3239 Free for download

Use this forum to chat with the makers of VP3DL, ask guestions, offer suggestions or even just tell them how much you like the game. Post VP3DL bug reports here. Please post any next gen suggestions in the Virtual Pool 3 Nextgen forum.

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AlinVille
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3239 Free for download

Post by AlinVille »

I think 3239 version should be free to download now, at least for some time, maybe a week or so. VP3 lobby is almost empty most of the time, and that's just one reason why you can't find a game these days. The second reason would be, when there's enough people in lobby, half of them or sometimes even more seem to be on 3099, which makes it even harder to get a game (for both 3099'ers and 3239'ers). It's not that bad at the moment but it will get worse eventually if there's no changes whatsoever being made.

For a few people in lobby, buying the game online proves to be quite difficult, as they don't have a credit card and Paypal isn't accepted in their own countries. Maybe they could get a card if they tried or ask a friend to buy it online for them, but they just won't bother. And for all 3099'ers at the moment, in fact why bother paying for a 7 year old game that seems to be dying anyway? They just play to have some fun, don't care about tournaments, forums etc., although some of them play the game a lot.

So my suggestion is to make the 3239 version free for download for an amount of time, a week or even more, at least give time for regular 3099'ers in lobby to upgrade. Let's face it, if they didn't buy the new version so far, they never will, so I don't see how Celeris will have anything to lose from this. It's just a simple way to get a little more interest in the game; tournaments will run smoother too if there are more 3239'ers around. And that will also make the future new players more willing to buy the new version, because there wouldn't be lots of 3099 rooms up there like they are these days, hopefully there will be none. Most of the new players nowadays just won't care about paying for an upgrade when they know a free 3099 game is not so tough to find.
vpeer wrote:I'm going to do a new release to fix #2, make the vp3dl.exe executable vp3.exe. Other corrections on the new rev:
New installer that should reduce/eliminate many install problems.
I'm looking into a problem when VP3DL won't run 2560x1600. Not sure I can fix that as it looks like a DirectX problem.
I'm also looking for better solutions for the NAT traversal and punch through. Microsoft is not supporting DirectPlay anymore. This looks like a complete rewrite which would make it only VP3Gold. I'm trying to find some 3rd party libraries that will make it possible to do on VP3DL.
OK so that looks like we're having a new release soon (3240?). Maybe you should have that as a full version to download too and make it free for a limited period of time...
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9balldotcom
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Post by 9balldotcom »

I just wonder what sort of impact that would make to Celeris???

I have my doubts thqat a huge amount of income is made from the DL version...but who are we to say or know about that.
Steve made the decision to change to a DL to resolve the problems we had previously with Curly version etc etc.
So he has resolve the curly and compatability problem and had a version where he could work on a patch for as well.

If however there is to be a future at all for any other version of this great game,I cant think of how Celeris would market it.

However if Celeris feel that the money is to be made in the console market then thats the way to go for such a company nowadays if it is to compete and survive.
God forbid they ever sold the rights to any new VP game and got a nice payment for it...and we were all left high and dry with some blood sucking SOBS like EA SPORTS running the show...to hell with that scenario.

I do have to say that a serious thought has to be given on how to drum up new support for VP by somehow getting it to a larger number of people.
Giving out a free version to people I think would certainly bring people to upgrade......it wouldnt bring loyalty like we have shown for 7 years..

Over the past months its literally died on its feet in gamespy.....im talking of nights with barely double figures.....and dont tell me its cos theres no tournaments.

No matter what we think.....the future of VP as a game lives or dies with Steve Chaplin,we have no long term say on that matter.
Finances and profitability is the main consideration when your running a company like Celeris......is giving away a free version of VP3DL going to put the company out of business...?? i think not...not when its a 7 year old game that the vast majority of current 3099 version players it the lobby today have downloaded illegally off torrents and are happily playing right now.

Steve if he doesnt already know that surely has taken that on board.
Anyone new to the VP3 lobby with a 3099 version...95 percent of em aint paid for it I assure you.
So in the end its still the same problem in the lobby,we have more or as many 3099ers there and they arent or wont or cant get the VP3DL version come hell or high water...they wont buy it.

We need a situation where like the original VP3...we are all on the same version...till that happens...we keep dying,that it in a nutshell.

I agree that a free DL version for a limited period of time would get more regular people in the lobby to change over.
My suggestion would be that the free DL version would only be available to people who have an original VP3 DL CD......BUT...as the majority of 3099ers dont have a game cd...they are still fecked, and youve not improved the situation.

Giving a free DL version to everyman an his dog would be an interesting thing to see pan out.
DO IT and see what happens in say 6 weeks......see if many more people join the VP3 lobby.
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Post by Albinario »

Yes this is a good idea. I don't think Celeris will lose any money if this happens. The only players who will use this offer are 3099 players in the lobby who hear about it from others is the lobby, and perhaps they will tell some of their friends. But not many potential buyers would use this offer, so celeris would not lose much money. Only a week's worth because of those people who was gonna buy it saw that it was free this week. But this will give us DLers more people to play, which in turn might bring back more old players, which means even more players in total. It would also generate goodwill towards celeris from those who got the game for free, and perhaps they would be more inclined to buy the GOLD version when it gets out (soon right?).
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Post by M-aster_1989_de »

Albinario wrote:... and perhaps they would be more inclined to buy the GOLD version when it gets out (soon right?).

lol

but i think so too... most of the players (3099) maybe cant understand why to pay for a seven years old game....

maybe they'll hear us...
Oh Well!

best regards
Marc
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M-aster_1989[ger] to play tournaments
Master_1989[TD] to host tournaments
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Post by zwylle »

Option #4: :excited:
Market VP3(Gold) as what it should be, a great pool simulation, not a game with mediocre game play.
Put the focus on reaching people who want to learn/teach the game of pool (how much did you pay to buy a decent cue?) and screw the cheap pricks that don't want to pay 20$ for a "computer game".
It's probably to cheap to be taken serious.
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Post by Sophisticated Beggar »

Sell the program and the rights to make VP4 or Gold to EA or someone who can spend, spend and spend on marketing/advertising and maybe even keep the engine and sell it as a totally new game.

VP3 DL is dead now - look at the schedule --> http://www.vphqtournaments.com/schedule.asp

Nothing.

I like Bri's idea of getting rid of GSA, however to progress, a serious financial investment or buy-out is needed - to whom, I don't care. A company that can put serious man hours is required here, and I don't see Celeris EVER doing that.

Being real busy the last few weeks I have not been on GSA, but it looks like it has got worse, not better, and I can't see me coming back either, unless things pick up drastically.
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Post by 9balldotcom »

To quote myself in an above post
God forbid they ever sold the rights to any new VP game and got a nice payment for it...and we were all left high and dry with some blood sucking SOBS like EA SPORTS running the show...to hell with that scenario.
No way Tone, no way.....they might have the money,but they are no good for a game like this beleive me.
They bought over the rights to a few games in the past and have fecked around with them and ruined them.Namely Tiger Woods....they have made a fortune out of the game,but bought out the guys that developed PGA golf game i used to have and used them to make Tiger Woods what it is today...a bloddy rip off of a game that offers absolutely nothing new each year IMO.

A game like Virtial Pool youve always got to remember is of limited appeal to a sporting audience out there that play pc games.
If it was any greater than that we would still have over a 100 people playing in the lobby with bootleg 3099 versions and we dont.....its too old and offers little appeal to the modern gamer,or a gamer of the past 5 years.its a sports simulation...that if EA SPORTS ever got a hold of it would totally rips us off.
We would have to pay to play online for example,which although bringing in income to EA would not attract any more players.

im afraid you have to go a long ways to ever convince me that those bastids would ever be good for OUR game.

i love the game too much to ever contemplate that company ever getting involved...please God no.
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Post by 9balldotcom »

Im in sales too and have said similar things on previous posts to Celeris about marketing the game and bringing in sponsorhip in game like sponsores ads on tables etc.

If you have a great product and only you know about it...then its no good.
There has to be money invested in selling the product to the public...let them know what you got and that means that art of selling is much needed.
I know that If i had boxed new versions of any virtual pool game,i could sell them no problem.

Celeris in my opinion dont really know how good a product they have its as simple as that.
For anyone who likes billiards...they need to know what a great product exists and they arent finding that easy to find on the market.

I suggest another form of endorsement from a well known pool player like say a recent world champion say someone who young pool players recognise like alex pagulayan or maybe a veteran like bustamente etc.
In fact wouldnt it be great to have half a dozen players like those all in one tv ad all talking pool etc and all playing on their pcs telling folk how great a game this is....its got to sell it.

MONEY MONEY MONEY.......thats the big problem.

But I say that some serious thinking has been needed for this game.
Id love to think that there always will be some form of VP game on my pc.

What about taking it to the computer expo at LA or wherever it is each year and letting people know about it there.

This is a subject I could honestly witter on about for hours....simply cos as a billiard lover and a lover of this game I simply cant get my head round why there arent hundreds more playing online.
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Post by mocochoco »

i think its because the game is totally out of date and looks like a complete pile of manure.

If i didnt love the game so much, and i was new to it, i doubt i'd even give the game a second look due to the graphics. Other pool games out there piss all over the looks of this game.

Although that's a bad thing to say..... it's true. 90% of people out theere will buy a game based on how it looks.... and this looks pants:D
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Post by 9balldotcom »

Beleive me no matter how bad you think the game is graphics wise......there is not nor ever has been nor is there likely to be any better designer of a Virtual Pool game physics wise than the gentleman and his buddies that brought the Virtual Pool series to us.
And on another thing...no matter how bad you think it is......its nowhere near as bad as the pants ive got on.
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