We’re just three months into 2015, and already there have been a ton of disappointments for gamers. As big as some of them have been, as a long-time fan of RollerCoaster Tycoon the RollerCoaster Tycoon World gameplay debut ranks high for me. It was enough to vacuum any resemblance of hype out of the room.
After more than a week of fans tempering their expectations for RollerCoaster Tycoon World, Atari has made a public statement in the form of a blog post. It’s lengthy and riddled with tons of well-executed PR, but here’s the main piece you should read:
Let’s start with a bit of an explanation: The game is currently in what we are calling a pre-alpha stage – features and graphics are still being coded. Since the switchover of our development team this past Fall, we have focused on core functionality and “under-the-hood” engine work. This is why there has not been significant visual progress on the title. Engine work is critical to the overall stability of a game, and it requires significant labor and time to get right. We knew in the Fall we still had a lot of work to do to achieve the core engine we wanted – one that could support a game like RCTW. Now, however, we are able to finally continue working on the higher level functionality and visuals.
Our intention in releasing our pre-alpha gameplay as a trailer was to show that there is progress being made. RollerCoaster Tycoon has meant so much to so many people over the years, and it’s entirely your prerogative to feel protective of the franchise, just as it’s ours to assure you that it’s in good hands. Our hope in releasing the trailer in its current state was to offer some reassurance that gameplay and features were coming along.
You can see the full post here.
Atari has assured fans that the game will not be released until it is “truly ready”. That means having better graphics, more believable mechanics than seen in previous titles, and the polish necessary to avoid major issues at release.
Related: RCT World’s Gameplay Trailer is Tragically Bad
It all sounds good, but ultimately this is another Atari game. It’s difficult to remember the last time a game from the publisher delivered. So, far all we know this could just be a way to earn back some support from fans who have jumped ship. I know it hasn’t won me back, but I’m still hoping it’s good.
When it comes down to it, all gamers want are good games. We hope that RollerCoaster Tycoon World re-invigorates the franchise despite its underwhelming trailer.
