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Derek K. Smart is the president and lead developer of 3000AD, Inc., a video game developer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is an independent video game designer and software developer, and the creator of the Battlecruiser 3000AD and Universal Combat video game series. A self-described "eccentric and vocal personality",[1] Smart is renowned for lengthy and aggressive online responses to his critics.[2] He is also a board member of the Miami chapter of the International Game Developers Association.[3]

Game development

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Battlecruiser 3000AD

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Smart began his game development career in the late 1980s, with a vision of creating an all-encompassing space simulation game, featuring strategy elements along with space, planetary, air and ground combat.[4] His first game, Battlecruiser 3000AD, was covered extensively in gaming magazines during the development process, including a 1992 cover story in Computer Games Strategy Plus. The game was marketed as "The last thing you'll ever desire" in pre-release ads that ran in computer gaming magazines.[5] As the game's development continued, it went through multiple publishers, with Take-Two Interactive eventually acquiring the rights. Take-Two ultimately released[6] the game in what could be described as an unfinished state in October 1996.[4] Upon its release, the game[7] contained many bugs that made it unstable.[8][4][5]

The initial release of the game was a "bug-infested mess", according to a GameSpy.com reviewer, who asserted that "Smart consistently overrates his own products and his own abilities."[5] For his part, Derek Smart claimed that the buggy release was the responsibility of Take-Two; he eventually filed a lawsuit against Take-Two alleging breach of contract.[4] The lawsuit was later settled out of court, and both parties released statements of resolution in late 1998.[9]

Take-Two later became a publicly traded company; in its SEC filings on February 10, 1997, the company stated that Battlecruiser 3000AD accounted for 14.2% of revenue for the fiscal year ending October 31, 1996.[6] The filing also stated that Take-Two "made advances in the aggregate amount of approximately $618,000" for the title.[6]

Smart issued several patches and upgrades for the product over the next few months, and eventually a final patch was released to fix some of the major bugs. In February 1998, after obtaining publishing rights from Take-Two, Smart released the game on the Internet for download free of charge.[10]

Development of version 2.0 of the game continued throughout 1998, and Interplay announced that it would publish an improved version (dubbed Battlecruiser 3000AD v2.0) through its Value Product Division.[11] After its retail run, Smart also released that product on the Internet for free.[12]

Battlecruiser Millennium

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From 1998 to 2001, Smart developed his next game in the Battlecruiser franchise, Battlecruiser Millennium. The game was to be exclusively distributed at Electronics Boutique locations and was self-published by his company 3000AD, Inc.[13] The deal made with EB was a first of its kind merchant exclusivity deal for a game's release, with an independent developer paying for all materials to publish the game for distribution through the retailer. When asked by the gaming media about his thoughts on the deal, Smart stated "I'm paying for everything. I bear all the risk. I pay for the cost of goods, including the boxes and manuals."[14]

The game was released on November 19 of 2001 and received 65% and 68% at aggregate review sites Game Rankings and Metacritic respectively.[15][16] According to some reviews[17] of the game, it was as encompassing and strategically pleasing as the developer had set out to make, but lacked in user interface design friendliness and atmosphere.

After its retail run Smart released Battlecruiser Millennium on the Internet for free as he had done with his previous titles.[12] He has mentioned that he intends to keep up this practice of releasing his products for free once their "shelf life" has expired.[18]

Like Battlecruiser 3000AD, Battlecruiser Millennium was followed by an updated release titled Battlecruiser Millennium Gold.

Universal Combat

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Development started in 2002 on the new game in the Battlecruiser franchise under the name Battlecruiser Generations. As part of its design, the upcoming game was intended to make use of newer technology.[19] With a new publisher, Dreamcatcher Games, on board and offering more oversight, the direction of the game changed towards more action-based gameplay than the Battlecruiser series had previously been known for. The changes warranted a new title, and the name was changed to Universal Combat.[20]

Although expected to be, Universal Combat was not ready in time for the 2003 holidays. It was shipped in early 2004 by the publisher, Dreamcatcher Games, at half of the originally announced price. Much like the situation which happened between Smart and Take-Two Interactive, Smart pursued legal action against his publisher. A cease and desist letter was issued on behalf of 3000AD[21] to Dreamcatcher alleging, among other things,[22] that the price reduction was "clearly calculated to inflict economic harm on 3000AD". In the hearing, Dreamcatcher Games claimed that the game's quality did not justify a midrange price, citing the graphics as an example of the overall quality of the game. A hearing was held to determine if Dreamcatcher would be prevented from shipping the title at the reduced price. The presiding judge denied[23] the injunction stating that 3000AD "made bold but unsupported assertions regarding the irreparable harm to it", allowing Dreamcatcher Games to ship the game[24] and 3000AD to proceed with their lawsuit. The matter was later settled out of court[25] under undisclosed terms.

The game was reviewed and rated in several print and online game magazines.[26] Metacritic gave it an aggregate review score of 54%.[27]Gamespot, in its 59% review score, summarized its experience with the game by saying "This wildly ambitious simulation is torpedoed by an almost incomprehensible interface, the absence of a tutorial, numerous bugs, and many fit and finish issues, including dated production values."[28] PC Gamer, in its 75% review said of its experience with the game, "...for the latter niche of hardcore space-simmers, Derek Smart's Battlecruiser series has been going strong for eight solid years. Over that time, the idiosyncratic space-combat franchise has transformed itself from a bug-ridden lemon to a respected genre contender. Universal Combat is the latest chapter in this recently rebranded series (with new publisher Dreamcatcher), and though the game remains an acquired taste, it's better than ever."[29]

After terminating a publishing deal with Dreamcatcher Games,[30] Smart released an updated release titled Universal Combat Gold. Starting with this release, Smart has made a policy of releasing games through online resellers.[31]

In 2005 Turner Broadcasting licensed both Battlecruiser Millennium and Universal Combat Gold for their games on demand system, GameTap.[32] In 2005, Smart also released Universal Combat: A World Apart, a full sequel to the original Universal Combat with a variety of revisions and enhancements.[33] Game Rankings and Metacritic have given aggregate review scores of 54% and 48%, respectively, for the game.[34][35]

In October 2006 Smart released Universal Combat: Special Edition.[citation needed]

Galactic Command

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In December 2006, Smart announced Galactic Command a new franchise IP.[36]

On 26 January, 2007, 3000AD announced the three titles in the new Galactic Command IP: Galactic Command — Echo Squad; Galactic Command — Bravo Team; and Galactic Command — Excalibur.[37]

On February 6, 2007, Turner Broadcasting, the owner of Gametap who licenses several of Smart's back catalog of titles, announced at the D.I.C.E summit that it had signed an exclusive agreement with Smart to bring Galactic Command - Echo Squad exclusively to its Gametap subscription service in the Spring as an original episodic series.[38][39][40]

Current projects

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On 25 January, 2006, 3000AD announced two upcoming projects for the Xbox 360, Hostile Intent - Planetfall and KnightBlade - Line Of Defense.[41] Both titles have a projected release in Q1 of 2008.[42][43]

In December 2006, Smart announced a collectors edition consisting of his Battlecruiser and Universal Combat games.[44]

Ben Kuchera from the prominent technology related website Ars Technica was critical of Smart's intention to create games for the console, commenting "Derek Smart has a long reputation of releasing buggy, unfinished games and then screaming at anyone who calls them things like 'buggy' and 'unfinished.[1].

Online controversy

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Derek Smart has become known in the gaming community for making aggressive — and lengthy — online replies to critics of his work, leading to heated and protracted discussions on Usenet and game forums.[2] In an interview which was featured on the cover page of Computer Gaming World, Smart said of his online persona: "Sometimes when I get online, and it's quiet, and I see something that attracts my attention, I'll post just to piss these guys off. That's why I do it. Because I'm in a good mood that day, I go in there and I start trouble."[45]

Freespace licensing

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Smart was reported to be seeking to license the Freespace IP to develop a game based on the popular space-sim previously published by Interplay.[46] This sparked a controversy between Smart and his critics. The rumor was debunked by Yahoo video game news: "Following Bethesda Softworks' acquisition of the Fallout license earlier this week, word spread that cash-strapped publisher Interplay is having a franchise fire sale.[46] The rumors of Smart's involvement started when he posed the question, "Would you buy Freespace 3 if I made it?" on the Adrenaline Vault forums. In the next paragraph, though, Smart clarified his supposition stating that he was only "seriously considering" licensing the Freespace engine. However, the very possibility of Smart taking over the series has generated a strong reaction, prompting him to post a response to his critics. The controversy was further discussed in a Slashdot article.[47]


Published games

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Title Released Publisher
Battlecruiser 3000AD (U.S.) 1996 Take-Two Software
Battlecruiser 3000AD (UK) 1997 GameTek
Battlecruiser 3000AD v2.0 1999 Interplay
Battlecruiser Millennium 2001 3000AD
Battlecruiser Millennium Gold 2003 Dreamcatcher Games
Universal Combat 2004 Dreamcatcher Games
Universal Combat Gold 2005 3000AD
Universal Combat: A World Apart 2005 3000AD
Universal Combat: Special Edition 2006 3000AD

References

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  1. ^ Official biography from DerekSmart.org. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "GameSpy.com - Daily Victim: A tribute to online gaming dementia". Retrieved 2006-12-05. Cite error: The named reference "victim" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ "IGDA Miami - Chapter Meeting: June 2002". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  4. ^ a b c d "loonygames' Guest Editorial: Derek Smart". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  5. ^ a b c "GameSpy.com - Article: The 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming". Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  6. ^ a b c "Take2 SEC 1998 10KSB Filing". Retrieved 1998-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ "Get in the Game: Battlecruiser Millennium". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  8. ^ "Battlecruiser 3000 A.D. for PC Review - PC Battlecruiser 3000 A.D. Review". Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  9. ^ "Smart, Take-Two Settle differences - News at GameSpot". Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  10. ^ "Battlecruiser 3000 A.D. Set Free - News at GameSpot". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  11. ^ "Press Release: Interplay Value Products Division to distribute Battlecruiser 3000AD v2.0". Interplay. August 5, 1998.
  12. ^ a b "Battlecruiser series". Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  13. ^ "IGN: EB Signs Pact with Derek Smart". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  14. ^ "GameSpy.com - GameSpin: Volume 2 -- Battlecruiser Millennium, Tropico and Anarchy Online". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  15. ^ "Battlecruiser Millennium Reviews". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  16. ^ "Battlecruiser Millennium (pc: 2001): Reviews". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  17. ^ "Battlecruiser Millennium - It's much improved over the previous release but it still asks for too much from the player". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  18. ^ "AusGamers.com - Australia's Games Community: Battlecruiser Millenium Now Freeware". Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  19. ^ "UC Version Control". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  20. ^ "Battlecruiser Generations rechristened - PC News at GameSpot". Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  21. ^ "3000AD Issues Cease & Desist Letter to Dreamcatcher" (PDF). Retrieved 2004-02-04.
  22. ^ "3000AD Final Factum Filed Against Dreamcatcher" (PDF). Retrieved 2004. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ "Canadian Judge Rules On 3000AD Injunction Against Dreamcatcher". Retrieved 2004. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  24. ^ "Universal Combat ships despite lawsuit". Retrieved 2004-02-05.
  25. ^ "DreamCatcher to publish another 3000AD title". Retrieved 2005-01-13.
  26. ^ "Universal Combat Reviews". Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  27. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/universalcombat?q=universal%20combat
  28. ^ "Universal Combat for PC Review - PC Universal Combat Review". Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  29. ^ "PC Gamer review of Universal Combat" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  30. ^ "3000AD announces trio of new titles, breaks ties with publisher - PC News at GameSpot". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  31. ^ "BATTLECRUISER Online - Sales and Order Information". Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  32. ^ "Turner licenses 3000AD titles for GameTap". Retrieved 2005-08-05.
  33. ^ "UCAWA Dev Version Control". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  34. ^ "Universal Combat: A World Apart (pc: 2005): Reviews". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  35. ^ GameRankings.com aggregate review of Universal Combat: A World Apart
  36. ^ "Galactic Command (PC/XB360)". Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  37. ^ "Galactic Command titles for PC and XB360". Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  38. ^ "GALCOM - Echo Squad Preview". Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  39. ^ "GameTap Signs Smart For Galactic Command Series". Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  40. ^ "PRESS RELEASE: GameTap Broadens Episodic Gaming Library with Galactic Command – Echo Squad". Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  41. ^ "3000 A.D. Completely Sells Out to Xbox 360". TeamXbox. 2006-01-25. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  42. ^ "Hostile Intent - Planetfall (X360)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  43. ^ "KnightBlade -- Line Of Defense (X360)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  44. ^ "Galactic Command (PC/XB360)". Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  45. ^ "Computer Gaming World Interview". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  46. ^ a b "Rumor Control: $179 DS in November and $29.99 GameCube games - PC News at GameSpot". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  47. ^ "Slashdot - Derek Smart Lusting Rights to Freespace?". Retrieved 2006-12-06.
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