Get this. He’s working at CIG now. On Star Citizen. I shit you not.
So I heard upthread. I have mixed feelings about that, given Lum the Mad’s pro-gamer rants back in the day. Nothing about CIG seems pro-gamer these days.
Well everyone’s gotta eat. Plus it’s free money. So.
Food on the table, though. Gets laid off from Shroud, I’d take the paycheck.
The investors must be really peeved this week because it’s been one onslaught after another over the roadmap for the SQ42 roadmap.
For the record, having made a lifetime career out of developing hugely ambitious games, I saw this coming a mile away back when Chris increased the scope. I can’t even believe that 5 years (this month) later we’re still having this discussion. It’s completely unbelievable to me.
da funnies start @ 8:55
Not discounting the insight your own experiences have provided, but it didn’t take a career in making games to see the red flags, if you know what I mean. :D
Yup - I agree with you 100%. However, in 2012 when CR came back, it was treated like the second coming of Christ. Then he increased the scope in 2014. That’s when I took one look and noped the hell out. After I wrote that 2015 blog, that they did their best to LIE about me and my motivations, while attacking me by proxy, should’ve been a brighter Red flag that I was onto something. But back then, it was basically a “Derek Smart vs Chris Roberts” thing - and some people decided to take sides [with him]. I held steady (I don’t think anyone thought that I wouldn’t). Here we are.
It’s going to collapse. There won’t be a game - of any kind - coming out of this. Ever.
We’ll never see a finished version of Star Citizen for sure. I still think it’s possible for them to release Squadron 42, since it doesn’t have to come with all the scope creep and multiplayer baggage. They could even put it in a box and sell it, and earn some honest revenue for a change.
Apropos:
I wonder how a SQ42 would look like that would not be a disappointment (measured by 8 years of development and AAA-advertising, etc.). We know very little about it. Would could it make an instant hit?
The chance to just make a solid modern age Wing Commander passed some hundred million dollars ago. A mediocre SQ42 would hurt CIG/end it all, I guess.
SQ42 could even be a decent game in its own right. But it’s gonna be like the movie Waterworld. Just from looking at it, you’d never guess how much it cost to make or where all the money went.
The lack of multiplayer isn’t going to help them. Given the amount of money spent and the time taken, it’s got some insurmountable hurdles to jump over for any sort of widespread acceptance outside of the Kool-Aid room. For one thing, the graphics are already long in the tooth. And it’s precisely why they’ve refrained from showing any new gameplay - for years now.
Chris Roberts (potentially) when asked about SQ42:
I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific.
So SQ42 would be released as a 5 year old FPS with subpar graphics? A goldmine!
They still don’t have a decent flight model for the ships after all this time. They are twitchy, floaty, and unfun. Back in the day I was excited about a spiritual sequel to Wing Commander, but even if Squadron 42 came out, I no longer have an interest in the pew-pew. Not with that janky FM.
They don’t have a decent anything. Not even the proof-of-concept they’re calling Star Citizen is worthy of the $300M+ thrown at it.
And for the past year, anytime there’s news it’s been derision and mostly people taking the piss.
To wit:
ah yeah, good times :)
So are people still playing Where’s Waldo with Chris Roberts or has he resurfaced like a cold sore recently?
He’s still MIA working on the supa sekret build you see
The saddest thing you will read about this train-wreck. I think they broke him. Finally?
I mean, there has to be massive amounts of embezzlement going on at this point? For $300+ million and 8 years, they surely could have something working? From what I read in that post, they don’t have working vendors, storage lockers… I mean, really basic stuff?
Massive incompetence on the (mis)management side of course, but it seems like there has to be something more going on at this point.