Topic: Shadow of the Eternals and Eternal Darkness sequels thread

[ThePerm]

so much internet negativity....

all i can think of is this with the negativity
http://blip.tv/paradiseandfaries/xbox-one-the-next-sega-saturn-6591050?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blip%2FrodV+%28Dr.+V+-+TV+-+recent+posts+-+blip.tv+%28beta%29%29

was Too human really that bad, or is this all hyperbole? I've read reviews ranging from 68% to 88%. As far as Xmen, i hear a lot of negative things about it, but I also hear its one of those cases where it could have been an awesome game had they just made a few different design choices.

Now I had always wanted to work over at Silicon Knights, I had tailored my portfolio specifically for their studio. I stayed the hell out of there though, because I could tell they were a pretty volitile group right after Twin Snakes. When they had worked on Eternal Darkness they were a very small group. And after every game their team grew by about 30. By Xmen time they were hiring and firing people left and right. I didn't want to be involved with that.

Also, the whole x-men game...i remember when that game was announced. It just seemed like the wrong fit for them. Like they were just doing a commercial game to stay afloat. If you really look at it from SKs perspective, you have a studio that isn't getting their game made. We were supposed to get Too Human for gamecube, and for whatever reason it fell through and wound up being on xbox. Maybe the Wii was too weak for what they had in mind? Maybe Nintendo wanted SK to make some games they would rather not make? Either way they were thrown into a situation where they had to find new publishers, and that can be a duanting thing.

It seems though that they've filtered out the non-sense. There are only enough people to make a game at this point, and their output has been pretty great. I'm liking all the videos and screenshots. The characters look good. Not to mention the gameplay of Eternal Darkness was one of those games that if simply translated to the wii u would still be new and refreshing. Its one of those cases that if it isn't broke don't fix it. 

One of the things for instance was I always found myself thumping around the start menu trying to set up my spells. This would totally be fixed with the Wii u gamepad.

maybe you need more convincing..I had posted some links, but here is the 9 minute gameplay video.

[Sarail]

Wow. That actually looks interesting. I'd like a bit more than just context sensitive actions appearing on screen, but colour me impressed.

Do I donate, or do I not? Hmmm...

[Adrock]

a nice interview I missed from a couple of days ago

Those were some of the most generic answers ever given.

Still, this is the second Precursor Games interview where they were asked if there would be any connection to Eternal Darkness and their answer again was "anything is possible." Coupled with claims of how supportive Nintendo apparently is toward Precursor Games, I have to wonder if there's some underlying deal in place. Why would Nintendo be so supportive? I mean, other than "Here's an eshop license. Go nuts." While there are 26 days left on the Kickstarter, Precursor Games hasn't met 10% of their goal. Did they really think they could raise over a million dollars for 1/12 of a game? Or was this a publicity stunt? A way to gauge interest in an Eternal Darkness follow-up? A way to get people talking and remembering a game that came out over a decade ago? It could have the opposite affect. If there isn't sufficient enough interest, the project is in trouble.

For comparison's sake, Tim Schafer and Double Fine launched a Kickstarter last year to raise $400,000 for an entire game (albeit much smaller in scope than Shadow of the Eternals). They raised over $3 million. The lowest pledge of $15 nets you the game, as in all of it. What Precursor Games wants to do is just so delusional yet they seem so confident that the game will be made. Maybe Nintendo is really helping them in some way.

[ymeegod]

"was Too human really that bad"

60+ million dollars to make over 8 year cycle time and only this thing they got for it was 1/3 of a crappy game?  And yeah I played and finished Too Human.  SK blamed Epic for their failure.

Xmen same crap, blamed everyone but themselves and then deny even working on it at all? 

[TJ Spyke]

They got a full game. It wasn't 1/3 of a game, it was the first in a trilogy. But it was still a stand-alone game. Not saying the whole blame is on Epic Games, but Epic did deliberately hold back features of the engine so they could take advantage of it before others.

[pokepal148]

They got a full game. It wasn't 1/3 of a game, it was the first in a trilogy. But it was still a stand-alone game. Not saying the whole blame is on Epic Games, but Epic did deliberately hold back features of the engine so they could take advantage of it before others.

but then it wasn't just silicon, meaning the case wasn't justified on their own

[ymeegod]

Clearly, an 9 hour RPG game counts as a full retail product?  Don't talk about an game you never played because anyone who played the shitty thing would tell you they simply cut and released a product that wasn't close to being done and called it a full game.

Xmen is not as bad as Too human but you can clearly see a rushed product at the end. 

[TJ Spyke]

Clearly, an 9 hour RPG game counts as a full retail product?

So is Fable not a full retail product? Because I beat it twice in under 10 combined hours. Length has nothing to do with it.

[ymeegod]

Which Fable?  Just googled in the first one and the fastest it can be completed with skipping FMV is 7:30 and the avg completion at 20 hour mark?

Not really a huge Fable fan neither (Peter Molyneux) but there more sidequests and other stuff to do in his RPGs.  Unless you mean that last "Kinect" Fable game because that's an adventure and not a RPG like Fable1-3 were.

[TJ Spyke]

LOL, not true at all. I beat the game in under 5 hours as a good hero, then beat it again in under 5 hours as bad hero. Looking online, I am far from the only person to beat the game in under 5 hours (even WITH the cutscenes. The only way I can see it taking 20 hours is if you take your time and 100% everything (even then that is a long time).

And I mean the original Fable.

[ThePerm]

[ShyGuy]

 That was pretty cool.

[BranDonk Kong]

They got a full game. It wasn't 1/3 of a game, it was the first in a trilogy. But it was still a stand-alone game. Not saying the whole blame is on Epic Games, but Epic did deliberately hold back features of the engine so they could take advantage of it before others.

Finishing 1/3 of the game and calling it part of a Trilogy doesn't excuse them for taking 8 years and not finishing the game.

[ThePerm]

same with Sega and their idea of episodic content. Shenmue was the biggest budget game in history, im not sure if it still is, but they made two games, the last ending with a cliffhanger and no resolution. It was also a terrible flop in terms of sales. It is difficult to make games in that sort of scope. The only game I can really think of that did that was Mass Effect.

[Soren]

...and the Kickstarter's been suspended.

[Adrock]

According to the website, they're going to relaunch it in a few weeks with some "exciting new developments" which should seriously start with a less insane initial goal. I don't think the Kickstarter route is going to work without drastically altering what they envision Shadow of the Eternals to be. Precursor Games is going to need a publisher.

At this point, their best bet might be to drop the PC version and pitch the game to Nintendo as an exclusive. They'd probably have to surrender the rights to the IP which at that point would practically make the game an actual sequel to Eternal Darkness.

[ShyGuy]

I bet they worked out a deal with a publisher or a investor.

[ThePerm]

for one 30 days is a terrible amount of time. I've pledged $25, but the campaign didn't go anywhere past the initial 4 days. They should have ran it for 4 months. I've been active in the precursor community since it became a thing. So, I hope it gets made. If it switches consoles I will be pissed though.

As far as surrendering the IP goes...why not have 2 Eternal Darkness series? If they can evolve in separate directions that could be a good thing.


Or how about 3? I could launch my own Kickstarter Spiritual Successor. I already thought of a title.

[alegoicoe]

I bet they worked out a deal with a publisher or a investor.

And i bet is Nintendo, the most logical choice for both companies. Precursor needs the support and Nintendo a sequel to eternal darkness to attract gamers

[Spak-Spang]

I always hoped the entire crowdfunding campaign in and of itself was an insanity effect.  Though, honestly it probably isn't or wasn't.  I believe they are probably just taking the game in a different direction to hopefully secure more support and revenue for the game. 

That being said, it would have been an awesome insanity effect marketing campaign...and perhaps it could re-emerge as that again.

[Soren]

I bet they worked out a deal with a publisher or a investor.

And i bet is Nintendo, the most logical choice for both companies. Precursor needs the support and Nintendo a sequel to eternal darkness to attract gamers

Yes, because the market spoke, nay, they screamed out loud "We want this game!". That's why the Kickstarter was doing so good.

They're going to re-open the kickstarter again with a lower goal so they don't have to give refunds like they were going to have to do this time. They'll do as much work on the game as the money allows them to, then pitch to/pray/hope a publisher picks them up so they can finish it.

[shingi_70]

I wonder if the kickstarter would have done better if they targeted all next gen platforms.


I guessing they're going to scale the project back.

[Adrock]

I wonder if the kickstarter would have done better if they targeted all next gen platforms.

Maybe though I doubt it would have been a difference maker. Most of the people who pledged were probably Eternal Darkness fans who in turn were probably Nintendo fans as well. Targeting Wii U for a spiritual successor of a Nintendo cult hit was the one thing Precursor Games absolutely got right.

[Kytim89]

 I wonder if Nintendo might have picked this game up for publishing and will announce it at E3?

[Adrock]

I wonder if Nintendo might have picked this game up for publishing and will announce it at E3?

The timing is off and the details don't add up. Precursor Games wouldn't be relaunching the Kickstarter in a few weeks if Nintendo picked up Shadow of the Eternals and planned to announce it next week.