21st May 2013, 8:21 AM
(This post was last modified: 25th August 2015, 10:40 AM by Dark Jaguar.)
http://kotaku.com/5955223/what-went-wron...en-destiny
http://kotaku.com/denis-dyack-finally-so...-508948428
It appears that, briefly, Silicon Knights were being held by much higher standards when Nintendo and Konami were involved in the creative process. After they went 3rd party, Dennis Dyack proceeded to run the company into the ground, with employees focused on appeasing odd whims instead of developing amazing games. Too Human was "okay", but their last game was the death of a company.
Rare's story is a bit different, being bought out from Nintendo (seemingly against Nintendo's wishes but they couldn't do anything about it as they couldn't match that amount at the time) but also having lost a number of their own developers to various startup groups. One did the well received Time Crisis series, but otherwise the splinter groups have all more or less floundered in obscurity.
It makes me wonder if Retro would do as well without Nintendo mentoring them. I recall them mentioning just how hands on Miyamoto was with Metroid Prime's design and also how with Donkey Kong Country Returns they were getting daily commentary on level design from Nintendo.
Retro are skilled, but I think it's time to acknowledge just how important Nintendo's input was in the design of their best games. To that end, I really don't want to see Retro go third party. I doubt they'd do as well afterwards.
Back to Silicon Knights though, I have no intention to fund their spinoff company's "spiritual successor" to Eternal Darkness. Dennis Dyack's ability to lead is under serious question, and I have seen no indication that key people behind the greatness of the first will be working on the new one. Also, it is becoming increasingly clear that Nintendo was heavily involved in the original game, so their absence also creates serious doubts in how well the game could do. Nintendo ought to buy the license from now defunct Silicon Knights and have Retro make the next game in the series. I trust them more than Dennis Dyack at this point. The fact we gave him so much credit when these whistle blowers are revealing just how little he contributed suggests he just HAD to have his name on everything.
So this screed is basically me saying, no Dennis, we aren't going to fund your game in advance. The Torment guys already proved themselves. The old Sierra employees already proved themselves. I'm not paying a cent until I see the finished product. Yes, that's a catch 22, but that's how it is.
http://kotaku.com/denis-dyack-finally-so...-508948428
It appears that, briefly, Silicon Knights were being held by much higher standards when Nintendo and Konami were involved in the creative process. After they went 3rd party, Dennis Dyack proceeded to run the company into the ground, with employees focused on appeasing odd whims instead of developing amazing games. Too Human was "okay", but their last game was the death of a company.
Rare's story is a bit different, being bought out from Nintendo (seemingly against Nintendo's wishes but they couldn't do anything about it as they couldn't match that amount at the time) but also having lost a number of their own developers to various startup groups. One did the well received Time Crisis series, but otherwise the splinter groups have all more or less floundered in obscurity.
It makes me wonder if Retro would do as well without Nintendo mentoring them. I recall them mentioning just how hands on Miyamoto was with Metroid Prime's design and also how with Donkey Kong Country Returns they were getting daily commentary on level design from Nintendo.
Retro are skilled, but I think it's time to acknowledge just how important Nintendo's input was in the design of their best games. To that end, I really don't want to see Retro go third party. I doubt they'd do as well afterwards.
Back to Silicon Knights though, I have no intention to fund their spinoff company's "spiritual successor" to Eternal Darkness. Dennis Dyack's ability to lead is under serious question, and I have seen no indication that key people behind the greatness of the first will be working on the new one. Also, it is becoming increasingly clear that Nintendo was heavily involved in the original game, so their absence also creates serious doubts in how well the game could do. Nintendo ought to buy the license from now defunct Silicon Knights and have Retro make the next game in the series. I trust them more than Dennis Dyack at this point. The fact we gave him so much credit when these whistle blowers are revealing just how little he contributed suggests he just HAD to have his name on everything.
So this screed is basically me saying, no Dennis, we aren't going to fund your game in advance. The Torment guys already proved themselves. The old Sierra employees already proved themselves. I'm not paying a cent until I see the finished product. Yes, that's a catch 22, but that's how it is.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)