NEWS (KSP2): Game Publisher Cancels Contract With Developer, Then Tries to Poach Its Entire Team

[Technicalfool]

OP by Steam user "Mr Squishie", new OP created and merged as a CYA move by me, due to a copyright-related report on the post. Will be merged with the old thread. Consult the linked Bloomberg article for full text.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-03/kerbal-space-program-2-release-disrupted-by-corporate-strife

Three months after losing a deal with Take-Two, Star Theory Games was out of business.
By Jason Schreier
3 June 2020, 11:00 BST

One Friday evening last December, employees of game designer Star Theory Games each received the same unusual recruitment message over LinkedIn. It struck them as bizarre for two reasons. One, it came from an executive producer at the publishing company funding their next video game. Two, it said the game—in the works for the previous two years—was being pulled from their studio.
...

[MechBFP]

mopy eredeti hozzászólása:

Lets boycott KSP2 for this discusting action and the rediclous planned price.

poruatokin eredeti hozzászólása:

Always the contrarian, I will just say that most of the comments so far are just a bunch of boo hoo babies throwing their dummies out of the pram.

People - get a life - it is only a video game, it is not the end of the world.

All this blah blah about corporate greed is garbage - I'd bet money that all of the above will be forget about this and be queuing up to buy KSP2 if it is ever released. (and thereby feeding the corporate monster they all claim to hate).

Ya people are just band wagoning idiots as usual without a clue as to the facts. Not much to see here.

[lPaladinl]

MechBFP eredeti hozzászólása:

mopy eredeti hozzászólása:

Lets boycott KSP2 for this discusting action and the rediclous planned price.

poruatokin eredeti hozzászólása:

Always the contrarian, I will just say that most of the comments so far are just a bunch of boo hoo babies throwing their dummies out of the pram.

People - get a life - it is only a video game, it is not the end of the world.

All this blah blah about corporate greed is garbage - I'd bet money that all of the above will be forget about this and be queuing up to buy KSP2 if it is ever released. (and thereby feeding the corporate monster they all claim to hate).

Ya people are just band wagoning idiots as usual without a clue as to the facts. Not much to see here.

Oh look, a group of people who hate people who don't want to put up with corporate greed and mediocre products and are band wagoning to say that others are band wagoning.

Nothing to see here.

[=M$= Oroberus]

lPaladinl eredeti hozzászólása:

MechBFP eredeti hozzászólása:

Ya people are just band wagoning idiots as usual without a clue as to the facts. Not much to see here.

Oh look, a group of people who hate people who don't want to put up with corporate greed and mediocre products and are band wagoning to say that others are band wagoning.

Nothing to see here.

Mediocre? Seriously? Take2 hasn't had anythin CLOSE to mediocre in the last YEARS. Both GTAV and RDR2 were massive let downs in terms of quality, NBA20 was a massive screwfest just like the last wrestling title. The latest Civ was an even more watered down version of the one before with no depth what so ever and just broken in terms of AI and Gameplay. Mediocre would indeed be a compliment to them.
And on top of all of this, spyware, studio scams, games which contain more gambling then actual gameplay, post launch EULA changes to circumvent refunds and so on

[Johnstone Studios]

What do I do now that one of my favourite games are ruined?

[Tux]

Jude Johnstone eredeti hozzászólása:

What do I do now that one of my favourite games are ruined?

well several things

1. if you think KSP2 is a game I have news for you its not a game, its a game in the making.
2. if your favorite house is the one that barely has the frame up and no walls and you like that more then the one that has walls maybe the title is not for you
3. you dont need to do anything, that is the beauty of being a consumer

[Wobbly Av8r]

Jude Johnstone eredeti hozzászólása:

What do I do now that one of my favourite games are ruined?

There's a phenomenon about books that become movies - the folks who have read the book usually prefer the book to the movie because their own mind created a visual that can rarely be outdone by a movie director.

KSP is one of those games whose success has allowed users to "read the book" and create an expectation of KSP2 to be some panacea of digital space simulation - but for the most part, there is relatively little they can do to outdo what's already done. It's likely why there have been so many delays and such in KSP2's development.

Nothing is ruined - you already have a fairly refined product you've not only already enjoyed but can continue to enjoy. Even the imperfections of the game have endeared themselves to the users...

[Tux]

Wobbly Av8r eredeti hozzászólása:

Jude Johnstone eredeti hozzászólása:

What do I do now that one of my favourite games are ruined?

There's a phenomenon about books that become movies - the folks who have read the book usually prefer the book to the movie because their own mind created a visual that can rarely be outdone by a movie director.

KSP is one of those games whose success has allowed users to "read the book" and create an expectation of KSP2 to be some panacea of digital space simulation - but for the most part, there is relatively little they can do to outdo what's already done. It's likely why there have been so many delays and such in KSP2's development.

Nothing is ruined - you already have a fairly refined product you've not only already enjoyed but can continue to enjoy. Even the imperfections of the game have endeared themselves to the users...

so the long standing issue is as soon as Take Two made this so call 'indie publisher' and the developers of that arrangement started working the instant assumption was basically 'yeah KSP is a cute game and has its pluses but wow these new devs are going to make KSP amazing'
Nevermind KSP1 was one of the most popular early access titles ever, never mind KSP1 has outstanding reviews and never mind KSP2 was basically a Take Two project.

Why people ever thought KSP2 would be better is beyond my understanding.

My point being KSP1 is the book and KSP2 is the movie is really a bad analagy.
its more like KSP1 is the classic and KSP2 is a rip off

[lPaladinl]

=M$= Oroberus eredeti hozzászólása:

Mediocre? Seriously? Take2 hasn't had anythin CLOSE to mediocre in the last YEARS. Both GTAV and RDR2 were massive let downs in terms of quality, NBA20 was a massive screwfest just like the last wrestling title. The latest Civ was an even more watered down version of the one before with no depth what so ever and just broken in terms of AI and Gameplay. Mediocre would indeed be a compliment to them.
And on top of all of this, spyware, studio scams, games which contain more gambling then actual gameplay, post launch EULA changes to circumvent refunds and so on

I enjoyed GTA5 but I get your point. GTA as a whole since 4 has felt like a missed opportunity. It hasn't been a fun ride with Take Two, seems all they care about is microtransactions and selling customer information. I miss the days when video games were about fun and not dividends.

Good thing other companies do just that and they get my business, not Take Two.

[Tux]

lPaladinl eredeti hozzászólása:

=M$= Oroberus eredeti hozzászólása:

Mediocre? Seriously? Take2 hasn't had anythin CLOSE to mediocre in the last YEARS. Both GTAV and RDR2 were massive let downs in terms of quality, NBA20 was a massive screwfest just like the last wrestling title. The latest Civ was an even more watered down version of the one before with no depth what so ever and just broken in terms of AI and Gameplay. Mediocre would indeed be a compliment to them.
And on top of all of this, spyware, studio scams, games which contain more gambling then actual gameplay, post launch EULA changes to circumvent refunds and so on

I enjoyed GTA5 but I get your point. GTA as a whole since 4 has felt like a missed opportunity. It hasn't been a fun ride with Take Two, seems all they care about is microtransactions and selling customer information. I miss the days when video games were about fun and not dividends.

Good thing other companies do just that and they get my business, not Take Two.

One thing I will never understand.
why an indie gets hell fire if they use some assets from another game but a AAA game can copy and paste basically the same game 5 times and call it amazing

[Evill Bob]

I really hope this leads to Indie companies to stop making contracts with big companies like EA and Take-Two. It's really obvious at this point that if you're not the company's cash cow then you are going to be slaughtered. Even then your company is not guaranteed survival.

[Tux]

Evill Bob eredeti hozzászólása:

I really hope this leads to Indie companies to stop making contracts with big companies like EA and Take-Two. It's really obvious at this point that if you're not the company's cash cow then you are going to be slaughtered. Even then your company is not guaranteed survival.

once they sign that contract, they are by definition no longer an indie company.
even more so when its pretty much 100% of their revenue that comes from a AAA publishing company.

[Ncdiehl]

RIP THE KSP DEVELOPERS U Will be missed for the caring hearts u had

[Chibbity]

ccdiehl eredeti hozzászólása:

RIP THE KSP DEVELOPERS U Will be missed for the caring hearts u had

Dude, the devs of KSP2 were Star Theory games, they were not the devs of KSP1; that was Squad.

Now KSP2 is being made by Intercept Games.

The KSP1 devs (Squad) are still alive and well, and still working on KSP 1. They were NEVER involved in the making of KSP2 at all.

[MechBFP]

Chibbity eredeti hozzászólása:

ccdiehl eredeti hozzászólása:

RIP THE KSP DEVELOPERS U Will be missed for the caring hearts u had

They were NEVER involved in the making of KSP2 at all.

That is actually wrong. They were involved as consultants to get the dev team up to speed and to help out. It’s been mentioned numerous times by Squad.

[Chibbity]

Sure but consulting is a pretty hands off process.

Squad as a company is.not doing any development for KSP2.