When game development goes wrong - very wrong

Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/When game development goes wrong - very wrong

puki
 #1
I found this while Googling for 'Into the Shadows' related stuff. 'Into the Shadows' was a high profile, RPG-type game that never appeared in the mid/late 90's.

http://www.nycourts.gov/comdiv/Law%20Report%20Files/March%202000/scavenger.html

I was one of many people eagerly awaiting 'Into the Shadows' to appear.

Leiden
 #2
Ouch :/

Banshee
 #3
If the differences between English and Americanised English ever confused anybody just read something a lawyer has written and you'll instantly feel linguistically closer to our brothers & sisters 6,000 miles away.

gosse
 #4
Ouch indeed.

Kanati
 #5
I couldn't read it all... My brain doesn't process lawyer-ese.

Did GT win or Scavenger? :)

puki
 #6
I think the striking thing about it is the sum of money involved. Baring in mind this is 10 years ago. As far as I know GT had already pumped millions into the projects regardless of the settlement.

wizzlefish
 #7
I didn't read it. I can't read lawyer-ese either. :)

WendellM
 #8
Yeah, puki, it's interesting to see the inside workings of how real game payments are/were done.

This bit, though:
Following delivery of the alpha and beta versions of the Games, GT would have 15 days to make written suggestions and requests for modifications, after which Scavenger was to use all reasonable efforts to make the adjustments necessary to incorporate GT's suggestions and requests in the particular game.
Bleh! I know that GT was paying for it, but the idea of the money company telling the developers what changes to make... that might explain why a lot of promising games turned out as crap over the past decade ;)

But, that's what you get when you need money up front instead of creating your game first then choosing among distributors. It's riskier, but you get to make your game the way you want to and offer it for distribution as "take it or leave it."

puki
 #9
"Kanati" - just spotted your question.

Well, I don't know. I'd assume that Scavenger didn't win as I don't remember ever seeing them triumphant - as far as I know Scavenger disbanded.

Scavenger didn't finish what they started - they were contracted for 4 games - GT seemed to be pumping money into 'Into the Shadows' and then decided not to pay Scavenger because Scavenger didn't seem likely to finish the other game. I'd assume GT were forced to pay up the remainder of royalites etc for the first 2 - so I assume from the legal doc that GT paid up $1.9m of the $4.3 that Scavenger were claiming.

I wonder if GT were then in a position to counter-sue Scavenger in relation to the other 2 games? Who knows?

ashmantle
 #10
High sums they operate with, but I guess thats what it costs with the staff and such.

As for this case, I believe GT screwed Scavenger over and got away with it.