I mean, that’s kind of promising if the core writers have formed a new company, right? 99.9% of the game’s appeal is the writing, and I have no doubt they could create a new universe outside revanchol…
The world building and core writing happened over many years. I’m sure they could produce a new IP but it would take a lot more than having their own company. Plus some of the magic is production quality and that was the rest of the team that now doesn’t want to work with them. My read is that management created a toxic environment and pitted groups against each other.
Maybe, but I don’t think they’ve formed a new company yet, although they should. At least I haven’t heard of any new project from them, just some sequel ideas from the original company, which is now divorced from its original founders and creative, so it will probably suck.
It’s also a world they’ve been developing since high school, so their next idea may not be as developed. Maybe it will just take them awhile to come up with something new which is why we haven’t heard anything yet? I think they played ttrpg games in it iirc. I’ve got some imaginary places like that in my mind, so I could sympathize with having it blow up, which would be amazing, and then taken from them, which must feel horrible =(
People Make Games made a lengthy documentary on this subject. It’s surprisingly more complicated than it sounds with many writers, artists, and developers within the company coming forward to say that the original lead writers were toxic to work with and rightfully removed from the team. They created an incredible world with huge potential, but much of the work of bringing it to life was done by a full team of creators who still work for ZA/UM. Ultimately, yes, I would really like to see Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere start a new game studio, hopefully having learned from their mistakes (both in business and in relation to their colleagues).
the People Make Games documentary about the Disco Elysium case was a heavily biased piece that unintentionally(?) served as a PR job for ZA/UM, meant to muddy the waters around the actual reason for Kurvitz, Rostov and Hindpere’s removal. It is indeed possible that Kurvitz was a complete slob and a total asshole during production, but that doesn’t erase the fact that a majority of the unethical business practises and abuse that happened at ZA/UM were due to Management.
GLHF reported yesterday that Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM planned on laying off around 24 workers and canceled its latest project, codenamed X7. Among the staff members to be laid off is the entire writing team that has worked on X7, which includes Argo Tuulik, the last remaining writer at ZA/UM to have worked on the company’s greatest hit.
I mean, that’s kind of promising if the core writers have formed a new company, right? 99.9% of the game’s appeal is the writing, and I have no doubt they could create a new universe outside revanchol…
Right?
The world building and core writing happened over many years. I’m sure they could produce a new IP but it would take a lot more than having their own company. Plus some of the magic is production quality and that was the rest of the team that now doesn’t want to work with them. My read is that management created a toxic environment and pitted groups against each other.
Maybe, but I don’t think they’ve formed a new company yet, although they should. At least I haven’t heard of any new project from them, just some sequel ideas from the original company, which is now divorced from its original founders and creative, so it will probably suck.
It’s also a world they’ve been developing since high school, so their next idea may not be as developed. Maybe it will just take them awhile to come up with something new which is why we haven’t heard anything yet? I think they played ttrpg games in it iirc. I’ve got some imaginary places like that in my mind, so I could sympathize with having it blow up, which would be amazing, and then taken from them, which must feel horrible =(
People Make Games made a lengthy documentary on this subject. It’s surprisingly more complicated than it sounds with many writers, artists, and developers within the company coming forward to say that the original lead writers were toxic to work with and rightfully removed from the team. They created an incredible world with huge potential, but much of the work of bringing it to life was done by a full team of creators who still work for ZA/UM. Ultimately, yes, I would really like to see Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere start a new game studio, hopefully having learned from their mistakes (both in business and in relation to their colleagues).
And people have made fantastic critiques of the PMG doc. Lemme link it https://youtu.be/K1b5zyvsUBY
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
the People Make Games documentary about the Disco Elysium case was a heavily biased piece that unintentionally(?) served as a PR job for ZA/UM, meant to muddy the waters around the actual reason for Kurvitz, Rostov and Hindpere’s removal. It is indeed possible that Kurvitz was a complete slob and a total asshole during production, but that doesn’t erase the fact that a majority of the unethical business practises and abuse that happened at ZA/UM were due to Management.
Last Disco Elysium writer laid off by ZA/UM speaks out
for more on the PMG video
About the Disco Elysium Investigation. What Went Wrong?
a response to pmg’s disco elysium investigation
I found YouTube links in your comment. Here are links to the same videos on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Link 1:
Link 2: