Platypus II

Just seen this. I assume it is a follow up to the classic Platypus as I do not recall the backdrops shown being in the original. Actually, on closer inspection, some of the backgrounds look prerendered and the clay that is there doesn`t look like it has been made by Anthony Flack. (i.e. not as well done.)

Jason.

http://www.idigicon.com/detail.asp?ProductID=310#

Well if I'm correct Anthony wasn't even evolved with Platypus II. Check out the Squashy Software website for his story about losing the rights to sell the game.

seems like a classic case of being exploited. Its not nice, squashy software has my empathy.

it seems Idigicon exploited the early Blitz market and harvested it for titles that they could pay little for and make loads of money on.

doens't even look like they added anything new too it, just rehashed the same graphics into another set of levels

I think 'exploited' is too harsh a word.

As I've said countless times before, they didn't force anybody into a deal. They didn't make anyone sign a contract. They didn't even dress up the contract with loads of legal speak - it was all very transparent, i.e. not much more complicated than "We get Product X, you get Amount Y".

I'm sure Antony Flack regrets selling the rights to Platypus. I regret selling some of mine. I know others regret it too, but we all knew what we were doing. So please let's not have the "Idigicon = Sperm of the devil" discussion again. Its been done to death.

Yeh, what "GfK" says seems right - I remember the first time I heard about this - I asked the right questions regarding the matter and it led me to think "Antony Flack" was probably a bit naive. I couldn't see what Idigicon had done wrong.

reading the making of (again also listened to the podcast last year or so)

if you are skint and someone offers you $2000 aus for a game wouldnt you take the money
ok he said he could have made a sub standard game with plastacine ... but he chose not to, his first game was and still is a wow factor but hard as nails to a crap at shoot em ups like me

I always take these "exploited the author/artist/musician.." claims with a grain of salt. They always focus on cases where publishers did particularly well and ignore ones where they lost money.

It's the same when someone invents something for a corporation and doesn't share in the profit. The next time anyone tells you about one of these ask him if the reverse should be true. If an employee loses a fortune, Exxon Valdez style, should he share the loss? Very few people see the symmetry in this.

I agree :D

Regarding the original post, yeah Anthony had nothing to do with the sequel and it does seem a bit of a rehash (with some reused graphics, recoloured etc I think (but don't quote me on that)) - not really worth playing by all accounts.

Hmm...Cletus Clay seems to have disappeared from Mr Flacks site.

Is it dead Dave?

It's going the way of Duke...

IMO nothing wrong with making money if everything happened legally correct and all. No one forced Anthony to sell his IP so cheaply. It's like a good deal on eBay; you take it and laugh - who cares if the seller didn't knew what he was selling, you got a gem less than bargain price.

It's because he's got a day job - it's too hard to finish a game in your spare time. Also when he started it may have been radical but things have moved on in the last four years...Still I'd love to see it.

Tell me about it!

I'd be very surprised (not to mention disappointed) if Cletus Clay doesn't eventually see the light of day. Maybe it will appear on a different platform than the PC - it would be perfect for something like Xbox Live Arcade.

I don't think the development time span matters that much, as the visual style is timeless. It has been a long time though - got to be knocking on five years or more now.

And yes, I second the notion that full-time job + serious game dev is mission near-impossible.

I sold the rights to Sphere Racer and Terrain Shader

You have the choice:
Either take the risk and go for royalties, if it doesn't sell well you make bugger all money.
Or
Take the lump sum, if it doesn't sell well you've still got your fee. If it sells well then the risk the publisher took giving you a lump sum outright pays off for them.
Or
You take a halfway house option of taking a smaller lump sum for a smaller cut of the profits.

I'd buy Cletus Clay on it's release without a review to support a talented and creative programmer/artist. It is still on the website - but the screenshots have been removed for some reason. Come on Anthony - finish the f#*^%!g thing, lol.