How The Stick of Truth's Ambition Got Out of Control

[Steven Bogos]

How The Stick of Truth's Ambition Got Out of Control

The Stick of Truth and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker talk about their grand plans for the game.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is an ambitious RPG from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment. The game was first revealed back in 2011, and then sort of went into development limbo. Part of that was due to Comic-con panel [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121680-Bankruptcy-Auction-Ends-THQ] that over-ambitious plans for the game caused development to spiral out of control.

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'" This led to a script that exploded into some 850 pages filled with "just about every character" and element from South Park. He said that he and Stone used to joke around with the Obsidian guys that they were targeting "holiday season 2032" based on their runaway ambition.

Parker went on to say that his bosses urged the pair to "cut it down, cut it down, cut it down." He drew some jeers from the Comic-Con crowd when he revealed it was heavily suggested that content be cut in order to be made into DLC later on, but he won them back by proclaiming, "and I agree... fuck that."

Parker said he and Stone had another "delusion of actually incorporating the game into the season, but that sounds like a *****. We really just wanted it to be that you could pick it up anywhere and it would kind of make sense." He did state that a lot of the content that was trimmed from the game would probably make it into a TV episode of the show some time down the line.

The Stick of Truth is currently scheduled for a Q4 2013 release window, for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Source: Polygon [http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/18/4536822/how-south-park-the-stick-of-truth-got-too-big]

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[-Dragmire-]

I wonder if any changes were made once Ubisoft entered the picture.

I'm still rabidly looking forward to this.

 

[Issurru]

I wonder if any changes were made once Ubisoft entered the picture.

I'm still rabidly looking forward to this.

My only guess is that they had to shoe-horn their U-Play crap into there somehow. This game already had A March release window before Ubi got their hands on it. That and possibly some more QA which could be nice

 

[bravetoaster]

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'

"Delusional" does not begin to describe this.

To be fair, they're used to making TV episodes in 1-3 days and may have thought, somehow, that video games weren't orders of magnitude harder to make.

 

[Arcanist]

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'

"Delusional" does not begin to describe this.

I'd say it's more ignorance of how difficult game development can really be. Parker and Stone are smart guys, and they've adapted South Park to the big screen several times, so they're no strangers to leaving their comfort zone. However, it's very, very easy to underestimate the herculean effort required to program, design, and ship a game when compared to something relatively manageable like a movie or a weekly television show.

 

[Matt K]

Now I really looking forward to the game. That said, if it include U-Play there's no way I'm going to get it. I've had too many issues to want to deal with another DRM scheme (on top of Steam).

 

[josemlopes]

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'

"Delusional" does not begin to describe this.

they are working with the guys that did Fallout NV so a lot of the team already had the notion of how things work in a game like that. So not exactly easy but still very doable.

 

[Mr. Q]

Oh boy. Another example where "ambition" and "reality" collide. I'm rooting for Trey and Matt on this and hope that Stick of Truth turns out great without having to sacrifice too much.

 

[SonicWaffle]

I wonder if any changes were made once Ubisoft entered the picture.

I'm still rabidly looking forward to this.

My only guess is that they had to shoe-horn their U-Play crap into there somehow.

"You used a racist slur! 20 UPlay points!"

OT: I had forgotten this game, and my plans to buy it. Turns out they're still lurking in my head. Wanty want want.

 

[Lo Flying Frying Pan]

I'm still really curious about this game. I do, however, still want more on the game-play. Historically, previous South Park transitions to video-games have not gone well. Cautiously optimistic over the whole affair.

 

[NvrPhazed]

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'

"Delusional" does not begin to describe this.

they are working with the guys that did Fallout NV so a lot of the team already had the notion of how things work in a game like that. So not exactly easy but still very doable.

While that is true, remember the Obsidian got their engine from Bethesda, and did not have to make one from scratch. The game engine is arguably the hardest part of game development.

 

[Jumwa]

Parker said that the expansive world and huge cast of characters in Bethesda's Skyrim is what inspired him to make his own game. "I was like 'Let's do this. This is easy.'

"Delusional" does not begin to describe this.

It seems to be the attitude of all gamers on the internet who talk about Bethesda as well.

The general consensus seems to be that Bethesda is utterly incompetent, and that despite nobody else even coming close to the sort of gaming experience they do, it's totally easy to accomplish and they just balls it up.

Delusional indeed.

 

[Callate]

God love 'em, Obsidian and the expression "our reach exceeded our grasp" go together like beans and rice.

Yeah, I know, before anyone says it- it sounds like SP's creators were the driving force behind the excess. Still, one has to suspect other developers might have had an easier time (or the inclination) explaining to them why what they wanted was unfeasible and reining them in.

 

[Strazdas]

So we can expect this to be cut out incoherent mess where you feel like there are so amny things going on without any explanation that youd rather read the 850 pages script just to get what the hell is going on? no thanks.