" The game's look could be deemed similar to Team Fortress 2, but the latter has a pronounced 70s style while Monday Night Combat is more modern-futuristic. Also, MNC is third person and draws heavily from tower defense and Defense of the Ancients for inspiration. In other words, aren't the TF2 comparisons a bit naive? "
It still is team-based, class-based mostly-multiplayer shooter. I don't see how comparing them is "naive". "
Just so we're clear, I'm pretty sure he doesn't care about the comparisons as much as people saying that MNC is a TF2 clone. Just like how any similar game out there that comes right after a successful one is labelled as a clone. Like I think Bayonetta and Dante's Inferno as God of War clones. "
Top-down, hack-and-slash, action-RPGs ala Diablo are still called Diablo clones to this day as well.
If the last 2 engines were evident then this new engine basically means new bugs that will never be resolved. I really hope that this time around that Bethesda actually learns how to make a good user interface as well. Hell there are so many things wrong with their RPGs that question why I even like their games sometimes... I just really get hooked, despite a lot of the shortcomings.
" So, pay a higher price to beta test, then when it releases for real, pay an even higher price for the actual game. Huh. "
Well if that is a genuine concern you can read below for what I would consider a decent conjecture of the thought process behind the pricing.
Yes, it doesn't sound like it makes much sense until you realize it is an indie developer. The money that alpha/betas/whatevers give him are used to continue funding the game's development. Due to the success of the game even during its alpha stage, 'Notch' was able to hire some staff as well as get an office space. I'm sure he's also banked a lot of it too, don't get me wrong, but it is being used as "start up" cash in a lot of ways too.
So he has given incentive to early adopters who helped make the game a success, when it goes beta, those people will have to pay slightly more and will only have to buy expansions. Notch has clarified on his twitter that expansions do not mean just some content and new worlds, expansions will offer MUCH MUCH more and that a lot of content will be added completely for free. How that makes one feel is up to the individual.
As for paying more for retail, well... to me it makes sense. The point of the alpha and beta periods are to develop the game. The point of retail is to make profits. Don't get me wrong since I realize that overall the whole process from A to Z is mainly about making a successful game where success is defined by profit (and also acclaim, I am sure).
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