Company News Sean K. Reynolds speaks on BIS

[Ausir]

Tags: Black Isle Studios; Fallout 3 (Van Buren); Sean Reynolds

On his own forum, Black Isle's <b>Sean Reynolds</b> has commented on the BIS and FO situation. Here's a bit:
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That dates back to the day of the layoffs. It's kinda bothersome that he says, "So, BIS is no longer. Anytime you see the BIS logo on a future product, know that no one who was associated w/ BIS actually worked on it."
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Here are some BIS people who were _not_ laid off (and what I know their last project was):
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Designers
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Me
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Terry Spier (BGDA2)
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Jason Suinn (Van Buren, BGDA2)
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Scott Everts (Jefferson, Van Buren, BGDA2)
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Programmers
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Bernie Weir (Jefferson, Van Buren)
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Brian Hendley (Jefferson, Van Buren)
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Chad (can't remember his last name right now, sorry) (Van Buren)
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Artists
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Eric Campanella (lead artist, Van Buren)
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Chris Marleau (Jefferson, Van Buren)
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Carlos Cheek (Jefferson, Van Buren)
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Abdul Brown (Jefferson, Van Buren)
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Hector (can't remember his last name right now, sorry) (Van Buren)
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And those are just the ones I can think of, who had a direct hand in the two most recent BIS PC games. Yes, a lot of people were laid off (a LOT). But the people who remain are just as committed to making good games as when we were hired, and saying that BIS is dead is unfair and/or uninformed. (It's like saying FR is dead without me and Skip, when that's clearly not true.)
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I think you're exaggerating the proportions of some of the BIS fanbase "factions." BIS fans are not just Fallout fans. There are a LOT of people who bought BGDA, and are looking forward to BGDA2, and would probably be looking forward to a BGDA3 if there ever was one.
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Just because all of the Fallout fans are pissed because Van Buren was (according to Damien) shelved doesn't mean that _all_ of BIS' fans are pissed.
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As for ScottE's post, it looks to me like he was saying goodbye to the people who were laid off. He wasn't, he's been in design meetings with me since the layoffs. So, unless he's quit since I talked to him the Friday before xmas, he's still at BIS.
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Yes, the fans of Fallout and other PC games by BIS are certainly a small minority compared to the huge Dark Alliance fanbase.
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Thanks for info, <b>Volourn</b>!

 

[Volourn]

Oh dear. RPGCodex is officially thanking me for something...

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Like i've said in the other thread it'd be interesting to know who's telling the truth... hey, why don't we have a special interview called When ex-BIS Employees Colide!, pitting all those that left against each other?

 

[Ausir]

...and those that haven't. The ones that left pretty much agree with each ofther.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

...and those that haven't. The ones that left pretty much agree with each ofther.

I actually forgot to add that part

 

[Whipporowill]

Like i've said in the other thread it'd be interesting to know who's telling the truth... hey, why don't we have a special interview called When ex-BIS Employees Colide!, pitting all those that left against each other?

Who cares, really? It's obvious BIS will be consoles only from now on. Whatever part of ye olde sunken Isle of Despair that's left above the raging waters is of no interest to me, or most people interested in their old games. BGDA... hah!

<SNIP>

Doesn't this sound rather omnious b t w?

GS: Do you think [Interplay CEO] Herve Caen is taking the company in the right direction?

FU: I think Herve has a plan for the company and he is following it.

I wonder what that plan might be... ho hum.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Most of those designers are either new or were recently promoted. Terry Spier was one of the web monkeys there until a few months ago, for example. Seriously. Jason Suinn's been around for a while, but he mainly just works on making items in games. I'm not so sure Brian Hendley's been there long enough to have actually worked on Jefferson, but okay.

There were seven to nine or so people, mainly artists and designers, that were pulled from Fallout 3 to work on Fallout Enforcer or had console experience and were hired because of that console exierience. Those ones left are those people.

 

[taks]

what exactly does skr do? i thought he took over for JE on FO3 which would imply his demise as well... obviously not, since he's still there.

oh, and what's with the "according to damien" comment?

mark

 

[Sabotai]

Two comments:

1) The games mentioned by Sean Reynolds that these people have worked on are either cancelled PC projects of future console games. Has any of these guys actually worked on a succefully released game? Maybe Jason Suinn according to Saint's comment.

2) It isn't really helping Sean Reynolds' argument that of his 11 Black Isle colleagues, he is unable to provide the last name of two of them.

 

[Sammael]

Note that Sean never really denied that BIS was shut down... just that not all BIS employees were laid off. The remaining console-savvy BIS employees were transferred to work on FOPoS2, which may or may not have the BIS nametag, depending on whether Herve thinks it will bring extra cash.

 

[DemonKing]

I have a bit of respect for Sean from his contributions to PnP roleplaying but even if what he says is true, there don't seem to be many people left with a track record. I mean, Sean himself has so far worked on two projects which got canned (unless he helped on DA2) which hardly fills one with confidence.

 

[taks]

2) It isn't really helping Sean Reynolds' argument that of his 11 Black Isle colleagues, he is unable to provide the last name of two of them.

hehe, yeah, and he's been there over a year now. kinda tells ya somethin...

mark

 

[Volourn]

Yeha; because you are supposed to know every one you work with's name, age, phone number, sons, daughters, wives (and husbands), birthdays all by heart. Hmm.. I say at least he knows their first names and what they do for the most part. That's the main thing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Have you ever worked, Volourn?

 

[Volourn]

LOL I have. It's rare; but it does happen.



Last I checked; it's not a requriement to know your fellow employees' persoanl stuff including anmes. Of course, thsid epends where you work. For example, if he didn't interact with them on a dialy basis; it's not surprising he wouldn't know their last names by heart. Of course; if he did work with themd aily; he should be ahsamed by himself. Of course, grief would have been saved if he had done his research and looked up their names nbefore posting. Heh.

 

[Voss]

I agree with Vol's sentiment. My coworkers are an annoying distraction. I don't have any interest in knowing the details of their lives.

Anyway. SKR probably wasn't in the office much. I don't think he lives is SoCal. Probably flew in for big meetings, but mostly phoned and mailled in stuff.

 

[triCritical]

Yeha; because you are supposed to know every one you work with's name, age, phone number, sons, daughters, wives (and husbands), birthdays all by heart. Hmm.. I say at least he knows their first names and what they do for the most part. That's the main thing.

I know the name of all 60 people in the office that I work in. And includes more then the 7 people in my group.

Anyway. SKR probably wasn't in the office much. I don't think he lives is SoCal. Probably flew in for big meetings, but mostly phoned and mailled in stuff.

Josh once said that he took the train in everyday.

 

[Volourn]

You impress more, and more every day Tri. WOWSERS!

 

[Vault Dweller]

How could he not interacted with them on a daily basis? Especially since these are the people that didn;t get fired/laid off? 11 people are not that hard to remember even if you don't want to and hate their guts.

 

[Volourn]

Well.. If you hate someone's guts they are obviously importnat enough to remember their name. I would think so. I never think to myself; I hate my neighbourd own the street who plays his music to loud. Annoyed by him; hate him? No. Hate is a powerful emotion.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Try working more often, hehe, I once had a job where hate was my only motivation, worked like a charm :twisted:

 

[Volourn]

LOL I'll try that. Hate was your only motivation to work? Weird... That needs an explanantion...

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, since that needs an explanation...

I was working in a marketing company, I was one of the managers in a 200 people company. Every day I had to compete with 5 other managers who were constantly plotting against me (they actually hired a pretty chick, had her transferred to my dept, and claimed sexual harassment), and I had to deal with the pressure from the owners who constantly wanted me to fuck my staff (change the contracts, fire somebody as an example to those who stay, make people quit, cut salaries and bonuses) and my dept was the most profitable in the company. We sold at a much higher rate and our repeat rate was higher. I hated fucking bastards, and my only motivation was to grow in power, get another department to report to me and fire the fucking bastard who unsuccessfully plotted against me. I fired 4 of them, the last one trapped me so good, that I decided to quit. I still hate that bitch. :evil:

 

[taks]

Yeha; because you are supposed to know every one you work with's name, age, phone number, sons, daughters, wives (and husbands), birthdays all by heart. Hmm.. I say at least he knows their first names and what they do for the most part. That's the main thing.

well, when your division consists of only 25 people, after a year you should know everybody's first and last names at least.

mark

 

[Volourn]

VD, LOL, that could be made into a RPG! :shock:

Taks, I'd say yse; but only dependant on how much you actually interact with the others. None of us know the amount of time he spent with each fellow employee so I think it's kinda harsh to judge him on the basis that he midly forgot two of their last names when he was just posted that probably on some whim. Haven't you ever gotten 'brain freeze" where you know something; but temprray forgot it. Hmm..