My issue isn't that, it's that western game studios keep over-budgeting, and hiring outside firms who basically add little to nothing of value. They should invest in their own staff, and internal capabilities vs hiring consultants, it's the same issue I have with California regulations, and the one million dollar toilets whereas Texas doesn't do it, and shit gets done. What has Sweet Baby Inc added to the gaming dev space?
It's a little hard to find proof when it's in SBI's best interest is to avoid their involvement in any games, and so is the dev companies as well. But they were in he previous God of War Ragnarök. It's one thing when defense companies hire former generals due to the sector being flushed with cash, but with lower birthrates, and the gaming space trending older the Gaming Space will get smaller. But Sony which is making dumb decisions that pissed people off with it's exclusivity deals, and price increases is already planning on gatekeeping many of their games so revenue is already going to be lower. So why hire outside non-tech story consultants when your own game may not make as many sales, and talent is already in-house to begin with.
Even if they were used as a consultant on this project, Gergar would have no way of proving that their being a consultant affected the game in a negative way so that's why Gergar is complaining about how having a consultant on is "too expensive". It's straight up lunacy.
They don't need it, and every company that acts like a middlemen adds costs. Why not just hire writers? Why do they need middlemen companies?
What that middlemen are bad?
No, not for all the costs, but it adds up. Why are California toilets in SF a million dollars because of middlemen consultants? And of course I can't prove it, but it's a common pattern.
Should be noted that out of that line-up, Romero learned his lesson from the Daikatana/Ion Storm debacle and chilled way the fuck down. He got humbled hard, and matured from it. And while he hasn't done anything on the level of his id Software days, he's still quietly working on games, doing key notes and panels at industry events, regularly interacts with fans, and such. Guy still gets respect.
Anything that doesn't have strong burly men as my power fantasy and hot submissive women as my sex fantasy was personally ruined by Anita Sarkeesian!
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Indie games proved multiple times you can have diversity, and not have gameplay compromises. Ragnarok has its problems, but it wasn't because of diversity. Sweet Baby Inc didn't ask to make a forced walking section that goes on for fifteen plus minutes. That was all on Sony and Santa Monica themselves. Also, Sony don't get to act like they have virtue. Nor should we pat them on the back for it. SBI I'm not trying to defend, but they're not the issues with modern gaming, even if you move them away, or got rid of them. They're barely a symptom. Sony still laid off people who didn't need to be laid off and tried to jump on the live service strain for nearly this entire generation. I'm not going to go congratulate them from breaking off with a consultant company.That's still around, and there are developers still dealing up with them or using their services. Sony breaking away from them is not gonna improve everything nor much. I don't actually, when it keeps jacking the price on these consoles and expecting you to pay more for a refurbished PS5.Sony terminates cooperation with scandalous Sweet Baby Inc. and cancels related projects
According to a Gothic Therapy insider, Sony Interactive Entertainment has cancelled contracts with Sweet Baby Inc. a Canadian consulting company specialising in narrative design and diversity and inclusion consulting. This decision led to the cancellation of several projects that both companies...
FWIW
Yes because companies don't lie, or switch venders, and even SBI was basically a shadow organization for a long time that was not transparent to the public. Again this isn't about just SBI, it's about middlemen who don't provide good services. Epic the company behind Fornite brought Unreal Engine and they are a blight on the industry vs Steam, and GOG in the gaming storefront section not to mention Unreal Engine 5 was a shitshow at launch.Sony terminates cooperation with scandalous Sweet Baby Inc. and cancels related projects
According to a Gothic Therapy insider, Sony Interactive Entertainment has cancelled contracts with Sweet Baby Inc. a Canadian consulting company specialising in narrative design and diversity and inclusion consulting. This decision led to the cancellation of several projects that both companies...
FWIW
You can have diversity by diversifying the staff, without paying outside large middlemen companies to do things you can already do in-house.
I read all your stuff.The first time around and you do have a point, but again, consultant companies aren't exactly a problem, nor an inherent sin. They can pay their employees the actual wages they're supposed to, and they can still hire the consultants and would not lose a dime.
It depends on if they are public companies. Because consultant companies likely have a relationship to the executives but the lower ranked staff don’t. Yet it’s lower rank staff that face layoff after layoff some technical consulting with complex game engines for mid-size companies may be needed but we don’t need storyteller consultant companies.
Was gonna mention that, but I decided I couldn't really fit it in cleanly.
That's your assumption. Not every game needs it, but I am not going to throw a hissy fit about it, whenever it happens or not. I don't bother with a majority of Western AAA games any way, so it's a moot point for me.
