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Crazy_BlackParrot
Feb 1, 2016

Christ Roberts is way better than toilet lord...
:gary: :lesnick: :yarg:
:pgabz: :fuzzknot: :eonwe:
:wtchris:

fuctifino posted:



https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanarcherart

Has he been a freelancer for a while? Or is this a recent change?

Who the hell are his 2 recommendations?
Plot twist : Derek Smart is one of them.

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Daztek
Jun 2, 2006



fuctifino posted:



https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanarcherart

Has he been a freelancer for a while? Or is this a recent change?

A while I think, Chris Roberts' Star Traders shill post mentioned him and Ladyman doing contract work for CIG now

G0RF
Mar 19, 2015

Some galactic defender you are, Space Cadet.

GabrielMobius posted:

Rare seriouspost because I like shitposting in this thread far too much:

Can you give us a summation of the money-related changes once you've gone through the whole thing? The idea that they're removing the unmelting system once the shop is in place in-game is a couple screaming red flags all by itself, especially as that was a massively contentious system of its own and just jettisoning it altogether is not going to cause CIG to gain any goodwill. People were very upset with the implementation initially, and CIG tried to deflect heat onto Turbulent, so I'm very curious what your estimation of the incoming money/store changes is.
One of the biggest unknowns right now is CIG's cash position. We've heard they're flush with cash (EightAce) and that they're nearly out (Derek).

We have no line of sight into this matter-- only gossip, and the gossip is contrary.

What we do have-- imperfect as it is-- is a possible means of gauging revenue via their Stretch Goals tracker. And we've watched that pretty closely for a long time-- trying to make guesses about any emerging trends, wondering when we might see capitulation, curious about whether splitting their IP into two sellable assets would be accretive or destructive.

We've also made guesses, Beer most specifically I think, about monthly overhead costs for the entire operation(s). It's hard to believe it's less than $100k a day (~$3M a month).

Recent sales have been lackluster to alarming. Demand refuses to be sustained over the durations of past glory sales. Even without elective spending on $15,000 coffee machines, upgraded international airfare, and new MoCap shoots (already rumored to be running at 12x their original budget) -- CIG may be entering a time of relative famine.

This is why the question of "How much cash do they have?" is especially interesting. Because if they're running on empty, then a bankruptcy or distressed sale is potentially right around the corner. If they're fat with some unknown investor cash, then some shortfall months don't really matter.

We are seeing more and more circumstantial evidence that CIG is blocking the exits and widening the doors. Refunds are denied as a matter of policy when once they were accommodated quickly. The change -- which had no official explanation beyond "sorry no more refunds read your ToS" -- suggests some degree of concern about husbanding cash.

Now-- we also know that, as of the beginning of the year, CIG had NO ROADMAP at all for PTU development. None. They admitted as much on AtV-- happily, in fact. As if that was entirely commonplace as opposed to a warning sign. It IS commonplace at CIG but atypical elsewhere. Then we heard rumors (from Derek and EightAce) that they'd devised their new development priorities after a big confab with senior management. And the order of the day? Making in game asset sales a reality ASAP. Yet back ended by what? Earnable credits? Or actual credit cards (as with their web based means of selling).

Now-- looking at the "unmelt" token policy in particular, it too is very telling. CIG claimed that, for technical reasons, they had to greatly limit the supply and not allow them to be accrued over time. What this really means is quite obvious-- if they granted backers easy means to melt/unmelt they would be potentially damaging the sale of new ships to those same backers.

They are giving more and more signs that they need to restrict their users and plan to continue doing so. What makes matters worse for the backers is that, over the last half of last year, they effectively poisoned the gray market as an outside means of true liquidity. Formerly exclusive ships might've commanded a high price on the traders market- but CIG reintroduced many and thus flooded supply and destroyed demand. Similar gambits took place with LTI.

What is very telling in all of this is that it is so bloody ad hoc. They are making things up as they go-- everywhere-- and this tells us probably that all their thinking is tactical (if that). It's in response to changing conditions on the ground.

If capitulation is really here, and cash is really low, then we are going to see more and more obvious signs of it from a panicked CIG. And if the gambits they devise over panicked meetings don't work, then we will start seeing telltale signs of cash panics. Major cost cutting / office shut downs / layoffs.

All that said-- we still do not know what their cash situation is. To hear Chris and Erin talk, they haven't a care in the world's they e got time to spare. There is not sword ranging over their heads.

Sorry this was rambly but I'm in a hurry and on a phone. This is just meant to help you understand why these little signs-- like stores EVERYWHERE in game as the latest reveal-- might be telling us something. "Alpha UEC" is telling us something (because it will not be permanent).

It seems like they're telling us -- and backers -- quite a bit. And it's good news for people that like bad news.

bird with big dick
Oct 21, 2015

Scruffpuff posted:

I would have said 53%.



That thing is loving racist. Might as well have said "but all you guys look alike anyway"

Skellybones
May 31, 2011




Fun Shoe

Yes finally the recognition I so richly deserve

Scruffpuff
Dec 23, 2015

Fidelity. Wait, was I'm working on again?

SomethingJones
Mar 6, 2016

<3

drat Dirty Ape posted:

I would love to see Chris's reaction when he sees this.

That was Braben's response to CIG getting a visit from the coffee machine man.

BeefThief
Aug 8, 2007

I think the thread may be caught in a white hole

Scruffpuff
Dec 23, 2015

Fidelity. Wait, was I'm working on again?

Mirificus posted:

Derek Smart looks more like a celebrity to CaptionBot than Sandi Gardiner.

:laffo:

my girlfriend is Legos
Apr 24, 2013
I'm still shocked that Derek Smart destroyed a vending machine with his bare hands, IMO

stinch
Nov 21, 2013

Colostomy Bag posted:

Somewhat of an interesting development within the cesspool of the forums. And like the other said, eliminates the 10% Yes/90% No graphs.

Tin foil hat time folks, FTC is hitting hard and raising a stir deep in the bowels to address concerns.

The old system was based on silencing negativity through humiliation which only works if you are dealing with small numbers of people. Doesn't work anymore because you can just be negative in the main forums and there are a dozen posts most of them agreeing with you before the mods can react. You can't humiliate a group like you can an individual.

All that negativity has to be spooking the wales, each of which has their own special snowflake dream of CR vision to get butthurt about. So expect the mods to crack down and start hearding all the pissed off users into the concern forum out of the way.

This is one of the few areas cig manages to show any form of competence.

MeLKoR
Dec 23, 2004

by FactsAreUseless

ZenMaster posted:

Ryan!!! RYAN!!! You got the cover of Jump this month!!!! Make sure you do an extra good job, ok?





SECOND FREAKING RESULT for "graffiti" in google, first page for skull graffiti. :effort:

At this point I don't think it's hyperbole to say that everything this man ever did is totally or in part copied from somewhere else. How could this man have worked in the industry for so long if this is the kind of work he consistently delivers? :psyduck:

RescueFreak
Sep 8, 2013

Any news about the pissed off actor? I thought what was supposed to be a thing.

If CIG had pushed out the Idris at CITCON I might not have gone through with my refund, instead Sandi cried and Chris spit on a cake.

I don't like Anime because they start out good but then they get all convoluted half way through and have unsatisfying endings. Last thing I saw was Fate.Zero and Unlimited Blade Works.

RescueFreak fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Apr 1, 2016

GabrielMobius
Mar 22, 2016

everything is fine

That helps clear up a couple of things and provide some fleshing out on ideas I already had rattling around in my head. I do understand what the signs mean in a vague sense: for example, I know that the idea of introducing these stores and using it as an excuse to discontinue unmelt tokens is effectively a tactical decision meant to close off access to existing credit and to force the influx of new cash into the game if/when they bring new sales up. I was more asking for a breakdown of the revelations you noticed in ATV regarding their money issues, specifically which little signs you saw and what they might mean. But as you are still on a phone I will wait patiently for your more full breakdown!

xiansi
Jan 26, 2012

im judjing all goons cause they have bad leader, so a noral member is associated whith thoose crasy one

Personaly i would quit the goons if i was in cause of thoose crasy ppl
Clapping Larry

FrankieGoes posted:

That thing is loving racist. Might as well have said "but all you guys look alike anyway"

Never mind racist, look at the complete lack of tie recognition.

We have a few years left before the AIs take over everything.

Beet Wagon
Oct 19, 2015





Lol steam just told me they made a Ghost in the Shell area shooter game.

When? Why? To what end?

Cao Ni Ma
May 25, 2010



I cant see CIG being well off economically if they've been saying for months that they need to find more ways to "relieve the pressure" from their whales, failing miserably and then double down on whales because they have nothing left. Constant sales, constant free weekends first with just with a few ships now including everything in them, people login into their hangars with ships they dont own so they can see them, introducing shopping places in the pre-alpha. All of this screams that they are desperate for money.

Now they could still have a ton of money left, but someone must have crunched the numbers and realized if they dont get more they'll run out before they can finish the game because of how slow they've been progressing.

Differo Cathedra
Oct 9, 2012

To be honest it was 4AM when I started making the gif and even I don't know what it's supposed to be about by the time I finished it an hour and a few GIS searches later :effort:


Ag Bengip posted:

I'm still shocked that Derek Smart destroyed a vending machine with his bare hands, IMO

Worse than that, he brags about it. Very unprofessional, imo.

ManofManyAliases
Mar 21, 2016
ToastOfManySmarts


Can't post for 3 hours!

D_Smart posted:


First, my apologies for calling you an idiot. It's one of those days and I should have looked at who I was responding to because it appeared to be SillyBones or one of the RSI/CIG related alt accounts I've started keeping track of and investigating.

That said, my comment that Ben should look up Warrant Canary had nothing to do with FISA, The Patriot Act or anything of the sort.

I was using it in context of "I know something that you don't, but I can't talk about it". There is NO other legal context for it; and a gag order won't apply since there is no originating lawsuit.

My comment has to do with the concept of NOT being able to say ANYTHING about an on-going events/op/action. That being the position THEY are in. I am in the same boat. And I said this (re: E.L.E) even BEFORE the AtV aired and everyone started speculating on the demeanor, body language etc of all three of them on camera.

It was also what prompted my message to Erin.

For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary

Hey Derek, investigate this:



It's Ryan Archer cat.

TTerrible
Jul 15, 2005

ManofManyAliases posted:

Hey Derek, investigate this:



It's Ryan Archer cat.

Wind your belt in.

BrutalistMcDonalds
Oct 4, 2012


Lipstick Apathy
So I missed this feature about the Gizmondo in March's edition of Drive magazine.

Real class acts were running it:

quote:

One exceptionally warm September Sunday in Santa Monica Bay, Carl Freer and Stefan Eriksson were leaning against the back rail of the Brigatta. Freer was dressed head-to-toe in Hermés, from his linen shirt down to his $150 leather flip-flops. The sun shined bright overhead, reflecting off the most consistent accessory in the Eriksson wardrobe: a thick gold chain and machine gun pendant that hung heavily around his bull neck. The two glanced back at the Los Angeles coastline pulling out of view as the yacht’s twin-diesel engines sped them towards Catalina Island and the isolation of the open waters. On the boat with them were Peter Uf and “the Mikes” — two associates helping Freer launch Xero Mobile. Looking like they just stepped out of a men’s hair-dye ad, Mike X dressed with all the subtlety of the title character in Mask, while Mike Y was dubbed “NASCAR” for his penchant of perennially wearing the auto racing league’s garish gear.

Drinks in hand, the Mikes chatted up a couple young girls sunbathing on the deck, as was the custom on these Sunday cruises. As was also de rigueur, as soon as the boat motored sufficiently offshore they killed the engines, and Peter Uf brought out the war chest of side-arms — among them an Uzi and a couple large caliber handguns. Eriksson grabbed the Uzi and began shooting into the sky at a flock of gulls squawking a couple hundred feet to the starboard, failing to hit any of the birds despite the gun’s ability to fire off 10 rounds per second. One of the Mikes teased Eriksson about his marksmanship, and everyone laughed. It was the weekend, the sun was shining, the drinks were flowing and the girls were giggling. All was right in the world of Gizmondo—at least for the moment. Then Eriksson nodded to the girls. Casually they excused themselves, grabbed their drinks and descended into the hull. A deckhand turned the music up, and also disappeared below deck.

Nonchalantly, Uf and Eriksson walked to either side of Mike X, who at this point had already knocked back numerous drinks. Uf and Eriksson lifted their handguns, put them each to one side of Mike X’s head, and fired a series of shots into the water only three inches from his ears. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Shrieking, Mike X threw his hands on his head in shock, ears ringing from the deafening blast of the barrels. Stefan then backhanded him across the face, grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him to the edge of the boat. Mike Y hit the deck and covered his head with his hands, yelling, “What’s going on man, what are you doing?!”

“What the gently caress you trying do to us, huh? We know exactly what you’re doing – you think we’re that loving stupid?” shouted Stefan in broken English. After tapping the Mikes’ phones, Eriksson and Freer had discovered the Mikes were trying to sell Xero’s compression technology to a competing start-up. Disloyalty was a primal sin to Eriksson.

Uf walked over to the side of the boat, casually picked up a large bucket of fish organs, blood and offal, and began throwing the chum into the water. The Mikes had seen these guys do this before: baiting sharks to come feed in the bloody water, to only then massacre them from close range with automatic rifles. Only this time, it was clear the sharks weren’t that afternoon’s prey.

“Who the gently caress do you think you’re dealing with? Do you think we’re jokers?” yelled Stefan apoplectically, now red-faced and only inches from Mike X’s quivering lips. “It’s time for you to swim with the sharks!”

The two Mikes pleaded for mercy. Roughly, Eriksson jerked Mike X up and hung him precariously over the edge of the boat, flailing like a marionette over the reddening water. “We could dump you right now, and no one would ever see you again. Is that what you want?”

Mike X turned hysterical, his screams reaching upper octaves. Uf looked over and began laughing, pointing at his darkened crotch. “He goddamned wet himself,” roared Freer, clearly enjoying himself. Below them, in the now-frothing ocean, a couple sharks began thrashing about.

“Give me one reason why we shouldn’t kill you,” sneered Eriksson. In his early days in the Uppsala Mafia, Eriksson had felt rage like this. One victim testified in court that Stefan had beaten him, threatened to chop off his fingers, and then stuffed a gun so far in his mouth he knocked out his front teeth. “If I throw you to the sharks nobody would ever know!”

“Sorry! I won’t do it again!” screamed Mike X, begging for his life. “I still want to work with you guys, I’m so sorry, sorry, sorry! We’re your fuckin’ slaves!”

That was all Eriksson needed to hear. Pulling Mike X back on deck, he threw him to the ground, allowing Freer to lap up the obsequious pleading.

“This is how these guys worked: once they found that you transgressed them in any way, they held you to it for the rest of your life,” notes Anthony, who in his time had seen Eriksson repeatedly pull this kind of visceral lordship over people. If they couldn’t be charmed, they’d be bought, and if they couldn’t be bought, they’d be broken with the threat of physical harm. And if the threat didn’t work…?

The crew turned the Brigatta around and retreated back to Eriksson’s Bel Air Crest mansion, where Mike X hung around for a couple days to convince them that he was still 100% committed to doing business together. On the third day he excused himself and drove home. Fearing for their lives, the Mikes fled the city and went into hiding back in their native Georgia. They vanished, and never picked up the phone again. “But it was no loss for Stefan and Carl,” shrugs Anthony. “They just went out to the next mug.”
http://www.thedrive.com/article/2673/the-weird-wild-saga-of-gizmondo-part-v-coming-to-america

stinch
Nov 21, 2013

A Neurotic Jew posted:

So this is likely your final chance to take a guess on Q2 Leavers. I will buy an immersive SC related avatar to whoever can predict the most right. Minus one point for every guess you make that doesn't pan out. will wait until next Friday for all information to come in before declaring a winner.

My guesses: 1) Sean Tracey 2) Toni Z. 3) Chambers

No leavers, they are just threatening to get more money as cig are desperate enough they are paying it.

MeLKoR
Dec 23, 2004

by FactsAreUseless

:perfect:

Toops
Nov 5, 2015

-find mood stabilizers
-also,

spacetoaster posted:

Is it just me or has the crew at CIG become younger? Like, the older folks who have enough experience to recognize what is going on and vacated leaving the younger people who don't have the ability (or wisdom) to jump ship?

There was a post a while back linking to a CIG post offering jobs to people still in college.

EminusSleepus
Sep 28, 2015

blueberrysmith posted:



always watching...

also this AI "demo" is creepy as hell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkwIzILcoxM&t=3747s

Happy Sisyphus
Nov 13, 2013

You take the blue paarp - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red paarp - you stay in pre-alpha, and I show you how deep the sperg wallet goes.

exciting day itt

Skellybones
May 31, 2011




Fun Shoe

ManofManyAliases posted:

Hey Derek, investigate this:



It's Ryan Archer cat.

:five:

MeLKoR
Dec 23, 2004

by FactsAreUseless

ZenMaster posted:

Ryan!!! RYAN!!! You got the cover of Jump this month!!!! Make sure you do an extra good job, ok?





SECOND FREAKING RESULT for "graffiti" in google, first page for skull graffiti. :effort:

I just noticed this ship has four rotating sections.

DigitalMocking
Jun 8, 2010

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.
Benjamin Franklin
No matter what happens here, Derek Smart's inability to take a joke is the funniest thing in this thread.

Ursine Catastrophe
Nov 9, 2009

It's a lovely morning in the void and you are a horrible lady-in-waiting.



don't ask how i know

Dinosaur Gum

Beet Wagon posted:

Lol steam just told me they made a Ghost in the Shell area shooter game.

When? Why? To what end?

because someone saw one episode of it once and said "wow, those talky bits were boring but those parts when they were shooting, those were rad"

Goobs
Jan 30, 2016

Doxcat is watching you PU.

i didnt know sandi was on that atv, amazing.

D1E
Nov 25, 2001


Beet Wagon posted:

Lol steam just told me they made a Ghost in the Shell area shooter game.

When? Why? To what end?

Android cleavage sells really well on Steam.

LGD
Sep 25, 2004

D1E posted:

Android cleavage sells really well on Steam.

the heart wants what the heart wants

Toops
Nov 5, 2015

-find mood stabilizers
-also,

G0RF posted:

:words: (great post)

It seems like they're telling us -- and backers -- quite a bit. And it's good news for people that like bad news.

Ice age heat wave can't complain.

MeLKoR
Dec 23, 2004

by FactsAreUseless

grimcreaper posted:

Whats Mr. Smart gonna do, threaten to sue Lowtax?

No, he'll pick up his ball and leave. Maybe I'm wrong but that would escalate fast.

Toops
Nov 5, 2015

-find mood stabilizers
-also,

:laffo:

:five:

lazorexplosion
Mar 19, 2016

Hahahah. Twenty seconds of handpicked pre-recorded footage to show of their AI collision detection, and their footage immediately starts with a guy running into a pillar, a guy running into a railing, another guy running into a pillar and then not long after a guy getting stuck on nothing, spazzing a little and then turning around. They could record as much footage as they needed and pick the best, and this what they went with :stare:

D1E
Nov 25, 2001


MeLKoR posted:

No, he'll pick up his ball and leave. Maybe I'm wrong but that would escalate fast.

Lowtax and Derek are buds now.

Also, Dr. Smart.

Justin Tyme
Feb 22, 2011


Beet Wagon posted:

Lol steam just told me they made a Ghost in the Shell area shooter game.

When? Why? To what end?

Made by the people who did Neotokyo afaik and uses the COD/Quake engine :shrug: pretty inoffensive imo, Neotokyo was pretty fun.

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Dark Off
Aug 14, 2015




MeLKoR posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkwIzILcoxM&t=3773s
Upper center, the two guys go right through each other. Great collision detection. :downsbravo:

just to let you know that part of video is before the ground breaking collision detection
still they somehow managed to gently caress up generic npc collision avoidance later on in that video.

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