For me, it was never the strippers or the frat-house attitude. It was entirely the discipline, which is something that too many of those "entertainment artists" lack. Yeah, you all want to make great games that explode with sweet gooey goodness, but you have to work on a schedule, you have to get them done, even if they're sometimes late. Blizzard and Valve can delay all they want, not just because of their deep pockets, but because they have a track record of making good use of that time.
For most of the whiz-bang projects that have come out of nowhere as a result of Gamecock rising, I can't say the same thing as a consumer. And if I was an investor or an executive, I'd wonder how Gamecock plans to subvert the old entertainment-company adage that the vast majority of their products won't make any money (I think the current standard for games is 9 out of 10 are unprofitable, but the same might be true of books, music and movies) and that everyone's counting on that big success that will pay for everything.
But let's be frank. GODGames would still be around had Duke Nukem Forever shipped at all, or maybe if Max Payne had shipped on time. But like Mike said, once Max shipped, all the commercials said, "Rockstar Games presents ..." I don't doubt they got a raw deal from Take 2 on the money end, but weren't the developers really the ones in charge?
No, I'm not saying Max Payne should have been shoved out the door a year before it was ready, and it's not like Mike Wilson or anyone else is going to tell George Broussard and Scott Miller (themselves investors in GODGames in the first place) when they need to finish their game, because the rent's due. But what about all the other games that GODGames did publish?
Rune?
Tropico?
Serious Sam?
Mafia?
Not saying they weren't successes (honestly, I'm not even sure), but they weren't blockbusters. Certainly not the kind that pulled fat from fire. It's good that Mike and Harry are such great deal-makers that they have enough seed capital this time around, but eventually they need to move units. That's something no amount of VC can fix.
That all said, aside from me not liking the company name because I'm obviously a stodgy SOB with no sense of humor, I really do wish Gamecock and their developer partners all the best. Fury looks like GuildWars with half the fat, and I have several friends who are jonesing hard for it, though I wonder about its staying power. Insecticide looks fun in the old-school wacky adventure vein, too.
"Drop your joystick and grab a Gamecock."
