Just yesterday we ran a story about Blacksite: Area 51 producer, Harvey Smith, and the strong words he had regarding the game's production. Among the other things, Smith said the "project was was so f**ked up" and that a year prior to release "the game was disastrously off rails." He also noted issues with shared technology that hindered production of the title.
It appears when it comes to publicly airing dirty laundry about your current employer, honesty is not the best policy. According to a report on GameTap, Midway and the creative director of Midway's Austin, Texas studio have parted ways. Midway-Austin studio head Denise Fulton confirmed the departure, calling it "a mutual agreement between Harvey and the studio."
While I respect Smith's honesty, I don't find this surprising at all. Regardless of what organization or industry you work for, publicly bad-mouthing the team you worked with or company that signs your checks is a bad idea. The "mutual agreement" was more likely a strongly worded conversation with management that ended in Smith handing in his resignation rather than being fired.
Smith has years of industry experience, having previously worked with Warren Spector on the critically-acclaimed Deus Ex, as well as System Shock and Wing Commander. With such a strong background, we're sure he should have no trouble finding new projects, and we wish him the best of luck.
Contest:
3:03 PM on 11.30.2007
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This should be all you need to know about Harvey Smith: He's the brilliant mind behind "universal ammo" in Invisible War.
But, if you're having a horrible experience, and no one's talking about horrible experiences, or just out right avoiding that they exist, its worth just putting the laundry out there.
Of course, tact and public solidarity goes a long way in any business.
I never did, but still...
"This company sucks balls. I'll stay if you pay me triple"
"No"
"Fuck you guys, I'm outa here".
...Took you a minute? Exactly. Never happens.
From what I hear that company rarely loses talent unless they are poached by other devs. "Amicable differences?" Smells like bullshit to me. The last dev to leave that company after "amicable differences" was John Romero after the atrocity that was Gauntlet PS2 .
Good luck finding a job. What company would hire a guy after he threw a project that undoubtedly cost millions to make, a team and the company that funded him out the window? Only morons...
Your statement is mostly incorrect. John Romero left the company well before the release of the game. Between the time Romero left Midway, and its launch, the scope of the game was cut to a quarter of its original design. This was to accommodate a Q4 release timetable, which certainly wasn't a decision made on the studio level.
Also, many of the talented developers in the Austin studio, especially engineering-wise, left the project to seek out other opportunities, they were not simply 'poached'.
Midway executives have a proven history of bad decision-making, such as unifying around an engine which they do not control. Putting all your eggs in one basket is one thing, putting all of your eggs in someone else's basket is a lot worse.
While I'm sure Harvey Smith can share some of the blame for Blacksite's failures, pinning the success of the project exclusively on him is misguided.