Jump to navigation

Show Your Working Comments by Kieron Gillen

9 June, 2009

Introversion is outing everything about Darwinia+. Emails, design docs, the lot. Chris Delay explains.

Read entire article.

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total

Poster
Comment Low-scoring comments hidden. Log in to see them!
khaz
09/06/09 @ 06:39
#1
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
More companies need to do this sort of thing.

Its like watching those documentaries on those ads and/or movies where you didn't quite understand how or why they did what they did...like that Honda car ad where all the parts were used to make that insane Rube Goldberg machine. I saw a seven minute documentary on the making of it and it added immeasurably to the enjoyment of that particular piece of creativity.

The feedback game companies could get...especially when a game has sold badly or had a poor reception critically. From the games i've spent time with over the last year for example, I have quite a few questions, comments and observations on Ubisoft Montreal's latest PoP "game". If I had an insight into the development then it would go a long way to explaining its released state.

Oh-Bollox
09/06/09 @ 06:59
#2
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
The lack of a demo hurt Multiwinia severely. Can't remember if they had a single player one or none at all, but they didn't get a multiplayer (which is what Multiwinia's all about) demo up for a month or so, I think.

Fucking gutting developments, altogether.

Hope someone publishes Defcon DS, I'd buy it.
bad09
09/06/09 @ 07:34
#3
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
It's quite clever marketing really. Get people interested in your game by showing them the development of your game. I reckon it's much more effective than a 10 second teaser with no game footage!

I remember following the dev blogs on SSF2THDR, reading about the process/progress made me "connect" (for lack of a better word) with the new game probably more than watching any trailer or ad.

GuyNoir
09/06/09 @ 08:10
#4
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Nice to see they put their brackets in the right/readable place :-)
MyPointIs
09/06/09 @ 08:40
#5
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I think they promise more than they can deliver, I've been just browsing through their emails and there's very little there. All microsoft emails and details aren't there, just a bunch of Introversion -censored- emails. Sligthly dissapointing if you ask me. I think MS 'guidelines' for open development were quite strict (I'm sure the marketing side loved the publicity stunt, but probably the legal branch had a different opinion).

Still, good luck to them. I think what introversion needs the most is some marketing skills. Not to promote what they do (already doing a good job there), but to better choose what they work on (to better understand the market appeal of an idea).

I'm sure a lot of people from the business side of the games industry could've told them that Multiwinia was a commercial suicide, just based on the concept.
Dizzy
09/06/09 @ 09:11
#6
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Will buy! Love to support these guys.
mustardkid
09/06/09 @ 09:12
#7
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
loved darwinia was awesome, and will deffo be buying this
tomdominer
09/06/09 @ 09:58
#8
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
To me, the creative director comes off like a spoilt child.
Tomo
09/06/09 @ 10:10
#9
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Definitely clever marketing. I've just spent the last 40 minutes reading his blog, this interview and other parts of the site.

I'm almost sympathetic to buy a copy.

That said, I've never really got on with the Darwinia games. They're quite fun but just not hooked me. I'll give Darwinia+ another go though. Defcon DS would be totally awesomesauce though.
dingo75
09/06/09 @ 10:44
#10
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I bought "Uplink" when it was still sent from their homes on burnt cds and they merely had a forum as "official place".
I also bought "Darwinia" asap but even to me "Multiwinia" seemed like a quick cash-in.
Additionally the whining that gamers HAVE to buy indie to allow them to live was hitting the wrong notes imo.
I will not buy shit even if it's indie. Indie can't be an excuse for rubbish.
"Defcon" was not meaty enough as well so I waited for a Steam sale to pick it up.

Seems they are back on track and I'm looking forward to new good games from them.
patchbox360
09/06/09 @ 10:56
#11
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
already own multiwinia
patchbox360
09/06/09 @ 10:56
#12
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
already own multiwinia
ChthonicEcho
09/06/09 @ 13:03
#13
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Hm, not the first time I see this expression. What does 'showing your working' mean?
dirk_aircool
09/06/09 @ 13:58
#14
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I cant wait . wanted to play it on Pc but never found it , ( could have made more effort ) . It looks different and interesting . I will give it a go .
cragtek
09/06/09 @ 14:23
#15
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
>> Hm, not the first time I see this expression. What does 'showing your working' mean?

@ChthonicEcho

It means display evidence of how you arrived at your answer. Quite often you see it on exam papers. For example - What is the area of this triangle? Show your working.

ChthonicEcho
09/06/09 @ 14:52
#16
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Ah, thanks a lot.
dr_swin
09/06/09 @ 15:04
#17
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
darwinia was such a beautiful game.
Bremenacht
09/06/09 @ 17:57
#18
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I wonder what they imagined for a Venn diagram for Defcon sales on DS. I just cannot imagine a boxed, retail version of Defcon selling well at £25. A DSi download at the right price - maybe.
SuperBas
09/06/09 @ 20:42
#19
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
What really hurt Multiwinia is that you could never fucking connect to any game, no mather how many fucking ports you opened. If you can't play get online working decently as a developer, the game falls flat on its ass. Multiwinia deservedly flopped.
cragtek
10/06/09 @ 07:52
#20
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@Bremenacht

Defcon's best suited to DSi download IMO also. Only question is: are there limitations on the filesize on DSi? That could pose a bit of a roadblock.
Ghost5786
10/06/09 @ 09:18
#21
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
The last really good game Introversion made was Darwinia, and before that it was Uplink. Defcon and Multiwinia both were far too simple for my liking and never really evolved as you played. It kind of makes me think that they should stick to what they're best at: single player experiences.

Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Advertisement

X View gallery