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Merchants of Brooklyn Released, Re-Released on Steam

Apparently someone pushed the wrong version of the game up to Steam yesterday, but that doesn't mean the newly fixed version is totally smooth.

Punching dudes with your metal fist will make them explode into a bloody mess.
Punching dudes with your metal fist will make them explode into a bloody mess.
Though we rarely get to hear about it, it seems like this happens a couple times a year with downloadable games. Somehow, some way, an older, non-final version of a game gets pushed out for sale by mistake. That's what Paleo Entertainment is saying happened with its new first-person shooter, Merchants of Brooklyn. Apparently people who purchased the game on Steam immediately upon its release yesterday received an Alpha version of the game that was way messed up.

Whoops.

According to the developer's official forums, a new version has since been pushed. I redownloaded the game from Steam in hopes of getting a smoother version of the game than the one I tried last night, but it seems the same to me. So I guess this version, with its flickery menus, placeholder-like voicework, and spartan HUD is the right one? Yeah, it's still kind of messed up.

It's too bad that this is the first impression that most are having with the game, because this CryEngine 2-powered shooter has a great, comic-book-like look to it that fits with its retrofuturistic flying-cars-and-Tommy-guns motif really well.

We'll have to wait and see if further improvements are made.

(originally spotted on Shacknews)
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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jeff

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Edited By jeff
Punching dudes with your metal fist will make them explode into a bloody mess.
Punching dudes with your metal fist will make them explode into a bloody mess.
Though we rarely get to hear about it, it seems like this happens a couple times a year with downloadable games. Somehow, some way, an older, non-final version of a game gets pushed out for sale by mistake. That's what Paleo Entertainment is saying happened with its new first-person shooter, Merchants of Brooklyn. Apparently people who purchased the game on Steam immediately upon its release yesterday received an Alpha version of the game that was way messed up.

Whoops.

According to the developer's official forums, a new version has since been pushed. I redownloaded the game from Steam in hopes of getting a smoother version of the game than the one I tried last night, but it seems the same to me. So I guess this version, with its flickery menus, placeholder-like voicework, and spartan HUD is the right one? Yeah, it's still kind of messed up.

It's too bad that this is the first impression that most are having with the game, because this CryEngine 2-powered shooter has a great, comic-book-like look to it that fits with its retrofuturistic flying-cars-and-Tommy-guns motif really well.

We'll have to wait and see if further improvements are made.

(originally spotted on Shacknews)
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deathfury

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Edited By deathfury

I'll have to see the reviews, but this looks interesting.

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Homes

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Edited By Homes

I hope there is a demo released...

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TimeWaffle

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Edited By TimeWaffle

that sucks for them

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JoelTGM

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Edited By JoelTGM

I like the comic book art style.

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KnifeySpoony

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Edited By KnifeySpoony

I'd like a demo as well.

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Jayzilla

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Edited By Jayzilla

this is just like the garbage going on with EA's first day patch of Godfather 2. Why do we keep getting the shaft when it comes to a product being released well before it is finished. I ain't buying crap like this anymore.

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iamjohn

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Edited By iamjohn

"this is just like the garbage going on with EA's first day patch of Godfather 2. Why do we keep getting the shaft when it comes to a product being released well before it is finished. I ain't buying crap like this anymore."


It has nothing to do with the game being unfinished.  Steam just put up an unfinished version of the game instead of the finished game.
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Kohe321

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Edited By Kohe321

Demo please

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TheIneffableBob

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Edited By TheIneffableBob

This looks like a pretty unique game, but it looks like it could have used an extra month or two for polishing.

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Wellscha

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Edited By Wellscha

"It has nothing to do with the game being unfinished.  Steam just put up an unfinished version of the game instead of the finished game"

Then how did Steam get the "unfinished" version?

Its just a spin IMO.

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kuddles

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Edited By kuddles

Jeff, just close and restart Steam, don't re-download.  That's what I did and all my issues went away.

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Coltonio7

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Edited By Coltonio7

I was curious about this game, looks alright =/

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sneakysnake128

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Edited By sneakysnake128

I see users aren't the only ones being ass fucked by Steam.

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jeff

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Edited By jeff
kuddles said:
"Jeff, just close and restart Steam, don't re-download.  That's what I did and all my issues went away."

Yep, tried that first since that's what they suggested. But it didn't update or do anything differently.
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Lunarbunny

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Edited By Lunarbunny

The developer has said they will be releasing regular patches. Beyond that is merely speculation, even by me.

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Renegade

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Edited By Renegade

Hey Jeff, did you try just deleting the game completely and then re-downloading it? I know that may be slightly inconvenient (depending on the speed of your internet/bandwidth restrictions) but it's a potential solution.

Something else to try, before completely deleting and redownloading, is to verify the integrity of the games cache. This can be done by right clicking on the game in your 'My games' list, clicking 'Settings', and then going to 'Local Files'. You should find the Verify integrity of game cache option there.

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soul101

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Edited By soul101

This shit is sooooo jacked.  There are missing frames, missing textures, I'm falling through floors, etc.  This HAS to still be the Alpha build, or else STEAM should start cracking down on the kind of crap they sell.

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lamegame621

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Edited By lamegame621

Weird. I've never heard of this game.

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TwoOneFive

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Edited By TwoOneFive
. and i thought the socom confrontation launch was pretty bad...
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jahosaki

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Edited By jahosaki

Birds

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TaintedSun

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Edited By TaintedSun

If Steam is going to do this whole digital distribution mumbo-jumbo I've been on board with for a while, they need to offer demos, asap. XBLM offers demos of all their games which prevents me from wasting money on broken games or gimmicky games that wear out in 15 minutes. If a game can hook me in the demo, it's probably worth my money. No demo and I wonder of the game's quality.

Just what I've been thinking.

As for this game, which I've never heard of, it looks good. Too bad about all the problems and stuff. I'll be watching out for updates and maybe... just maybe a review? Maybe a member review? Something? Come on.

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Media_Master

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Edited By Media_Master

yeah.

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shannonhodgkin

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Edited By shannonhodgkin

funny how things "accidentally" get mixed up, same things happened with the pit by the sounds of it.

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Edited By Welches

8 years later and this game is still $5 on Steam, still not listed as early access, and still not fixed lol

Would love to know what happened at this "studio"

A blurb from an interview with the lead of the project John Stookey

Stookey said the company will support *Drug Wars *with new features while continuing to iron out gameplay issues.

"We left the title as 'beta,' because we never want to stop improving the game," he said.

This was back in 09 though.