As for Moebius, the low-budget Jensen title being developed by Phoenix Online Studios (the team that put out the critically-panned disaster King's Quest: A Silver Lining), it's currently in testing. Like many others, this adventure gamer won't touch a POS title after the damage they did to the KQ name with their bastardization of the Roberta Williams classic series and after the way they exploited the KQ name to gain themselves publicity for future commercial titles.
It's a fan game. Fan games with completely original stories usually aren't that good (since you have so many cooks in the kitchen and everyone is contributing their efforts for no pay). Plus, since it's unofficial you can easily ignore them if you don't like them.
There's tons of mediocre Monkey Island fan games, but they didn't do any damage to the Monkey Island brand since they're unofficial. The Silver Lining is the same way, even moreso, since this one isn't even called King's Quest due to Vivendi and then Activision wanting the fan game creators to distance themselves from the brand name to prevent people from thinking it's an official part of the series.
It's a high definition remake of the original Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers called Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary Edition. Unfortunately, the original voice recordings are lost, so they need to be re-recorded. The good news is that the voices are being handled by Bay Area Sound, the studio responsible for the voice recordings in Telltale's games.
MtnPeak wrote: »
As for Moebius, the low-budget Jensen title being developed by Phoenix Online Studios (the team that put out the critically… more-panned disaster King's Quest: A Silver Lining), it's currently in testing. Like many others, this adventure gamer won't touch a POS title after the damage they did to the KQ name with their bastardization of the Roberta Williams classic series and after the way they exploited the KQ name to gain themselves publicity for future commercial titles.
It's a fan game. Fan games with completely original stories usually aren't that good (since you have so many cooks in the kitchen and everyone is contributing their efforts for no pay). Plus, since it's unofficial you can easily ignore them if you don't like them.
There's tons of mediocre Monkey Island fan games, but they didn't do any damage to the Monkey Island brand since they're unofficial. The Silver Lining is the same way, even moreso, since this o… [view original content]
MtnPeak wrote: »
As for Moebius, the low-budget Jensen title being developed by Phoenix Online Studios (the team that put out the critically… more-panned disaster King's Quest: A Silver Lining), it's currently in testing. Like many others, this adventure gamer won't touch a POS title after the damage they did to the KQ name with their bastardization of the Roberta Williams classic series and after the way they exploited the KQ name to gain themselves publicity for future commercial titles.
It's a fan game. Fan games with completely original stories usually aren't that good (since you have so many cooks in the kitchen and everyone is contributing their efforts for no pay). Plus, since it's unofficial you can easily ignore them if you don't like them.
There's tons of mediocre Monkey Island fan games, but they didn't do any damage to the Monkey Island brand since they're unofficial. The Silver Lining is the same way, even moreso, since this o… [view original content]
I hope they go for good, appropriate voices and not "celebrities" for the sake of it.
I haven't seen anything about who they cast yet. But, they're going for new people to voice the characters, mostly for cost reasons, so I doubt they'll get big name celebrities. According to the Frequently Asked Questions Bay Area Sound helped Pinkerton Road "cast great actors true to the spirit of the original cast".
Jennifer, those are good points about Silver Lining.
Have you heard anything about the new GK cast?
I hope they go for good, appropriate voices and not "celebrities" for the sake of it.
If you didn't catch the Kickstarter and want to play Moebius, you can now pre-order it from GOG.com (at a pre-release price of $23.99). It will be released on April 15, but, if you pre-order it from GOG.com, you'll be able to play the first two chapters right now.
If you did back it on Kickstarter, check your e-mail, since you should also have a link to download the first two chapters right now. I've played a bit of it when the game was in alpha, and I really liked what I've played so far.
I don't know, I think both look great (although I'll admit I'm a bit more different in opinion to remakes than most gamers that grew up playing games in the 1980s and 1990s, as I actually prefer the remakes over the originals because of the higher resolution and music if done well, and I also don't mind when games opt for remaking 2D games in 3D, as is the case here). To me, the backgrounds in the Gabriel Knight game in particular look amazing.
I'm going to save complete judgement on either until I play through them of course, since ultimately story and gameplay matter a lot more than art style. Luckily, Moebius has just been released today, so I'll be able to post my full impression on the game soon.
If anyone does decide to pick up Moebius, The Phoenix Online store has a promotion going on for 20% off Moebius if you use the code CSGMOEB20OFF
I was absolutely disgusted when I learned that Phoenix Online Studios, a developer with a lousy track record responsible for the schlocky "The Silver Lining" (an apparently wannabe unofficial King's Quest game, in the sense that it used the same characters and setting, that seemed to try to exploit the legendary KQ reputation in order to get undeserved attention) was the developer for Moebius. I would never have considered backing the Jane Jensen/Moebius Kickstarter had I known that Phoenix Online Studios was the developer. People can go back and watch the Kickstarter video. There is mention of a Russian team called Signus Labs, but no mention of the amateur-like Phoenix Online Studios.
I believe Phoenix Online Studios had previously required people to provide e-mail addresses in order to download their unofficial "KQ" game, and, it appears, they were able to then use that long e-mail list to promote their future (low quality) commercial releases. They piggybacked on a famous series to gain undeserved name-recognition. What's worse, their "KQ-ish" game was of such low quality that I believe it did harm to the series' reputation.
"Moebius is an utter disaster of a game. An entirely unlikeable or vacuous cast, a contempt for women like I’ve never seen, and indeed almost equal contempt for men, gibberish puzzles, ghastly animation, flawed conceits, the stupidest plot idea I can remember, and the whole thing scored with lift music. It’s as if the moustache puzzle from Gabriel Knight 3 got an agent, and a starring role as an entire game."
I was absolutely disgusted when I learned that Phoenix Online Studios, a developer with a lousy track record responsible for the schlocky "The Silver Lining" (an apparently wannabe unofficial King's Quest game, in the sense that it used the same characters and setting, that seemed to try to exploit the legendary KQ reputation in order to get undeserved attention) was the developer for Moebius.
You can't judge someone's commercial track record by a free fan game that they developed in their spare time. They have a much better track record with their first commercial game Cognition, which is where they began their professional relationship with Jane Jensen, as she was the story consultant for that game.
I would never have considered backing the Jane Jensen/Moebius Kickstarter had I known that Phoenix Online Studios was the developer. People can go back and watch the Kickstarter video. There is mention of a Russian team called Signus Labs, but no mention of the amateur-like Phoenix Online Studios.
These things change some times after the kickstarter for whatever reason. Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded was developed by a different developer than was stated in the Kickstarter, and Hero U is being developed with a different developer than was stated in their Kickstarter as well. It happens, and it's not really a big deal since it's just the engine developers that are being changed, not the designers.
I believe Phoenix Online Studios had previously required people to provide e-mail addresses in order to download their unofficial "KQ" game, and, it appears, they were able to then use that long e-mail list to promote their future (low quality) commercial releases. They piggybacked on a famous series to gain undeserved name-recognition. What's worse, their "KQ-ish" game was of such low quality that I believe it did harm to the series' reputation.
You said this before, and I still don't understand the reasoning. How did they damage the King's Quest series? It's a fan game that has no official connection to the series, and because of the fan contract with Vivendi/Activision, it doesn't even use the King's Quest name. It's like all the fan Space Quest sequels and prequels out there (Space Quest 0, Space Quest: Vohaul Strikes Back, etc.). If you don't like them, just ignore them. They're not part of the official series, so it's no big deal.
Yeah, it's getting mixed reviews, but Jane Jensen's other recent game, Gray Matter, has been like that as well. I happened to like Gray Matter despite the reviews, and it's Jane Jensen that's doing the writing and designing (Pinkerton Road did the design, Phoenix Online was behind the engine), so I'm optimistic I'll still like it. I did like the little bit I played of the alpha.
I was absolutely disgusted when I learned that Phoenix Online Studios, a developer with a lousy track record responsible for the schlocky "T… morehe Silver Lining" (an apparently wannabe unofficial King's Quest game, in the sense that it used the same characters and setting, that seemed to try to exploit the legendary KQ reputation in order to get undeserved attention) was the developer for Moebius. I would never have considered backing the Jane Jensen/Moebius Kickstarter had I known that Phoenix Online Studios was the developer. People can go back and watch the Kickstarter video. There is mention of a Russian team called Signus Labs, but no mention of the amateur-like Phoenix Online Studios.
I believe Phoenix Online Studios had previously required people to provide e-mail addresses in order to download their unofficial "KQ" game, and, it appears, they were able to then use that long e-mail list to promote their future (low quality) commercial r… [view original content]
Comments
There's tons of mediocre Monkey Island fan games, but they didn't do any damage to the Monkey Island brand since they're unofficial. The Silver Lining is the same way, even moreso, since this one isn't even called King's Quest due to Vivendi and then Activision wanting the fan game creators to distance themselves from the brand name to prevent people from thinking it's an official part of the series.
Mystery Project X has been revealed.
It's a high definition remake of the original Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers called Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary Edition. Unfortunately, the original voice recordings are lost, so they need to be re-recorded. The good news is that the voices are being handled by Bay Area Sound, the studio responsible for the voice recordings in Telltale's games.
Jennifer, those are good points about Silver Lining.
Have you heard anything about the new GK cast?
I hope they go for good, appropriate voices and not "celebrities" for the sake of it.
>
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I haven't seen anything about who they cast yet. But, they're going for new people to voice the characters, mostly for cost reasons, so I doubt they'll get big name celebrities. According to the Frequently Asked Questions Bay Area Sound helped Pinkerton Road "cast great actors true to the spirit of the original cast".
If you didn't catch the Kickstarter and want to play Moebius, you can now pre-order it from GOG.com (at a pre-release price of $23.99). It will be released on April 15, but, if you pre-order it from GOG.com, you'll be able to play the first two chapters right now.
If you did back it on Kickstarter, check your e-mail, since you should also have a link to download the first two chapters right now. I've played a bit of it when the game was in alpha, and I really liked what I've played so far.
Adventure Gamers has a preview of Gabriel Knight 25th Anniversary Edition. Things seem to be going really good. They say that everything feels like the original, just in a higher resolution, and happily the new actors they hired are amazingly close to the original actors.
I really can't wait to play it now, especially after that preview.
Not too impressed with either the looks of Moebius or the unnecessary Gabriel Knight remake. :-(
I don't know, I think both look great (although I'll admit I'm a bit more different in opinion to remakes than most gamers that grew up playing games in the 1980s and 1990s, as I actually prefer the remakes over the originals because of the higher resolution and music if done well, and I also don't mind when games opt for remaking 2D games in 3D, as is the case here). To me, the backgrounds in the Gabriel Knight game in particular look amazing.
I'm going to save complete judgement on either until I play through them of course, since ultimately story and gameplay matter a lot more than art style. Luckily, Moebius has just been released today, so I'll be able to post my full impression on the game soon.
If anyone does decide to pick up Moebius, The Phoenix Online store has a promotion going on for 20% off Moebius if you use the code CSGMOEB20OFF
I was absolutely disgusted when I learned that Phoenix Online Studios, a developer with a lousy track record responsible for the schlocky "The Silver Lining" (an apparently wannabe unofficial King's Quest game, in the sense that it used the same characters and setting, that seemed to try to exploit the legendary KQ reputation in order to get undeserved attention) was the developer for Moebius. I would never have considered backing the Jane Jensen/Moebius Kickstarter had I known that Phoenix Online Studios was the developer. People can go back and watch the Kickstarter video. There is mention of a Russian team called Signus Labs, but no mention of the amateur-like Phoenix Online Studios.
I believe Phoenix Online Studios had previously required people to provide e-mail addresses in order to download their unofficial "KQ" game, and, it appears, they were able to then use that long e-mail list to promote their future (low quality) commercial releases. They piggybacked on a famous series to gain undeserved name-recognition. What's worse, their "KQ-ish" game was of such low quality that I believe it did harm to the series' reputation.
As for their new game, Moebius, which is outrageously priced at $30, here is the always-outspoken critic John Walker of "Rock, Paper, Shotgun" with his take:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/15/moebius-review/
Excerpt:
"Moebius is an utter disaster of a game. An entirely unlikeable or vacuous cast, a contempt for women like I’ve never seen, and indeed almost equal contempt for men, gibberish puzzles, ghastly animation, flawed conceits, the stupidest plot idea I can remember, and the whole thing scored with lift music. It’s as if the moustache puzzle from Gabriel Knight 3 got an agent, and a starring role as an entire game."
You can't judge someone's commercial track record by a free fan game that they developed in their spare time. They have a much better track record with their first commercial game Cognition, which is where they began their professional relationship with Jane Jensen, as she was the story consultant for that game.
These things change some times after the kickstarter for whatever reason. Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded was developed by a different developer than was stated in the Kickstarter, and Hero U is being developed with a different developer than was stated in their Kickstarter as well. It happens, and it's not really a big deal since it's just the engine developers that are being changed, not the designers.
You said this before, and I still don't understand the reasoning. How did they damage the King's Quest series? It's a fan game that has no official connection to the series, and because of the fan contract with Vivendi/Activision, it doesn't even use the King's Quest name. It's like all the fan Space Quest sequels and prequels out there (Space Quest 0, Space Quest: Vohaul Strikes Back, etc.). If you don't like them, just ignore them. They're not part of the official series, so it's no big deal.
Yeah, it's getting mixed reviews, but Jane Jensen's other recent game, Gray Matter, has been like that as well. I happened to like Gray Matter despite the reviews, and it's Jane Jensen that's doing the writing and designing (Pinkerton Road did the design, Phoenix Online was behind the engine), so I'm optimistic I'll still like it. I did like the little bit I played of the alpha.