Troika fun at Gamespy

luckyb0y · Post by **luckyb0y** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:33 am

Would you please quit that Gamespy bashing thing. It's getting boring already.

Maybe you should severe those FPS connections and try supporting developers that need it more.

??? Where did you get the idea he supports FPS developers - having friends working for them doesn't imply that, does it?

WTF, Chuck? Didn't you just say that you hadn't made an effort to contact the developer and chose instead to hype the next boring FPS?

Well they are mine heroes too, along with Chris Roberts, Sid Meier and many other and guess what, I've never even tried to contact them. What exactly makes you think the author chose to hype next boring FPS? Where is he hyping it?

The fact that the article changes the subject to KOTOR2 on pages three and four backs this theory up.

Now this is just plain stupid. In case you didn't notice there is a big header at the top of the third page saying: Letters. Letters that concern previous article which accidentally was about KOTOR2.

Now I admit that Gamespy is not exactly about honest and respectable journalism, but I repetitve flaming isn't going to make it any better. Not to mention the article is painfully true. While I am really sad aobut Troika's demise I must admit it was hugely their fault. Three buggy games in a row. Bloodlines was supposedly finished long before release and was only delayed due to the postponed release of HL2.

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:50 pm

[Company -> Editorial] - More info on <a href="http://wikipocalypse.duckandcover.cx/in ... tle=Troika Games">Company: Troika Games</a>

Everyone's favourite industry suckups, <a href="http://www.gamespy.com">Gamespy</a>, have put up a <a href="http://www.gamespy.com/articles/592/592 ... =1">eulogy to Troika's demise</a>. It's all opinion, as the reporter admits:

<blockquote>I don't know the guys at Troika ... it wasn't a developer I had a lot
of contact with, compared to say Epic or anyone in the Texas FPS Scene,
which is so incestuous that I can't think of a company that at least
one friend hasn't worked for. So, while I'm sorry to hear that the
people at Troika lost their jobs, my sadness doesn't really draw from a
personal connection.

</blockquote>

Maybe you should sever those FPS connections and try supporting developers that need it more.

The article goes on to contradict itself in the standard gamespy way:

<blockquote>I wish the talented employees of Troika, and its founders, who happen
to be three of my personal video-game heroes, the best of luck in
future endeavors. My hope is that their experience has given them
further insight into how to keep the creativity but lose the quality
issues. If that's the case, then there's a whole group of talented guys
out there just waiting to produce the next killer RPG.

</blockquote>
WTF, Chuck? Didn't you just say that you hadn't made an
effort to contact the developer and chose instead to hype the next
boring FPS? Perhaps Christopher Buecheler
assumed people would have forgotten what he had written on page one by the
time they got to page two: a reasonable assumption for Gamespy's fans. The fact that the article changes the subject to KOTOR2 on pages three and four backs this theory up.

Whatever. It's gamespy: PR masquerading as bad journalism.
Spotted @ <a href="http://www.nma-fallout.com">No Mutants Allowed</a>

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 4:02 pm

luckyb0y wrote:Would you please quit that Gamespy bashing thing. It's getting boring already.

Maybe you should severe those FPS connections and try supporting developers that need it more.

??? Where did you get the idea he supports FPS developers - having friends working for them doesn't imply that, does it?

No, but he talks about Troika containing his developer heroes. Surely, as a games journalist for a large game site, he could make the effort to get in contact with them and promote their games as much as he hypes and is in contact with the developers of the next generic FPS?

luckyb0y wrote:WTF, Chuck? Didn't you just say that you hadn't made an effort to contact the developer and chose instead to hype the next boring FPS?

Well they are mine heroes too, along with Chris Roberts, Sid Meier and many other and guess what, I've never even tried to contact them. What exactly makes you think the author chose to hype next boring FPS? Where is he hyping it?

Do you read Gamespy?

luckyb0y wrote:The fact that the article changes the subject to KOTOR2 on pages three and four backs this theory up.

Now this is just plain stupid. In case you didn't notice there is a big header at the top of the third page saying: Letters. Letters that concern previous article which accidentally was about KOTOR2.

Point taken, but it's all part of an article headed "The Resident Cynic - Eulogy to a Flawed Developer". Would make more sense to start a new article rather than call it page three and four of the same one.

luckyb0y wrote:Now I admit that Gamespy is not exactly about honest and respectable journalism, but I repetitve flaming isn't going to make it any better. Not to mention the article is painfully true. While I am really sad aobut Troika's demise I must admit it was hugely their fault. Three buggy games in a row. Bloodlines was supposedly finished long before release and was only delayed due to the postponed release of HL2.

I actually agree with a lot of the commentary about Troika (though how much is their fault, I'm not sure). They got it wrong a lot of the time. I just think Gamespy really suck. And I haven't actually flamed them that much (I actually think this is the first time I've done it in the news), but they deserve it. Their reviews are often meaningless because the site has a well-deserved reputation for being extremely unobjective.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:01 pm

They do deserve to be told that they suck, but the "bashing" you did in your news post was really kind of free.

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:15 pm

It was hardly a bashing. I just found the article hypocritical. he's a games journalist who hasn't contacted some of his favourite developers, but is happy to mention how frequently he contacts (presumably lesser-god like in his eyes) other dev companies. If he - and gamespy - love them so much, they could have done a lot more PR for them on their site and associated sites.

Europa13 · Post by **Europa13** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:32 pm

Gamespy does suck... And they are suckups... I remember them back in the day, whenever I was playing Starfleet Command 1 & 2... Then they shifted hosting over to Gamespy... Screwed everything up and people stopped playing. Anytime I get a game that requires Gamespy to play online... I don't play that game online. Gamespy will say anything to get a deal... They're more interested in console titles and games that cause your mind to dribble out of your ears and nose... Bahhhh... Screw Gamespy and screw developers who support them.

Subhuman · Post by **Subhuman** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:36 pm

Teatime wrote:WTF, Chuck? Didn't you just say that you hadn't made an effort to contact the developer and chose instead to hype the next boring FPS?

Yeah, but...see above. Just because Troika housed three of his "heroes" doesn't mean he had time to contact them and set up some big relationship with the company. He has his own work to do.

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:44 pm

Well I thought it was hypocritical.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:54 pm

It could be, but you have to presume and assume a lot

Subhuman · Post by **Subhuman** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:14 pm

Troika failed because they didn't live up to their reputation. More importantly, they didn't make good games, and they took forever to make the few they did. No amount of fanboy love is going to save what amounted to a lazy, ill-conceived company. Have a bucket of Ben & Jerry's and move on.

Sol Invictus · Post by **Sol Invictus** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:11 am

I don't see how his failure to contact Troika is 'hypocritical'. Sid Meier is one of my game heroes but I'm certainly not in contact with him as much as I would like. Bashing Gamespy has its place, but I think it was really unwarranted this time.

Saint_Proverbius · Post by **Saint_Proverbius** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:21 am

Subhuman wrote:Troika failed because they didn't live up to their reputation.

That's incorrect - just like the article is. Perhaps you could get a gig with GameSpy?

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:48 am

Subhuman wrote:Troika failed because they didn't live up to their reputation. More importantly, they didn't make good games, and they took forever to make the few they did. No amount of fanboy love is going to save what amounted to a lazy, ill-conceived company. Have a bucket of Ben & Jerry's and move on.

I agree that Troika got a lot of things wrong, though we'll probably never know how much blame can be apportioned to them, but that's not what annoyed me. I felt all this commentary was rich, and hypocritical, coming from a site like gamespy that is essentially an industry whore, sucking off the highest bidders. As for moving on, well it's only been a week or something since it was announced the company was closing. If we start posting screenshots of their PA game in a year's time, then you're free to offer the ice-cream.

Subhuman · Post by **Subhuman** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:49 am

Saint P wrote:That's incorrect - just like the article is.

How is that incorrect? First of all, it's an opinion, so whether it's "correct" or "incorrect" is moot (and open to debate, anyways).

Secondly, Troika really didn't live up to their hype, or their reputation. They released a middle-of-the-road RPG with more bugs than a roach trap in Hell's weed, then they stalled, then they released a sequel to a crappy vampire game that no one liked, then they coughed up a lung and died. And in the interim, they sold about 10 copies of both games. Combined.

All I'm saying is that the end result, while unfortunate, is no shocker.

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Troika fun at Gamespy

Troika fun at Gamespy

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