Interview Shadowrun Returns Interview at GamesIndustry

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Harebrained Schemes; Mitch Gitelman; Shadowrun Returns

GamesIndustry offers an interview with Harebrained Schemes' Mitch Gitelman on Shadowrun Returns, where Mitch stresses the high cost of switching from top-down to isometric as well as Harebrained's plans for a new Kickstarter campaign. Have a snippet:

"It was a very organic, and very, for lack of a better word, 'customer-oriented' approach, which I'm kind of proud of," Gitelman said. "But from a planning point of view, the executive in me says something different. And the designer in me says something different."

While Gitelman says he has no problem telling his inner executive to go sit in a corner, he is not so disciplined when it comes to design issues. As an example, he brought up the decision to go from a top-down 2D game to a 2D-3D hybrid with an isometric viewpoint as one with cascading consequences for development.

"That one decision right there added amazing complexity and cost to the development, that one decision more than any other," Gitelman said. Beyond the greater demands on the art team, the user interface was similarly complicated by the switch, impacting things like line-of-sight calculations.

Between the change in perspective and the assortment of stretch goals tacked on when the game more than quadrupled its initial $400,000 asking price, Gitelman said the scope increased to the point where the game would be unable to meet its original January 2013 release date. Gitelman wasn't too broken up about that, noting, "A game's only late until it ships, and a good game is a good game forever, hopefully."

[...] With one Kickstarted project nearly in the can, Gitelman confirmed Harebrained Schemes is prepping to take a second shot at crowdfunded game development. He clearly enjoyed his first go-around on Kickstarter, and hopes to see it become a sustainable platform for game development, even if he can already identify some growing pains.

As Gitelman explained, "The real question for me is, 'Is Kickstarter a viable place where you can come with a new IP or an out-there idea and find an audience for that?' What I'm looking at with Kickstarter is whether we can really innovate in this space. Can we use that as a bully pulpit, and to cut through the noise enough to find an audience to support it? But now that Kickstarter is so big, it's almost like the iOS marketplace, so you have to market your Kickstarter and now you have to do even more work to get noticed. It's an evolving animal, and I hope it works out because I really like the idea of allowing gamers to voice their support in a way that allows indies to follow their passion."​

Full interview here.

 

[Kem0sabe]

It will come down to how sucessful Shadowrun is, if the community doesn't back it and the sales are nothing special, i doubt they will have much sucess in a second kickstarter.

 

[Excidium]

Depends on the IP too, since they'll use something new. SRR got funded p. much on brand power.

 

[Kem0sabe]

With all the hard work already done on the engine, they are pretty much spoiled for choices regarding great ip's. A lot of great tabletop rpg's out there that never got the "crpg treatment" and would fit right in with a turned based isometric rpg engine.

 

[Excidium]

I think they'll probably want to create something of their own.

 

[tuluse]

It was brand power, but also they had some pedigree. Jordan Wiseman was an old Shadowrun guy, so even if his company had made crappy iPhone games, he could point to that and say I know Shadowrun.

A new IP can be a tough sell, but I think it mostly comes down to explaining it well.

Also, if people like the game they'll probably go along with whatever. Double Fine has had two big kickstarters just because people like Tim Schafer's adventure games.

 

[DalekFlay]

If Returns kicks ass they can make a new IP Kickstarter and sell it on trusting their output. I would pledge in that scenario, assuming I liked the new idea.

It all depends on what happens a week from now.

 

[Country_Gravy]

I preordered this on steam. It better not suck.

 

[almondblight]

Yeah, if it's good they can spam the backers for SRR and should be able to get at least a million from that alone. Considering how many people say they wish they backed this, I think they'll have a decent shot. Of course, this is assuming that they have a decent pitch.

 

[daveyd]

I preordered this on steam. It better not suck.

Keep in mind that a big part of the potential in Shadowrun Returns lies in the game editor. Think "Neverwinter Nights" toolset, but with X-Com / Jagged Alliance style turn-based combat and a cyberpunk setting. The Official Campaign for NWN1 (and 2) pretty much sucked, but both games ended up being amazing role-playing experiences because players designed some really great modules (and some crap obviously), but I'd go so far as to say some NWN mods are among the best cRPGs I've ever played (albeit many of them are parts of series that never got finished) . Now I don't really expect HBS' OC to suck, but even if it does, or if it is just mediocre, what matters most is that the game editor works and has the potential to make awesome Shadowrun games. What is encouraging is so far is that what I've seen of the editor looks pretty user friendly and intuitive (more so than NWN toolset) which should make it accessible for even people with no game design or modding experience to create stories.

 

[Wizfall]

Jordan Wesiman is not an "old Shadowrun guy", he is the creator of Shadowrun.
He is also the creator of Mechwarrior and Crimson Skies universe/tabletop games.
If it's not a huge reference, i don't know what it is.
He is simply one of the best concerning creating original, interesting and playable setting.
That's not only for the Shadowrun IP alone that HBS got so "much" money, it was knowing Weisman himself was the boss of HBS (and not just a petty consultant like in...).

Concerning creating a new interesting IP, i have much more confidence on his ability than anyone in Obsidian/InXile.
Now concerning creating good video game it is not the same deal at all unfortunately.
However if SR turns to be ok i will not hesitate a second to pledge for their new kickstarter, and will be very happy with a new IP (well something in the Crimsom Skies setting would not be a bad thing though hehe), lot of people from the P&P and boardgames crew know he is really good at creating new universes.

 

[Roguey]

Tolkien meets Gibson is shit as far as settings go. You steal from two sources of shit, you get double-shit

 

[Excidium]

epic b8

 

[MurkyShadow]

Who doesn't read Tolkien and Gibson out of pure self-flagellation and self-loathing? The film adaptation of LotR was just Meet the Feebles in disguise.

 

[Overboard]

This was never more appropriate:

:youreafag:

 

[Burning Bridges]

With one Kickstarted project nearly in the can, Gitelman confirmed Harebrained Schemes is prepping to take a second shot at crowdfunded game development. He clearly enjoyed his first go-around on Kickstarter, and hopes to see it become a sustainable platform for game development, even if he can already identify some growing pains.

I wouldn't hesitate to give these guys my money a second time, but I think SRR should see further development. It just doesn't feel right to have another time filler, when SR with long, meaningful campaign structure, proper save games, loot and inventory etc could be a real long term investment.​

With hindsight their concept was ambitious, and he's certainly honest that the switch to iso perspective left them finally underfunded, but the game has also more potential. So they could do another "customer-oriented" thing, and attempt SRR 2.0 kickstarter, with similar conditions? Or does licensing rule that out already?​