Update: Ebb Software's CEO, Ljubomir Peklar, has come forward on Kickstarter and apologised for the "hostile tone" of the original post. Peklar added that it should "not be how we should express ideas or plans to people that help us out" and that the team "may be tired, confused and frustrated at our own ineptitude, but there is no reason to lash out at you".
"My name is Ljubomir Peklar and I'm the CEO of Ebb Software and also the creative director of the game. I take full responsibility for the last update that you received from our KS yesterday. I quickly and haphazardly read through the draft of the update and in all my wisdom approved it.
Reading through again it was clear that the hostile tone it was written in should not be how we should express ideas or plans to people that help us out. We may be tired, confused and frustrated at our own ineptitude, but there is no reason to lash out at you. For that I personally apologise. I will do my best for this kind of outburst not to happen again."
Original Story: Scorn was hinted at getting a delay earlier this year, and now developer Ebb Software has confirmed the horror game will now be launching in 2022.
In a statement to fans on Kickstarter, the studio outlined what it's been working on since the trailer in October 2020. In what it described as "no big revelation", the team summed up that it has simply been working on developing the game during that time frame. Firing shots at Cyberpunk 2077, the post went on to say that "maybe if they didn't push their developers to create marketing content they could've put more time into fixing the game".
Moving on to discussing the hype of Scorn, the team explained why they generated interest in the game way ahead of its release and how it was intended for potential investors. Although, they did add that the "handling [of] time leading up to release [was] really bad on [their] end".
"It's a strange thing, if some didn't know the game existed they would enjoy the 6 months of marketing and then the game, but now the very knowledge of its existence feels unbearable to them. Even if it turns out to be a great game they simply won't be able to enjoy it because my god they knew about it for so long. Some people just burn out on the hype. If we released it on time and it sucked they would forget about it in a day."
Other factors, such as the term "development hell" and the backing of Microsoft were also discussed, but Ebb Software ended the statement with a brief, and somewhat aggressive message in some fans' views:
"And for the end, a bit of friendly advice: If lack of communication is so bothersome just ask for a refund and be done with it. It's just a game. You can play it when it's out if you are still interested."
The reaction to the post has been largely negative, with many asking for refunds. One commented saying: "You guys have gotten way too arrogant ever since last year", while another posted: "The tone of his post is absolutely horrendous. We understand you're frustrated, and that's an okay thing to be when working on a game like this. But you have no right to lash out at the people who supported you in this endeavour in the first place".
Of course, not everyone feels this way, but we can't help but think there are better ways to keep your community of backers in the loop for your upcoming game.
Are you looking to try Scorn when it launches? Let us know in the comments below.
[source kickstarter.com]
Comments 21
Good for them. Developers get so much flack, look at the abuse aimed at saint row developers.
Also seems like a pre-emptive act of self defence alongside a probably mountain of ***** comments they've received by fans. Twitter, facebook, the general internet is a grotesquely unpolished mess full of trolls, self entitled bullies and pessimistic slugs just aching to complain and spread a thick slime of negativity over everything 😫 game developers are forced to withstand copious amounts of critcism and abuse, the comments aimed at some developers border on sociopathic and beyond cruel. On one hand I believe they should have worded things slightly better especially considering they have the backing of MS, and this type of thing can make MS look bad, but on the other hand I fully understand the response. And they're not wrong to say seek a refund, that's full on transparency in my opinion, something Cyberpunk should have said.
It does seem like they're under a lot of pressure however, but in this digital age where a minority can take form of a very vocal mob, the pressure must be even harder than the days when games were developed in a sense of privacy. Now, it seems like anyone can peer in and shout "HURRY UP YOU JERKS"
just read this, it seems some people have a different take on what they were saying.
“For the record, yes, the game has slipped into 2022 and we will have an official confirmation of the delay on the 10th of December. It was supposed to be announced in October, but circumstances out of our control postponed it. If it turns out not to be on the 10th by our or someone else's will, don't hold it too much against us.”
“No amount of [development] updates are going to make the game better, or make it come out sooner, quite the opposite. It's just more tasks on the already enormous list of tasks to finish,” says Ebb Software. “It’s time-consuming to make your game look presentable to the public. That is done at the very end of the development process.”
The update does note that everything the team had worked on until mid-2018 has either been reworked or scrapped entirely, and further mistakes will more than likely be made between now and the game's release. This is the reason that development updates have been so quiet, due to the team focusing on the game instead of marketing. The team does offer a fairly humorous piece of advice for anyone who backed Scorn on Kickstarter and is now concerned about the team's silence: "If lack of communication is so bothersome just ask for a refund and be done with it. It's just a game. You can play it when it's out if you are still interested."
@FriendlyOctopus Agreed. These devs just gave it to people straight, if anything I have more respect for them. The whiners can get their refunds and move on.
That quote is nothing but facts. so many intiltled babies on the internet theses days. I'll support the developer day 1 when it launches
@FriendlyOctopus Disagree, this dev is being and idiot. Most fans just want clarity and he is giving too much power to the morons that are spamming him. Don't set a release date until you are really confident you can actually hit it if you want to go silent on everyone for awhile... Yes, there's a toxicity in gaming fan community, but, as a game dev, you should know that and not play in the mud with those who are flinging it. It's terrible PR and very immature behavior. Reminds me of Phil Fish to a lesser extent. He should be a lesson on how to not behave as a dev. Even if what he is making true points (and I agree with most of the points actually), there's too much "Scorn" being shown needlessly in this delay announcement.
@FriendlyOctopus Where did I say I was offended? I said it's a stupid move from a PR perspective. I even said I agree with most of his points. Doesn't change that I think he's being an idiot and giving toxic people too much power, and that it'll only hurt the image of him and his product. Rise above it.
@Trmn8r This is the internet, he ignores it, they'll be articles about them going under or lack of communication enraged fans. You don't win whatever you do on the internet 😅 least he can do is stuck up for himself and his team
@FriendlyOctopus Lack of communication can be fixed very easily. By communicating. When devs set a public date and then ghost everyone for months on end as the release window is closing, fans start to get hostile. This isn't rocket surgery. He can be completely right in what he is saying about toxic people on Twitter, while not doing himself any favors at the same time.
I agree with much of what they say, but the tone it was said in was, frankly, tone deaf! There's been an update from the CEO to apologise for that.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1777595379/scorn-part-1-of-2-dasein/posts/3352718
The ‘tone’ of a wall of text on the internet was absolutely horrendous. Some people take this sort of thing way too seriously.
This story reads as the internet can dish it out but it can't take it.
@themightyant Thanks for that! I've updated the post with this statement in. 😊
They sum it up very nicely at the end "it's just a game" people on the Internet treating it like its only thing in life that matters.
@FriendlyOctopus People are not obligated to respect developers just for being developers. As an old saying goes, "respect is earned, not expected."
It seems like a great deal of people in the industry could use a good serving of humble pie. Somewhere along the way we forgot how the paying customers, the audience, deserve to have a say on what they are spending their hard earned money on. This is just entertainment at the end of the day. If developers don't respect their fans, they shouldn't be expecting any respect in return.
Bad attitudes are a two way street, I'm sure some fans are guilty of being in the wrong, but that is no excuse to act condescending. Developers shouldn't be lashing out at their audience over their feelings and concerns, especially if they're in a backer sort of situation where this audience is literally financing the project in some capacity. This is the world of investments, if you get investors for projects, miss the deadlines, and have poor communication, you shouldn't be surprised when those investors start getting vocal.
It's like I see this odd, contradictory behavior all over the internet these days. You get these self-entitled authority figures of some sort who feel like they deserve all the respect and admiration in the world yet the second they are presented with some criticism they show absolutely no respect or admiration for anyone else in return.
"maybe if they didn't push their developers to create marketing content they could've put more time into fixing the game".
Honestly I've said this for years. Am just so tired seeing a trailer followed by message, "Early 2038."
Once I see that all my interest is lost. That far out the game has good chance being canceled, delayed into next century, scrapped for rebuild, new writers hired, etc. The most optimal thing to do is not even talk about the game until it is NO MORE THAN 6 MONTHS OUT FROM GOING GOLD.
Follow that simple rule and fans, preorders, the hype, just everything wil be better. E3 is built for that. 6 months out or less from E3 it's holiday season.
Ooohhh I can see the sudden mass requests for refunds got the CEO feeling on edge and doing damage control. Sounds like a bit of a bad company to be honest, not sure about the apology.
I can certainly understand people being posted at them as they paid them money to back the game, it literally wouldn't exist without those backers, so to treat them with complete contempt is a bit nasty.
Not the best way to promote a game. But I agree with the developer, it’s a game and it’s ready when it’s ready.
Hell hath no fury like a dev scorned.
I'm still looking forward to it even though I forget it exists most of the time. One of the trailers that hooked me in in the big Xbox showcase.
Meh snarky communication seems to be an odd reward for the ongoing enthusiasm of what is currently vaporware.
Never hurts to be nice!
No thanks. Never planned to anyways.
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