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Rime interview: Tequila Works CEO discusses troubled development and split from Sony

P

Poetic.Injustice

Member
IBTimes UK: How did Tequila Works and Rime arrive at where we are today? What happened with Sony?

Raúl: When we started Rime, we wanted to create something very personal. We wanted something very evocative in the sense that we wanted to make the player feel like a kid. It's about this feeling of being in this world that feels new to you, of not being aware of the rules and how you have to learn that sometimes you are not aware of the dangers lying in the world. The development of Rime has been an extrapolation of that.

We started in 2013 and we had a very clear idea of what the vision was. When we started adding more content and people started to play more and more, the thing is that we thought that the game should be one thing and we shouldn't compromise on that vision. I think it was late 2015, we had this opportunity to take back the IP rights for Rime and we thought that this was the best decision.

The reason we haven't shown anything in two years is a very practical one. We announced the game after working on it for a few months. We haven't shown anything in two years because it was probably too early. We shouldn't have shown the trailer at Gamescom 2013.

I can understand why people say like, 'Oh, the game is alive? That's nice.' I think for us as developers, we are always willing to show what we are working on and where we are, but this game is so personal that maybe, and this is what we are doing now, we are only going to allow people to play the game when it's fully ready. We have no bulls**t excuse of 'Oh, it's a work in progress, don't worry, it will look better.'
Click to expand...
How did that first meeting with Six Foot and Grey Box go?

Raúl: Basically we had the very long presentation ready, then 30 seconds into the presentation, they said: 'Stop, let me play the game.' And they played the game, and I think it spoke for itself. That's why we liked them as partners. They don't behave like a classic publisher where you feel like you are on a different level. They are always trying to help us to push that vision. Again, remember, this is a personal project. It's something that we really think it needs to be one thing – it's not Shadow of the Colossus, it's not the Windwaker, it's not The Last Guardian, it's Rime.

One thing that we are really thankful for is that Grey Box didn't try to make us change the game to be something that was a travesty in all honesty.

Did Sony want changes?

Raúl: I cannot elaborate on that. It's something more about our relationship with Six Foot. It was more a general comment on how publishers sometimes get involved on creative decisions and sometimes they don't. Six Foot and Grey Box are not that way. They give feedback, but they understand what the vision is. They won't be like, 'Oh, you know, when I was a kid, my backyard, we played with a rocket launcher. Could you add a rocket launcher to the game?' It doesn't work like that. It's more like, 'Okay, how can we help you to shape and build a world that feels really unique?' That's the only thing.
Click to expand...

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rime-inter...usses-troubled-development-split-sony-1577620
 
M

Moskalova

Member
The reason we haven't shown anything in two years is a very practical one. We announced the game after working on it for a few months. We haven't shown anything in two years because it was probably too early. We shouldn't have shown the trailer at Gamescom 2013.
Click to expand...

This guys... lol.
 
Y

Yurikerr

This post isn't by me, it's by a guy with the same username as me.
Well, that's a lot of words to say nothing at the end.

So, what happened between them and Sony? He says that they added a lot of content and people played the game, so why not show anything?
 
Y

Yurikerr

This post isn't by me, it's by a guy with the same username as me.
Cheat Code said:
Rumours were that they basically did fuck all for two years. Cant remember if they were ever confirmed though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's probably the truth.

How can you "work" on something for 2 years and still have nothing worth showing?

Now I'm really interested in knowing what's this great vision for the game that they have.
 
BigEmil

BigEmil

Junior Member
They had nothing to show for 2 years straight? And Sony just happily gave them wads of money "funding" all this time?
 
AmuroChan

AmuroChan

Member
Sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. Your game is so personal and special that only a publisher no one has heard of would publish it? Alright then...
 
sublimit

sublimit

Banned
So they are basically implying that Sony forced them to make changes and they didn't want to.Strange, i always though that Sony gave a lot of creative freedom to small projects like this.
 
J

jbug617

Banned
sublimit said:
So they are basically implying that Sony forced them to make changes and they didn't want to.Strange, i always though that Sony gave a lot of creative freedom to small projects like this.
Click to expand...

probably different since Sony was funding the game.
 
R

rhandino

Banned
The rumour that the game was dropped because it was not fun to play is more credible with that rocket launcher line, lmfao.

A mess, a kii, a cackle.
 
C

Callibretto

Member
It's hard to believe that Sony is the wrong one in this situation since I always got the impression that Sony is actually one of the more lenient publisher to work with in term of giving developer their freedom to make games...
 
F

Fury451

Banned
sublimit said:
So they are basically implying that Sony forced them to make changes and they didn't want to.Strange, i always though that Sony gave a lot of creative freedom to small projects like this.
Click to expand...

I don't know how quick I am to believe that, they fund quite a few smaller projects and don't seem to interfere much.

With the peculiar state that some of their games have released in lately, particularly smaller budget ones, I almost wonder if more interference and oversight might be a positive thing, which is certainly not something I would expect to advocate for.
 
2

2thepoint

Junior Member
Poetic.Injustice said:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rime-inter...usses-troubled-development-split-sony-1577620
Click to expand...

giphy.gif
 
Cardon

Cardon

Member
Yeah that sounds like a bit of a crock. Like even now after this new partnership reveal they haven't even bothered to show anything, not even an in-game still as a tease, and the official Rime site is simply saying stuff will be unveiled in 2017.

I'm all for smaller teams taking their time with a potential passion project but this whole Rime saga is shaping up to be quite a farce.
 
N

NickatNite

Member
jacks81x said:
Sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. Your game is so personal and special that only a publisher no one has heard of would publish it? Alright then...
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly when this news came out a few weeks ago.


How did that first meeting with Six Foot and Grey Box go?

Raúl: Basically we had the very long presentation ready, then 30 seconds into the presentation, they said: 'Stop, let me play the game.'
Click to expand...

probably cause they didn't want to be bullshitted to
 
S

Shogmaster

Member
Living in LA and having friends in Sony Santa Monica means LOTS of crazy stories I can't share. But the long and short of it is, Sony SM is a money pit. Crazy amounts of money wasted on daily basis on stupid decisions.
 
rackham

rackham

Banned
Rumors seem more believable. I still want to play the game though. Hopefully it's not papo y yo where it looked and played very low budget.
 
D

Deleted member 465307

Unconfirmed Member
They won't be like, 'Oh, you know, when I was a kid, my backyard, we played with a rocket launcher. Could you add a rocket launcher to the game?'
Click to expand...

That example quote is so random. What kid would have access to a rocket launcher in their backyard? Where would that person have to grow up and who would their parents have to be? Unless they were talking about one of those air pump ones...
 
L

Lady Siara

Member
This game is cursed, though whether that's due to unfortunate outside circumstances or personal mismanagement is anyone's guess.

I hope it works out but I'm expecting the worst.
 
N

NickatNite

Member
sublimit said:
So they are basically implying that Sony forced them to make changes and they didn't want to.Strange, i always though that Sony gave a lot of creative freedom to small projects like this.
Click to expand...

I'm sure Sony forward different ideas to them, but that rocket luncher quote seems to be just an example and not what Sony pushed for.
 
P

ps3ud0

Member
Wasnt what they showed off originally actually a video and not even real in-game captured footage? Or am I thinking of another game?

ps3ud0 8)
 
Y

Yurikerr

This post isn't by me, it's by a guy with the same username as me.
Shogmaster said:
Living in LA and having friends in Sony Santa Monica means LOTS of crazy stories I can't share. But the long and short of it is, Sony SM is a money pit. Crazy amounts of money wasted on daily basis on stupid decisions.
Click to expand...

But what does it have to do with the Rime situation?

Are you saying that Sony likes to burn through cash with projects that go nowhere? Or are the decisions stupid because of something else?
 
C

Callibretto

Member
Shogmaster said:
Living in LA and having friends in Sony Santa Monica means LOTS of crazy stories I can't share. But the long and short of it is, Sony SM is a money pit. Crazy amounts of money wasted on daily basis on stupid decisions.
Click to expand...

as in they give too much freedom to the developer they're working with, or that they interfere with developer too much?
 
T

TrojanBlade

Member
Sony is usually very supportive of devs especially when they are the publishers. Looked like they goofed up. Is it multiplatform now?
 
P

Pennywise

Member
ps3ud0 said:
Wasnt what they showed off originally actually a video and not even real in-game captured footage? Or am I thinking of another game?

ps3ud0 8)
Click to expand...
It was a video and nothing more, they basically only created a video.

Shogmaster said:
Living in LA and having friends in Sony Santa Monica means LOTS of crazy stories I can't share. But the long and short of it is, Sony SM is a money pit. Crazy amounts of money wasted on daily basis on stupid decisions.
Click to expand...
Good thing you told us about it.

Lime said:
Remember that this dude was really bad towards his employees during his time at the Castlevania developer.
Click to expand...
Yep.
Proper delusional person, and I'm stunned that someone actually funded him or continues to do so, even if the initial promise or and positive attitude towards the first trailer was good.
 
L

Lime

Member
Delaney said:
Excuse me, I'm half asleep and might not see the connection besides the art direction guy leaving Mercurysteam and joining Tequila, but what does Enric Alvarez has to do with Rime, exactly?
Click to expand...

Whoops, looks like I thought Vaello was responsible for the mishaps at Mercury Steam.

One surprising detail was that the Art Director who worked on the original title, José Luis Vaello, resigned from MercurySteam sometime in the middle of development, moving to Tequila Works to work on its upcoming title Rime. This resignation was apparently not amicable, as the reasons behind his departure were due to conflicts internally.
Click to expand...

https://www.destructoid.com/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-s-development-was-troubled-271310.phtml
 
S

Shogmaster

Member
Callibretto said:
as in they give too much freedom to the developer they're working with, or that they interfere with developer too much?
Click to expand...

Often times, both. On some projects like The Order, the dev get away with tons basically robs Sony blind. And in other still in development games, Sony crushes the game by mismanagement.
 
D

dracula_x

Member
Shogmaster said:
Living in LA and having friends in Sony Santa Monica means LOTS of crazy stories I can't share. But the long and short of it is, Sony SM is a money pit. Crazy amounts of money wasted on daily basis on stupid decisions.
Click to expand...

Sony Santa Monica has nothing to do with Rime. It was Sony XDev Europe project.
 
T

ThisOne

Member
Weren't there rumors that the game was basically a tower defense game and not something similar to Ico like people were hoping?
 
D

dracula_x

Member
statham said:
Come to XBO, I will buy. Seems like a adventure game game which is instabuy for me.
Click to expand...

"adventure game"? :) I thought it was tower defense/MOBA

HStallion said:
This game has had some serious issues for a while now from the few things we've heard. I mean everyone was expecting some kind of Shadow of the Colossus/Ico style adventure game but last time I heard about this game it was a MOBA and they were actually scrapping that idea since it was not working out at all. This was only a few months ago if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...
 
D

David___

Banned
ThisOne said:
Weren't there rumors that the game was basically a tower defense game and not something similar to Ico like people were hoping?
Click to expand...
Pretty sure the tower defense thing was what TW showed MS before they rejected it, unless something else was said when Sony was publishing it.
 
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