The Escapist, Issue 55: Romero Q&A

[Evil Avatar]

Could you wager your reputation, risk losing your company or even stake your entire life savings for a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of creating your own videogame? This week The Escapist shares stories of those who fought the odds and won, and some who lost it all in issue 55: “Against the Gods” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/1).

Russ Pitts speaks with John Romero about his one great failure, his company Ion Storm in “John Romero: The Escapist Interview.” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/3) In “Raph Koster on Fire” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/9) Allen Varney talks to renowned MMO developer Raph Koster about what went right and what went wrong in Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. Bruce Nielsen considers how economics often stand in the way of passion in “Cold Equations.” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/14) In “20 Million Dollar Failure” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/18) Shannon Drake speaks with Gordon Walton, the Executive Producer of the failed project The Sims Online. And Lara Krigger shares the journey of the software company Infocom in “The Short, Happy Life of Infocom.” (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/55/20)This looks like one of their best issues. One note - they say that Daikatana sold like 200,000 copies. Last I had heard, nearly a year after the game came out it had only moved like 14,000 copies... so I think their numbers are a little suspect.

[Maskatron]

I read this earlier today and I was loling when I saw that 200k figure. No way that game sold that many copies. I remember quite clearly how quickly the suckers who bought this put this up for sale on eBay. And from what I recall there was no freebies of this for sound or video cards, so there's no way they can inflate their figures that way.

[Evil Avatar]

I just finished reading the article... It kind of falls flat. Romero doesn't say anything at all about why Ion Storm failed (and I think we all knew why Monkeystone failed) and he also doesn't say anything about why he got drummed out of Midway.

Kind of pointless to do any interview where the interviewee doesn't answer any questions.

[Wombat]

I remember seeing a discount version of Daikatana, just in a plastic case, for $9.99 regularly for years after it came out, so people may have bought it just to see how bad it was.

[thecrazyd]

I remember seeing a discount version of Daikatana, just in a plastic case, for $9.99 regularly for years after it came out, so people may have bought it just to see how bad it was.
That's what I did, but it was $1.99 in a GameStop bargain bin. Never actually played it though.

[agentgray]

I just finished reading the article... It kind of falls flat. Romero doesn't say anything at all about why Ion Storm failed (and I think we all knew why Monkeystone failed) and he also doesn't say anything about why he got drummed out of Midway.

Kind of pointless to do any interview where the interviewee doesn't answer any questions.
That has always been Romero when it comes to balls out. I look back and the guy had one major hit. One.

I've never seen anyone live off a single accomplishment so long.

[thecrazyd]

That has always been Romero when it comes to balls out. I look back and the guy had one major hit. One.

I've never seen anyone live off a single accomplishment so long.
Doom, Doom 2, Quake, Quake 2, Commander Keen, Wolfenstein... unless I am looking at this wrong?

[Evil Avatar]

Doom, Doom 2, Quake, Quake 2, Commander Keen, Wolfenstein... unless I am looking at this wrong?

Romero was not on the Quake 2 team. So, Wolf, Doom, Quake and Daikatana are his only real credits.

And his level designs in Quake were very good. He was a great level designer.

[Draft]

Romero was not on the Quake 2 team. So, Wolf, Doom, Quake and Daikatana are his only real credits.

And his level designs in Quake were very good. He was a great level designer.Welllllllll, one of those is arguably the most influential, important PC game of all time, so it's not surprising he's been able to coast on that success.

(am I talking about DOOM or Quake? Does it matter?)

(I'm talking about Quake.)

[net7runner]

There is no mention of bitchification. Bah.

[Scaryboy]

That has always been Romero when it comes to balls out. I look back and the guy had one major hit. One.

I've never seen anyone live off a single accomplishment so long.

George Lucas. Beat that!

[saneman]

George Lucas. Beat that!

Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and to a lesser extent, American Graffiti.uck....

[Evil Avatar]

Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and to a lesser extent, American Graffiti.uck....


THX 1138 and Howard the Duck.

[saneman]

I could come back and say I love both of those for different reasons, but considering they're both dismal commercial failures (and the latter is an abomination) I'll assume that's the direction you're heading.

However, those two films don't suddenly make "Star Wars" George Lucas's only significant contribution to the world of "making a shit-ton of cash".

[Bargash]

Puff pieces all around.

[PacerDawn]

If all you think about with George Lucas is Star Wars, that is a bad example because he is still making cash from that franchise, and up until last year has continued to make Star Wars films. It's ongoing, unlike Doom or Quake which John hasn't had a hand in since the early 1990's when they came out.

But, really, all you have to do is be a huge success once and you are set for life because people will believe that, hey, if you can do it once, surely you can do it again. It happens all the time. For example, it's why bad NFL head coaches keep getting fired and re-hired by different teams. It doesn't matter if they drove their current team into the ground, they had that playoff year back when, remember that? Lets sign him up!

[PeZ]

One note - they say that Daikatana sold like 200,000 copies. Last I had heard, nearly a year after the game came out it had only moved like 14,000 copies... so I think their numbers are a little suspect.[/QUOTE]

Well, I think it's quite plausible, since I still see "Best of" and whatnot versions of Daikatana here in every mall and pc store, and I guess it's the same for rest of Eastern Europe and Russia etc.

[xcalibur]

I don't doubt that DK has sold 200k since release 5 years ago. I could easily imagine there being 200k people worldwide that bought it from the bargain bin out of morbid curiosity. Unfortunately, I would wager 90% of the people who ever tried it quit before getting past the first episode, which was admittedly the worst as far as visuals and gameplay, imho. I thought the 2nd and 3rd episodes (Ancient Greece and Dark Ages) turned out pretty decent, with the exception, of course, of the sidekicks. Most people quickly realized the best way to play through the game was to just tell them to stay at the start of the level, play through it solo, and then tell them to come to the level exit.


-X

[Roc Ingersol]

Clearly, the Escapist didn't get the memo: Romero doesn't matter.

Not anymore.

[A Lusty Alien]

Lets not forget the Star Wars TV series coming out.

[ElPresidente]

According to Masters of Doom, Daikatana did break even mainly to sales in asia.