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[element]

so word has it that THQ has pulled the game from GSC and trying to either finish it with some internal team or farm it out to somebody to finish.

Here are some scary quotes:

STALKER always was in the state of general design. It's always been a project which was more spoken of than really done.

We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006"

THQ person to IGN

http://www.ggmania.com/?smsid=20774

 

[M3wThr33]

If I never discover what it is an acronym for, I'll be very sad.

 

[AgentOtaku]

I know this is just a rumor....but HOT DAMN IS IT A JUICY ONE!

 

[xsarien]

We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006"

And the gaming industry just CAN'T understand why it's so hard to get good sales out of a game.

 

[Bebpo]

We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006"

Wow, that's...not...reassuring.

 

[Zilch]

I was really pumped on this game 1.5 years ago.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Why would you say anything like that publically where it can be published elsewhere? Says alot more about THQ as a company than it does about Stalkers development.

 

[AgentOtaku]

I was really pumped on this game 1.5 years ago.

precisely why they need to get this game out the fucking door

before:

though on a side note, I just finished reading "Master of Doom" and I have alot more respect for Romero now and alot less for Carmack

 

[Jerkface]

GOD DAMN IT

GSC Gameworld + THQ = Clusterfuck

 

[element]

GSC Gameworld = Clusterfuck

Fixed

Why would you say anything like that publically where it can be published elsewhere? Says alot more about THQ as a company than it does about Stalkers development.

In the end it will be the death of GSC, because no publisher will touch them with a 10 foot pole. THQ will go along as if nothing happened, and look forward to Supreme Commander, Company Of Heroes, and other high profile games.

 

[Jerkface]

Fixed

I would agree (especially after Project Outbreak or whatever it was called) but the "We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006" statement is unforgivable really.

 

[Tain]

though on a side note, I just finished reading "Master of Doom" and I have alot more respect for Romero now and alot less for Carmack

Amazing book. I actually wound up with more respect for the both of 'em, but I guess Carmack did wind up coming off as a bitch and steering id to stick with FPSes. But, hey, eventually the greatest DM game to date popped out of of there post-Romero, so whatever.

 

[SolidSnakex]

In the end it will be the death of GSC, because no publisher will touch them with a 10 foot pole. THQ will go along as if nothing happened, and look forward to Supreme Commander, Company Of Heroes, and other high profile games.

Is 3DRealms in the same situation, or does their development history make publishers over look the delays? I think DNF is the most delayed game in gaming.

 

[Brimstone]

Didn't former members of GSC that left to make their own game claim STALKER was in terrible shape a while back? I forget the name of the game they are making, but I thought it had some time os South America look to it.

 

[Sean]

Quick time line.. Kinda obvious the game was in trouble.


May 12, 2004

The game itself is scheduled for release later this year. We'll have more updates from the show floor.

Jul 29, 2004

THQ has decided to hold back S.T.A.L.K.E.R. from its calendar Q4 release date and is now targeting the January-March quarter in 2005 for the game.

Nov 1, 2004

Ukrainian developer GSC Game World today announced that its upcoming PC game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has been delayed until May 2005.

Feb 3, 2005

Delayed again. No new release date was announced.

May 20, 2005

MIA @ E3 2005

Though the absence of Duke Nukem Forever was expected, the absence of another top PC title was not. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was nowhere to be found at THQ's booth, despite the fact that a gameplay trailer was featured prominently at last year's E3. Though the game has been in development since 2001, its 2006 release remains tentative.

Oct 27, 2005

Today's conference call also brought news that one of the most-delayed PC games on THQ's roster, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, won't be arriving until the second half of THQ's 2007 fiscal year--October 2006 at the earliest.

Jan 30, 2006

We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006

 

[Duckula]

Haha, this game is going to be an utter travesty.

 

[element]

Is 3DRealms in the same situation, or does their development history make publishers over look the delays? I think DNF is the most delayed game in gaming.

3DR has cash up the butt. the shareware days were very nice to 3DR, which cashed in on the GT Interactive stock IPO. No to mention they have been very smart in their IP they own, such as Duke and Max Payne.

 

[AgentOtaku]

VE3D just put up on their site that the rumors are false.....

 

[element]

VE3D just put up on their site that the rumors are false.....

sounds like VE3D is just saying they are false.

Amusing, but alas have no basis in fact as far as I can tell.

That doesn't sound like 'I called CSG and...' or 'I spoke with THQ and...'

 

[Willie Dynamite]

I used to work with someone who worked on STALKER as an outside contractor and all I heard were horror stories. The rumors are more likely to be true.

 

[B E N K E]

I don't think anyone should blame THQ for just wanting the shit out. It's either that or cancellation at this point if we are to believe the rumours (which I do).

 

[AgentOtaku]

I used to work with someone who worked on STALKER as an outside contractor and all I heard were horror stories. The rumors are more likely to be true.

Stories STORIES STORIES!!!!!

 

[Bodom78]

I used to work with someone who worked on STALKER as an outside contractor and all I heard were horror stories. The rumors are more likely to be true.

Fill us in on some of these stories.

 

[Willie Dynamite]

Sadly I forgot many details as this was almost a year ago.

This is not a cop-out by the way. If I could still accurately retell them I would.

 

[MrPing1000]

It was looking so promising to

 

[Wafflecopter]

DAAAAAAAAAMNN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MomoPufflet]

"We don't care what shape the game will ship in anymore, the game must ship in 2006"

As bad as it sounds, I don't think the game would be much better if we had to wait til 2010 to play it, in which case it would probably get canned anyway. The internal problems are not going to go away this late in the game-- at least the publisher is actively trying to salvage something.

I'd rather see the charred remnants of a good game when it's still relevant rather than have it become a complete joke like Duke 3D.

 

[Funky Papa]

VE3D can assume whatever they want, THQ is pissed and GSC is shit. There is a reason why most publishers try to stay the f*ck away from nearly all Russian developers.

They can consider themselves lucky if they stay in business to market their games in Russia and eastern/central Europe.

 

[sol_bad]

Are you guys positive that this game will be getting canned?
I read an interview with one of the devs of STALKER in an issue of Edge just a few months ago.
I sounded very promising and that they were nearly over their biggest hurdle. Biggest hurdle being the enemy and NPC AI. Apparently they've been really fine tuning the AI to make it something quite extraordinary.

Aparently the game is one huge giant map (no idea of theres loading segments), but apparently they could drop a creature into any part of the map and it would be able to choose a place to "live" with good shelter, good supply of food and good area to strategically pounce on potential prey.
Basically they could sustain their own life.
I can't remember what else the interview said, but I'll find it if you want.

 

[Willie Dynamite]

sol_bad: don't blieve.

 

[Mr Mike]

If I never discover what it is an acronym for, I'll be very sad.

Say,
That
Albert
Looks
Kinda
Eternally
Revolting

 

[VibratingDonkey]

GSC replies.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. IN TROUBLE RUMOURS "A HOAX"
GSC assures it's "working full throttle on completing the game" in response to recent reports of doom and gloom

12:32 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developer GSC Game World has rubbished recent internet reports suggesting its ambitious PC project is in serious trouble, describing them to us this afternoon as "nothing but a hoax".

In a nutshell, the reports stated that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was still a considerable way off from the finish line and that the game's publisher, THQ, had pulled funding with a view to assuming control of development of the title - potentially placing it into the hands of another studio for completion. Additionally, it was suggested that certain members of GSC's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. development team had been moved to another project while others had been laid off.

However, GSC Game World has now dismissed the reports. "What you're talking about is a completely unjustified rumour which appeared on the net just recently," the developer's senior PR manager Oleg V. Yavorsky told us when queried on this latest S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 'news'. Saying that his entire morning's been spent "clarifying the situation to [the] public today", he added "...the whole buzz is nothing but a hoax."

Yavorsky also assured us that GSC is "working full throttle on completing the game".

S.T.A.K.E.R. is a heavily anticipated survival FPS/RPG for PC which casts you as a bounty hunter scavenging the deserted wasteland around the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power station as you battle other opportunists and the radiation-streaked mutants roaming the land. It's expected to release toward the end of 2006.

Stuart Bishop

 

[thetrin]

Haha, this game is going to be an utter travesty.

A shame if that's true. A year ago, the game looked fantastic. I was totally confused when it just dropped off the radar for a while.

 

[element]

what would you expect GSC to say? It wouldn't shock me if THQ stop paying them though.

 

[Willie Dynamite]

I'm pretty sure THQ already stopped paying them.

 

[The Bookerman]

GSC replies.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. IN TROUBLE RUMOURS "A HOAX"
GSC assures it's "working full throttle on completing the game" in response to recent reports of doom and gloom

12:32 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developer GSC Game World has rubbished recent internet reports suggesting its ambitious PC project is in serious trouble, describing them to us this afternoon as "nothing but a hoax".

In a nutshell, the reports stated that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was still a considerable way off from the finish line and that the game's publisher, THQ, had pulled funding with a view to assuming control of development of the title - potentially placing it into the hands of another studio for completion. Additionally, it was suggested that certain members of GSC's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. development team had been moved to another project while others had been laid off.

However, GSC Game World has now dismissed the reports. "What you're talking about is a completely unjustified rumour which appeared on the net just recently," the developer's senior PR manager Oleg V. Yavorsky told us when queried on this latest S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 'news'. Saying that his entire morning's been spent "clarifying the situation to [the] public today", he added "...the whole buzz is nothing but a hoax."

Yavorsky also assured us that GSC is "working full throttle on completing the game".

S.T.A.K.E.R. is a heavily anticipated survival FPS/RPG for PC which casts you as a bounty hunter scavenging the deserted wasteland around the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power station as you battle other opportunists and the radiation-streaked mutants roaming the land. It's expected to release toward the end of 2006.

Stuart Bishop

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Here's hoping for a miracle. The engine and assets looked pretty awesome.

 

[MrPing1000]

Maybe it'll pull a Half-Life. That would be good

 

[Mr_Furious]

I'd imagine that THQ isn't paying the russian dev team much anyways so it's not like slipping is gonna cost them.