Spring-Loaded
Member
Here, "scummy" doesn't have to mean "objectively illegal." This thread's for awful practices that don't necessarily break break contracts or laws. I only hear about this stuff when it's related to projects I'm interested in, so please share examples.
Bethesda's handling of the original version of Prey 2 and HumanHead counts as scummy. GAF thread about HH developer claiming Bethesda lied about Prey 2. Things start to get interesting around post #71 and Jason Schreier can't confirm the user n8rtot's posts, but says they match up with what he's heard in the past. kotaku would later report on the issue: Kotaku - leaked emails suggest Bethesda lied about Prey 2's development.
I should mention it here rather than link to it: (supposedly...) Bethesda's contract with HH required they meet progress milestones. Some HH people said development was progressing fine, yet Bethesda arbitrarily rejected what they had done so far and threatened to cancel development unless HH let themselves be bought by Bethesda, essentially holding their work on Prey 2 hostage. HH refused and Bethesda would go on to report that development wasn't meeting their quality standards (lol). Rumors would arise that Arkane (Dishonored) would be taking over the project and Bethesda reported that those rumors weren't true. Later, it would be revealed that Arkane was in fact starting over from scratch to work on Prey 2.
I feel especially bad since I impulse bought Wolfenstein for me and another person despite hearing all of this ¯\_(ツ_/¯
Bethesda's handling of the original version of Prey 2 and HumanHead counts as scummy. GAF thread about HH developer claiming Bethesda lied about Prey 2. Things start to get interesting around post #71 and Jason Schreier can't confirm the user n8rtot's posts, but says they match up with what he's heard in the past. kotaku would later report on the issue: Kotaku - leaked emails suggest Bethesda lied about Prey 2's development.
I should mention it here rather than link to it: (supposedly...) Bethesda's contract with HH required they meet progress milestones. Some HH people said development was progressing fine, yet Bethesda arbitrarily rejected what they had done so far and threatened to cancel development unless HH let themselves be bought by Bethesda, essentially holding their work on Prey 2 hostage. HH refused and Bethesda would go on to report that development wasn't meeting their quality standards (lol). Rumors would arise that Arkane (Dishonored) would be taking over the project and Bethesda reported that those rumors weren't true. Later, it would be revealed that Arkane was in fact starting over from scratch to work on Prey 2.
I feel especially bad since I impulse bought Wolfenstein for me and another person despite hearing all of this ¯\_(ツ_/¯