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KickStarter Underworld Ascendant is a disaster

BEvers

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
808
Morning everyone! This one’s a bit long, but I think it’s worth a conversation.

I started to write this response to jtr7 in a different thread, but I think it’s worthy of its own thread.

All of the company’s decisions regarding updates and hotfixes has been to “improve the game; no steps back.” I think the biggest oversight occurred when we launched Update 3 and discovered that due to a lack of resources to QA across multiple systems, we were blindsided by bugs and crashes that pushed us back. We underestimated the coverage we needed, and we were determined to right this for Update 4.

Since Update 3 and our work on console, there were multiple external teams assisting us with QA, porting, and engineering work, which is now unavailable. We’re currently piecing together all of this work internally to make sure we didn’t miss some changes, but the pipeline normally placed the PC version slightly ahead of PS4 and Xbox, including PC’s live hotfix. We squeezed in as much as we could for the PS4 and Xbox deadlines, and any small updates that we managed to slide in for Update 4 on PC at the last minute may not have made it into those builds.

In that respect, I understand the marketing around PS4 and Xbox One was misleading to say that it contained the full Update 4 experience. That is my fault; I should have verified with the team after receiving the copy.

I would like to thank everyone who has continued to submit PS4 / Xbox One / PC bugs for UA.

We are still working on a PS4 and Xbox One hotfix that will update the games to include all of the PC Update 4 content, including the recent hotfix we pushed. We’ll be testing a PS4 hotfix candidate this week, in fact. I’m also logging any immediate issues related to PC in case we can squeeze in another hotfix. I’ll need to check in with Mac and Linux again, since I believe we were ready to start testing either this week or the next, based on the update we received last week. Mac and Linux playtesters will receive an email if this is the case.

Lastly, I know we’ve been pretty quiet across all socials, but I’ve mentioned resources a couple of times. The budget for UA is nearing its end, which will also mean the work on this project. Funding for the studio and our other two projects is now a big priority.

On the Kickstarter front, I’m personally handling and making the last of the digital assets that are necessary for the physical swag. I’m working on cutting the footage for the Making of DVD right now, and then I just need to format the Game Manual (it’s fully written, just needs the flourishes and formatting properly for a booklet).

Boxes and swag can’t go out until we have those digitally, since Fangamer will need to print. I’m also crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to finish the DVD and Game Manual by the time the Mac and Linux ports are available, since those versions will be printed on the physical discs, depending on what you selected for your reward. ALL the other physical goods are done / waiting to be printed. (I made the console trailer for UA, the Art Portfolio, formatted most of the Tracy Hickman novel with some community assistance, and co-wrote most of the Game Manual while the team has been working on updates, for those of you curious.)

Anyways. Bit of a long post, but I just want to be honest and give a little more insight to how the studio has been handling UA work. I appreciate all of you who I’ve come to know over the last two years since I was hired (!) and those of you who are new and just getting to know me.

https://forums.otherside-e.com/t/july-8-2019-weekly-update-ps4-xbox-one-hotfix-ks-update
 
Self-Ejected

aweigh

Self-Ejected
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
17,978
Location
Florida
"Nothing works. I would wager 98% of all enemies would completely ignore you if you just run past them [...] If you walk past and give them time to react they still don’t react. Thousands of times I made noise and they didn’t react."

Sounds like Dark Souls.
 

MasterLobar

Angry OtherSide Refugee
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
358
Location
Killorn Keep
"The budget for UA is nearing its end, which will also mean the work on this project. Funding for the studio and our other two projects is now a big priority."

So they finally confirm what is apparent to everyone: Not only SS3, but the studio as a whole is in deep financial trouble. The money from the $3.5 million series A stock sale last August has been burned through and they have no other sources of funding.

Also, as we all know there is no publisher or budget for the mystery unannounced project the Boston office is supposed to work on after UA.

The Boston office will be shut down imminently and Otherside as a company will follow closely after that.
 

MasterLobar

Angry OtherSide Refugee
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
358
Location
Killorn Keep
This part is strange.

(I made the console trailer for UA, the Art Portfolio, formatted most of the Tracy Hickman novel with some community assistance, and co-wrote most of the Game Manual while the team has been working on updates, for those of you curious.)

Anyways. Bit of a long post, but I just want to be honest and give a little more insight to how the studio has been handling UA work. I appreciate all of you who I’ve come to know over the last two years since I was hired (!) and those of you who are new and just getting to know me.

Sounds to me like she is preparing to leave.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
IF she leaves I may 75% believe your theory of imminent shutting down. It seemed like she's been doing most of non-dev, non-executive jobs there, not just community management.
 

commie

The Last Marxist
Patron
Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
1,865,249
Location
Where one can weep in peace
Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
"The budget for UA is nearing its end, which will also mean the work on this project. Funding for the studio and our other two projects is now a big priority."

So they finally confirm what is apparent to everyone: Not only SS3, but the studio as a whole is in deep financial trouble. The money from the $3.5 million series A stock sale last August has been burned through and they have no other sources of funding.

Also, as we all know there is no publisher or budget for the mystery unannounced project the Boston office is supposed to work on after UA.

The Boston office will be shut down imminently and Otherside as a company will follow closely after that.


Guess they are going to.........wait for it..........the Otherside!

:smug:
 

MasterLobar

Angry OtherSide Refugee
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
358
Location
Killorn Keep
"The budget for UA is nearing its end, which will also mean the work on this project. Funding for the studio and our other two projects is now a big priority."

Didn't they say funding is no problem, it's all going great and UA sales are enough to get the next game funded?

"Warren Spector, told VGC that [...] OtherSide has enough capital to continue while prospective deals are discussed.

“It’s going great,” [...] Luckily OtherSide is flush enough that we’re funding ourselves and can continue to do that for quite a while.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/system-shock-3-has-a-lot-of-interest-from-publishers/

"While the System Shock 3 director can't speak for other companies' games, he does know Underworld Ascendant has "done well enough to get our next game funded" -- although he said he doesn't know the exact sales figure."

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...ector-if-immersive-sims-disappear-i-disappear
 

MasterLobar

Angry OtherSide Refugee
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
358
Location
Killorn Keep

Efe

Erudite
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,597
you said they will shut down and they still havent.
every day otherside keeps its door open is a day you eat crow
 

karnak

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jun 14, 2014
Messages
920
Location
Negative Zone
Grab the Codex by the pussy Strap Yourselves In I helped put crap in Monomyth
Not even Keanu Reeves would save this mess of a game :(

TheseWhiteFlies-size_restricted.gif
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut

MasterLobar

Angry OtherSide Refugee
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
358
Location
Killorn Keep
How certain can they be that the fine print of the kickstarter page shields them from all legal trouble? Have there been any precedents?

"I have requested a refund (with 4 years interest) on the main comments page and suggest everybody else do the same thing. If a refund is not forthcoming we can swamp them with small claims court cases and asking local State's Attorneys to bring charges."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant/posts/2486822

I mean, let's assume a well-known developer makes all sorts of promises of making a super-interesting game and raises $900k via kickstarter. He then writes 10 lines of code and uses the kickstarter money to pay himself a big salary.

After 4 years he says "Sorry guys, I messed up. No game."

I'd be surprised if such a person could not be sued.

It may be an extreme example - and obviously not what OS were doing - but it shows that the kickstarter fine print is probably not 100% bulletproof.
 

Efe

Erudite
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,597
it is bulletproof.
they are not obligated to bring you a product. working as advertised or otherwise
 

Nyast

Cipher
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Messages
609
They're safe from any legal action. They delivered a game. Kickstarter makes it clear there are risks involved and anything can change at any time. Pledges are considered donations. They're 100% safe legally. Only the most extreme cases ( somebody running away with the money ) could get sued.
 

Grauken

Gourd vibes only
Patron
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
12,787
I'm waiting for RazörFist floating down from the sky and saving them with his infinite wisdom on the greatness of UA
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
4,101
Location
Chicago, IL, Kwa
I personally know a guy who was sued for failing to deliver on his Kickstarter project. He admitted, in court, that he lacked the knowledge and expertise to deliver the promised product, and that he suspected he lacked the requisite knowledge and expertise at the time of the Kickstarter; the lawsuit was still dismissed.
 

RaptorRex888

Learned
Joined
May 13, 2019
Messages
259
Location
Vatican City
Don't know or care about this game but holy shit Razorfist is such a contrarian piece of shit fuckwad.
 

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