I remember them announcing that SQ404 was entering a “polishing” phase in late 2023.
At that point and to this day, they failed to finalise a flight model, develop an armour/shield system and implement engineering gameplay.
Arguably these are critical elements for a release with space sim gameplay. Although if SQ404 does release, I think it will be 30 hours of Wing Commander The Movie level cut scenes (space bulldozer) and script, with bored sounding Hollywood actors counting the seconds till they can leave Chris Roberts’ mocap studio.
Inside Chris Roberts’ Mocap Studio:
Roberts: Hehehe. Hey, Mark! You know how I came up with the Vanduul? Hehe.
Hamil: No, how?
Roberts: Ehehe. Vandals to Vanduul! Get it? Hehehe. Pretty smart, right? Hehehe.
Hamil: Very original.
Roberts: Did you know the Vandals were a Germanic tribal grouping that raided the Roman Empire? Bet you didn’t know that! Hehehe.
Hamil: I am in awe of your creativy!
Roberts: I know, right! Hehehe.
Ok Mark, enough farting around. Pretend you are riding a space bulldozer!
Can’t speak for competition in consoles, but parts costs have radically increased, particularly GPUs (and it’s getting much more difficult to have generational leaps in graphics quality).
If the game is formally released, it is reasonable to provide refunds (irrespective of purchase date) for cash shop items that don’t exist or don’t work.
There are also contractual issue to consider. Their investors have a “one-sided” put option in 2028 that might force them to “release” SC even if 80% of the marketed gameplay doesn’t exist and large number of cash items are de facto non-functional.
Sure, but if SC is actually released, it is only fair to provide a no questions asked refund policy for JPEGs and non-functional cash shop items. Is it not?
At any rate, this discussion is moot, because SC is not released as BlameTheAntifa claims. The overwhelming majority of marketed gameplay, content simply doesn’t exist and a large part of the cash items are either broken or borderline non-functional.
So if it is released, would it be fair to allow “no question asked” refunds on all cash shop items that are in still in JPEG form or de facto don’t work?
“It allows us to do things without imposing the framework of a typical video game studio,” Chris Roberts said in an interview with La Presse from his home in Los Angeles. “The players who fund us expect the best game, period. We don’t have to streamline, cut jobs, or change our business model.”
This is false. I am honestly surprised about the cavalier attitude with the truth.