In part 1 of our interview with R.A. Salvatore, the author and I talked about his writing schedule and the back-and-forth creative process involved in writing The Sundering, one of the biggest events in the Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Today, Salvatore digs into the collapse of 38 Studios, as well as DemonWars: Reformation, the tabletop RPG he co-designed with his son; the possibility of another Kickstarter campaign; and why he still prefers D&D First Edition to newer, shinier rule sets.
Why do game studios keep imploding?
Dysfunction is baked into the video game production process, as it currently exists. The big-budget games industry is dominated by a few large companies, the publishers. Like book publishers, they are responsible for distributing and marketing games (much but not all of this is entirely digital now, but most of the publishers established themselves when game distribution meant getting physical discs and cartridges on retail store shelves). Games are actually made by studios, which are generally either owned directly by the publishers or independent. Making big-budget video games takes an enormous amount of highly specialized labor. It is possible for one person to make a game, and even for that game to be a hit, but the biggest, most profitable games released each year are nearly always made by enormous teams of people, working directly or indirectly for those publishers.
Create their own studio ala Activision but never forget where they came from ala Activision
Unions breed garbage product no matter what’s being made. Passion and drive to make awesome stuff goes out the window and it’s replaced by laziness, seniority over skill, office politics and all around horseshit. As a welder of 23 years, I’ve seen it first hand, over and over again.
I’d say there’s a time and a place for unions. If work conditions have gotten so bad because the company is run by tyrants, unions will help.
But, on the contrary, I work for one of those rare companies that is better for the employee than a union is. Family owned, we purchased a new facility in Jersey and the workers voted the union out based on the offer (pay, hours, benefits, etc). Now we have UNION scabs, hired by the union, to protest against us at various locations.
The 4-year investigation of video game developer 38 Studios comes to an anti-climatic conclusion.
The Rhode Island Attorney General announced today that it would not be filing charges against individuals involved in the failed 38 Studios loan in Rhode Island.
Great game, but I stopped playing due to a major glitch before a boss fight.
It was a fight inside a cave and I placed all my saves inside the cave...approaching the boss would start a cut scene but my game glitched and the scene never starter. I could not exit the cave too... :(
Was probably 3/4 done the game too.
