Mama Robotnik
Member
I imagine most Gaffers might not recognise the nane Ezra Driesbach, or indeed Lobotomy Software, so here is the context: Over two generations ago, the Sony Playstation had already set up its place as market leader, and the sales of the Saturn were slowly dropping. Despite third-parties bailing out, the Saturn had a group of elite, exceptional titles that mastered the tricky hardware to make magic.
Most of these titles were of Japan, but some gold came from the west: Lobotomy Software, an American developer, released Exhumed (EU)/Powerslave (US), a wonderful first-person adventure with inventive weapons, a non-linear overworld, innovative level-design ahead of many of its peers, all wrapped in an Ancient Egypt-mythos. As well as being engaging and challenging, the game also was a techical marvel, boasting a number of effects that most Saturn developers simply dismissed: real-time coloured light sources; transparencies; streaming levels. The game was released to rave reviews.
The release impressed industry figures and earned Lobotomy the rights to port Quake and Duke Nukem 3D to the system. Though mocked as being impossible at the time (the Playstation to this day still doesn't have a version of Quake), Lobotomy not only matched expectations but exceeded them. The Saturn ports of these games would include effects not present in the PC original (more real-time coloured lighting, from torches to moving projectiles; and transparency application). The titles were released to more high acclaim, massively outscoring in reviews their Playstation and N64 counterparts.
In contrast, a sampling of other Saturn developers feeble efforts of the time, courtesy of Mr Gertsmann.
Unfortunately, Lobotomy broke up shortly after Duke and Quake were released, though many Saturn fans are grateful that they left us a parting gift that would live on through the ages. Its been a decade since this drama, and I've always wanted to know more about the contexts and details. Eurogamer has just put up a new interview with the developer, which reveals some remarkable insight.
(Interestingly, the interviewer (and semi-regular Eurogamer writer) is a man called Richard Leadbetter, who over a decade ago was Chief Editor of the Official Sega Saturn Magazine, a damn fine publication that went above-and-beyond in championing the Saturn's good games when Sega's marketing and planning was worse than useless. It gives the interview more significance, I think.)
I found this interview to be a fascinating insight into a different era. Modding their own game to release Duke and Quake to the system sounds an inventive, if time-hungry process. It's interesting that he compares the Saturn's complex multi-cpu programming difficulties with those of the Playstation 3. I was also unaware that other developers had attempted to port the two games before Lobotomy applied their approach.
Note - later ports of Exhumed/Powerslave to the Playstation and PC would, in my opinion, greatly dumb down the experience. If you played these versions and wonder why they don't match my positive description, well, there were some quite substantial changes.
Most of these titles were of Japan, but some gold came from the west: Lobotomy Software, an American developer, released Exhumed (EU)/Powerslave (US), a wonderful first-person adventure with inventive weapons, a non-linear overworld, innovative level-design ahead of many of its peers, all wrapped in an Ancient Egypt-mythos. As well as being engaging and challenging, the game also was a techical marvel, boasting a number of effects that most Saturn developers simply dismissed: real-time coloured light sources; transparencies; streaming levels. The game was released to rave reviews.
The release impressed industry figures and earned Lobotomy the rights to port Quake and Duke Nukem 3D to the system. Though mocked as being impossible at the time (the Playstation to this day still doesn't have a version of Quake), Lobotomy not only matched expectations but exceeded them. The Saturn ports of these games would include effects not present in the PC original (more real-time coloured lighting, from torches to moving projectiles; and transparency application). The titles were released to more high acclaim, massively outscoring in reviews their Playstation and N64 counterparts.
In contrast, a sampling of other Saturn developers feeble efforts of the time, courtesy of Mr Gertsmann.
Unfortunately, Lobotomy broke up shortly after Duke and Quake were released, though many Saturn fans are grateful that they left us a parting gift that would live on through the ages. Its been a decade since this drama, and I've always wanted to know more about the contexts and details. Eurogamer has just put up a new interview with the developer, which reveals some remarkable insight.
(Interestingly, the interviewer (and semi-regular Eurogamer writer) is a man called Richard Leadbetter, who over a decade ago was Chief Editor of the Official Sega Saturn Magazine, a damn fine publication that went above-and-beyond in championing the Saturn's good games when Sega's marketing and planning was worse than useless. It gives the interview more significance, I think.)
I found this interview to be a fascinating insight into a different era. Modding their own game to release Duke and Quake to the system sounds an inventive, if time-hungry process. It's interesting that he compares the Saturn's complex multi-cpu programming difficulties with those of the Playstation 3. I was also unaware that other developers had attempted to port the two games before Lobotomy applied their approach.
Note - later ports of Exhumed/Powerslave to the Playstation and PC would, in my opinion, greatly dumb down the experience. If you played these versions and wonder why they don't match my positive description, well, there were some quite substantial changes.
