I literally yawned when I saw more STALKER news. Then I read the interview, and while reading couldn't help think:

"It's not OUR fault! Blame THQ!" So what that means is they don't agree, they have issues, subjectivity - further delays or cancellation.

This game will come out, but it will be something like Firestarter with better tech and bigger levels.

Firestarter was supposed to be a simple run-n-gun game with a few RPG elements thrown in, nothing complicated. They couldn't handle THAT. STALKER, as described, would be one of the deepest most complex shooters to date. I think they got over their heads. The artists at GSC seemed to have been able to finish their end of things, it looks like its their programmers that are inept. I wouldn't be surprised if THQ just took the game and handed it over to another studio to finish up.

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This just goes to show that making a flashy tech-demo with cool graphics is easy.

Getting a multiplayer deathmatch going in such a tech demo is somewhat challenging, but doable.

Making a full blown game (with AI, missions, objectives and game logic) is the problem. It seems that these Ukrainian guys don't have it in them do pull it off. This game will come out, but it will be something like Firestarter with better tech and bigger levels.

I was surely hoping for something else, but this just proves that the developer team cannot pull it off.

And what they will be doing for the next 12 months? The on site publisher producer will start cutting back features that don't work or are half implemented. They will stabilize what is left and market it like hell, hoping that they get something back on their investment from the people that have been waiting for this game for a long time and will buy it just to see what came out of it.


This comment was edited on Feb 8, 13:34.

Isnt it about time for them to switch engines again?

Q2 -> Unreal -> UT -> Doom3 -> Source

Oh wait wrong game! Or.... is it?

I'm actually pretty sure it will be released eventually. I'm betting GSC is fixing everything on their own dime, and for THQ the only expense is having their full-time manager on site. Once the game is OK-ish, THQ gets at least some of the investment back. If they drop it, they get nothing. It makes no sense for them to just give up, when they can have something for a bit of extra time. THQ has nothing to lose.

Vaporware. Not holding my breath for it being released.

Yeah, 1 year = time & money loss bigtime. Only AA titles can usually get so much extra time.

I mean look - the game is finished but still needs 1 year of develpment??? WTF have they been doin?

I think at some point the publisher is just gonna get tired of all this and ditch the project.

Vaporware. Not holding my breath for it being released.

surely it's a rare event that a developer blames the publisher for holding back a buggy game?

Freespace 2: Lost Souls
http://www.sectorgame.com/aldo/

I like how Oleg subtly pushes the responsibility of the games' release over to THQ. As if THQ, a publisher, has some vested interest in keeping the game from the rest of the world. For a publisher to take a game as oft delayed as STALKER and then announce that its still a year away tells me one thing: This game is FAR from finished.

For once in my life i have to side with the puiblisher here, Using their game "Firestater" as a reference into how they (GSC) do business, its safe to say that GSC seriously lacks leadership

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Agreed. I realy don't care about exciting news concerning games that will one day be in stores. I care about games that are out this month or next month, games I need to save money for now. There is zero chance of this game making any money, why not just can it now and save the embarrasement?

www.positech.co.uk

Well, at least its not as bad as DNF..

I think this will actually be finished someday.

GW: Grad Mcgarth W/N Going to finish game before I start a new character me thinks

Sounds like they never had any real management take charge over there from the get go. But hell, it looked like they had some people leave or something because a few years ago they were readily clicking away with progress, then it just stagnated. Hopefully this is the right shove.

It sounds like they're telling the truth now, for once. The publisher's all pissed off, they sent a full-time producer to sit with them in Kiev, who took over the management from GSC. Now the Ukrainians are just doing what they're told.

Maybe this is the release date they actually won't miss. But yeah, the project's gotta be in a real sorry state if the "beta" needs a year of work. Other developers usually call that pre-alpha.

Im so sick of seeing "news" about this game. I just dont see this game EVER getting released. Its just back and forth propaganda between the Devs and Publishers.

Almost all games need reworking after they reach beta stage, but a further 12 months (at least, and not to mention the previous delays) suggests there are serious problems.

"it will be the publisher that makes the decision, when to optimally release the game." = pass the buck.

Fixes huh? Must have really beem broken.

Ah, so all this time...on fixes! Oh boy, and I thought it'd be something as insignificant as AI, which in any case we haven't seen practically any of.