Which is why HardOCP is always getting those threatning letters. They *do* stand up and not have their reviews be a function of what manufacturers want them to be. They stick to their reviews, rather than be dictated to.
Now whether or not you like the review is besides the point. Having a site stand up under pressure of a lawsuit, which costs the reader nothing, gets my readership.
Ever since Angel Munoz screwed around and pissed off HardOCP, Mindverge and their sponsors, I've ceased to care about the CPL. The CPL is running on fumes as it is mangement wise.
Ding ding ding ding! Give that man a prize. HardOCP just has an article up examining the insides of an early prototype. Can you say ATX? I knew you could!
I worked with our ISP to keep it going as long as we could. In the end we had to suspend the site since it was starting to affect the other sites on that server. We'll be back to normal within 24 hours I suspect, if not sooner.
The site is back up... for the moment. The database had some troubles for some reason (gee, what could that be?) I'm working on getting mirrors up and have a backup plan just in case. Thanks for all the attention you've given us and allowing us to share the information we have so you can make informed choices down the line.
There's more to this story. It's a tale of hackers, drugs, women, money, lawyers, broken promises and a dream of a system to deliver content to your house for $29.99 a month.
In my original submission, I spread the love around a bit. In all honesty, I'd rather be slashdotted to kingdom come and have the word get around, rather than have the site up and running and no one paying attention.
Just be sure to come back later and visit. We've got over 200 articles covering the entire saga from beginning to end. The tale includes money trails, court intrigue, drugs, hackers and phreakers... you just can't make this stuff up.
Well, to be fair, I didn't expect this to show up on the front page of Slashdot either. We're just a two-bit operation over at Whereisphantom.com trying to bring the truth to light.
It didn't make it to this article, but four employees quit yesterday from Infinium Labs for various reasons including a late paycheck. The Sarasota office is expected to close (the one with the $300,000 sign) and all operations move to Seattle. There'll be more tomorrow I promise. (And hopefully that'll include more bandwidth.)
Not to toot my own horn, but Whereisphantom.com has posted detailed information about this last month. If you want the latest news about Infinium Labs, you need to start visiting WIP regularly. Already today we have breaking news of another company suing them in small claims court and their CFO threatning harm to the owner over a small billing issue.
Just because Gamespot finally gets around to posting information doesn't mean that it's news. It's rather old news to be sure.
Somewhere along the way, Season 2 marked where RvB jumped the shark. I'm not exactly sure when. RvB works the best when there's interaction between characters or when they riff on gameplay elements. Sadly, this season they drifted off into spirit posession, evil spirts and reincarnation. For some reason, when there's a plot it isn't funny.
What do you think? When did RvB jump the shark to you, if ever?
Actually, I think if the the industry brought on more people from outside the gaming world, things might improve. I think that maturity and experience in other fields would influence the way management deals with programmers to a certain extent.
For example, it's no secret that management prefers to hire young programmers because they're single, cheap and for some reason like to work insanely long hours. Older programmers (from my time working in the industry) have families want to get their work done as soon as possible and get the heck out of Dodge and go home. Rather than goof-off playing games... er, doing research or surfing the web, more mature programmers are actively seeking ways to be more productive.
If I were starting a game company from scratch, I'd hire a good mix of younger talent and older programmers. At least there would be some sanity to spread around.
I thought this was addressed in the Quality of Life white paper?
Anyway, this was brought up at the June Dallas IGDA meeting. Several producers discussed ways that they avoid crunch time. Tom Mustaine, a friend of mine, told about how he schedules three-day workweeks (!). While sounding totally insane, when crunch time rolls around, they just go to a normal five-day work week and finish what they need without killing themselves.
There's also much to be said for the effect on quality when quantity of hours are worked. In short, the longer you continually work, the more mistakes are made. What happens is that sometimes you lose more time fixing those mistakes than instead just going home and getting enough rest.
The game industry is finally coming to terms that the long work hours caused by inadequate planning and management is driving away many talented workers and programmers.
Muck-raker? I suppose it's true since there's so much muck to go through. Ever since Morley started Where Is Phantom?? and I came on board as co-admin, we've been slogging through the mess that is Infinium Labs. The author in State has an obvious man-crush on Bachus and it shows the marketing PR wizardry that Infinium posesses to cover up their darkness.
Since we've hit our stride in April, we've uncovered so much information on Infinium management that would make any consumer blanche. Just visit our site to see a history of lies, possible perjury, court documents, a web of assumed internet identities, federal convictions, firings, lawsuits, hacking and phreaking, possible drug dealing... it goes on and on. There's no telling how far the rabbit hole goes.
Once you use public documentation to see what these folks have done, are doing and are going to do, how can anyone support them?
> So you're complaining about id's software because of a lack of a better plot/story? Who plays FPS's for the plot anyway?
I'm not complaining so much as pointing out a known fact. id Software doesn't do plot. Hasn't affected sales at all and players don't seem to mind. That's been my point all along. id Software has always been about action and pushing everything to the limit.
I just happen to think that a plot can enhance a game to the next level. At least people who've played Half-Life, Max Payne, Elite Force, Call of Duty or Far Cry would tend to agree.
I'm not a id hater at all. Sheesh, six of my good friends have worked or currently work there now. So, I think I have a good grasp on id software -- well, the individuals that work there at any rate.
> And what "next product from id Software" that will be "totally different" are you referring to?
Video game developer id Software, famed creators of games like "Doom" and "Quake", will likely start work on its new project almost immediately after completing four years of work on "Doom 3", its chief executive says.
In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the video game industry trade show E3 here, Todd Hollenshead said that the game in question was new intellectual property, and was not a "Doom", "Quake" or "Wolfenstein" game.
Slow down there Tex. Sure, they use new engines, but you're missing the point. Just because they're using new technology doesn't change the fact that since Romero left in the mid-nineties, id Software hasn't come up with any truly original gameplay ideas. I'm not saying that if they kept Romero that they wouldn't have made new games either. That also doesn't mean that we all hate playing the sequels. If fact, we can't get enough.
I think most people would totally agree that the engines truly are nothing short of amazing and everyone buys the games because of the abilties of that engine. However, you have to admit each of the games have used the same storyline or built off of the previous title. It's all demons, Nazis and Stroggs in a very, very weak plotline. Gameplay hasn't really changed. You can add little things, but that's what sequels do. Trick it up a bit more to make it better. id Software is extremely good at it. But they are still sequels.
The only minor exception is Quake II, which for all intents and purposes plays exactly the same while changing the location from Earth to Planet Strogg. And Raven is going to revisit it in Quake IV, another sequel. Still it's not like Final Fantasy where they completely create a new world every time.
Just check their development record since 1995: (RtCW not listed because id Software did not do the game development.)
DOOM II: Hell On Earth 1994 Action Master Levels for Doom 2 1995 Hexen 1995 The Ultimate Doom 1995 Final Doom 1996 The id Anthology 1996 Quake 1996 The Depths of Doom Trilogy 1997 Quake II 1997 Quake and The Ultimate Doom Compilation 1998 Quake III: Arena - Elite Edition 1999 Quake III: Arena 1999 Quake III: Team Arena 2000 Commander Keen 2001 Ultimate Quake 2001 Doom: Collector's Edition 2001 Quake III: Gold 2001 The Ultimate Doom Trilogy: Collector's Edition 2003 Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Platinum Edition 2003
I'm not seeing a whole lot of original game development there. id Software is sick of it too. Carmack didn't want to make another Doom game, but was forced into it. The next product from id Software will be totally different and it's about time.
There have been variations on this on a much smaller scale. I've heard (no reference at the moment) that in Vietnam, planes would drop jacks, those little X shaped pieces of metal that you'd pick up when bouncing a ball, from high altitude into jungle territory. They would end up shredding the foilage and doing major damage to anyone hiding underneath.
I believe they dropped using this method because other ways (Agent Orange) was more effective because it covered a greater area or something like that. I'll try and find some documentation to go along with this unless someone beats me to it.
Give an artist a number and he'll easily double it with content. I've never seen an artist have problems filling up space. The sort of problem will be solved. There's always a company out there that's will to make a content creation tool to help out. If you're seeing copied and pasted rooms, that's more due to a poor developer than due to a space limitation.
You do raise some better points at the end of your post. A good 2D team could have a larger profit margin, if they're lucky to make any money at all. Doom 14 with a 1% margin will make more money overall than a no-name 2D game with a 10% margin just based on volume of sales. Publishers know this and are willing to go with the amount of money rather than the profit margin.
Higher production costs is a big deal and is having an effect on the industry. The recent slate of studio closings is proof of this in my opinion. Smaller publishers, much like the smaller movie studios, are going to be the sources of innovation in the gaming industry.
Oh for sure, having owned a C-64 myself with all the accessories. The difference is rather than make the computer more like a console, the console is becoming more like the computer. A totally different approach when it comes to design. That is new.
People have been quick to point to the PCs gaming death for years and years. While many posters here seem ready to shovel more dirt, I take an opposite view. The PC gaming scene is about to take off again and do it well in 2005.
The reason is exactly what many people point to as being the cause of it's supposed death. Two quick reasons. The first is portability. Consoles have finally reached a point where the price point and power can match that of low cost PCs. A game on a high end console can look an awful lot like the PC. Splinter Cell on the Xbox is almost the same as the PC. I see the next generation of consoles being able to port their games over the PC much easier than ever before. The second is that 2005 will have a gap for console users. The PC will have several new graphic engines out featuring several new games. Consoles have a bit of a lag waiting for the new hardware to show up. PC games will be able to take advantage of the gamer and be able to really "wow" them.
What you are seeing is the beginning of the PC and console merging into one unit. Microsoft holds a huge advantage in this area having the dominant OS. Already there are rumors of a Xbox Next PC which combines the next generation Xbox with a PC. Isn't this the logical evolution of gaming? Within five years, it's more likely that consoles will merge into PCs, rather than PC gaming dying off. The gaming community could see exclusive titles for the Sony Playstation PC or the Nintendo GamePC, but with universal PC titles being able to play on all of them.
Slashdot Mirror
Which is why HardOCP is always getting those threatning letters. They *do* stand up and not have their reviews be a function of what manufacturers want them to be. They stick to their reviews, rather than be dictated to.
Now whether or not you like the review is besides the point. Having a site stand up under pressure of a lawsuit, which costs the reader nothing, gets my readership.
Ever since Angel Munoz screwed around and pissed off HardOCP, Mindverge and their sponsors, I've ceased to care about the CPL. The CPL is running on fumes as it is mangement wise.
Yeah, I was a little more prepared this time. Mirrors and a text-only page set up ahead of time.
Ding ding ding ding! Give that man a prize. HardOCP just has an article up examining the insides of an early prototype. Can you say ATX? I knew you could!
I worked with our ISP to keep it going as long as we could. In the end we had to suspend the site since it was starting to affect the other sites on that server. We'll be back to normal within 24 hours I suspect, if not sooner.
The site is back up... for the moment. The database had some troubles for some reason (gee, what could that be?) I'm working on getting mirrors up and have a backup plan just in case. Thanks for all the attention you've given us and allowing us to share the information we have so you can make informed choices down the line.
There's more to this story. It's a tale of hackers, drugs, women, money, lawyers, broken promises and a dream of a system to deliver content to your house for $29.99 a month.
Chris Campbell
Editor-In-Chief
Whereisphantom.com
In my original submission, I spread the love around a bit. In all honesty, I'd rather be slashdotted to kingdom come and have the word get around, rather than have the site up and running and no one paying attention.
Just be sure to come back later and visit. We've got over 200 articles covering the entire saga from beginning to end. The tale includes money trails, court intrigue, drugs, hackers and phreakers... you just can't make this stuff up.
Well, to be fair, I didn't expect this to show up on the front page of Slashdot either. We're just a two-bit operation over at Whereisphantom.com trying to bring the truth to light.
It didn't make it to this article, but four employees quit yesterday from Infinium Labs for various reasons including a late paycheck. The Sarasota office is expected to close (the one with the $300,000 sign) and all operations move to Seattle. There'll be more tomorrow I promise. (And hopefully that'll include more bandwidth.)
Not to toot my own horn, but Whereisphantom.com has posted detailed information about this last month. If you want the latest news about Infinium Labs, you need to start visiting WIP regularly. Already today we have breaking news of another company suing them in small claims court and their CFO threatning harm to the owner over a small billing issue.
Just because Gamespot finally gets around to posting information doesn't mean that it's news. It's rather old news to be sure.
Great! When can I expect Valve to pay me for performing this service without my consent?
The answer is that it has component output and HDTV support with extra features. It does have a fan though.
Somewhere along the way, Season 2 marked where RvB jumped the shark. I'm not exactly sure when. RvB works the best when there's interaction between characters or when they riff on gameplay elements. Sadly, this season they drifted off into spirit posession, evil spirts and reincarnation. For some reason, when there's a plot it isn't funny.
What do you think? When did RvB jump the shark to you, if ever?
Actually, I think if the the industry brought on more people from outside the gaming world, things might improve. I think that maturity and experience in other fields would influence the way management deals with programmers to a certain extent.
For example, it's no secret that management prefers to hire young programmers because they're single, cheap and for some reason like to work insanely long hours. Older programmers (from my time working in the industry) have families want to get their work done as soon as possible and get the heck out of Dodge and go home. Rather than goof-off playing games... er, doing research or surfing the web, more mature programmers are actively seeking ways to be more productive.
If I were starting a game company from scratch, I'd hire a good mix of younger talent and older programmers. At least there would be some sanity to spread around.
I thought this was addressed in the Quality of Life white paper?
Anyway, this was brought up at the June Dallas IGDA meeting. Several producers discussed ways that they avoid crunch time. Tom Mustaine, a friend of mine, told about how he schedules three-day workweeks (!). While sounding totally insane, when crunch time rolls around, they just go to a normal five-day work week and finish what they need without killing themselves.
There's also much to be said for the effect on quality when quantity of hours are worked. In short, the longer you continually work, the more mistakes are made. What happens is that sometimes you lose more time fixing those mistakes than instead just going home and getting enough rest.
The game industry is finally coming to terms that the long work hours caused by inadequate planning and management is driving away many talented workers and programmers.
Muck-raker? I suppose it's true since there's so much muck to go through. Ever since Morley started Where Is Phantom?? and I came on board as co-admin, we've been slogging through the mess that is Infinium Labs. The author in State has an obvious man-crush on Bachus and it shows the marketing PR wizardry that Infinium posesses to cover up their darkness.
Since we've hit our stride in April, we've uncovered so much information on Infinium management that would make any consumer blanche. Just visit our site to see a history of lies, possible perjury, court documents, a web of assumed internet identities, federal convictions, firings, lawsuits, hacking and phreaking, possible drug dealing... it goes on and on. There's no telling how far the rabbit hole goes.
Once you use public documentation to see what these folks have done, are doing and are going to do, how can anyone support them?
Torgo
Admin - Whereisphantom.com
> So you're complaining about id's software because of a lack of a better plot/story? Who plays FPS's for the plot anyway?
5 125798
I'm not complaining so much as pointing out a known fact. id Software doesn't do plot. Hasn't affected sales at all and players don't seem to mind. That's been my point all along. id Software has always been about action and pushing everything to the limit.
I just happen to think that a plot can enhance a game to the next level. At least people who've played Half-Life, Max Payne, Elite Force, Call of Duty or Far Cry would tend to agree.
I'm not a id hater at all. Sheesh, six of my good friends have worked or currently work there now. So, I think I have a good grasp on id software -- well, the individuals that work there at any rate.
> And what "next product from id Software" that will be "totally different" are you referring to?
Video game developer id Software, famed creators of games like "Doom" and "Quake", will likely start work on its new project almost immediately after completing four years of work on "Doom 3", its chief executive says.
In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the video game industry trade show E3 here, Todd Hollenshead said that the game in question was new intellectual property, and was not a "Doom", "Quake" or "Wolfenstein" game.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=
I stand corrected. Adrian Carmack, Graeme Devine and some others were against it. John Carmack, Tim Wilits were for it.
My bad. Cut n' paste error.
I think most people would totally agree that the engines truly are nothing short of amazing and everyone buys the games because of the abilties of that engine. However, you have to admit each of the games have used the same storyline or built off of the previous title. It's all demons, Nazis and Stroggs in a very, very weak plotline. Gameplay hasn't really changed. You can add little things, but that's what sequels do. Trick it up a bit more to make it better. id Software is extremely good at it. But they are still sequels.
The only minor exception is Quake II, which for all intents and purposes plays exactly the same while changing the location from Earth to Planet Strogg. And Raven is going to revisit it in Quake IV, another sequel. Still it's not like Final Fantasy where they completely create a new world every time.
Just check their development record since 1995: (RtCW not listed because id Software did not do the game development.)I'm not seeing a whole lot of original game development there. id Software is sick of it too. Carmack didn't want to make another Doom game, but was forced into it. The next product from id Software will be totally different and it's about time.
Sour grapes? Perhaps, but he's right on the money.
There have been variations on this on a much smaller scale. I've heard (no reference at the moment) that in Vietnam, planes would drop jacks, those little X shaped pieces of metal that you'd pick up when bouncing a ball, from high altitude into jungle territory. They would end up shredding the foilage and doing major damage to anyone hiding underneath.
I believe they dropped using this method because other ways (Agent Orange) was more effective because it covered a greater area or something like that. I'll try and find some documentation to go along with this unless someone beats me to it.
Give an artist a number and he'll easily double it with content. I've never seen an artist have problems filling up space. The sort of problem will be solved. There's always a company out there that's will to make a content creation tool to help out. If you're seeing copied and pasted rooms, that's more due to a poor developer than due to a space limitation.
You do raise some better points at the end of your post. A good 2D team could have a larger profit margin, if they're lucky to make any money at all. Doom 14 with a 1% margin will make more money overall than a no-name 2D game with a 10% margin just based on volume of sales. Publishers know this and are willing to go with the amount of money rather than the profit margin.
Higher production costs is a big deal and is having an effect on the industry. The recent slate of studio closings is proof of this in my opinion. Smaller publishers, much like the smaller movie studios, are going to be the sources of innovation in the gaming industry.
I don't think that this is a good idea with all that equipment and a surfboard. I mean, wouldn't all that surfing wipeout that hard drive?
- ba-da-boom!
Oh for sure, having owned a C-64 myself with all the accessories. The difference is rather than make the computer more like a console, the console is becoming more like the computer. A totally different approach when it comes to design. That is new.
The reason is exactly what many people point to as being the cause of it's supposed death. Two quick reasons. The first is portability. Consoles have finally reached a point where the price point and power can match that of low cost PCs. A game on a high end console can look an awful lot like the PC. Splinter Cell on the Xbox is almost the same as the PC. I see the next generation of consoles being able to port their games over the PC much easier than ever before. The second is that 2005 will have a gap for console users. The PC will have several new graphic engines out featuring several new games. Consoles have a bit of a lag waiting for the new hardware to show up. PC games will be able to take advantage of the gamer and be able to really "wow" them.
What you are seeing is the beginning of the PC and console merging into one unit. Microsoft holds a huge advantage in this area having the dominant OS. Already there are rumors of a Xbox Next PC which combines the next generation Xbox with a PC. Isn't this the logical evolution of gaming? Within five years, it's more likely that consoles will merge into PCs, rather than PC gaming dying off. The gaming community could see exclusive titles for the Sony Playstation PC or the Nintendo GamePC, but with universal PC titles being able to play on all of them.