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I had to look up from my debugger to bring some breaking Star Citizen news.
First, the talent exodus continues as even more big names make their exit.
One of them, Ben Parry, is a name you probably recognize because he blatantly LIED about the 2016 Lumberyard engine switch.
First, the talent exodus continues as even more big names make their exit.
One of them, Ben Parry, is a name you probably recognize because he blatantly LIED about the 2016 Lumberyard engine switch.
In 2016, merely months after I had reported that they were doing an engine switch, Ben and I got into a heated exchange after I challenged him that no such switch had taken place because I had reverse engineered that Star Citizen build in question and was able to prove it.
This engine "switch" appeared out of nowhere in a build without any prior notice or announcement. Chris was lying, and so were Ben and everyone on the project.
I wrote a whole blog about it in Dec 2016, complete with illustrations from Ben. http://dereksmart.com/2016/12/star-citizen-irreconcilable-differences/
I wrote a whole blog about it in Dec 2016, complete with illustrations from Ben. http://dereksmart.com/2016/12/star-citizen-irreconcilable-differences/
In fact, it wasn't until the Crytek lawsuit's conclusion earlier this year that the truth was finally unveiled; in that they NEVER did an engine switch. They had done a "license" switch in a bid to avoid paying Crytek royalties as Crytek had claimed. https://twitter.com/dsmart/status/1213945643158450176
Like others who have exited since this Summer, with Ben and others following this month, they collectively average 6.3 yrs of working on a project and never shipping a single one of them. The project is now 9 years in dev at a cost of over $420 million. https://twitter.com/klumaster/status/1296816300581425152?s=20
Sources are also saying that SQ42, the single player component to Star Citizen, has been pushed to 2021 and that not a SINGLE version (alpha, beta, whatever) is likely to see a 2020 launch.
Remember that $46m investor bailout for the 2020 launch? https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/20/star-citizen-creator-cloud-imperium-games-raised-46-million-to-launch-big-game-in-2020/
Remember that $46m investor bailout for the 2020 launch? https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/20/star-citizen-creator-cloud-imperium-games-raised-46-million-to-launch-big-game-in-2020/
That was another event that transpired in the Summer of 2018, and CIG kept it quiet until Dec 2018 when it was announced. And their financials released at the same time showed that the project was **insolvent** at the time of that investment. http://dereksmart.com/2018/12/star-citizen-a-new-dawn/
Oh, and they raised another $17.25 million earlier this year following the settlement with Crytek.
And that's how we now arrive at $420 million - that we the backers know (the US financials aren't public like in the UK) of thus far.
https://cloudimperiumgames.com/blog/corporate/cloud-imperium-additional-investment-from-existing-investors
And that's how we now arrive at $420 million - that we the backers know (the US financials aren't public like in the UK) of thus far.
https://cloudimperiumgames.com/blog/corporate/cloud-imperium-additional-investment-from-existing-investors
While everyone is wondering what's going on with Chris, Erin (his brother) and Sandi (apparently his ex-wife now), who have basically disappeared from the scene this past year, we're hearing that there's some kind of investigation going on - but everyone's keeping mum about it.
And it's so bad that even on the game's official forum, ALL threads asking about the disappearance of these people are DELETED and some people are getting banned. There are numerous threads about this on Reddit now.
On the official forums, the mods who are deleting threads and warning people, are being told that they're spreading FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) while pointing backers to this forum rule as justification for the deletions.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/1/thread/website-rules-standard-of-conduct
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/1/thread/website-rules-standard-of-conduct
In another hilarious twist, there was a recent developer video discussing the "challenges" of the multiplayer in the game. And once again, they proved me right about the fact that they were never - ever - going to make an MMO out of this shit-show without starting from scratch.
FF to @ 14:42 and listen to what Clive is saying.#t=882s
It will sound like a lot of gibberish to mere mortals; but what he's basically saying is that they have NOT started working on the much-touted server side object container streaming. Which should come as no surprise seeing as it had disappeared from the roadmap overnight.
According to Clive, without it, they can't do server interconnects (it's like 1990 all over again) which would allow them to create the game's world (currently 1 system out of the promised 106. lmao)
I wrote about this in 2017. Search for "clive" there. http://dereksmart.com/forums/reply/6078/
I wrote about this in 2017. Search for "clive" there. http://dereksmart.com/forums/reply/6078/
So we've come full circle, even as the top guys are all leaving the sinking ship and moving on.
Once again, I'm saying it. They're never - ever - making an MMO out of this. They neither have the engine, nor the tools or talent to do it. And they're run out of time & rope.
Once again, I'm saying it. They're never - ever - making an MMO out of this. They neither have the engine, nor the tools or talent to do it. And they're run out of time & rope.
This is a very sad turn of events because regardless of my incessant accountability (a backer has to do it), I had no idea that we would be having this discussion in 2020 - five years after I said they'd destroyed the project with increased scope and an inadequate engine.
Even back when Kotaku et al were writing alarming articles (they wrote a 5 part series) while being skeptical and sitting on the fence as if there was any hope, none of us had a clue we'd still be here. http://www.kotaku.co.uk/tag/inside-star-citizen/
When @mattryanperez wrote this explosive article for the May 2019 (!) issue of Forbes mag, like all before him, the "faithful" descended to decry the article. Here we are. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/05/01/exclusive-the-saga-of-star-citizen-a-video-game-that-raised-300-millionbut-may-never-be-ready-to-play/#3d3b44a65ac9
As long as there are backers still pouring money into this project, they have ZERO incentive to "finish" it because once they do, the money spigot ends - and it gets judged based on it's [gameplay] merits, not it's money making abilities.
The only people who have gained from this are Chris and his friends and family who have routinely extracted financial wealth from the project, even as they keep coming up with new and inventive ways to plug the financial holes they themselves created through unjust enrichment.
At this point, I don't even write blogs anymore because it's just pointless seeing as they've already proven everything I ever gripped about and was derided over by the "faithful".
I regret ever backing this.
All I'm waiting for now is the next penny to drop. And it's looming.
I regret ever backing this.
All I'm waiting for now is the next penny to drop. And it's looming.
I forgot to link one of the Reddit threads which I mentioned in this thread.
https://old.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/comments/iicogw/just_followed_another_thread_about_cr/
https://old.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/comments/iicogw/just_followed_another_thread_about_cr/
