Chessmaster 12th - Dead Project?

[Kirk]

Anyone hear if they plan on continuing the line? Unless Johan de Koning has made a comeback they will need a new engine.

Do I remember hearing rumors of HIARCS a few years back?

[Sean Evans]

Anyone hear if they plan on continuing the line? Unless Johan de Koning has made a comeback they will need a new engine.

Do I remember hearing rumors of HIARCS a few years back?

The King is still active:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6381

Cordially,

Sean

[Dann Corbit]

Anyone hear if they plan on continuing the line? Unless Johan de Koning has made a comeback they will need a new engine.

Why? TheKing has never been the strongest engine at any time as far as I recall. It is stronger than basically everyone who buys Chessmaster. I guess at some point they will issue a new version and it will get shelf space and people will buy it.
Here is what you get with ChessMaster:
1. Nice GUI
2. Easy installation
3. Technical support
4. Documenation
5. Online play
6. Chess database
7. Strong chess engine.
That's probably the order of importance, too.

Do I remember hearing rumors of HIARCS a few years back?

If you put Rybka in there, none of they users who buy it will know the difference anyway. The'll still imagine it's the Merlin looking dude on the box cover.

[Steve Maughan]

Hi Dann,

...TheKing has never been the strongest engine at any time as far as I recall.

I think it did actually manage top on SSDF for a short time. It was about at The King 2.5 stage. They certainly used it in their advertising.

Best regards,

Steve

[Steve B]

Hi Dann,

...TheKing has never been the strongest engine at any time as far as I recall.

I think it did actually manage top on SSDF for a short time. It was about at The King 2.5 stage. They certainly used it in their advertising.

Best regards,

Steve

The King 2.5 was the strongest engine ever released in a dedicated chess computer for 10 years from 1995-2005
not sure if it ever actually topped the SSDF list which by 1995 also included many PC Engines
however its quite possible the King 2.2 Released in 1993 in the Tasc computer might have topped the lists as PC Engines were just beginning to appear regularly
Steve

[Steve B]

Hi Dann,

...TheKing has never been the strongest engine at any time as far as I recall.

I think it did actually manage top on SSDF for a short time. It was about at The King 2.5 stage. They certainly used it in their advertising.

Best regards,

Steve

The King 2.5 was the strongest engine ever released in a dedicated chess computer for 10 years from 1995-2005
not sure if it ever actually topped the SSDF list which by 1995 also included many PC Engines
however its quite possible the King 2.2 Released in 1993 in the Tasc computer might have topped the lists as PC Engines were just beginning to appear regularly
Steve

found an old SSDF Rating list from Oct.1993
40/2
1.Cmachine King 2/30 Mhz-2322... 50 Games
2.M Chess Pro486/66Mhz-2292...74 Games
3.Chess Genius Genius 486/50Mhz-2288...136 Games

Steve

[Sylwy]

Here is what you get with ChessMaster:
1. Nice GUI
2. Easy installation
3. Technical support
4. Documenation
5. Online play
6. Chess database
7. Strong chess engine.
That's probably the order of importance, too.

Sorry Dan, but you aren't right !
I know very , very well ChessMaster series. I have all , but absolutely all ChessMasters.
The main reasons for someone who buys ChessMaster are:
A-tutorials ( even in ChessMaster 3000- with a Dave Kittinger engine -was an interesting tutorial );
B-a lot of levels of play;
C-the friendly GUI.
The customers of ChessMaster's series aren't interested in the strength of The King engine. At least most of them.ChessMasters is a mass chess software not for computer chess caprices ( like iDEEA & co. ).

And an explanation: a new ChessMaster has near nothing to do with a new The King engine .The interests/problems of UbiSoft France are the decident . And.....AVATAR,JUST DANCE & co. are more attractive !

Regards,
Silvian

[Alibaba]

by the way as anybody knows....the king with his default settings are not as strong as the engine really could play....

a friend found a fantastic setting for the latest king version it seems to me that the king is playing at Rybka 3 level with this setting on longer time controls.....

So the king is not dead, it's up to your creativity to get a new king setting..which plays fantastic strong chess....

Regards
Andi

[Graham Banks]

a friend found a fantastic setting for the latest king version it seems to me that the king is playing at Rybka 3 level with this setting on longer time controls.....

I'd be extremely surprised if this is the case. The combined efforts of well known CM settings testers has only come up with a strongest setting almost 300 ELO behind Rybka 3.

Cheers,
Graham.

[Christopher Conkie]

Anyone hear if they plan on continuing the line? Unless Johan de Koning has made a comeback they will need a new engine.

Why? TheKing has never been the strongest engine at any time as far as I recall. It is stronger than basically everyone who buys Chessmaster. I guess at some point they will issue a new version and it will get shelf space and people will buy it.
Here is what you get with ChessMaster:
1. Nice GUI
2. Easy installation
3. Technical support
4. Documenation
5. Online play
6. Chess database
7. Strong chess engine.
That's probably the order of importance, too.

Do I remember hearing rumors of HIARCS a few years back?

If you put Rybka in there, none of they users who buy it will know the difference anyway. The'll still imagine it's the Merlin looking dude on the box cover.

I always liked the ability to play against personalities.