Why the death of Interplay is a good thing

[Drazzil]

I posted most of this on another thread but I feel so strongly about this I feel it deserves another thread all its own. So those of you who have already read this blog, my most sincere apologies :D

Now let me be completely clear on this: This is coming from the viewpoint of someone who hates interplay.

Ive hated Interplay ever since they sold me an empty box (where there should have been game CDs) in a game I paid 50 clams for. (and then later refused to replace them) Im glad that it seems that Interplay is finally breathing its last ragged gasp. My fondest hope is to see the Interplay execs responsible for Black Isle's destruction fighting with homeless bums somewhere for a warm place to sleep under a bridge.

With Feargus Urquhart leaving Black Isle, I think at this point the writing is on the wall for Interplay, They have been weighed on the divine scales and found... wanting. Black Isle was pretty much the only thing keeping Interplay going. It wont be long now before Interplay goes bankrupt and Interplay bites the dust. And I feel wonderful about this.

Again I just cant say how happy this makes me.

Oh and through many many years of dealing with my hopes and dreams for a Fallout 3 being crushed by an endless litany of other games, many that I have had the pleasure of seeing fail HORRIBLY, I can finally say, Fuck Fallout 3. I dont need it.
Fans with the Fallout 2 editor can make a better sequel (even with a six year old engine) then Interplay in its current state could even dream of making.

And before I hear people in the audience say "Oh well Interplay released the editor so they cant be all bad can they?"

I say this:

Releasing the editor for Fallout 2 was the LEAST Interplay could do to reward all its loyal fans of Fallout over the years, for the disappointment of hearing that game after game they promised to release was not Fallout 3 and even when they announced that they would in fact make another Fallout game only to announce 2 or 3 months later it would NOT be Fallout 3.

So getting back to my original topic I am glad to see Interplay go, this means that the core of Black Isle is free to go form their other company and do what they do best, make games that the *FANS* want. No more dragging Black Isle's name through the mud by making them come out with rehash after tired rehash of various D&D licenses.

They will no longer be forced to turn out Baldurs Gate 10 or Icewind Dale 40 or any other stupid sequel that they didn't want to do. I wont fool myself into thinking that Interplay will sell what used to be Black Isle the license for Fallout, however I firmly believe in the core of my being that we haven't seen the half of what these talented guys at Black Isle are capable of due to Interplay meddling and financial incompitence in knowing what the customer really wants. As we see this company and many other *French owned* companies explode, implode, or just sink under the tranquil waters, you will see many MANY other small highly motivated development companies making wonderful highly polished gems, not just popping out one badly concieved game after another just beacuase some french exec without the slightest clue about gaming or what the fuck he is talking about tells them to.

So the death of Interplay is a wonderful thing. The only thing I feel bad about is that it took so damn long, and that IMHO is the bottom line.

[Desslock]

You're living in la-la land.

[Tom Ohle]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Riiiiiiiiiight.

[graller]

Clearly you are not an RPG fan. Those "rehashes of D&D licenses like BG and IWD" are gaming classics....Just because they were not Fallout is no reason to knock the games that BIS did produce. Not contradicting your general indictment of Interplay by the way. The squandered the IP they had in spades.

[Drazzil]

I am very much an RPG fan, I loved the Baldurs Gate games, I even liked Icewind Dale but I did boycott Interplay after they ripped me. I am not sad to see them go. And Tom, sorry to break it to you but Feargus was just about the only thing holding BI together. And BI is just about the only profitable thing Interplay had going for it. Interplay was already flirting with bankruptcy and this recent development I believe is the final nail in Interplays coffin. I believe the talented people at Black Isle could do so much better if they weren't forced into the constrictions of a set universe.
When Interplay does fly apart and these guys start forming their own studios, people will see what the BI people are REALLY capable of.

[Jason Becker]

" Oh and through many many years of dealing with my hopes and dreams for a Fallout 3 being crushed by an endless litany of other games, many that I have had the pleasure of seeing fail HORRIBLY, I can finally say, Fuck Fallout 3. I dont need it"


Right guy. Can I ask why people like you develop such personal hatred like this? Its as if these people have personally screwed over your life somehow. Sort of disturbing really. There just games man.

[SpoofyChop]

You know Drazzil, it's possible that the reason you didn't get your CD's is because either:

a) A thief "slit" the box and took them.

b) An employee of the store took them and replaced the seals.

On some level, Interplay just can't take responsibility for poor store security, and they can't know whether your case was some failure in their QA process or if it was a theft issue.

Don't get me wrong, I would be mad if I got a $50 game box, but I think your anger may be directed at the wrong bad guy.

[Drazzil]

I suppose Im angry at the wasted potential and angry at the way the license for my favorite game in the whole world is being dragged through the mud over and over again. Oh and Interplay screwing me out of 70 bucks for a collectors edition of a game that had absolutely no CDs didnt help things either.

I would LOVE to think that my telling every person I know who is a gamer not to buy Interplay games and my active boycott of all Interplay games had some small part to do with the death of Interplay.

[SpoofyChop]

Oh and Interplay screwing me out of 70 bucks for a collectors edition of a game that had absolutely no CDs didnt help things either.

See above. I really think there's a significant chance that you are wrong about the culprit here. Unless you think that it should be the publisher's responsibility to replace disks stolen by a retail employee?

[Drazzil]

Well I dont buy games from either the store I bought the game from or Interplay anymore, fuck em both is how I deal with it. They both treated me like I was trying to steal something from em.

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

....thinking what to type....brb

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

Ive hated Interplay ever since they sold me an empty box (where there should have been game CDs) in a game I paid 50 clams for. (and then later refused to replace them) Im glad that it seems that Interplay is finally breathing its last ragged gasp. My fondest hope is to see the Interplay execs responsible for Black Isle's destruction fighting with homeless bums somewhere for a warm place to sleep under a bridge.


People are losing their jobs.

A good company - let me repeat that - a GOOD company is going under and all u can bitch about is this shit?

And how the fuck do we even know that you did buy an empty box? Did it occur to you that the content could've been stolen by someone else? Or maybe that it was just a manufacturing mishap?

You sir, are a fucking moron. There I've said it.

[Scott Warner]

I'm not sure you understand the reality of the situation.

[Ergo]

You must not have yelled very loudly at the store manager if they refused to replace the missing CDs. Either that or you have a bad reputation at that store.

[Dirt]

Why didn't you just call them up and have them send you the CD's? You had proof of purchase.

[SpoofyChop]

http://www.penguinhed.org/images/FoghornDerek.JPG

Foghorn Derekhorn says: "A good, I say, a GOOD company!"

:D

[Rich4757]

Wow, the GG whipping boy is getting a harsher beating over here than he normally gets.

I said this over at GG "I don't like to see any gaming company go under. Being happy that a company in an entertainment medium that you enjoy is dying, is like being happy that your best friend’s foot fell off because he kicked you once."

I can't believe you’re telling us everything in regards to Interplay or the store you bought the game at failing to replace your missing CD's.

You, Drazzil, are like a virus happily eating away at your host from the inside.

[Tyjenks]

Wow, the GG whipping boy is getting a harsher beating over here than he normally gets.

I said this over at GG "I don't like to see any gaming company go under. Being happy that a company in an entertainment medium that you enjoy is dying, is like being happy that your best friend’s foot fell off because he kicked you once."

I can't believe you’re telling us everything in regards to Interplay or the store you bought the game at failing to replace your missing CD's.

You, Drazzil, are like a virus happily eating away at your host from the inside.

Is this THE Rich? If so, welcome. Hope you caught the happy fun thread we had going regarding your Roll Calls. Boy, that was fun......good times. If you are a regular, run-of-the-mill Rich, then I guess a simple "hiya" will do. :wink:

Drazzil's hatred is reaching the proportions of a certain other misinformed malcontent.

[Rich4757]

Just a regular run of the mill Rich.

[SpoofyChop]

Drazzil's hatred is reaching the proportions of a certain other misinformed malcontent.

Janeane Garofalo!? Say it isn't so!

[Tyjenks]

Drazzil's hatred is reaching the proportions of a certain other misinformed malcontent.

Janeane Garofalo!? Say it isn't so!

Not to hijack, but what better place to do it.

She has apologized for her incorrect comments and will be walking on glass as a Live Pay-Per-View event during the coming presidential primary campaigns.

Just a regular run of the mill Rich.

Still good to have you. :)

[Luke M]

QT3 forums, meet Drazzil. Those of us from the Gone Gold Forums know him as a very special guy.

[Drazzil]

First off.... hahahha Im being flamed by Darek "Im the programmer of the most infamous piece of buggy programming EVER" Smart. My life is complete. :D No really, I wondered how long I could post without running afoul of you. Time to go get my "I've been flamed by Darek Smart T shirt huh?"

You talk to me about bitching about shit... Well, I find that funny, considering your internet antics.

You sir, in case you haven't noticed are a fucking joke, on the scale of the "Iraqi Information minister" or "All your base belong to us".

There I've said it.

[Bub, Andrew]

GRENADE!!!!

[Tyjenks]

***Grabs popcorn, 6-pack, and settles in***

[Brian Rubin]

Drazzil, you seem to be missing the point, and while Derek's style may be a bit blunt, he does indeed have a point. Whether you love or hate the company, the demise of Interplay, or any company like it, means a lot of people will be losing their jobs. I have no huge love for Interplay these days, but I'd hate to see such a long-running institution of computer gaming shut down, if for nothing else than the poor folks losing their jobs.

Please keep that in mind when making such rediculous statements as the one you made in starting this thread, and thank you for your time.

[Drazzil]

Oh and for those saying that I should be sad beacuase Interplay is going under, well Im not. I would be willing to stake almost anything on my belief that most if not all of the people who work at Interplay (ESPECIALLY the compitent ones) will be rehired at existing studios or form their own studios right off the bat. This means that we wont be seeing any more tired rehashes of existing franchises. This means that we get new ideas and new concepts for games. The death of Interplay and a lot of the other huge conglomarates will mean a lot of these people will be following their own star. And I for one am looking forward to it.

If I am wrong and interplay heralds the death of PC gaming or something, I will come on these forums and post a complete and total recant along with an apology. :wink:

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

http://www.penguinhed.org/images/FoghornDerek.JPG

Foghorn Derekhorn says: "A good, I say, a GOOD company!"

:D

LMAO!!! I luv that.

/me saving pic to HDD

QT3 forums, meet Drazzil. Those of us from the Gone Gold Forums know him as a very special guy.

More like very special moron

[Drazzil]

More like very special moron

Darek, you have made yourself more of a jackass then I could ever dream of... So I wont even try.

[Rich4757]

Drazzil you continue to spout comments about how the game designers/artists and such are/were being held back and forced to work on projects they didn't like by Interplay. If they really felt that they were being held back they could have, and I'm sure some of them have, quit a long time back. Not only did they stick with BIS and Interplay but they, from what I've heard, continued to work for them without a guaranteed paycheck. Now when the creative freedom and or money get to a point that they want to leave they will. But wishing for the fall of a company is asinine. What about the other professionals that work for Interplay like the accountants, receptionists people like that, will they catch on with another game company or create their own accounting firms?

[Drazzil]

This is getting kind of old, time will tell who is right. In closing I am going to say this:

I apologise if it appeared like I was insensitive towards those who are losing their jobs beacuase of the stupidity of those people running interplay (IE: Those people in suits who dont know the first thing about gaming) If there were some kind of charity that went towards helping the people who lost their jobs due to the incompitance of these huge conglomarations I would donate to it. I do believe most of the people who lose their jobs due to the blunders of these companies, will land on their feet and will go on to create wonderful games that wouldnt even be CONSIDERED in this age of huge corporations that only seem intrested in invested in a proven franchise.

Time will tell who is right and who is wrong, If Interplay dies and I am wrong by this time next year I will recant and apologise profusely.

I dont think it will come to that however.

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

Drazzil you continue to spout comments about how the game designers/artists and such are/were being held back and forced to work on projects they didn't like by Interplay. If they really felt that they were being held back they could have, and I'm sure some of them have, quit a long time back. Not only did they stick with BIS and Interplay but they, from what I've heard, continued to work for them without a guaranteed paycheck. Now when the creative freedom and or money get to a point that they want to leave they will. But wishing for the fall of a company is asinine. What about the other professionals that work for Interplay like the accountants, receptionists people like that, will they catch on with another game company or create their own accounting firms?

Exactly. He's totally clueless.

More like very special moron

Darek, you have made yourself more of a jackass then I could ever dream of... So I wont even try.

At least I have a badge, t-shirt, car bumper sticker, tattoo and even a street named after me and a psycho stalker thrown in for good measure. What have you got to show for your efforts at moronic behavior? Being called a moron on a web board? Nope, doesn't count mate. :roll:

[Drazzil]

Well then Im in good company... Darek :wink:

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

Well then Im in good company... Darek :wink:

There you go. Humor.

Now apologize again for hurting our feelings and speaking ill of a company that most people love. Go on, you can do it. :P

[Drazzil]

At least I have a badge, t-shirt, car bumper sticker, tattoo and even a street named after me and a psycho stalker thrown in for good measure. What have you got to show for your efforts at moronic behavior? Being called a moron on a web board? Nope, doesn't count mate.

Hey, I never said I didn't admire ya, :lol:

Anyone who manages to come back from argueably the worst release in history and make an established franchise out of it has to have *SOMETHING* going for him,

Now apologize again for hurting our feelings and speaking ill of a company that most people love. Go on, you can do it.

Now I wont apologise for saying the computer gaming industry would be better off without Interplay, as I have not yet been proven wrong. I really do believe most of the larger publishers are run by corporations who dont know what they are doing. I believe the PC gaming industry as a whole would be healthier with many smaller developers rather then 3 or 4 big ones that are only intrested in the bottom line. Thats the diffrence between large corporations and small developers. Small developers do it mostly for the love of the game and large corporations do it for the bottom line. This leads to an eventual fall out of touch with what the gaming audience really wants.

Besides the debacle that is Interplay, Sierra last I checked is posting a huge loss, Vivendi Universal is flirting with bankruptcy. The only thing keeping EA's head above water is the Ultima Online franchise, which I can say as a player of going on almost 4 years is going the way of the dodo. Nobody logs in and I am flirting with cancelling both of my accounts, and giving my stuff away. These are the only two corporations I can think in serious finantial trouble but I am sure there are many others.

As for hurting peoples feelings... well if I did GENUINELY hurt anyones feelings here... I apologise

*Edited for quotes*

[Filthy Ike]

Fallout I did around $5 million in business, and took like 4.5 years to develop. Fallout II did roughly the same numbers, but it cost BIS most of a development team.

These weren't successful titles by any stretch of the imagination--I would be shocked if they were even profitable when you factor in the opportunity cost of the same teams _not_ working on the far-more-popular D&D license.

But by all means keep up that blind, crazy-ass fanboy ranting that's made Teh Internet so popular.

[Luke M]

Drazzil, you seem to be missing the point, and while Derek's style may be a bit blunt, he does indeed have a point. Whether you love or hate the company, the demise of Interplay, or any company like it, means a lot of people will be losing their jobs. I have no huge love for Interplay these days, but I'd hate to see such a long-running institution of computer gaming shut down, if for nothing else than the poor folks losing their jobs.

Please keep that in mind when making such rediculous statements as the one you made in starting this thread, and thank you for your time.

No no no. You don't understand. The satisfaction that Drazzil is getting out of this...revenge...for the empty Interplay game box that he bought is much more important than loss of all those jobs.

Because the whole world revolves around him. Duh.

[Tyjenks]

I apologise if it appeared like I was insensitive towards those who are losing their jobs beacuase of the stupidity of those people running interplay (IE: Those people in suits who dont know the first thing about gaming

Can we have our own amended Qt3 rule that, instead of Hitler, any mention of the "suits" along with their evilness and/or ignorance, automatically ends a thread?

[Dave Long]

http://www.raytheon.com/finance/1995/annrpt/images/popcorn.gif

Anyone care for some?

--Dave

[Greedo]

The only thing keeping EA's head above water is the Ultima Online franchise, which I can say as a player of going on almost 4 years is going the way of the dodo.

WHAT??!?!? :shock:

Umm . . . ever hear of a little game called The Sims??

Or how about Medal Of Honor? Or BF1942? Or Command & Conquer?

[Rich4757]

The only thing keeping EA's head above water is the Ultima Online franchise, which I can say as a player of going on almost 4 years is going the way of the dodo.

WHAT??!?!? :shock:

Umm . . . ever hear of a little game called The Sims??

Or how about Medal Of Honor? Or BF1942? Or Command & Conquer?

Not to mention the yearly sport franchise offerings.

[Drazzil]

If you look at EA's latest financial report, you will see that Ultima Online is responsible for the lions share of EA's earnings

[Jason McCullough]

I find it hard to believe that the market for non-AD&D RPGs is so tiny. Can I blame it on marketing?

[Andrew Mayer]

If you look at EA's latest financial report, you will see that Ultima Online is responsible for the lions share of EA's earnings

Dude, you're going to have to provide a link and a big fat shovel before I begin to believe that load of BS.

[Met_K]

The only thing coming to mind is the scene in Army Of Darkness where Ash forgets the words and the entire world goes to hell. The wise man promptly gives him a verbal thrashing because Ash has doomed them all, and Arthur labels him a loud-mouthed braggart. Yeah.

Except Drazzil has no good punch-lines, doesn't take the best headshots in the film business, and isn't just an all-around bad-ass mother-fucker. He's a loud-mouthed braggart, though.

[Dirt]

I'm beginning to feel like one of the sorry saps in Airplane!.

[Met_K]

You should feel sorry for them. See how bad the airline industry was in the late-70's? I'm just glad someone made a documentary about it to expose the horrors of corruption and greed that led to such dangerous conditions.

Airplane! probably saved many, many lives.

[Angie Gallant]

According to this (http://yahoo.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2003/tc20030321_6446_tc055.htm) article, EA's online division isn't turning a profit at all, and they (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030129/290352_1.html) credit Harry Potter and their other decidedly not Ultima related franchises for the bulk of their profit. Not that I'm telling anyone anything they don't already know...

[Drazzil]

Hrmm... Yeah, looks like I got EA and EA.com confused. I know EA.com is in serious trouble. Ultima Online is finally about to croak, motor city online is cancelled and "The Sims Online" is turning far less of a profit then EA thought it would.

[Tyjenks]

Jussst wait...they are going to revive Ultima: Origins: Ultima Online II: Uru. Spawn will be the evil Lord British counterpart who, now that the goodie, goodie is gone, can rule the world with a mailed fist. Little will people know that the fat, painted idiot in the corner, John Leguizamo is his name, will be pulling the strings all the while.

I see good and eeeevil things in EAs future. Evil I tell you! Eeeeeeeeviiiiilllll!!!

[fraxas]

Malebolgia. Dominator in omgimademon form.

[Jason Becker]

" The only thing keeping EA's head above water is the Ultima Online franchise, "


Well this proves your clueless. There's these sports games(Madden is one of them, ever herd of it?) that makes them a truckload of money each year. I'm sure Battlefield 1942 has made them some money. I could go with many more titles.

[Drazzil]

First off, Im not clueless, I just got EA and EA.com mixed up, it would be a real easy thing to do. Second off, my slight error in getting EA and EA.com mixed up does not change the validity of my point, expect to see a lot more large companies go broke. I think this is a good thing but the only thing that will prove or disprove my theory is time. If Im wrong I would have no problem coming on these boards and apologising for my error, but it wont come to that beacuase Im right.

[Tyjenks]

expect to see a lot more large companies go broke.

This is based on what exactly?

If Im wrong I would have no problem coming on these boards and apologising for my error, but it wont come to that beacuase Im right

Were you on the debate team in school? My guess is you were and that you were specatacular.

[Drazzil]

Tyjenks all you really have to do is look around or look at the financial reports for most publishers and you will see that they are by and large in serious financial trouble.

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

Quoted from elsewhere


Interplay also checked in with its first quarter earnings (the quarter ended March 31, 2003). The company turned a profit ... but only because it sold all future rights to the Hunter: The Reckoning franchise for $15 million to Vivendi Universal Games. Net income on the quarter was $5.6 million, compared to $1.5 million in the same period last year. Sales checked in at $18.8 million as against $15.4 million in the first quarter last year. In terms of the source of revenue, it breaks down to 3% PC, 18% console, and 81% OEM, royalty and licensing.

In other words, Interplay posted a profit but only as the result of a one-off sale; it is not generating profit as a matter of ongoing business. The company is seeking external funding but warns in its 10-Q that if it doesn't get it, the company may not be able "to continue as a going concern." In still other words, Interplay is on the verge of bankruptcy. If you're still reading this item, you probably have enough endurance to glance at Interplay's 10-Q for insight into how a company implodes. It's gruesome.

[Incendiary Lemon]

where elsewhere?

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

where elsewhere?

I think it was over at www.frictionlessinsight.com

[Incendiary Lemon]

thanks