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Additional FSS Developer Comments
12th Jun 2008 11:57 AM GMT | Leord | 5 comments
More news in the Stromberggate (said with irony, as it all seems to be a big misunderstanding). David Brevik made a statement:
Hello,
I would like to respond to some of the recent coverage that Flagship Studios has received as a result of the publication of Guy Somberg's blog.
Everyone has good days and bad days. Guy was having a bad day. It was his friend's last day of internship and he found out another friend was thinking of leaving. He vented, exaggerated, and posted information that was inaccurate.
We will be the first to admit that Hellgate: London did launch with some problems. The game would certainly have benefited from a couple more months in the oven, but as an independent developer we didn't have the ability to delay our ship date. It can be difficult to stand by and see something that you put your heart and soul into, week in and week out, get the initial reception Hellgate got. It can put a strain on any developer and some days it can get to you. Thankfully, after some very hard work by all the people here, including Guy, the game is much better now and we believe in the future of Hellgate.
Both our studios are currently fully staffed, with our San Francisco studio working on ongoing content for Hellgate: London and our Seattle studio working on our free-to-play MMORPG, Mythos, which should go into open beta within the next couple months. In total, we have over 100 employees working for both studios. As is typical in the industry, after a game is released some people naturally want to work on something else and they leave the company to do so. But in total we have had less than 10% turn-over and have rehired for all needed positions.
All our Directors and Founders are still working at Flagship, and all of them are working on Hellgate: London or Mythos. The team size for Hellgate is as big now as when we shipped. We are putting all of our efforts into these projects and I think it will show in the upcoming Hellgate Abyss Chronicles.
Sincerely, David Brevik CVO Flagship Studios
I would like to respond to some of the recent coverage that Flagship Studios has received as a result of the publication of Guy Somberg's blog.
Everyone has good days and bad days. Guy was having a bad day. It was his friend's last day of internship and he found out another friend was thinking of leaving. He vented, exaggerated, and posted information that was inaccurate.
We will be the first to admit that Hellgate: London did launch with some problems. The game would certainly have benefited from a couple more months in the oven, but as an independent developer we didn't have the ability to delay our ship date. It can be difficult to stand by and see something that you put your heart and soul into, week in and week out, get the initial reception Hellgate got. It can put a strain on any developer and some days it can get to you. Thankfully, after some very hard work by all the people here, including Guy, the game is much better now and we believe in the future of Hellgate.
Both our studios are currently fully staffed, with our San Francisco studio working on ongoing content for Hellgate: London and our Seattle studio working on our free-to-play MMORPG, Mythos, which should go into open beta within the next couple months. In total, we have over 100 employees working for both studios. As is typical in the industry, after a game is released some people naturally want to work on something else and they leave the company to do so. But in total we have had less than 10% turn-over and have rehired for all needed positions.
All our Directors and Founders are still working at Flagship, and all of them are working on Hellgate: London or Mythos. The team size for Hellgate is as big now as when we shipped. We are putting all of our efforts into these projects and I think it will show in the upcoming Hellgate Abyss Chronicles.
Sincerely, David Brevik CVO Flagship Studios
Source.
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Comments
116 days ago
I don't know that Patch 2 will be the last one, I was talking about the SEA region. They got Patch 0, 0.6 and 0.7 and have had nothing since then. They received the same promises of ongoing content and ongoing development and FSS has failed to deliver for them.
Patch 2 is available for testing on the TC but is not yet feature complete and is even missing some graphics.
What they said they would do was have major new content every 3 months or every quarter. Patch 2 has until the end of June to meet that promise, I believe. With half the month gone that seems unlikely to happen.
Should they be crucified for that? Probably not. But people absolutely have the right to complain about broken promises.
Patch 2 is available for testing on the TC but is not yet feature complete and is even missing some graphics.
What they said they would do was have major new content every 3 months or every quarter. Patch 2 has until the end of June to meet that promise, I believe. With half the month gone that seems unlikely to happen.
Should they be crucified for that? Probably not. But people absolutely have the right to complain about broken promises.
116 days ago
Fair enough but to me it looks like they're still doing what they always said they would. Aren't they testing patch 2 on the test server?How much extra content has come so far? Don't know the size of the patch before Stonehenge(38?MB ok small), 1,2 GB for abbyss isn't. I didn't even know that FSS abandoned Hellgate though so clearly don't know anything on this matter so this would be a good time to keep quiet and let you tell me that patch 2 is the last one.
117 days ago
I think you'll find many of the biggest complainers aren't Americans. Like, say, the South East Asia region who are still back on patch 0.7?
Is it okay to object when you bought a game on the understanding it would continue to be developed, only to get a mere 3 patches before being abandoned? (Note: This does not apply to me specifically, just an example of why people are peeved at FSS.)
If you don't express your displeasure, how will they know you're displeased? I'm not saying all the bile is justified, but saying "accept and move on" is how we got to the position where games are regularly released in a buggy state and abandoned.
Nobody's saying you can't enjoy the game though, so why don't you accept that some people want to "make a little noise" and move on? ;)
Is it okay to object when you bought a game on the understanding it would continue to be developed, only to get a mere 3 patches before being abandoned? (Note: This does not apply to me specifically, just an example of why people are peeved at FSS.)
If you don't express your displeasure, how will they know you're displeased? I'm not saying all the bile is justified, but saying "accept and move on" is how we got to the position where games are regularly released in a buggy state and abandoned.
Nobody's saying you can't enjoy the game though, so why don't you accept that some people want to "make a little noise" and move on? ;)
117 days ago
Really don't know what all the noise is about. Been playing from South Africa with a horrible ping and yet I still love the game(not even a sub yet). Guess I'm just not used to getting spoilt. Leave the Guy alone now it's over. So typical of americans to ***** about things that they've got the best experience of. Should experience life from another place before you complain about how ****ed everything is. Over here we accept and move on. After all what else you going to do?????
118 days ago
If you're buying what they're selling then I have a bridge you might also be interested in... ;)
And yet it's taken how many months to half finish one content update? And that's without the needed polish, just half finish the coding?
I'll tell you what is as big now as when it shipped - the volume of spin coming out of FSS headquarters. :-/
I don't want to be down on them, I really don't, but there's a sizeable gap between what is coming out of their mouths and the reality of the situation. They're touting their "great launch in Korea" in response to this debacle, for crying out loud.
It's like they're all followers of "The Secret" and they're trying to trick themselves into thinking the game is successful so the universe will grant them their wish.
Anyway. It should be "Sombergate" not "Stromberggate". Both because his name is Somberg and because then it's Somber-gate, which is kind of ironically funny.
And yet it's taken how many months to half finish one content update? And that's without the needed polish, just half finish the coding?
I'll tell you what is as big now as when it shipped - the volume of spin coming out of FSS headquarters. :-/
I don't want to be down on them, I really don't, but there's a sizeable gap between what is coming out of their mouths and the reality of the situation. They're touting their "great launch in Korea" in response to this debacle, for crying out loud.
It's like they're all followers of "The Secret" and they're trying to trick themselves into thinking the game is successful so the universe will grant them their wish.
Anyway. It should be "Sombergate" not "Stromberggate". Both because his name is Somberg and because then it's Somber-gate, which is kind of ironically funny.
