Private Division's New Development Studio

[kerbiloid]

20 hours ago, Lisias said:

On 6/4/2020 at 1:56 AM, James M said:

Take two, EA, Bethesda, Blizzard, Ubisoft... Like I'm getting to that point where I just want to say "F*** em".

Sony, Universal Pictures, Siemens, Visteon, Ford, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Commodore, Microsoft, Google, et all.

It's this way everywhere.

We forgot to mention Edison and his lamps... A patriarch of nice play.

So, electricity is evil.

[HansonKerman]

7 hours ago, James M said:

"When the project was pulled and the Linkedin messages went out." Unless I'm misinterpreting what I'm reading, that implies both happened simultaneously. 

It did. Probably not exactly the same day they bought the contract but I think it probably means that it happened around the same time.

22 hours ago, MechBFP said:

No one forced ST to sign a contract, no one forced them to work on KSP2. It seems like they signed a contract that they could not complete and unfortunately paid for it dearly. Ya that sucks, but they aren’t blameless in the situation that unfolded either

But they did. They needed, what a surprise... revenue. They signed a contract that they could complete perfectly fine, but TT didn’t like their way. They needed it exactly their way. See the article. They could make it perfectly fine. But TT didn’t like that they weren’t conforming exactly to their whim. So instead of reasoning... they plopped down the contract turret and it went “Goodbye”.

<gunfire>
It was absolutely completely unethical. Do you not understand what happens when people have things under control and their work is stolen? It’s not their fault.

[kspnerd122]

Take 2 killed Star Theory their doors closed months ago due to the contract cancelation I do not like what they did

[MechBFP]

2 hours ago, HansonKerman said:

It did. Probably not exactly the same day they bought the contract but I think it probably means that it happened around the same time.

But they did. They needed, what a surprise... revenue. They signed a contract that they could complete perfectly fine, but TT didn’t like their way. They needed it exactly their way. See the article. They could make it perfectly fine. But TT didn’t like that they weren’t conforming exactly to their whim. So instead of reasoning... they plopped down the contract turret and it went “Goodbye”.

<gunfire>
It was absolutely completely unethical. Do you not understand what happens when people have things under control and their work is stolen? It’s not their fault.

That is just wrong. You have clearly never dealt with contracts in your life, or you would be well aware how bad it would be for T2 financially to cancel a contract without it already being voided by ST.

That of course is assuming ST didn’t sign an incredibly one sided contract which would be entirely their own fault if they did, full stop.

[Guest]

It's sad though how this happened. This is wrong, I don't know how this is supposed to be exciting news. I now fear I will have to purchase the Torch Drive for $1.99.

EDIT: Someone redirected to Nate's post

 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Guest

[RealKerbal3x]

23 minutes ago, The Doodling Astronaut said:

It's sad though how this happened. This is wrong, I don't know how this is supposed to be exciting news. I now fear I will have to purchase the Torch Drive for $1.99. @Matt Lowne has a video all about it.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I don't think is a reinforce to KSP 2. I finish my statement. And the previous studio was directed to KSP 2 too. If I have some information wrong feel free to message me.

Take a look at this:

It's not like this has fixed what Take 2 has done, but it's good to hear from a developer that the direction of the game has not been damaged by the move from Star Theory to Intercept Games, at least for now. This all but confirms that microtransactions won't be in the game, which is a very good thing.

[Guest]

Glad to have assurance that there won't be microtransactions. Thanks for the redirection @RealKerbal3x

[StrandedonEarth]

9 hours ago, Rejected Spawn said:

Silence from someone allowed to speak up does not equal automatic guilt but hoo boyy does it ever happen A LOT when it comes to publishers doing something fishy to game studios... Given that the only ones that can publicly defend themselves and explain everything are under substantial fire but still not saying anything I find it very difficult to believe they haven't done something really nasty in one form or another, at the very least I find it absurdly unlikely that the folks at Star Theory were in the wrong to an extent greater than what was done to them

I suppose it’s possible the NDA clause went both ways..

Edited June 5, 2020 by StrandedonEarth
Double post

[panarchist]

4 hours ago, kspnerd122 said:

Take 2 killed Star Theory their doors closed months ago due to the contract cancelation I do not like what they did

Star Theory killed Star Theory. Other commenters are correct - when you own / run a development studio, it's bad business if losing one contract means no revenue and being unable to pay their bills / salaries. Star Theory should have already had other projects in the pipeline - they didn't. For Take Two Interactive to kill ST, they would have needed to take them to court or otherwise mess with their revenue stream. Maybe that happened, we don't know. All we know is that there was apparently ambiguity in the contract, ST asked for clarification, ST and TTI were unable to come to terms, and TTI decided to pull out of the contract. Presumably the contract terms let them, since the story isn't about ST taking TTI to court.

Maybe TTI is evil, maybe they're just big business, maybe they're just business - it all depends on how you spin the facts of what happened. In any case, Star Theory could have had other projects and hired people to cover them, or they could have chosen not to do KSP2, or they could have chosen to do any number of things which might have let them survive as an entity. They didn't. For whatever reason, they chose to do KSP2, and that contract became their sole revenue stream. Maybe they had no other practical option, or maybe they did - in either case, what they did is bad business, and a good way to let your company fail due to circumstances beyond your control. (which is exactly what happened) ST killed ST when they bet the company on delivering and profiting off of KSP2. If the terms were ambiguous, then they should have ironed them out before agreeing to the contract. It sucks, but it's the same thing that happens to other companies all the time, and for the same reasons.

[Jacke]

36 minutes ago, panarchist said:

..it's bad business if losing one contract means no revenue and being unable to pay their bills / salaries. Star Theory should have already had other projects in the pipeline - they didn't.

The contract with TTI/PD could have had an exclusive clause, that Star Theory wouldn't do other work for the term of the contract.  Take it or leave it.

[panarchist]

39 minutes ago, Jacke said:

The contract with TTI/PD could have had an exclusive clause, that Star Theory wouldn't do other work for the term of the contract.  Take it or leave it.

Absolutely, in which case they had the option to leave it. Generally it's bad business to accept an exclusive contract unless the plan is to have them buy you out - it leaves no room for leverage on your part and all the room on theirs.

[Xavier513]

No offense to the developers, I love you all devs!
But Take Two, you played a GREEDY DIRTY CAPITALISM GAME!

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

  

10 hours ago, Xavier513 said:

GREEDY DIRTY CAPITALISM GAME!

I.e. non-freeware?

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by kerbiloid

[JoeeoJ]

In my opinion this is the end of a great game. TT for sure will be able to create a Kerbal 2.0, but whether this will have the same ideas, logic and spirit as the original KSP program, is something they still have to prove. It's no longer about the passion, teaching and fun, now it's most probably about ... business. For me the way TT has acted, lets me assume that Kerbal X.y may inherit the name and perhapse certain interisting features, but I think it will be a completely different game. 

Well wait and see.

Thanks a lot Star Theory for this really great game ( and its more than just a game)

Joe

[Bej Kerman]

7 minutes ago, JoeeoJ said:

In my opinion this is the end of a great game.

That's not true in Nate's opinion.

[MechBFP]

7 minutes ago, JoeeoJ said:

For me the way TT has acted, lets me assume that Kerbal X.y may inherit the name and perhapse certain interisting features, but I think it will be a completely different game. 

You do realize KSP has been owned by T2 for years, right?

[Jacke]

3 hours ago, Bej Kerman said:

That's not true in Nate's opinion.

Telling ain't going to cut it anymore.  The KSP 2 devs have to start showing what the game is like, with serious demos to senior KSP modders and more.  The proof of a game is in the playing.

 

3 hours ago, MechBFP said:

You do realize KSP has been owned by T2 for years, right?

It's harder to change a game with an established community.  And it's harder to believe a game corporation with an established bad reputation.  Many people gave up on KSP in 2017, some only taking the free upgrades.  To them, all this news just reinforces their decisions.

[Kerbart]

On 6/5/2020 at 6:09 AM, kerbiloid said:

So, electricity is evil.

Not electricity... just the companies that deliver it to you. I hope you're not using a laptop. The batteries of those are full of materials gained through unethical behavior that makes T2 look like a bunch of boy scouts. If you're using a desktop surely you're not using processor from an unethical giant like AMD. I don't even have to mention Intel, right...?

It's pretty impossible to prevent using products from unethical companies, but I must admit that you have more of a choice with KSP2/T2 than with choosing to avoid computers altogether.

 

On 6/5/2020 at 8:40 AM, HansonKerman said:

But they did. They needed, what a surprise... revenue. They signed a contract that they could complete perfectly fine, but TT didn’t like their way. They needed it exactly their way. See the article. They could make it perfectly fine. But TT didn’t like that they weren’t conforming exactly to their whim. So instead of reasoning... they plopped down the contract turret and it went “Goodbye”.

Yes. This was pretty much the reasoning I saw on Slashdot, where most of the audience didn't have the emotional bonding to ST that "the KSP community" seems to have. Trending was "If you only have one client, they already own you"

 

On 6/5/2020 at 10:00 AM, kspnerd122 said:

Take 2 killed Star Theory their doors closed months ago due to the contract cancelation I do not like what they did

You've hired a contractor to build a house for you. You're paying good money, and you give them two years to build it. Three months before the hand-over, you've already cancelled the lease of your current rental, the contractor says: "we're going to need more time. And more money. Because we want to make it bigger and better." "I don't need bigger and better. Can't you just deliver what i ordered, and on a date we agreed on?" "No! Take it or leave it - I will only continue when you pay me more, and when you let me build what I want to build!" -- from reading the Bloomberg article, that's what it looks like to me.
Would you be the bad guy for saying "you know what, I'll finish it myself. Thank you for your services?"

[kerbiloid]

4 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

Not electricity... just the companies that deliver it to you. I hope you're not using a laptop. The batteries of those are full of materials gained through unethical behavior that makes T2 look like a bunch of boy scouts. If you're using a desktop surely you're not using processor from an unethical giant like AMD. I don't even have to mention Intel, right...?

I even didnt mention such terrible person as Fritz Haber, whose process allows us make fertilizers from air and water and forget about hunger.

[Guest]

On 6/8/2020 at 9:59 PM, Kerbart said:

Not electricity... just the companies that deliver it to you. I hope you're not using a laptop. The batteries of those are full of materials gained through unethical behavior that makes T2 look like a bunch of boy scouts. If you're using a desktop surely you're not using processor from an unethical giant like AMD. I don't even have to mention Intel, right...?

Joke's on them, most of stuff I use, I bought used (from a private seller). They didn't get one lousy cent from me. The guy/girl who originally bought it, well, that's on his/her consciousness, not mine.  

In fact, perhaps the most economical way to get hardware is to buy it off someone else. You won't get top-notch stuff that way, but you rarely need top-notch stuff, and as a bonus, all the money goes to the someone with a face, as opposed to a company.

[Vanamonde]

The discussion is getting off-topic here, guys. 

Addendum: if you disagree, please send us a PM arguing your case rather than posting in the thread, since that just takes the discussion further away from the topic. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Vanamonde