Epic Vs. Silicon Knights (Gears Vs. Too Human)

[2nyRiggz]

And let the suing begin....Seems as though epic did a boo boo and SK is not too happy with this.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6175386.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0

I'm hoping Too human is not a buggy pale of code....I'm hoping this new engine they used is good. If Epic did this then thats really low.




Bless

 

[sikkinixx]

I wonder what will happen if SK wins? If they are pissed off surely other devs are no? And don't TONS of devs buy the Unreal Engine?

 

[Coded-Dude]

Epic is also allegedly planning a Gears of War type I.P. for PS3.

Half way through this podcast hosted by Zdmedia.net they touch base on the Sony & Epic deal. It is stated that Epic and Sony might be working on a PS3 game that deals with the Gears of War universe not necessarily Gears of War 2. The deal that Sony and Epic signed was a multi-part deal, so there could be other things besides the UT3 exclusivity deal

 

[GFLPraxis]

SK's demands seem reasonable, they don't want to be charged because Epic didn't fulfill promises and they want to be able to use what they scrapped together with Epic's weak support without being sued by Epic. They're not demanding enormous sums of money or anything.


ASSUMING that all of SK's claims are true and can be verified in court, of course.

 

[MRU]

I actually think it's Silicon Knights panicing before the release of Too Human and trying to get back some of it's development costs.

Whilst the new 6 minute trailer on IGN is certainly imressive - I can't help feeling the game is going to be a big turkey and will likely bomb at retail.

Not only is it hitting stores admist a pack of mega AAA titles - all previews so far have been very poor and that's a big mountain to climb - even if the game is 'ok' in the end.

Looks how many great games get lost at retail 'Prince of Persia : Sands of Time' (Michael Bay's next film after transformers ) and the awesome 'Beyond Good & Evil' both recieved great reviews, but hit retail at the wrong time, and so the chances Too Human is going to be able to compete with UT3, Halo3, GTA4, Mass Effect, BioShock etc.... is an uphill challenge, and they know it.

 

[takao]

yeah i guess MRU is quite spot on .. my personal guess is that too human will either completely go under undeserving or be a complete stinker, because from what i've seen it has a good art style and setting but by making that stuff silicon nights has forgotten making all the other stuff which actually makes a game a good one

somehow i think they won't make it a trilogy but rather gonna present more something into the eternal darkness direction (perhaps we can see an eternal darkness follow up at the end of this generation or starting next one... i would really like that)

 

[pcypert]

I'd be interested to hear Epic's side of things. It's easy to shout out your grievnances when the other side will remain silent...use it for some free publicity. Epic probably was a bit tardy with things but who knows but them how much of that was genuine delays and how much was just not paying attention to the others while in the midst of your own crap.

In the end no one will care. Great games are made with older engines at this point so that's going to be key. I think you have to know if you're not one of the main studios at the ground floor for things you're not going to have the biggest jaw dropper at the show...gameplay and originality are key if you don't have multi millions to drop and tons of research and what not....so if the game looks good but isn't anything new sucks to be them and it's not Epic's fault you know.

Who cares though. I guess I'm a non discerning gamer currently grinning while playing Excite Truck through again

Paul

 

[2nyRiggz]

If I was in the SK camp I would want something back as well...it seems as though epic was not working with them at all when it came to producing the engine(how to)..They were suppose to deliver the kit a year before they actually did...wow plus the fact SK was struggling with the code and asking epic for help but they wouldn't help them in a timely fashion.."because they were building GeOW"

This is what it is right here: They struggle with the code asking for some support but got delays whiles GeOW rolled on smooth...This is what pissed them off.

Sounds really messed up if you asked me but I'm sure there is more to this story. I don't think the court will grant them all earnings from GeOW.

MRU I think you are spot on but this can change things....people might wanna check this game out even more now....good strategy by SK.



Bless

 

[MRU]

MRU I think you are spot on but this can change things....people might wanna check this game out even more now....good strategy by SK.

Very true. I think we've nailed the whole thing now

 

[0098386]

In other news engine developers won't touch SK with a bargepole from now on.

I'd like to think of it as publicity. But at what cost, financially and to their reputation?

 

[MRU]

In other news engine developers won't touch SK with a bargepole from now on.

I'd like to think of it as publicity. But at what cost, financially and to their reputation?

We will see I guess. I mean it could be a double edge knife scenario, where they now need to claw back development costs on TooHuman in order to remain fiscal (or face financial solvency), so maybe they aren't thinking of the 'long term' strategy right now.

Damned if they dont, and damned if they do.

Either way expensive litigation is hardly likely to do them any favors.
My prediction. In 6 months time Silicon Knights will be no more.

 

[takao]

We will see I guess. I mean it could be a double edge knife scenario, where they now need to claw back development costs on TooHuman in order to remain fiscal (or face financial solvency), so maybe they aren't thinking of the 'long term' strategy right now.

Damned if they dont, and damned if they do.

Either way expensive litigation is hardly likely to do them any favors.
My prediction. In 6 months time Silicon Knights will be no more.

perhaps they want to be bought up.. after all if the development costs of too human are true (100 mio for the trilogy) then they would have to make back like 30 millions just with the first game which means how many games sold to break even ? 4 millions ? that's an awefull lot

 

[sikkinixx]

Maybe Epic DID screw SK over. You guys seem to blame SK right away like they are just trying to squeeze money out of Epic but maybe they really were wronged here.

 

[zero2dash]

Epic is also allegedly planning a Gears of War type I.P. for PS3.

Emphasis mine.
Gears and any title having one iota of anything to do with Gears will be a 360 exclusive, I guarantee it. Bill Gates doesn't meet with Cliffy B on numerous occasions about Gears coming out for the 360 unless there's an exclusive contract there.

Epic may make a futuristic shooter using the Unreal Engine (other than UT2007) for the Ps3, but it's not going to be a Gears-related title.

Seems like from what I've read straight from Epic, they're more impressed with the 360 at this point in time (despite early FUD about the 360 not being capable of running the Unreal Engine).

Whilst the new 6 minute trailer on IGN is certainly imressive - I can't help feeling the game is going to be a big turkey and will likely bomb at retail.

Not only is it hitting stores admist a pack of mega AAA titles - all previews so far have been very poor and that's a big mountain to climb - even if the game is 'ok' in the end.

Looks how many great games get lost at retail 'Prince of Persia : Sands of Time' (Michael Bay's next film after transformers ) and the awesome 'Beyond Good & Evil' both recieved great reviews, but hit retail at the wrong time, and so the chances Too Human is going to be able to compete with UT3, Halo3, GTA4, Mass Effect, BioShock etc.... is an uphill challenge, and they know it.

Yeah, so far I'm largely unimpressed with Too Human.
Seems too "poor man's Halo" for my tastes based on the videos and things I've heard about it. If Master Chief had telekinetic powers like Nick Scryer in Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (a great title that deserves a sequel, dammit! ), then you'd have Too Human.

 

[2nyRiggz]

Maybe Epic DID screw SK over. You guys seem to blame SK right away like they are just trying to squeeze money out of Epic but maybe they really were wronged here.

I'm actually siding with SK here....The story seems true plus the fact that they withheld the engine a whole year. I don't care if too human bombs or not but thats just wrong to be holding up on a product slowing down stuff just to get your product shining and out there first(especially if you are in contract)

Too human looks like a generic 3rd person shooter with fixed camera angles from the last demo I saw....I wouldn't be buying it either way but still SK should get whatever is entitled to them.



Bless

 

[MRU]

But what I dont understand is why they dragged on with the engine for so long before cutting their loses.

They seem to be paying the price for early adoption of the unreal sdk and to be honest we only have their side of the story at this stage, as we have not heard from Epic at all.

There's always more to a story and at least with this we may get another insight into the murkiness of software development these days.

Well I say 'these days' but if truth be told - the software industry has always been founded on big greedy studio's milking and shortchanging smaller developers.

Yes SK should get some compesation if it is indeed true, however I still get the feeling they are finding excuses for a game that hasn't indeed hit the shelves.

It seems clear to me that they are laying the foundations / excuses for lousy reviews that will surely adorn magazine pages and internet sites ...

SK say "well the game sucks because of Epic" when in actuality even if they had got to grips with UT3 engine - it probably would have still sucked generic major ass, albeit released 6 - 12 months ago instead of protracting the development process.

 

[zero2dash]

http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Gears+of+War+PS3+rumour+squashed&id=8276

Gears of War PS3 rumour squashed
"Complete nonsense."
Rumours have been flying fast and furious since 1UP's speculation on a number of podcasts that Epic Games had plans to extend the Gears of War franchise onto the PlayStation 3. Understandably, the comments made in the podcast created somewhat of a storm in a teacup, with many Xbox 360 fans rather unhappy with Epic's apparently lackadaisical approach to exclusivity.

However, Epic's Mark Rein recently contacted PSX Extreme to clarify the situation. In short? Bollocks.

Being blunt, Rein said that the rumour was "complete nonsense". Leaving no room for doubt, he added, "We've shot down this Gears of War on PS3 idea about a hundred times already - Microsoft is the publisher of Gears of War. Unless Microsoft wants to publish it on PS3 then it won't be published on PS3."

No Gears on Ps3.
case closed

 

[Coded-Dude]

yep.........case closed

 

[2nyRiggz]

No Gears on Ps3.
case closed

I rather bioshock.



Bless

 

[zero2dash]

I agree completely.

I feel like I'm committing a crime for saying this...

I'm looking more forward to Bioshock than Halo 3.



I guess it's just because it's something more...new. I loved the first two Halos, but Bioshock sounds phenominal.

 

[2nyRiggz]

I agree completely.

I feel like I'm committing a crime for saying this...

I'm looking more forward to Bioshock than Halo 3.

Well lock me up under the jail cell then because H3 is like the last title on my mind this season....If I see it then I'll get it I'm in no hurry to play it.

Bioshock is like number 2 on my long list.

Bless