10/18/99 - Latest News

Jay Esparza's Thoughts
Berendir @ 9:51 pm EST

Jay Esparza is an ex Dev Team member of Middle Earth Online. Heres what he had to say about what happend to MEO:

Although I understand the frustration that becomes the impetus for this point of view, I also see this as a somewhat narrow-minded perspective.

Having worked on ME and Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient (both cancelled), I know firsthand the anger felt when months of work on a good title is canned based on a pure business decision. However this is a business. The company that feeds me and my family is attempting to turn a profit. And I am willing to make art for them while they continue to do so. So, in that sense, I think they have secured the right to decide what they pay me for.

Someone outside the development realm can look at it another way. Imagine you are 45 years old and a major shareholder of an interactive software company. The head of sales tells you that although most of the dev team would play this game, he doubts that it will turn a profit in the end. Well, you don't play games, but that's YOUR money he's talking about. Do you tell him "screw the profit, games have to be fun"?. You have a mortgage and plenty of consumer debt, so you can hardly afford to piss your money away. Tough call?

It may be unfortunate that our industry is driven by profit and loss, but we are not alone. This has little to do with right and wrong and plenty to do with capitalism. Now, I'm not trying to tell you that all suits are saints. And although ignorant at times, they haven't cornered the market. But not all developers are full of conscience either.

I hope ME eventually is made into the title it deserves to be and I hope that the most faithful of you are rewarded.

That news was found at theMiddle Earth Vault.