X-Rebirth: The story of the failed console game

[Fascism is Magic]

Do not believe their lies. Xbox360 markers in the shaders file.

http://i.imgur.com/8H5fsDy.png

This is either

a) standard console definitions for shaders in general (I dunno) or
b) proof that it was meant to be console game from the beginning.

Anyway, they really ****** it up. And they are all damn liars in the gaming biz.

I'm really hoping that someone with experience can take a crack at those files using the appropriate program to give a definitive answer whether it's simply a) or god forbid b), which would imply some pretty heavy maleficience on Egosoft's part. All I had to work with was notepad :-/

They're not boilerplate and they weren't there in X3. They appeared some time between X3AP and X:R. Barring some act corporate sabotage, Egosoft added them.

[Playbahnosh]

If this theory is true, even to a small extent, we can forget about the game being "fixed" (as in mechanics changing). They will fix the bugs and we will end up with a decent console port with sadly shallow gameplay (for an X game).

That was apparent even before release. Rebirth is nowhere near an X game, it was never intended to be. You can fix bugs, but there is no fixing horrible design decisions of a failed console port.

Is the fanbase salvageable, that's what I'm wondering.

Doubtful. There are a few, who still believe in Ego with all their heart and soul, but from what I've seen so far, most of the old fans and X veterans are completely shocked and disillusioned by this trainwreck and how the devs completely ignored them after years of supporting the franchise. They will probably never trust Egosoft ever again. Definitely not enough to buy their next game if and when they make one. Most of them, like me, still like the older X games, but I'm personally finished with Egosoft after this stupid stunt.

Or will they shift to making more approachable games (from the dev's standpoint), or move on to consoles?

The broken mess that is Rebirth is evidence enough that they failed at being console developers. Maybe they will stoop to make shovelware toilet games for the ipad...

I formed in my mind a desire for a more polished, even streamlined version of X3, that retained and even expanded on everything it had. Is that possible? I want that game, but it doesn't exist.

And it most likely never will

[Exy]

Do not believe their lies. Xbox360 markers in the shaders file.

http://i.imgur.com/8H5fsDy.png

This is either

a) standard console definitions for shaders in general (I dunno) or
b) proof that it was meant to be console game from the beginning.

Anyway, they really ****** it up. And they are all damn liars in the gaming biz.

Does this have anything to do with it?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 31%29.aspx

[ragod]

You know... it all makes sense now. The game has been shown to be an xbox port...

http://www.egosoft.com/games/x_rebirth/ ... en_023.jpg

They say it was a joke on april first, but it is a ****** xbox port, makes you wonder if there was really supposed to be some Kinnect interaction after all.

[Central Scrutinizer]

Although being speculation, it's as I thought too....OP seems to state a plausible theory.

I can't believe i didn't see it in the video where he explains about the controller. Hilarious thing is the dev then finishes up by saying he will make another video explaining mouse controls. LMAO...where is that vid.. never came out.

55 euros down the drain..they could at least man up and offer every dissatisfied customer a free copy of albion prelude.

THIS is exactly what I noticed. He mentioned a mouse/keyboard demo that never happened and was probably never intended to happen. That worried me a lot but I was a fool and got sucked in by all the promises. Now that I've sunk 10 hours into the game there is just no doubt in my mind this game was meant for a console release and for whatever reason we ended up here. After playing for a while and now knowing what the end game has in store (broken fleets that won't fight and horrible trading) I'm just going to go back to AP w/ XRM and wait for Elite and Star Citizen. Such a huge disappointment.

[Makita]

Those anyone ever wondered why they where looking for this http://www.egosoft.com/company/jobs_en.php and this is an old recruitment post

[Fascism is Magic]

Does this have anything to do with it?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 31%29.aspx

No.

[vekit]

Do not believe their lies. Xbox360 markers in the shaders file.

http://i.imgur.com/8H5fsDy.png

Things start to get worse and worse by hour. Great find though.

[iphoria]

Why has no one mentioned one of the most obviously damning pieces of evidence... DirectX 9 graphics in an age of not Dx10, but Dx11!!! Especially weird in light of all the hoo-hah about great space graphics. And guess what DirectX the Xbox360 just happens to be based on?

[Swallen]

I've been looking at the Steam community for this game and I think Egosoft will be all right once they fix the game breaking bugs.
People over there don't seem to be so concerned with the design decisions made in Rebirth, nor seem to feel cheated as much as people in these forums do (they mainly feel ripped off because of all the bugs, but that is not uncommon, and it tends to go away once they are fixed).

That and the fact that they first addressed the players' concerns on Steam rather than their own forums (because they were unstable?) makes me think that at some point they made the conscious decision of sacrificing their niche fans for a broader, less demanding, more profitable player base. It's not a matter of feelings or morale, it's business. And should they manage to produce and market console games like they seem they failed to do this time, this kind of strategy will work for them. Provided they do a bit more Q&A before launching.

I feel inclined to defend them because after all they are the only ones who have been capable of producing the kind of space game I most want. From the cold perspective of a customer looking for a product, I know Egosoft can produce stuff that I might be interested in. I just have to be wary not to invest myself emotionally with them. Just like I do with Electronic Arts.

[steos]

macros.fxh also has this:

#ifdef _XBOX
// unused in Xbox case
#define sRGB ;
#define LIN ;
#else
#define sRGB ;SRGBTEXTURE=true;
#define LIN ;SRGBTEXTURE=false;
#endif

// Define different vFace for Xbox and PC
#ifdef _XBOX
#define VFACESIGN(face) sign(face)
#else
#define VFACESIGN(face) sign(-face)
#endif

[slimgrin]

Man do I feel like an idiot. I should have seen this console business coming a mile away..

[Captain Lemmiwinks]

I've been looking at the Steam community for this game and I think Egosoft will be all right once they fix the game breaking bugs.
People over there don't seem to be so concerned with the design decisions made in Rebirth, nor seem to feel cheated as much as people in these forums do.

nice try,but you do know we too can see the steam forum

[Cronos988]

I feel inclined to defend them because after all they are the only ones who have been capable of producing the kind of space game I most want. From the cold perspective of a customer looking for a product, I know Egosoft can produce stuff that I might be interested in. I just have to be wary not to invest myself emotionally with them. Just like I do with Electronic Arts.

Except they wont make that product anymore, will they?

[Chips]

Bernd said they had X3 playing on an Xbox, so if they simply used existing graphics related files from X3, then hardly surprising such things appear.

That's just an alternative to why they're there. The UI is, imo, designed for something else.

[Playbahnosh]

Those anyone ever wondered why they where looking for this http://www.egosoft.com/company/jobs_en.php and this is an old recruitment post

I'm sorry, but...DAFOUQ?!

Code: Select all

- Console graphics experience for work on PS3 / Xbox360
- Handheld / DS programming

The first I've seen this, but this is horrible. The console programming I can understand in the light what has been uncovered about Rebirth, but Handheld/DS programming?! WHAT THE HELL? I've made a snide remark about Egosoft stooping to make shovelware toilet games for the iPad...but it coming true...

*cries*

[Swallen]

Man do I feel like an idiot. I should have seen this console business coming a mile away..

"All the signs were there... I should've known this girl would be trouble."

Happens to all of us. We tend to see what we want to see. That is how hype works and the gaming industry more often than other industries takes advantage of it.

[Fascism is Magic]

I've been looking at the Steam community for this game and I think Egosoft will be all right once they fix the game breaking bugs.

They lost a chunk of their core audience and modders, and gained pretty much no one. Remember that X3TC/AP were basically mods being resold to the community. X:R, with all bugs fixed, is an easily forgettable, bottom shelf space sim with a 50 dollar price tag and awful voice acting. X3* stood out from the rest, while X:R will get its lunch eaten by other space sims that compete in the exactly same niche, but do it far better.

[Chips]

The first I've seen this, but this is horrible. The console programming I can understand in the light what has been uncovered about Rebirth, but Handheld/DS programming?! WHAT THE HELL? I've made a snide remark about Egosoft stooping to make shovelware toilet games for the iPad...but it coming true...

*cries*

So wait, Egosoft are only ever allowed to make one game? X3+ Nothing else, no branching into other streams, no attempting to make other titles.

Just X3+

I know what you're thinking - "this means it acn only possibly be for making X3 into a DS handheld" - but honestly, really really think. When Bernd said they can't even get it working on current Xbox/PS consoles due to memory limitations... the DS?

So again, could it not possibly be for something else - other than X? Examining a future into other games/areas? Are they not allowed to do this in your mind?

[Swallen]

I've been looking at the Steam community for this game and I think Egosoft will be all right once they fix the game breaking bugs.
People over there don't seem to be so concerned with the design decisions made in Rebirth, nor seem to feel cheated as much as people in these forums do.

nice try,but you do know we too can see the steam forum

Hehehe... That's the feeling I got from browsing it for the first time since release. I mean, compared to the total meltdown of these forums yesterday I'd say it's milder.

I feel inclined to defend them because after all they are the only ones who have been capable of producing the kind of space game I most want. From the cold perspective of a customer looking for a product, I know Egosoft can produce stuff that I might be interested in. I just have to be wary not to invest myself emotionally with them. Just like I do with Electronic Arts.

Except they wont make that product anymore, will they?

I don't know. I frankly don't care. I think I will come back at some point to see how things are going, but for now I don't want anything to do with Egosoft... I'm pretty burned.