manufactured software for old consoles, is dumb.

[nodtveidt]

But yeah, it is widely acknowledged that the whole presale thing was kind of a disaster.  They did it really early.  Then a graphic artist left the team and they had to redo some stuff (of course, this is what they WANT us to believe because like the moon landing, everything is a conspiracy).  But what I mean by most ambitious homebrew is that they are doing things no other homebrew product has attempted (that I know of) and the quality also seems much higher than all other homebrew attempts (that I have thus far seen).

Pier Solar is almost legendary in its pre-order disaster. But if the final product is worth the wait, then so be it. The new artwork is great... their artists really have done an amazing job. I just hope that the coding doesn't suck like so many other Sega homebrews... the 68k is not a hard CPU to code for, so I don't understand why virtually every other Genny homebrew is a steaming pile of bug soup.

Any homebrew group thats trying to profit off of physically manufactured software for old consoles, is dumb.

Why? A market is a market is a market. If there is a market for new games, then why shouldn't someone want to make some profit off of their hard work? Companies don't survive on favors.