WinterWind productions' brand new spanking site (be sure to check it out!) opens with a two-part interview with Obsidian studio's Chris Avallone, who we all know from his work on games such as Fallout 2 and Planescape Torment. The interview is about KotOR II and MCA's gaming industry experiences. Some bits:<blockquote>
WW: You worked on two games in a row at Interplay (Jefferson and Van Buren) that were shelved, both of which were eagerly anticipated by BIS fans. How did that effect your view of the industry and you personally?
MCA: Well, Jefferson was a splash of cold water followed by a slow, unsettling chill that it all could happen again. I think it was a combination of that and Feargus leaving that finally made me realize I couldn’t stay at Interplay any longer – a lot of work was invested in Jefferson, I think it was a good, solid hardcore PC RPG, and I had a lot of hopes for it. To have it suddenly shelved by circumstances beyond your control is something you can expect to happen in the industry, but that had been happening a LOT at Interplay, and it’s frustrating to work hard on something and then watch it all get flushed – I mean, that’s almost a year and a half of your life, with nothing to show for it. The artists were probably hit the worst - some of the art that was done for that game was amazing. I don’t really know how Sawyer stayed sane through all of it, but that man has a spine of steel.
Anyway, to sum it up, projects getting cancelled just happens, but the reasons that projects were getting cancelled at Interplay never felt like good reasons.
WW: Anyone who asks around about the Van Buren (Fallout 3) storyline will quickly run into what I like to call “The Wall of MCA”, where people refuse to talk about it out of respect for your wishes. While bits and pieces of the story got out, most of it did not. Will we be seeing elements of the VB storyline in your upcoming games or are you saving it for the long shot of a Fallout 3 someday?
MCA: No, the Fallout 3 story was specific to Fallout; while there are elements that could be transferred, it wouldn’t feel right. I’d feel like I was cheating on Fallout or something. The story meant a lot to me, and there were certain characters that gained their strength because of their position and history in the Fallout universe.
(...)
WW: Which is more unnerving, having to meeting Fallout fans expectations, or the wider audience of KOTOR expectations?
MCA: Fallout fan expectations. Star Wars fans are tame by comparison and use a lot less profanity. I’d hate to see the two groups of them get into a fight – the Fallout fans would shred the Star Wars fans in seconds. Still, the Fallout fans were always a good conscience. </blockquote>Link: interview on Winterwind
Spotted on the Winterwind forums
WW: You worked on two games in a row at Interplay (Jefferson and Van Buren) that were shelved, both of which were eagerly anticipated by BIS fans. How did that effect your view of the industry and you personally?
MCA: Well, Jefferson was a splash of cold water followed by a slow, unsettling chill that it all could happen again. I think it was a combination of that and Feargus leaving that finally made me realize I couldn’t stay at Interplay any longer – a lot of work was invested in Jefferson, I think it was a good, solid hardcore PC RPG, and I had a lot of hopes for it. To have it suddenly shelved by circumstances beyond your control is something you can expect to happen in the industry, but that had been happening a LOT at Interplay, and it’s frustrating to work hard on something and then watch it all get flushed – I mean, that’s almost a year and a half of your life, with nothing to show for it. The artists were probably hit the worst - some of the art that was done for that game was amazing. I don’t really know how Sawyer stayed sane through all of it, but that man has a spine of steel.
Anyway, to sum it up, projects getting cancelled just happens, but the reasons that projects were getting cancelled at Interplay never felt like good reasons.
WW: Anyone who asks around about the Van Buren (Fallout 3) storyline will quickly run into what I like to call “The Wall of MCA”, where people refuse to talk about it out of respect for your wishes. While bits and pieces of the story got out, most of it did not. Will we be seeing elements of the VB storyline in your upcoming games or are you saving it for the long shot of a Fallout 3 someday?
MCA: No, the Fallout 3 story was specific to Fallout; while there are elements that could be transferred, it wouldn’t feel right. I’d feel like I was cheating on Fallout or something. The story meant a lot to me, and there were certain characters that gained their strength because of their position and history in the Fallout universe.
(...)
WW: Which is more unnerving, having to meeting Fallout fans expectations, or the wider audience of KOTOR expectations?
MCA: Fallout fan expectations. Star Wars fans are tame by comparison and use a lot less profanity. I’d hate to see the two groups of them get into a fight – the Fallout fans would shred the Star Wars fans in seconds. Still, the Fallout fans were always a good conscience. </blockquote>Link: interview on Winterwind
Spotted on the Winterwind forums
what ?
You making fun of my spelling now?