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[Bedlam]

Just confirms my thinking that LoS is just not castlevania

This doesn't confirm anything like that but okay.

 

[Neper]

I had the chance to interview him a couple of years ago after the release of LoS1, and I'm glad to see that I was not wrong about how he really is. During the interview he was...well, OK, but I remember that after we finished it, a friend of mine approached and I told to Enric 'hey, can we contact you through e-mail or something? My friend here has a prototype for a game and would love to share it with you'. He laughed and walked away.

Unbelievable.

 

[Neper]

So here's the first statement from Álvarez on the topic:

https://twitter.com/Enric_Alvarez/status/439658992621875200

He's obviously not saying much, nor trying to elaborate on his side of the story (not that Twitter is the best place for that anyway).

 

[Kazdane]

I'm a little bit confused about this part.
I know that Tequila Works is composed of ex-Blizzard, sony and mercurysteam members. Is this saying that the LoS art director went to Tequila or Enric came from Tequila?

It's just poorly translated. The original Spanish text says:

La dirección de arte en este proyecto ha sido errática y descabezada. Trás desoir las ideas del director de arte del anterior proyecto, este decidió marcharse. Fué una lucha de egos por parte de Enric Álvarez, que ya viene desde lo tiempos de Rebel Act. Actualmente trabaja en Tequila, desarrollando Ryme.

Which translates into:
"Art direction on this project has been erratic and nonsensical. After ignoring the suggestions from the Art Director of our previous project, he (the Art Director) decided to resign. It was a battle of egos by Enric Álvarez, which started back during the times of Rebel Act. He (the Art Director, again) is now working at Tequila, developing Ryme."

 

[Neper]

Well, the translation was updated and now reads as follows:

[...] After Enric dismissed every idea and core decission from our main art director for the previous projects, he decided to just leave. It was a battle of egos unleashed by Enric (something that he has carried over with since his times in Rebel Act). Our now former art director is still working in Madrid, now with the Tequila guys making RIME.

Maybe it's not perfect, but at least now is easier to understand ^^

 

[Kazdane]

Yeah, that's definitely a much better translation. I've read already the original Spanish text in Meri, and I wasn't aware the English translation had been updated.

 

[Neper]

Yeah, that's definitely a much better translation. I've read already the original Spanish text in Meri, and I wasn't aware the English translation had been updated.

Well then, in case you don't know, the story has been expanded by VaDeJuegos. They made an interview with someone from the studio:

http://www.vadejuegos.com/noticias/desvelamos-los-problemas-de-desarrollo-de-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-20140228.html

And one of this thread's translations (yep, spamming) is here

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=102649259&postcount=287

 

[Crub]

So here's the first statement from Álvarez on the topic:

https://twitter.com/Enric_Alvarez/status/439658992621875200

He's obviously not saying much, nor trying to elaborate on his side of the story (not that Twitter is the best place for that anyway).

He does kind of sound like an asshole. To me it makes the story more believable.

 

[Lime]

I don't get why such a big deal is being made about this one instance, though.

Because the people who produce games are being mistreated and work under poor conditions? The games industry have a huge problem with worker rights and it takes a toll on the people who create these things that we consume. Suddenly, veterans, people with families, etc. are shunned and ostracised by the industry, because of the terrible status quo.

 

[Neper]

EDIT: Whoops, never mind.

 

[Neper]

Aaaand even more info is rising. Another MercurySteam worker has made a statement in VaDeJuegos (I've made a very quick translation, please excuse me for any mistakes you may find):

I would like to say something to all this people who is demanding the source to reveal its identity. If you knew just a little about how the games industry works (particularly in Spain), you would remain anonymous as well. At least, if you ever want to work in the industry again. So I completely understand that as mere employees (should I remind everyone what's the situation in Spain?) they don't want to reveal their identity. I can also confirm you that most of what's been said is exactly how everything works in MS.

I would like to add that the end product looks spectacular to me, you can feel all the passion and effort that everyone has put into it, however on the management side this development has been a complete mess. But you're not going to find someone who's willing to tell this publicly or even in a private conversation because, as I said, this is a veeery small industry, and life's just not that easy. There's a large witch-hunt at this moment in search for the moles that revealed the situation, and that will only turn in even more firings and being blacklisted not to work in the industry here, well, forever. There has been a large reduction in our workforce lately.

So please show a little respect for those who are risking their asses for what some of you think is just resentment to our boss.

Man, this just keeps getting darker and darker.

 

[Durante]

Ok, this is a bit of a long shot, but I do work with someone from Spain who knows someone who worked for Mercury Steam, and the conditions I read about here come as no surprise to me.

 

[Risk Breaker]

Ok, this is a bit of a long shot, but I do work with someone from Spain who knows someone who worked for Mercury Steam, and the conditions I read about here come as no surprise to me.

I also know someone that worked there in the past (years ago) and well, even though I think there's a bit of hyperbole as always, it's not that much of a surprise either.

 

[nOoblet16]

Why people keep banging this drum?
MGS3, MGS4 and Peace Walker all have regen health.

Short memories people have.

They work very different and the requirement are strict, like having to be still, lie down, high psyche, no alert mode etc. MGS3 didn't have any system that fully regenerated health as far as I remember.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Jeez

 

[Riposte]

Haha, this guy sounds like quite the character.

 

[TGO]

"You have to be blind or stupid to give it a 4/10 for a game of this quality." - Alverez

Currently playing it now and I agree, CVLOS2 is 7-8/10 minimum
4/10 is a joke on the reviewer.
Glad to see they like the idea of doing Silent Hill, perhaps they can breathe life back into another franchise that has gone to shit like they did with CV

 

[Jedi2016]

Aside from personal and management issues, it sounds like such a studio would also be a money sink. High turnover, money being spent on things that aren't even being used (art, etc). I wonder how many AAA developers that are complaining about increased costs are running businesses like this, with huge amounts of money just being flushed down the toilet?

 

[Augemitbutter]

can't believe they kicked the art director out like that. his art was the best thing about this monstrosity.

Konami requested all those "non Castlevania things". Remember that mercurySteam were chosen by pitching a remake of Castlevania 1, and that Konami explicitly told Araujo to get away from the old Castlevania music because it was too "feminine".

that's all you need to know about konami's downfall. kojima is the last bastion.

 

[RSLAEV]

Sorry but this is not a good way to start here.
You should be verified by mods before throw shit.

wtf who the heck are you to tell someone this?

I can understand some healthy skepticism but it's disappointing to see posters so eager to make this non-news. I guess everyone that works in games should shut up about bad management because working in games is "hard"

Get the news stories out there so the egomaniacs that ruin these studios don't get hired to ruin games. Then maybe someone with talent and proper management skills can step into the role and make something good without grinding their team into the dirt.

 

[Maedhros]

Currently playing it now and I agree, CVLOS2 is 7-8/10 minimum
4/10 is a joke on the reviewer.
Glad to see they like the idea of doing Silent Hill, perhaps they can breathe life back into another franchise that has gone to shit like they did with CV

I agree that 4/10 is a too low. 6~8/10 is more in the line for this game (7/10 for me, I'll review it later on the OT).

Glad to see MS away from this franchise now that this shit is on the wild.

 

[Ray.Steam]

MercurySteam gets the franchise from konami for one principal reason, BUDGET. All developers in spain knows than MS offers a tight budget for make the projects. It has consecuences obviously... if you are paying per months a medium range salary 1600€ , then you are being converted a "chinese" development team in europe. You cannot make a AAA with a chinese mentality, and obviously sell to everybody than you are making an extraordinary development and all people is happy inside.