I won RPG of the year and all I got was this lousy...

[ichijo_akari]

The synopsis blurb reads:

G-Phoria 2005 celebrates the year's hottest games, stars, music and trends that define the videogame lifestyle. The only videogame awards show that gives viewers a voice premieres exclusively on G4 on Tuesday, August 9 at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT, with the pre-show broadcast starting at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT.Obsidian

Comments

[tdj]

Video game awards still pander to early-to-mid teens for some reason, though they aren't the ones with the disposable income.

They'll figure it out eventually. Soon, you'll have real people accepting the awards. Sure, they'll be the celebrity voice actors for your game, but it's a start.

[rubylight]

I have to wonder if these people who gave KoTOR2 Game of the Year actually played through it

[ichijo_akari]

Not everyone ran into all the bugs you described. The game was quite playable for a vast number of people, in spite what it sounded like. The only people that say anything are the ones having problems, so it rapidly begins to seem as if 100% of the people that bought the game are having identical problems.

The Droid Planet was cut way early in the project, so it's not like it was cut to rush things at the end. The Droid Factory, however, did get the axe only 24 hours before the final had to be submitted, and it showed.

We've never been able to figure out how Lucas Arts screwed up the music and movies the way they did. The 'High Quality Music/Movies' patch has been done since like March, and we've long since given up trying to figure out why Lucas Arts won't release it.

All in all, the game turned out fine for a twelve month project, given the requirements we had to meet per the contract. I'm not happy with the stability issues, but stuff like that takes time to fix, and that wasn't allotted.

-Akari

[rubylight]

Ok, I could see all of that. Thankfully the Restoration project is working to restore the Droid Factory and the real ending.

That's one thing that you didn't really address, though. I understand if you can't really explain due to some corporate NDA policy or something, but why, WHY was the ending slashed and changed at the last minute? From all the sound files on the CD's, the originally planned ending was so much better, and would have made working through the game so much more satisfying.

Also, maybe it would have made how the Hawk was crushed by falling rocks in the ravine and then fell down into the pit...then miraculously appeared to pick the exile up in the end, unharmed, make some sembalence of sense. Also, it was sort of a letdown to have built your party members up through the whole game, only to have the exile take the whole final area solo for no in-game explained reason. It's like they really didn't matter anymore, at all.

[ichijo_akari]

The ending mess was pretty much a lack of time. From the point where you returned to Telos to the end of Malachor V was supposed to have a lot more stuff going on.

It became impossible to complete everything that was planned though, so things were dropped hack and slash like during the last two weeks or so.

Now I don't know for certain, but burnout could have also factored into the drop in quality. The game was due November 15th and all the design team and scripting team and most of the programming team had been working 12 - 18 hour shifts (And several designers pulled 24 hour shifts fairly regularly), seven days a week, since the end of May that same year. Running on that kind of schedule for six and a half months can't possibly be too healthy for anyone's creative energies. ;)

-Akari

[rika]

Who's G4 trying to target?

They aired 'Video game vixens'.

Enough said.

[caitsith4]

   G4.. it's weaksauce.

e_e p

[ashuraou]

G4.. bleah. They took everything good about TechTV and trashed it. Ran off all the good people on the screensavers (even Kevin Rose) and axed all the good shows. The only good thing about G-phoria last year, and it is a stretch, but they had Stan Lee dressed up as Revolver Ocelot hand over Hideo Kojima's award for MGS3. He at least ACTUALLY MADE THE GAME. That sucks for you guys. :/ Did you go? And if so, did you at least get free digs? (Food, etc. I'm sure there was booze but there's always booze and booze is lame.) But yeah, that sounds about par-for-course with them.

[ichijo_akari]

I did in fact NOT go, and for that I am quite glad!
Those that went were ushered back stage, and spent the next 6 hours there. No free food or booze was provided.

-Akari

[ashuraou]

Not even any free food? That's LAME.

I mean, shoot.

I'm not one on booze, but, the free food should be provided at something like that.