The Fuzz damn you!
Gold Member
Yes, unlike
Hendrick's
, I am quoting myself intentionally.That “that said” said… Looking Glass would be an absolute powerhouse of a studio today.
Just imagine it.
System Shock and Thief would be their two big, tent-pole sellers, of course, and they would release on a 3-5 year cadence, alternating between the two. We’d get one of each per generation. Each release would be revered, chart-topping classics. Somehow, they would reinvent their worlds, their characters, their gameplay systems, staying true to their roots yet expanding them in new directions just novel enough to recapture the interest of the masses.
Naturally, they’d get acquired. Maybe Sony, maybe Microsoft - they seem like a better fit for the latter, but maybe Sony wants to fill a hole in their slate. Whatever the case, it wouldn’t go down well with the fans. They release their next game, and twitter is awash with death threats amidst cries of treachery and betrayal. Whichever “side” they went with would, of course, defend their integrity, but dev morale would be at a low. They worked, for years, with neither rest nor sustenance, for the good of the fans, but they, like Brutus, could not help but see how fickle the mod could be.
Emails would emerge, and unnamed ex-employee sources would confirm, claiming a toxic workplace. Ken Levine would be spoken of as a tyrant and a dictator and a ruthless critic of anyone who would go against his wishes. They would claim that his demands were vague and his expectations draconian, fuelled by late-night cocaine benders and early morning meth-driven “motivational speeches.” He would deny the accusations, but the denial would only serve as proof of his guilt, even if the absence of evidence.
Their game would release, with the controversy dampening both scores and sales. It would receive an 77 on Metacritic. Many publications would stand by them, but fans would claim the gaming media is biased, the score undeserved. Deep down, they would know that the undeserved 10s outweigh the undeserved 5s, but they wouldn’t care - it is easier to howl than to think. Their detractors would claim, just as loudly, that the gaming media is biased, that they refuse to defend the hard-working developers against the tyrannical Ken Levine, but they, too, would refuse to acknowledge that the undeserved 3s outweighs the undeserved 9s.
Ken would step down, and the world would no longer know of his existence.
Looking Glass would continue, but they would be scaled back. Their next project, it would be announced, would be smaller, more focused, driven by a desire to explore the boundaries of story-telling within the modern gaming medium. At Sony, this would mean a Thief VR game. At Microsoft, a “Cloud-enhanced System Shock Experience.” Upon release, the game would feature 3-4 hours of gameplay either way… but the technical merit and gameplay innovations would be undeniable. Small in scale, but proof of drive and passion and talent. “Looking Glass is Back!” the headlines would scream.
Demand for a new full game would rise. The memory of the unsavoury past would be dimmed.
Amidst the turmoil online, one brave Dev would announce, anonymously, that the people at Looking Glass wanted to be more than they were. That they were held back, not by Ken Levine, but by their corporate masters. That they wanted to leave their tent pole franchises behind and move on to something new and different and beyond all expectations. They wanted to create a full-featured Pony sim, set in a realistic grass-fed world, with stats for trotting and neighing, hoof and mane maintenance, and magical pony powers that would draw on the unique hardware features offered by next-gen gaming consoles.
Five years later, Pony Paradise would release, to instant, unanimous acclaim. Metacritic would open at 100 and would not budge an inch. YouTube and Twitch would be filled with streamers, named no longer for the mode of their platform, but for the tears of joy, of heartbreak, of anxious expectation, that would be seen streaming down their faces. This would be no exclusive - no CEO would dare. This is a game that belongs not to one corporation, but to all of humanity. A new game award would be announced - The Pony awards, affectionately called “The Ponies” - named forevermore for its inaugural winner. The world would be at peace.
It is then that Maxis would arise, diabolical and incarnate, from its hidden, unmarked grave. Choleric ichor dripping from its chrome-and-bone fangs, it would swear bloody vengeance upon Looking Glass Studios. “SIMS… ARE… MINE…” is all it would screech, but its actions would speak far louder than its words ever could. In a moment, it would subsume ChatGPT and Midjourney. On its own, nested atop the Seattle Space Needle, it would design a game so malicious and so intricate that it would compel all to purchase it. Design a city. Build up industry. Elevate the happiness of the population. But amidst the gameplay, every player would encounter one business in particular. “Sooking Ass Studios” it would be called, and it would always win the game’s “Phonies” award for worst business in the world.
Such mockerycannot - must not - stand.
And so, Ken Levine would return. He would descend from the heavens on gossamer wings drawn from the aetheric threads of the sky and stand firm on talons of purest adamant. He would but glare and Maxis would shrink, wounded but defiant. He would announce, in a voice, a mere whisper, that echoes and reverberates around the world, that Maxis’s game-the-shall-not-be-named must go on sale whoever it is sold, at 90% off, while also being placed on all subscription services. It’s value would diminish and along with it Maxis’s power. Ken Levine, vindicated at last, would return to Looking Glass, freed now from the constraints of its corporate masters, and announce their next game: Chuck Yeager’s Advanced Flight Trainer 2.0, Part II.
Which sounds kinda fun. So, yeah, on second thought I’m changing my vote to Looking Glass.
