I’m a big fan of humor in games and thus in turn a fan of games series like Monkey Island and Leisure Suit Larry and new games like Psychonauts. I’m glad there is going to be another new Leisure Suit Larry game (and most likely a new Monkey Island game). Ofcourse it wasn’t perfect but few games are.
Anyways, Al Lowe has kind of annoyed me about his part in the new game. I really wanted to see him get involved, just like everyone else. However he kept on claiming that he had very little contact from Vivendi Universal or High Voltage. On his webpage he had claims such as…
Off and on over the past two years, I was lead by various Sierra employees to think that the company wanted me involved in the game’s development. Nothing ever came of it.
Basically leading the reader to believe that he would contact VU, have a nice chat, and then not hear back from them. This came up several times.
The kicker is…talking to different people involved, I knew this was not true. A couple of week ago, Al Lowe finally let some of the truth out.
“They actually wanted me to sign a contract stating that I would never publicly say anything negative about the game,” he explained, “before I’d even seen it!”
They wanted to hire him, they pursued him BUT he would constantly refuse to sign a standard employee NDA clause. Thats probably not entirely the issue but it more true that the “woe is me sitting by the phone” story.
“standard NDA” became standard simply because people didn’t have the balls to refuse to sign it. It reminds me of the now “standard” practice of employers insisting people sign an agreement saying that they can be fired for any reason at any time. Good for Al Lowe.
That’s probably because he found that to be unnecessary and insulting, which it is. He’s shown that he’s more than capable of talking to the press without “benefit” of a PR mouthpiece.
You don’t need a contract to be able to do that any more than an employee needs a contract to say that he/she can quit for any reason or any time. Unless your use of “any” includes blatantly illegal reasons, like racial discrimination or retaliation for whistleblowing. But in those cases, federal (and I guess state) laws would trump the contract anyway.
Anyway, back on topic: Interesting that Lowe would have been untruthful about that kind of thing. I wouldn’t be surprised to also find out that he wasn’t being offered the level of control he wanted. Wonder if he burned those bridges beyond repair with his comments about Magna Cum Laude.
Not really. What could he have said that wouldn’t immediately have made the negotiations fall apart? Besides saying nothing at all, of course. Which even then would get interpreted. I think he was tactful as could be.
That’s probably because he found that to be unnecessary and insulting, which it is.
Balderdash! If they guy doesn’t want to play by the rules, he can take his ball elsewhere.
While he did great things with his adventure games, he’s simply not that relevant to the industry in general, and the younger demographic VU is chasing in specific. I imagine VU offered to bring him on board either as a courtesy or to cash in on whatever value his name still has. If he wants to make a show out of refusing to sign the same kind of contract I have to sign when I go to some press events or get demos for articles I’m writing, then he’s welcome to make his own games.
Personally, I’ve thought his comments have been unprofessional and embarrasingly bitter.
From what I heard, they approached him when it was far too late to make much of a practical difference to anything in the game, and wanted to silence him with the NDA and some vague consultancy role. Until I hear something more damning than that, good for Al for not being involved with that shitpile. It’s one thing to tow the line when you’re the one making the decisions and it’s your game, but quite another when it’s a whole third party calling the shots on the name that made you famous, and will almost certainly be linked to you whether it’s the greatest game ever, or a crappy collection of sub-shareware games with breast jokes.
If he wants to make a show out of refusing to sign the same kind of contract I have to sign when I go to some press events or get demos for articles I’m writing, then he’s welcome to make his own games.
You sign contracts promising never to say anything bad about a game when you go to its press launch? Come on. When 3D Realms* was being touted as trying to pulling that shit via EULAs and such a few years ago (at least, I’m pretty sure it was 3DR), there was an uproar. And nothing was actually happening.
(* Memory may be failing here. Pretty sure it was 3D Realms, I’m sure someone will correct if it was another company)
If it was a ‘Shut up until the game’s out/ready’ deal then fair enough, that would be whining, and a basic NDA is perfectly understandable - it’s protecting the company’s secrets - but it doesn’t sound like that kind of contract at all. If what he says there is true, it’s a silencer contract in perpetuity. Very different, especially going in blind.
Personally, I’ve thought his comments have been unprofessional and embarrasingly bitter
Where? The ones I’ve seen were pretty much bang on the nose about the quality of the game, and his site isn’t exactly a ‘whitewashed Earthsea’ or ‘eggy in a basket’ rant.
You don’t need a contract to be able to do that any more than an employee needs a contract to say that he/she can quit for any reason or any time. Unless your use of “any” includes blatantly illegal reasons, like racial discrimination or retaliation for whistleblowing. But in those cases, federal (and I guess state) laws would trump the contract anyway.
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It’s not that black and white. For example in R.I. the date in which a person can collect unemployment benefits is wholly dependant on the employers reason for letting you go. Being laid-off one is eligible for benefits almost immediately. Being laid-off with the employer hiring someone to replace you , they are penalized the full amount. Being “fired” carries an 8 week penalty with the employer not having to pay in any further to that particular employee’s unemployment benefit account. There are other situations leading to termination that carry various penalties and financial responsibility for the employer. Going into litigation it definitely matters a whole lot as to why one would lose their job. Signing away ones rights would, obviously, have a significant effect on the outcome.
