Warrior

@Outinthedark Um, do you see the name of the case? Schwarzenegger v. EMA? Guess who founded the EMA: yes, Hal Halpin.

@ticklefist You do realize that Obsidian is Black Isle gone independent, right? You know, the creators of the Fallout series and Planescape: Torment? Some of the best RPGs ever made?

The problem here was Sega, which having only recently returned from the dead to publishing video games, did a shoddy job with Alpha Protocol. Hopefully, Obsidian holds the rights so they can go with another, more experienced publisher that actually knows how to run a test department.

@(Unverified) I can't speak to the console versions of Alpha Protocol, but the only issues I've had with the PC version are gameplay-related and none are progression stoppers.

Anyway, gamers tend to not know the history of the companies they bash: under Interplay, Black Isle created the Fallout series, the Icewind Dale series, Planescape Torment, etc. The three guys who formed Troika left long before Interplay murdered the studio, but everyone else moved over to Obsidian.

Obsidian *is* Black Isle. All of Black Isle/Obsidian's PC games, including Alpha Protocol and game expansions, have received scores higher than 7/10. There is a good reason why BioWare, Bethesda Softworks, and other developers/publishers trust them with their IP. Obsidian is one of the finest third-party developers around. Anyone who is "worried" about their involvement with a title is quite simply a fool.

By the way, Alpha Protocol has nearly a dozen different endings and many different ways to get to each one. The game is a lot of fun to replay and there are a lot of players who love the game despite its gameplay issues and minor performance issues. The problems with the game have been blown out of proportion, mostly by gamers who don't realize cross-platform development isn't a cloning process. It should also be said that Sega published Alpha Protocol. Publishers are responsible for QA/software testing. If you really want to blame someone for problems with Alpha Protocol, blame the publisher.

@Faenix Yes, because clearly, having the people who created the Fallout series develop a new Dungeon Siege, whose license is now owned by Square Enix, is a bad thing. I'd be more worried if Gas Powered Games was involved. No, wait, I wouldn't. I'd know what to expect: dialogue and gameplay fit for Uwe Boll.

I'm not one of those gamers who whines about graphics... I watched Epic Mickey demoed at the DIS booth today and the previewer is correct: the low-resolution screenshots effectively hide the fact that antialiasing is not enabled, resulting in highly pixelated graphics.

Personally, I wasn't particularly excited by the gameplay. If you've played games like the Gex series, you've played this before. I did enjoy though the demoer's comment that you can solve conflicts with nonviolent means (e.g., summoning a TV set that turns enemies into couch potatoes.)

I went looking for a transcript or video of Smed's keynote as I was writing this, but I couldn't find anything on the official website or anywhere else. I was hoping Memmio, who first claimed this at KTR, would later provide evidence. He did not. I really wanted Smed to be the originator because I think he's a cool guy, but in retrospect, supporting Memmio's claim for that reason was my mistake.

An anonymous individual claims Smed didn't even attend the Fan Faire in New Orleans. Given that there's no transcript, no video, and no mentions, I'd say that's probably true. I realize I'm just another anonymous poster and thus really don't have any credibility to start. I just regret my lapse in sound judgment. Parroting was completely out-of-character. And I'm sorry if I misled anyone. Or, God help me, strengthened Serek Dmart's case even just a tiny bit.

Directed at me, he wrote: "You clearly have no clue what you're talking about [...] You must have been working for PR in an alternate universe or something. Go ahead, give me your name and tell me the PR firm where you worked. Go ahead."

Being two degrees away from him on LinkedIn, and knowing 10 of the same people, I could get an introduction from one of my colleagues to tell him exactly what I did earlier -- that he is a CEO gone wild and needs to be reined in -- but if he cannot find value in advice or insight without attaching a name, he needs to achieve a major attitudinal shift that I simply do not have the time to facilitate.

As someone who has worked in PR, let me correct a few things...

1. No self-respecting journalist would ever use a quote from a press release as anything other than fluff because press release quotes are almost always manufactured. This is how the process works: the writer develops a quote that communicates a specific message, obtains authorization from the individual who will be cited as the source, and cites that individual as the source of the quote. The purpose of a press release is to acquire coverage in the form of interviews, previews, reviews, etc. Many games-industry outlets print press releases verbatim, which is unprofessional and unethical. It is the responsibility of journalists to seek out direct quotes, to provide that additional coverage without sacrificing the integrity and reputation of their outlets.

2. Derek: Yes, you have to fact-check your press releases. Yes, you have to authorize any quotes to be attributed to you because that's your name and your reputation on the line. Yes, you have to hire reputable PR agencies or professionals and, in doing so, interview them about their past work and review their past work to get a sense of how they operate. Yes, you have to ask questions. Yes, you have to allot PR projects sufficient time for completion so that agencies/professionals are not compelled to take shortcuts. You have to be a manager. You have to be a leader. You should know better.

3. Derek: You need a handler. Appoint someone you trust to counsel you and reign you in. As a CEO, you should not be posting long-winded rants about internal affairs. You should not be bashing your constituents, predecessors, or anyone you fired in public forums. You should not be involved in online shouting matches. While part of the job is to be a punching bag, proactively inviting attacks and controversy is not. There is a proper way to behave as a leader. There is a proper tact that you must take when communicating with stakeholders. Please show restraint and get a grip on your roles in the companies for which you are responsible. You do them a disservice otherwise.

I doubt Derek Smart wrote this press release. It's too short.

This wording seems to be copied from the BioWare 2008 press release, which seems to be copied from Smed's 2004 Fan Faire keynote. The point of contact on the BioWare press release is now the principal at AdVerbum Communications. AdVerbum's slogan? "The right words. To the letter. Every time." LOL. Hopefully, she's not actually self-plagiarizing and this is just a case of flattering imitation. Self-plagiarism is certainly an unethical practice and against the tenets of PRSA.