Game News Ron Gilbert Leaves Hothead

[Jason]

Tags: DeathSpank

Former <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=191" target="blank">Codex interview victim</a> Ron Gilbert has <a href="http://grumpygamer.com/8789972" target="blank">left Hothead Games</a> at the tail end of the <b><a href="http://www.deathspank.com/" target="blank">DeathSpank</a></b> birthing process.
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<blockquote>I wanted to let all the Premium Gold Level Grumpy Gamer subscribers know that I left Hothead. When I started working there two years ago, my goal was to make DeathSpank the most awesome game ever made and have it win a Nobel Prize and the early word out of Stockholm is that DeathSpank is neck-in-neck with some string theory dweeb (eleven dimensions my ass).
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As DeathSpank ends the creative and production phases and start down that long and winding road of certification and testing of the XBox and PS3 and [REDACTED] versions, it's looking quite amazing and is damn funny. So, to quote my childhood hero George W. Bush: Mission Accomplished.
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I will be working closely with EA and Hothead on the PR for DeathSpank as the release date of [REDACTED] draws closer.
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I have also vowed to blog more and try and remember my twitter password.
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</blockquote>
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Wouldn't be too surprised if his leaving has something to do with the EA/PS3/XBox connection considering he <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=191" target="blank">once said</a>:
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<blockquote>The main reason I went with Hothead was they were a small Indie studio that self published their games. I did not want to do the game with a huge publisher that would want to water down the game. It's a weird game. I wanted to preserve that.</blockquote>
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://grumpygamer.com/main">Grumpy Gamer</A>

 

[KalosKagathos]

Meh. DeathSpank looks like crap anyway.

 

[HanoverF]

So much for the Deathspank 'saga'

 

[Zeus]

So let me see if I get this right. In the process of publishing their little game, this formerly indie studio alienates both the Penny Arcade guys AND Ron Gilbert?

But hey, good news is, they're on great terms with EA!

 

[denizsi]

He must have incured epic butthurt for EA coming into the picture. Sad. Which reminds me, when will Bioware also get the shaft from EA?

 

[Bluebottle]

Anyone understand this [REDACTED] business?

 

[Metro]

He's being a smart ass -- not uncommon for his blog where he gives little information. Perhaps, though, it is due to legal/professional restraints. For those that don't know the term [REDACTED] is just his representation of his blog being edited/censored for content, i.e., he can't/won't tell us about the release date and/or any potential PC version.

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

I don't get it, if he leaves Hothead because EA didn't preserve his weird game, then why does he quote George FU Bush with mission accomplished?

Is it because like that one mission, his isn't accomplished at all?

 

[Metro]

What I don't understand is if Runic can turn out Torchlight in ~7 months why does it take a couple of years (and probably more, I lost track) to belt out Deathspank? Granted Deathspank actually has a plot and varying locations with a bit more voice acting but from what I've heard there isn't anymore than 15ish hours of game play and will basically be a $10 XBLA title. Say what you will about the former Blizz/Runic/Flagship guys but at least they released attempts at decent games with Torchlight, Hellgate London, the aborted Mythos, etc. in the interim. And yeah from the codex interview from a year ago he says it is meant to be a trilogy... so much for that.

As to why he left, who knows. Perhaps he got an offer from Telltale or Lucasarts or some other outfit where he'll hype another game for five years and deliver some horrible iphone application.

 

[Sceptic]

attempts at decent games

Hellgate London

Does not compute.

Seriously of the 3 games you lised Torchlight is the only that was released in a playable state. 1 out of 3 isn't exactly what I'd call a respectable track record.

I'm reserving judgement on Deathspank until I get my hands on it. Ron Gilbert was one of the big names 20 years ago but we've been burned by the big names many times before. We'll see.

 

[Metro]

Better than putting out nothing which is why I qualified it with 'attempt.' As much as I loved MI 1 and 2 back in the day, Gilbert hasn't produced anything noteworthy (or arguably anything at all) since 1991 and somehow he still makes enough money in the industry to feed himself (no idea if he has a wife and kids to feed, too). It boggles my mind.

 

[PlanHex]

Maybe he got an offer from LucasArts to finally tell us all what the secret of Monkey Island is.

A guy can dream...

 

[gromit]

Gilbert hasn't produced anything noteworthy (or arguably anything at all) since 1991

Spoken like a man with no young relatives! He simply went to into making a better breed of edutainment, and much like Giesel trading in political cartoons for truffula trees, he still kicked much ass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humongous_Entertainment

 

[Metro]

Thanks for that link -- looks like he cashed in big time with Fatty Bear (assuming he split part of that 70+ million from GT).

 

[Bluebottle]

Gilbert has always seemed ill at ease with the big industry side of games. Indie, for a short time, seemed to offer the potential for someone like him to still makes games; but with EA getting involved, the PC version being in limbo, and Ron leaving, this would suggest that certain corners of the indie scene aren't really as separate from the industry as they like to portray themselves.

Not terribly shocked by this.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Sort of understandable that the Hothead was eager to get in bed with EA - the lure of regular paycheck is strong. Hopefully Ron finds another indie studio.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

I don't get it, if he leaves Hothead because EA didn't preserve his weird game, then why does he quote George FU Bush with mission accomplished?

Is it because like that one mission, his isn't accomplished at all?

the Bush bit was sarcastic, obviously. mission accomplished i think means "the game is done, that's what i wanted, but now that EA's here...good-bye and fuck off."

 

[Bluebottle]

Sort of understandable that the Hothead was eager to get in bed with EA - the lure of regular paycheck is strong. Hopefully Ron finds another indie studio.

Or starts his own. As you said, the lure of the paycheck is strong and, if you're dead-set on not succumbing to that temptation, the only sure-fire way would seem to be to go it alone.