Sony Buys Out Sigil, Opens Can Of Worms
Sony Online Entertainment has bit the bullet and bought out Sigil Games Online, and along with it, grabbed the licenses for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, a highly anticipated MMORPG that has been limping pathetically through beta testing. As it turns out, I’m not the only one who was aggravated and appalled by Sigil’s workings. Nearly all of the existing staff were laid-off, with plans to rehire around half. Several ex-employees, covered by the sometimes misleading cloak of anonymity, have stepped forward following the buy-out to detail the sorry state of affairs that was Sigil Online Games. F13.net talked to both an anonymous source, and tip-toeing MMORPG developer Brad McQuaid (who will be kept on by SOE), to get the skinny on the developer’s dirty laundry.
Says Mr. Anonymous:
It’s hard. I really wanted Vanguard to be a great game, but it seemed like we were blocked by stupid decision making at nearly every step. Good people busted their ass, only to be shown the door because they weren’t a ‘culture fit’ moving forward. I don’t believe Brad is a bad guy like some people are painting him on the various forums right now. I DO think however, that he believed people wanted to play a game that HE liked, regardless of the masses of people telling him they didn’t like his ideas. He ignored the opinions of people who worked for him, and busted their ass for him, and it cost him dearly, at least in reputation. So many of us jumped at the chance to work with Brad, only to find out he was a paper leader. You can only fool me once. I never want to work for Brad or Dave ever again. There was so much good in the team, so much effort wasted. None of the people listed above should ever work in any position of leadership. Though, Jeff might have a chance. He learned lessons from this, I think. The others did not. The whole ordeal has been rough. I know I’m exhausted.
Both interviews are…enlightening. No wonder I could never get any kind of support/media assets/etc out of the Sigil crew, they were too busy ducking and hiding from the towering consequences of their own ineptness. I find the whole thing oddly gratifying, because yes, I’m vindictive like that.
Via | F13.net
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POSTED IN: MMORPG, Things That Suck
1 opinion for Sony Buys Out Sigil, Opens Can Of Worms
Draedus of Vanguard MMORPG
May 23, 2007 at 3:15 am
As a fan of the more unique and enjoyable elements of the game I’m being uncharacteristically optimistic about the buy-out. Hope springs eternal.
Empowered by SOE’s resources - which includes, of course money, but also experienced MMORPG programers, content writers project management etc - Vanguard finally has a chance to be the game we’d all hoped it could be.
Again, I’m normally not one to hand out ‘pocketfuls of sunshine’, but perhaps for the first time since our initial peeks at Beta 3, I am hopeful.
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