Company News Let's give Jeff Vogel some free publicity

[El Duke]

Well, all I can say is that a man that doesn't take pleasure in what he *chose* to do for a living ( let's face it, Vogel isn't a poor immigrant with 12 kids working on a coal mine) and that doesn't have the least inspiration and passion to do it doesn't earn respect. Maybe simpathy or even pity... the point being, if making his games is such an unpleasant chore he should just quit it and pursue whatever floats his boat.

Surely, making games is difficult and at times frustrating. I know it first hand. But then again everything is, from making a movie to becoming a doctor. Doing so just because you need a steady pay and because you have a "knack for it" is extremely pathetic.

Then again, I never liked his games...

 

[Higher Game]

As mentioned earlier, his games are an excellent craft. He's not much of an artist, he just makes a run of the mill product, but it's made well. The shock of having Blades of Avernum fail probably killed whatever desire for innovation he ever had, and he's just trying to make it at this point. He has to eat too, even though his games sometimes make you feel like he's a robot or something.

His stuff is worth checking out, honestly. It's not A-level and will never be, but he knows how to make a solid, old school RPG. The simple fact that he can survive, despite all his faults, shows that RPGs aren't dead and there's still a chance we'll see an exceptional title emerge.

It's a shame the rest of the industry doesn't see things the way he does, since his talent for game balance and general consistency would really work well with a great writer, art designers, and so on. Hell, many classic games lacked what he could have provided (think of PS:T's awful combat system and ridiculous bias towards playing a mage). Right now, he's just unrealized potential, thanks to the Halos and Oblivions.

 

[mlc82]

If I were Vogel, I'd quickly look into finding some up and coming but out of work new graphic artist and try to get them working on my stuff for free (or absolute minimal cost), to help build credentials. I like his games and am by no means a "grafix whore", but they really are so ugly it's almost off-putting. I don't think this is a major problem with those of us who just enjoy good old-school RPG hack and slashers, but I really don't think the look of his games are going to help at all for gaining new customers.

 

[Joe Krow]

Doesn't making indie games "for the money" make you an automatic failure? If all he cares about is profit and he has some talent he may as well bite the bullet and go work for EA. He suggests finding out what the market wants. If that is what he is trying to do he is so far off the mark I almost feel sorry for him. He took a good sized bite out of a niche market. He should be happy. Where's his inspiration? What's his motivation? He should do what he has a passion for (other then making money). Jeff has more freedom, both personal and creative, than almost anyone else in the industry. There are plenty of game designers making more money then him but they have to punch a clock everyday and have their content approved by some suit. He should be grateful. His games might be good but his attitude sucks.

 

[Higher Game]

He probably enjoys it more than he thinks, just not in the way he says so. Look at how investment bankers get addicted to 16 hour work days (and cocaine, but that's another topic ) and often become depressed when it's time to retire. He probably does better as an independent than working for fucking EA, though. I see him as someone who is PROUD of his work, not looking at it as his passion or his source of fun, but something that he knows satisfies his fans. He's a craftsman who simply supplies a demand, and doesn't try to change the world. There's a certain appeal that has to many people.

Besides, we would all be porn stars if we just did what we wanted just for fun. :D

 

[Dhruin]

If I were Vogel, I'd quickly look into finding some up and coming but out of work new graphic artist and try to get them working on my stuff for free (or absolute minimal cost), to help build credentials. I like his games and am by no means a "grafix whore", but they really are so ugly it's almost off-putting. I don't think this is a major problem with those of us who just enjoy good old-school RPG hack and slashers, but I really don't think the look of his games are going to help at all for gaining new customers.

Maybe he has more integrity than that? That at least what he does is his own - or fully paid for - without relying on charity?

I think some of you are reading waaaaaay too much into this. He's saying it's bloody hard work - not the kicking-back-having-a-lark he naively thought it might be, which sounds fair enough to me. I've dealt with Jeff a number of times as press and through beta testing their last four games and if there's one word I'd use, it's "professional". He knows his market and cost-base and produces a quality, bug-free result on-time, every time. Whenever a bug comes up - even an obscure one - he never let's it go. He never makes promises he can't keep and is always honest and frank, even though everyone loves to run off frothing about some minor phrase or another.

If he was the passionless, money-hungry drone some of you suggest, he'd shovel it out without any care. That he is always so professional proves he is proud of his work and has an active interest.

 

[Brother None]

I think some of you are reading waaaaaay too much into this.

aye, I agree, I had some after-interview chatting with him, and though it was too late to tack on as extra questions for the interview, he affirmed two things:
- passion counts, the most important thing for indies is realising what they can achieve
- he encourages indies, including his "competitors" (so to speak)

If he was just in it for the money, I doubt he would've stayed. It provides for him and his family, sure, and it's a job he finds challenging, even tough, but he obviously still prefers it to any other direct alternative, including working for EA.

Also, he's the most experience indie RPG dev out there, and thinks about the indie market quite a lot. He's not someone I'd write off too quickly, including when he tells you "find what sells" which, as opposed to what I stated earlier, actually means "find what the multi-million dollar companies aren't offering".

I think it's good that he's starting a new franchise, he does need the change.

As for an artist; I think he could get an up-and-coming artist to work for him for free easily, since for that artist it'd be the ideal springboard into the industry, like to Massive Black (which is a great studio, by the way). Why doesn't he do it? Perhaps he doesn't like the thought of not losing control, maybe he's too professional to include non-profit elements (i.e. "charity")