pcpowerplay.com.au: Applying scorched Earth to one’s self
May 12, 2015 4:08:56 GMT
Lord Ba'al, morsealworth, and 1 more like this
Post by mindless on May 12, 2015 4:08:56 GMT
PcPowerPlay: Godus schmodus! Applying scorched Earth to one’s self.
Everyone who wants to be a famous game developer stand up. Great, that’s almost everyone. Now, everyone who wants to be Peter Molyneux stay standing, all others be seated. Right. Thought so. Now stand up again if you’d rather enjoy the reputation and public adoration of, say Richard Nixon, than Peter Molyneux?
Oh my. What a disaster. What a total destruction of a man we have witnessed, what an embarrassment we have vicariously endured, and left feeling for the poor souls trapped on the dev team building Godus. With no greater sympathy than that reserved for Konrad Nasynski and Jack Attridge, who sat most uncomfortably through an agonizing 22 minute video alongside Molyneux recently (search ‘Godus Community Update’) as they attempted to reassure us that Godus was banging along terrifically.
But it’s not. It could not be more of a mess. In a series of pummelling body blows, Godus has all-but completely collapsed.
It’s hard to pick the biggest blow. Let’s see... it’s late, there’s that. There are the Kickstarter stretch goals that have been abandoned. Oh, let’s not forget that the PC version – being the one that was backed on Kickstarter, and the one that people want – was put on hold so the goddam mobile version could take priority.
With the mobile version more or less released, was the PC game back on track? Why, no! Most of the team at 22Cans has since been tasked to a new title, which nobody gives a shit about. What do we know about it? That it is the latest roadblock in the way of Godus ever being finished. That’s all.
Fewer developers than you have fingers on one hand are now apparently left on Godus. Poor Konrad, who was hired from the community, seems to be the only one left paying attention to actual game detail, and he’s been musing in his posts that the game they have needs a total overhaul in design in order to be something anyone would want to play.
But the train wreck still hadn’t fully exploded. No no, in a particularly punishing revelation, Eurogamer tracked down Bryan Henderson, the fellow who had won the very silly Curiosity RSI-sim, earning the title God of Gods in the game when it was released, as well as a cut of the profits. Incredibly, nobody at 22Cans had bothered to stay in touch with him after the win. More than a year passed. Bryan stopped caring, because Molyneux had stopped caring.
The Molyneux MO is taking shape here. Make a big noise, promise many wonderful things, then soak up the spotlight and move on without actually delivering. We’ve all known that for years, we were all tired of his puffy pontificating, leading to ultimate disappointment long ago.
What was needed, right at this disastrous juncture of yet another disintegrating Molyneux game, was an intervention.
That was delivered in one of the most profound takedowns in tall poppy history. The bullet to the head was John Walker’s gobsmacking interview with Molyneux on Rock Paper Shotgun. Do please read it. No mercy was shown, no rest allowed, in the hour-long destruction of the Molyneux persona.
The interview opened with the question “are you a pathological liar?”, and before you had time to think to yourself “that’s a bit harsh”, the tone worsened and the bloodletting was on. It was quickly apparent that that the opening question had clear context, as Walker relentlessly hammered Molyneux with evidence over the years of promises made and broken.
There, unfolding before our eyes, was a human being stripped bare of his veneer and pretences. It was hard to read. Even if one started to read it and enjoy a little of the tall poppy syndrome that’s undeniably present in our DNA, thinking, perhaps that he had it coming, it was nevertheless uncomfortable to watch Molyneux swing through the gambit of reflex emotions. At first he was defiant, eager to prove that in each and every case his promises were kept. But Walker was ready, and knocked down every shallow attempt by his quarry to parry and shift the topic.
Bruised, and with growing fear, Molyneux then tried to deflect, citing his actual past successes which were dismissed as irrelevant and off topic. Walker was a courtroom prosecutor, staying on point, cutting short any meandering from his man in the box, and only moving on once Molyneux was boxed into conceding the point.
Towards the end Molyneux was a shattered mess. “I just want to make good games!” he wailed, finally realising that his usual theatrical bravado was his own worst enemy and only a desperate plea for compassion was left.
In the closing minute or two of the interview he knew the time for talking was over. To protect what was left of his ego and reputation Molyneux promised Walker that he would do no more press interviews until Godus was finished.
Later that day, Molyneux did two more.
Everyone who wants to be a famous game developer stand up. Great, that’s almost everyone. Now, everyone who wants to be Peter Molyneux stay standing, all others be seated. Right. Thought so. Now stand up again if you’d rather enjoy the reputation and public adoration of, say Richard Nixon, than Peter Molyneux?
Oh my. What a disaster. What a total destruction of a man we have witnessed, what an embarrassment we have vicariously endured, and left feeling for the poor souls trapped on the dev team building Godus. With no greater sympathy than that reserved for Konrad Nasynski and Jack Attridge, who sat most uncomfortably through an agonizing 22 minute video alongside Molyneux recently (search ‘Godus Community Update’) as they attempted to reassure us that Godus was banging along terrifically.
But it’s not. It could not be more of a mess. In a series of pummelling body blows, Godus has all-but completely collapsed.
It’s hard to pick the biggest blow. Let’s see... it’s late, there’s that. There are the Kickstarter stretch goals that have been abandoned. Oh, let’s not forget that the PC version – being the one that was backed on Kickstarter, and the one that people want – was put on hold so the goddam mobile version could take priority.
With the mobile version more or less released, was the PC game back on track? Why, no! Most of the team at 22Cans has since been tasked to a new title, which nobody gives a shit about. What do we know about it? That it is the latest roadblock in the way of Godus ever being finished. That’s all.
Fewer developers than you have fingers on one hand are now apparently left on Godus. Poor Konrad, who was hired from the community, seems to be the only one left paying attention to actual game detail, and he’s been musing in his posts that the game they have needs a total overhaul in design in order to be something anyone would want to play.
But the train wreck still hadn’t fully exploded. No no, in a particularly punishing revelation, Eurogamer tracked down Bryan Henderson, the fellow who had won the very silly Curiosity RSI-sim, earning the title God of Gods in the game when it was released, as well as a cut of the profits. Incredibly, nobody at 22Cans had bothered to stay in touch with him after the win. More than a year passed. Bryan stopped caring, because Molyneux had stopped caring.
The Molyneux MO is taking shape here. Make a big noise, promise many wonderful things, then soak up the spotlight and move on without actually delivering. We’ve all known that for years, we were all tired of his puffy pontificating, leading to ultimate disappointment long ago.
What was needed, right at this disastrous juncture of yet another disintegrating Molyneux game, was an intervention.
That was delivered in one of the most profound takedowns in tall poppy history. The bullet to the head was John Walker’s gobsmacking interview with Molyneux on Rock Paper Shotgun. Do please read it. No mercy was shown, no rest allowed, in the hour-long destruction of the Molyneux persona.
The interview opened with the question “are you a pathological liar?”, and before you had time to think to yourself “that’s a bit harsh”, the tone worsened and the bloodletting was on. It was quickly apparent that that the opening question had clear context, as Walker relentlessly hammered Molyneux with evidence over the years of promises made and broken.
There, unfolding before our eyes, was a human being stripped bare of his veneer and pretences. It was hard to read. Even if one started to read it and enjoy a little of the tall poppy syndrome that’s undeniably present in our DNA, thinking, perhaps that he had it coming, it was nevertheless uncomfortable to watch Molyneux swing through the gambit of reflex emotions. At first he was defiant, eager to prove that in each and every case his promises were kept. But Walker was ready, and knocked down every shallow attempt by his quarry to parry and shift the topic.
Bruised, and with growing fear, Molyneux then tried to deflect, citing his actual past successes which were dismissed as irrelevant and off topic. Walker was a courtroom prosecutor, staying on point, cutting short any meandering from his man in the box, and only moving on once Molyneux was boxed into conceding the point.
Towards the end Molyneux was a shattered mess. “I just want to make good games!” he wailed, finally realising that his usual theatrical bravado was his own worst enemy and only a desperate plea for compassion was left.
In the closing minute or two of the interview he knew the time for talking was over. To protect what was left of his ego and reputation Molyneux promised Walker that he would do no more press interviews until Godus was finished.
Later that day, Molyneux did two more.
