Mop Jockey

I'm not saying it's dead. I'm saying that, the way most adventure gamers think, it will become more and more of a niche market. Adventure gamers stopped appreciating innovation sometime around 1997 or so and you have a loud, vocal, purist minority who wants everything to be just like it was in 1992. And that minority gets enraged and very loud at the first mention of anything different than the KQ5 model of adventure games. Look at the Fall 1996 InterAction article on KQ8. Written while Ken was still CEO. Roberta talks about how she's added combat to KQ, calling them a 'moral choice', adding that in real life you'd have to fight and kill an enemy. Mark Seibert--Roberta's co-designer on KQ8--has said they decided very early on to add combat. That combat seemed natural once they established it was going to be 3D. It didn't make sense to have these wide open areas full of nothingness and they were worried it'd bore players. In that article, she was talking more about the decline of interest in the adventure genre as compared to shooters. KQ8 isn't a shooter or even purely an action game and Roberta never saw it as such. Go and read the KQ Omnipedia's article on the development of KQ8. It's very very interesting as there was 3 almost entirely different versions of the game over a three year development history. At least three levels were cut, a ton was changed, including Connor's back story, the look of the game, the feel of it, the lay out of Daventry. KQ8 went through three separate designs, but the consistent elements were Connor, the idea of the Mask being broken wrecking havoc on Daventry, combat and it being 3D. At one point, Connor was going to be a marble statue who is brought to life when everyone else is turned to stone by the mask being broken and he would be rewarded with 'life' ala Pinocchio at the end. In another version, he was to be the son of a fisherman, and when he was born, a piece of the Mask touched his forehead, marking him as the One and leaving a scar. In the final version, he's just a tanner.

Go check out the Omnipedia, it's much more comprehensive and unbiased at least in regard to KQ8's design history. Pre-production started in '95 as Phantas wrapped. Roberta said she made the decision to go 3D around '94 or '95 for KQ8. She even speaks of this in a 1995 interview. At one point in '95 she even considered making KQ8 fully first person. In May '96 for Gamespot, she unveiled Connor as the new protagonist, saying it was "time to unload" the royal family. Sierra wasn't sold until July '96, and Ken didn't leave as CEO til mid '97. The Christmas '96 trailer for KQ6 talks about combat. So, Roberta was responsible for the 3D, Action and Conor elements of KQ8 at least.

Is there any additional info on what the aborted SQ7 that was being developed by Scott Murphy in 1997 was going to be like? Storyline wise, graphically? Anything?

Outside of The Mos Isley Cantina and the Space Bars shown in I, SQIV and, VI, what are some other great, classical space bars or cantinas, in either books, movies or games? What are some space fantasy novels or movies akin to Guardians of the Galaxy or the original '77 Star Wars--High flying, light hearted sort of fantasy stories that happen to be set in space?

I think adventure game fans are their own worst enemies. They supposedly want the genre to survive, they supposedly want it to rise again. They claim to want a new era of glorious adventure titles--but only if it's in a format exactly like the '90s, except with hi-res graphics of course. The massively negative reaction to the new KQ game revealed to be not a pure "point and click" game is evidence enough that for one, this game is damned no matter how good it is, and two, that the adventure genre will remain a niche genre--and it's because of adventure gamers. The guys working for Sierra to make the game have alread clarified that it's still going to be an adventure game, you're just not going to simply use the mouse--and that still wasn't enough. The game is pretty much DOA because of one little statement--that is how rabid adventure gamers and Sierra fans are. What people seem to forget is that the Sierra of old was changing the adventure genre all the time. In 1980, when Mystery House came out, it introduced graphics. If that was today, you'd have adventure gamers on social media damning this new company called Sierra for dumbing down the genre with graphics. "The whole point of adventure games is that it's an interactive novel, we play it out in our minds, and now this company Sierra is forcing the images on us." When KQ came out, it introduced non-static animation and more accessible controls. When King's Quest V came out in 1990, it made the genre even more simplified--- Imagine how adventure gamers of today would react to point and click "You've taken away the challenge! The fun! The parser, oh the parser!" And relying on the old Sierra team as if they were Gods. If Roberta Williams isn't involved, it's not KQ!", oh, you mean the Roberta Williams who spear-headed KQ8? If the Two Guys or Josh Mandel aren't involved, it's not SQ! - Oh, like, Space Quest 5 and 6, which have the most mixed reactions of the series? I'm not trying to downgrade Roberta, Scott, Mark, or Josh. I'm saying they aren't Gods. They're great, creative people. But there are much younger minds out there who could really do series like King's Quest and Space Quest justice. We're in a time where it's ripe for games like KQ and SQ. Look at the success of Frozen and Guardians of the Galaxy. People want light hearted, good old fashioned fun fantasy and sci-fi again. But, no, let's all get pissed off because the new King's Quest isn't purely point and click. Let's all boycott Sierra because Ken Williams isn't the CEO and the original gang isn't designing the games. Adventure gamers lie in the bed they made and helped make themselves. And the adventure genre--once the leading genre when it came to innovation and revolutionizing gameplay--suffers and has grown stagnant for it, because of the loud voices of the purists.

Let's just say this is Sierra. Not 'nuSierra' or anything. Let's just say Sierra took a hiatus after sucking and came back to a return to form. By 1997, 1998, the business model Sierra was operating under was not realistic. Unless they'd continued to become a monolith like Activision is, it wouldn't have worked, even if they'd remained independent. And the fact is, in the mid-late '90s, many of Sierra's new IPs--with exceptions in SWAT, Gabriel Knight, NASCAR, Print Artist, and Half Life--simply weren't as good or iconic as Diablo, Quake, Call of Duty etc. But now KQ has the chance to be an iconic title again, if in a more niche market. This is certainly much different than the Vivendi era--where Sierra was raped every single year. I think good things await.

The official press release: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140812005879/en/Sierra-Back!!!#.U-o05ONdVoM Sierra Is Back!!! The New Sierra Launches with an Exclusive Focus on Indie Game Development The Epic Return of King’s Quest and Geometry Wars3: Dimensions Headline the List of New, Fan-Favorite Titles Planned to Launch Under the Sierra Brand August 12, 2014 11:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time KÖLN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With a renowned history that’s served as the origin for many nostalgic video game characters, worlds and experiences, Sierra™ continues on today in a return to form that fans of great games will love. A part of Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), Sierra’s focus is on indie studios developing innovative, edgy and graphically unique games, including new IPs and contemporary reimaginings of beloved Sierra classics. Headlining Sierra’s slate of indie games is an all-new King’s Quest™experience in 2015, and a new Geometry Wars™ game planned to launch this holiday season. Additionally, the Sierrateam is well underway exploring other indie projects to potentially launch later this year, and in 2015 and beyond. “In addition to Lucid Games and The Odd Gentlemen, we’re in talks with a large number of other indie devs, and can’t wait to share more details with fans in the near future.” In development by the beloved and quirky studio The Odd Gentlemen (The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom), King’s Quest is a fully reimagined version of the fan-favorite Sierra game fit for both the old and new generation of King’s Quest players. Huge fans of the original King’s Quest series, The Odd Gentlemen are crafting a charming new adventure with an awe-inspiring art style, engaging puzzles, and a wondrous interactive narrative brimming with humor. In the new story, King Graham – revered as the greatest adventurer to ever live – shares his life’s adventures with his curious granddaughter, Gwendolyn. It is through these tales that Gwendolyn discovers the true greatness of her grandfather. King’s Quest is expected to make its heralded return in 2015. Today’s news about the future of Sierra was met with excitement from its original founder, Ken Williams. “We’re very proud of what we created all those years ago with Sierra Online, and today’s news about carrying Sierra forward as an indie-specific brand is very encouraging,” said Williams. “We look forward to seeing Sierra’s independent spirit live on, and are especially excited to see what The Odd Gentlemen will do with King’s Quest.” Sierra began in 1979 with a single 8-bit Apple II microcomputer, and founders Roberta and Ken Williams’ love for storytelling and new technology that drove a revolution in the adventure game genre, and forever changed the industry. Today, a new wave of independent artists and entrepreneurs are using the same inventive attitude and latest tech to create amazing gaming experiences, and that’s where Sierra comes into play. With the popularity of digital platforms like Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Steam, the new Sierra will cater to the unique needs of each indie studio, ranging from aiding in game development and first party relations, to PR, marketing and digital/retail distribution. Sierra will help foster today’s talent to create amazing video games as it has so many times before. “Sierra’s goal is to find and work with talented indie developers working on their own amazing projects, or passionate about working on great Sierra IP, and leverage our expertise to aid them in bring these fun and exciting experiences to gamers with the level of visibility and awareness they deserve,” said Bob Loya, Sr. Director of External Development. “In addition to Lucid Games and The Odd Gentlemen, we’re in talks with a large number of other indie devs, and can’t wait to share more details with fans in the near future.” The first title set to launch under Sierra is Geometry Wars3: Dimensions from the team at Lucid Games. Geometry Wars3: Dimensions is an exciting new evolution of the fast-paced, frenetic Geometry Wars gameplay fans love, and will introduce full 3D action and both cooperative and competitive multiplayer for the first time in the franchise. In addition to a full single-player campaign with 50 unique challenges and over 10 battle modes – five of which are brand new to the series – Geometry Wars3: Dimensions features dynamic and persistent progression, offering players a consistently new experience each time they play. Geometry Wars3: Dimensions is planned to launch later this year. “Thanks to Sierra, we’re planning to release Geometry Wars3: Dimensions on more platforms than ever before,” said Pete Wallace, Studio Head, Lucid Games. “We’re thrilled to work with the indie team at Sierra to bring the next generation of Geo Wars gameplay to our passionate and loyal fans, and look forward to seeing you all online!” For the latest information on Sierra, including additional details on King’s Quest and Geometry Wars3: Dimensions, be sure to check out the official Sierra website at www.sierra.com. About Sierra Developer-lead and player-focused, Sierra publishes highly curated titles that embody best-in-class efforts from indie developers. From providing development funding and deep first-party relations to marketing and retail distribution, Sierra caters to the individual needs of each indie studio. Sierra will primarily publish on digital distribution platforms including Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Steam for PC. About Activision Publishing, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Sierra and the expected launch dates for Geometry Wars3: Dimensions, King’s Quest and other potential indie projects are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. ACTIVISION, SIERRA, KING’S QUEST and GEOMETRY WARS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

I do hope Sierra does a new SQ game. Done right, it could be a massive hit, actually. Look at Guardians of the Galaxy. That film is VERY SQ in spirit--yes it was based on comics, But let's see: Loser-ish underdog hero, interesting worlds, having to save the galaxy. Sort of a parody of the Han Solos of the world, but more of an average Joe. Sounds like our Rog. Funny plotline, humor, pokes at the sci fi genre and the '80s in general A soundtrack of Rock N' Roll songs from the 1970s and early 1980s--Hello, SQIII Soundtrack, anyone? And it's proving to be a big hit. A new SQ game, if marketed correctly, which would have to be a bit different from the original games--similar to Incinerations perhaps--could be a hit even among non-Sierra fans. SQ has that sci fi thing which is big now, and is just good fun--something missing in a lot of mediums. That's why Guardians of the Galaxy is a hit--it's given cinema a fun ride that we've been missing for a while. We're basically in the late '70s or early '80s again. A new world of games is opening before us, a fun, goofy sci fi film is a summer hit giving the world a reprieve from the dark and gritty, realistic films of earlier in the decade. And this little company called Sierra is starting up and making a game called King's Quest.....Different yes in many ways, promising just the same.

If we're being technical, this could potentially find a LOT of Sierra's old designers operating under the Sierra banner again--albeit in a much different way than in the '90s. Sierra's focus now is indie games and developers. Well, the Two Guys are Indie developers. Jane Jensen is an indie developer. Al Lowe has worked with indie people in the past few years--The Paul Trowe Experience. Really, if the old Sierra guys want it, we could potentially see things like SpaceVenture and the Gabriel Knight remake come out as Sierra games. I think that would honestly depend on the alumni wanting to work with Sierra, rather than the other way around; They'd be a perfect fit for the Sierra of today. Then you factor in companies like Phoenix Online and Infamous Quests--indie developers who are small, digitally focused and greatly inspired by Sierra's past. I could definitely see them developing games which are published under the Sierra label down the line, if they are interested in that. We'll never get the Sierra empire we had back in the 1990s, with an office in Oakhurst focused on adventure games. I don't think Sierra will grow to be one of the leaders of the industry that they were in the '90s. But that's OK, because it's a different world, and being so big is what led to Sierra falling so hard. And the Sierra of yesterday--with it's twenty different subsidiaries all over the globe, the way it was managed, couldn't work today even if it was tried. That's not a knock on Ken Williams--The gaming industry is just very different than what it was in 1996. This Sierra could become an empire of a different kind, though--a small empire with 'provinces' of indie developers. It's a new world. I could see them being a direct rival to TellTale...Who are basically the LucasArts of today. This is a new Sierra, for a new era, with acknowledgements to the past and a look forward to the future. They're not the same company we grew up with--but they're a reborn company with a lot of potential to have success in this digital age. I say we give them a chance.

Does anyone around here remember the wait for KQ8? I remember it being a long but exciting time (but then, I was only 8 when it came out!). I imagine that, before it came out, it probably seemed like a truly epic game...I mean, the screenshots and story elements released made it seem like an awesome, technologically astounding game: The Kingdom of Daventry in full 3-D! A deep plot! New characters! It must've been exciting.... Does anyone else here remember the long (4 year!) wait between KQ7 and KQ8? What did you expect KQ8 to be like before it came out?

It sounds almost like Activision are setting this up for failure. What I mean is, the adventure game market is (compared to say, the action game or shooter market) a tiny one to begin with. Even during the heydey of adventure games in the early 1990s, an adventure game selling 500,000 copies was considered a best seller in the genre. Compare that to say, Grand Theft Auto, which sold around 2-3 million copies.... Now, you take this small, small market and narrow it further down to Sierra fans; specifically, hardcore Sierra fans--The only people who would buy a REMAKE of games released 20 years ago. When GK1 and LSL1 only sell 500,000 copies, Activision can sit back and say, "The adventure genre is still dead, we're just going to keep those Sierra IPs sitting on the shelf for the next few decades--no point investing money in a dead genre."

In 2008, after Activision and Vivendi merged, Sierra was put under intense scrutiny by Activision to have their products do better, and several months later, Sierra's development studios were shut down, and not long after, Sierra was absorbed into Activision, with Activision hoping to sell it. Is there any hope that at some point in te future, the Sierra brand will either be revived, or sold off? Now that Activision is independent from Vivendi I wonder if they'll ever bring Sierra back.....

SQ2 without hesitation, followed by the AGI SQ1

Due to its nature as both a pastiche and parody, I think SQ takes the best elements of all Sci Fi movies, books etc and creates something totally new and original. I find SQ and it's universe fascinating and interesting, on par with the universes in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes. It's clever, cynical, funny and yet not TOO silly. I also think Roger is one of the most relatable Sci Fi protagonists and that the droids in SQ are among the best. What do you guys think?

The idea of creating Sierra 2.0 is really rather misguided anyway, given how apparently hellish Sierra was to work at in the last few years, and how it all ended....I really doubt Mark, Scott and many other Sierra designers would want to revisit it. If all the Sierra alums ever come together under one banner again it'd be out of mutual choice, not some guys persuasion. Otherwise it's kinda like a cheap TV movie reunion of a cancelled tv series....not worth trying.

I'd argue Roger's change is actually a bit of character growth. After five adventures saving the galaxy, maybe he's sort of decided to really be a hero. I mean in 5 we can see the start of that change in his enrollment in the Academy and his desire to become a starship captain; he WANTS to be one of the big boys and be part of the action; at the very least, his ambitions have surpassed simply wanting to take a leisurely nap in a broom closet. Also, in SQ6, the 'mission' is different: he's not saving a galaxy full of faceless millions who have either don't know him or who actively look down in him, he's saving a friend who has gone out of her way to save his ass twice, and who is the only person in the series to actually treat him decent. While Roger is a lazy bum, he's not callous. And it's really not the first time he's shirked doing the right thing. He didn't have to save the Two Guys from Andromeda. As far as the Narrator, I'd say their familiarity adds into the games sense of jaded cynicism. Roger and the Narrator have been through 5 adventures already, maybe the Narrator is coming to grudgingly like the guy. It adds a nice quasi-buddy cop movie feel to the game and piles on the tired, jaded cynicism.

What are your feelings on SQ6? While the game is a bit messy due to its turbulent creation, I think SQ6 is the funniest game in the series, and it has the best atmosphere. I love The characterization of Roger, and the very cynical, jaded grungy sort of atmosphere the game has. Probably borne out of how unhappy a place Sierra was to work at in 1995, it still made for an excellent atmosphere. The narration, descriptions really knock it out of the park, and the art style is pretty amazing IMO. The locations again have that cool grimy, grungy feel to them. Again, Rogers characterization is IMO spot on. I do think the game would've been much better if Beatrice was Stellar, what I mean is, if the game was about Roger having to save Bea. The game reminds me of SQ3 in some ways. 4, 6 and 3 are all tied for Favorite SQ. What's your favorite? What's your feelings on SQ6?

Do you really think if SpaceVenture is a success that we could possibly have another SQ game? It'd truly be a dream come true.

For those who follow the Two Guys more closely and often than I do..... What is their general feeling on the idea of seeking the rights to SQ after SpaceVenture, whether to license them or buy them outright if SpaceVenture is a success? I mean, they were able to raise above 500k for a new project, I bet if they launched a KickStarter to build up funds to get the rights to SQ they could once again easily surpass 500k, and I can't imagine the rights to SQ being worth much higher than that anyway (not a knock on the series, just my take on the series estimated value given it was a 80s/90s adventure game series and wasn't Sierras biggest seller even at that time)..... For those who are in touch with Scott, Mark or Josh, do any of them have any interest in trying to get the rights after their current projects?