John Romero made a lot of people mad. Several years ago he was on top of the world. He left id with much fanfare,
and started up his own development house. He was working on a game that would change the world — Daikatana. Sexy
screenshots were done up and circulated. For three long years, they were circulated…and circulated. When a tech demo
was finally released, it was remarkable for its blandness. When the game was released, it was remarkable for its
blandness. It wasn't awful. In fact, it was playable. But it was disappointing. Romero took the fall, and now he throws
in his two cents about what happened. He makes some good points, but, for the most part, you have to wonder if he
understands the reasons behind the mess he found himself in. In a nutshell, he willingly allowed himself to be put on a
pedestal. And we know why the press (and fans, for that matter) like to put people on pedestals, right? To knock them
the hell off. The lesson to be learned is one that Carmack and other developers understand — make games, don't try to
outshine them. It looks like this Daikatana page is the first chapter in an ongoing series on Romero's site.
The link includes the Daikatana alpha, in all its glory. It's a nice offering for fans of the game. And the man.
[Thanks Waxy!]
