Fntastic Responds To The Day Before Turmoil: 'Sh*t Happens' | MMORPG.com

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Fntastic Responds To The Day Before Turmoil: 'Sh*t Happens' | MMORPG.com

From the first, The Day Before always felt a bit like snake oil, and after its disastrous release and subsequent studio closure, Fntastic hasn't exactly been forthcoming about the debacle. A recent response to a clearly upset fan isn't helping things, either.

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caalem

How hard is it to write something that at least seems half-sincere? Here, I'll do their job for them:

"This was our first major project in the industry, and while we never wanted anything but success, we were unable to attain it despite our best efforts. We understand that this is disappointing for all involved, and for that, we sincerely apologize. "


Wow, that was tough.

Kyleran

caalem said:

How hard is it to write something that at least seems half-sincere? Here, I'll do their job for them:

"This was our first major project in the industry, and while we never wanted anything but success, we were unable to attain it despite our best efforts. We understand that this is disappointing for all involved, and for that, we sincerely apologize. "


Wow, that was tough.

Yeah, but you aren't a douchebag scamming software developer.

Wargfoot

I thought the studio dissolved?

ShankTheTank

I was the first to arrive

Tiller

Russians gonna Russian.

Abimor

You know I dont care about aasets or any of that stuff if they bought the assets of the store or were legally allowed to use them who cares honestly? What I do care about is the lack of apperrent honesty about their game. How hard is it to just be honest and say were putting it out its not what we want it to be were going to work on it till it is. Or even we cant get it done or idk know but it is clearly was never what they showed.
Is some of this on valve? Don't they have a responsibility to make sure whats on their store front is not some giant con? When you look at their store games that have been totally given up on are still up for sale or the games that are blatent ripoffs of other games?

Angrakhan

When your software development skills and business acumen are shit, then yes, shit happen.

WBadger

Abimor said:

You know I dont care about aasets or any of that stuff if they bought the assets of the store or were legally allowed to use them who cares honestly? What I do care about is the lack of apperrent honesty about their game. How hard is it to just be honest and say were putting it out its not what we want it to be were going to work on it till it is. Or even we cant get it done or idk know but it is clearly was never what they showed.

Is some of this on valve? Don't they have a responsibility to make sure whats on their store front is not some giant con? When you look at their store games that have been totally given up on are still up for sale or the games that are blatent ripoffs of other games?

Arguably some on valve; but also arguably I can understand Valve's desires to not give a damn. People themselves are the reason for their storefront not being curated anymore and just turned into a reactive willingness to refund people after the fact of things happening instead of being proactive anymore in preventing things from happening.

Prior to 2018; Steam was very proactive in preventing certain content from appearing their store. Namely, porn-focused games. Certain violence games (Hatred for example was banned on steam for awhile because that game is predicated on a mass shooter gunning down innocent civilians as its entire gameplay focus.) Things of that nature.

At that time, people were badgering valve constantly about their smut games not being allowed on steam yet games like Witcher were allowed (even though the difference was games like the Witcher had some levels of adult content but the game was not focused on adult content;) and since people were demanding Valve to allow all of it...they did. Because it would have been an impossibility to have to test every both indie and published game to cherry pick if they fit arbitrary standards or not.
So they chose the "Ok, well you guys want us to let everything onto the store. Well, that's exactly what we'll do." And now we're post Valve's opening their store to everyone-phase. So everything is reactive; they'll remove games if metrics shows that its a scam and everyone is refunding it; but they're not going to go investigative-journalist level of poking into games to find out.

People like to blame valve for all of the bad games on steam now; but people are equally to blame for demanding valve to open their storefront to everyone.

Abimor

WBadger said:

Abimor said:

You know I dont care about aasets or any of that stuff if they bought the assets of the store or were legally allowed to use them who cares honestly? What I do care about is the lack of apperrent honesty about their game. How hard is it to just be honest and say were putting it out its not what we want it to be were going to work on it till it is. Or even we cant get it done or idk know but it is clearly was never what they showed.

Is some of this on valve? Don't they have a responsibility to make sure whats on their store front is not some giant con? When you look at their store games that have been totally given up on are still up for sale or the games that are blatent ripoffs of other games?

Arguably some on valve; but also arguably I can understand Valve's desires to not give a damn. People themselves are the reason for their storefront not being curated anymore and just turned into a reactive willingness to refund people after the fact of things happening instead of being proactive anymore in preventing things from happening.

Prior to 2018; Steam was very proactive in preventing certain content from appearing their store. Namely, porn-focused games. Certain violence games (Hatred for example was banned on steam for awhile because that game is predicated on a mass shooter gunning down innocent civilians as its entire gameplay focus.) Things of that nature.

At that time, people were badgering valve constantly about their smut games not being allowed on steam yet games like Witcher were allowed (even though the difference was games like the Witcher had some levels of adult content but the game was not focused on adult content;) and since people were demanding Valve to allow all of it...they did. Because it would have been an impossibility to have to test every both indie and published game to cherry pick if they fit arbitrary standards or not.
So they chose the "Ok, well you guys want us to let everything onto the store. Well, that's exactly what we'll do." And now we're post Valve's opening their store to everyone-phase. So everything is reactive; they'll remove games if metrics shows that its a scam and everyone is refunding it; but they're not going to go investigative-journalist level of poking into games to find out.

People like to blame valve for all of the bad games on steam now; but people are equally to blame for demanding valve to open their storefront to everyone.

agree 100% with you lots of this crap is basically gamers fault we have been entirely to tolerant of game studio shenanigans.
 I know when the porn stuff happened I was shocked that they allowed that. I clicked on something wrong and there was some crazy stuff that can't be unseen. They do have great filters. The two areas where I think they should take a stance is on companies that do this stuff over and over and early access. Early access is great from a startup point but Larian having a game in early access seems suspect, but you cant legislate who can and cant be in early access right? So my solution is were putting our game in early access its open to everyone if you want to pay for it now when it goes live you get it if you don't when it goes live pow your access is Kaput.
as far as the mass shooting thing I think porn is terrible and messes you up but thats a thing you have to decide yourself mass shooting stuff even know its no different than WW2 games on some lvl should be banned forever.
I will say this to steams credit and maybe I have just had great luck I have never lost access to any game that didint require some online server type of thing even if the company folded and game got delisted. The one I am thinking about specifically is the DD game sword coast legends I can still install and play.    

Abimor

When I say game studio shenanigans I am not talking about the people who work there I am talking about the dumb guy that decides were going to charge for multiplayer on a rented game or used game even know we sold it once already those kind of things. 

Valdheim

The stories about the game are more entertaining than the game itself could have ever been. So thanks Scamtastic, I guess.

Abimor

Valdheim said:

The stories about the game are more entertaining than the game itself could have ever been. So thanks Scamtastic, I guess.

true was never even interested but being kicked of steam because of a calendar app is really just funny.

Scot

So where's the next game that is a daydream of wishful thinking I can pour some money into?

I really hope folks get their money back, but please, please now learn a lesson.

Valdheim

Scot said:

So where's the next game that is a daydream of wishful thinking I can pour some money into?

I really hope folks get their money back, but please, please now learn a lesson.

Well we still got Pantheon aka Scamtheon ;-)

Raagnarz

Valdheim said:

Scot said:

So where's the next game that is a daydream of wishful thinking I can pour some money into?



I really hope folks get their money back, but please, please now learn a lesson.

Well we still got Pantheon aka Scamtheon ;-)

I actually think Pantheon is a less of a scam than Camelot Unchained. At least Pantheon 10 years in isn't still releasing updates...of just concept art lol. At least Pantheon didn't take the money people donated for Camelot Unchained and use it to develop a completely different game. Pantheon thought about it, tried it, but ultimately didn't do it. Neither game will release but I do at least believe Visionary Realms it trying, ineptly, but good faith trying.

EliteSin

This is what happens when your company and its leaders have absolutely ZERO ethics, morales, and values. You can argue that they had a vision. During their claims of name copy-write infringement and consistently pushing the game back. I got serious “Wild West Online” vibes.
(That’s the Russian guy that kept making new games to make a buck but they were just asset flips and a new name, forgot his name)

Point is, I expected the game to not work out. But that doesn’t change the fact that Fntastic’s response to everyone’s reaction regarding their game is appalling. You ever met someone who’s so defense, mainly because they are hiding something, and actually believes their own bullshit? That’s the same as this company.

Wargfoot

Game lasted 2 days longer than expected.

olepi

So no comment on why they lied for so long and claimed it was an open world MMO?

Angrakhan

olepi said:

So no comment on why they lied for so long and claimed it was an open world MMO?

Oh I imagine that's what they wanted to build, but the amateur hour team of developers they had were in WAY over their heads so they punted and switched to the extraction shooter as a last ditch effort to salvage something when it was clear they were going to run out of money before they got anywhere close to building an MMO.

MMOs are one of the most complicated things you could possibly try and build in any software development discipline. When some Indy startup with a bunch of no-name developers wants to build an MMO with crowdfunding everyone should give that project major side eye. It has a miniscule chance of ever launching much less actually being any good.

Sovrath

caalem said:

How hard is it to write something that at least seems half-sincere? Here, I'll do their job for them:

"This was our first major project in the industry, and while we never wanted anything but success, we were unable to attain it despite our best efforts. We understand that this is disappointing for all involved, and for that, we sincerely apologize. "


Wow, that was tough.

I can’t tell you how many developers I’ve seen who can’t express themselves on this level. 

Phoenix_Hawk

I don't see this as a scam, as so many have been calling it. Reasonably speaking, if it was meant to be a scam, after those early game concept videos got so much attention, they would have asked for money then, and once they had it, buggered off with the money, and that would be it.

Instead they actually fooled themselves into trying to make the game demonstrated in those early game concept videos, but over time came to the eventual realization, that they were in WAY over their heads, and in no way could pull off making that game. Although since they evidently went all in on that project, and considering that Valve sends out money from purchases on a roughly monthly cycle, plus how anyone can refund The Day Before regardless of how much play time they put in, rather than making money, they evidently lost money to such a degree, that they shut down the company, and their assets are likely being liquidated in an effort to pay back their creditors at least somewhat. Meaning if they scammed anyone in all this, it was themselves.


As for the whole bait, and switch claims. They called it an open world MMO survival shooter, so let's go through that in order.

Open World
I think they only had that one playable map, it was pretty big, and open, decidedly more so than a small stage in a stage based game, so yes, one could say it was in fact open world, it was just certainly not Skyrim level of open world for instance.

MMO
This is where a lot of people get confused, as there's all sorts of misconceptions of what it means for a game to be a MMO, with many even calling it a genre of game, when all it is, is a descriptive, in the same way single player is a descriptive. Then those calling it a genre, often use attributes of RPGs, that can even be found in single player RPGs to describe it, since with most MMOs, being RPGs, many have confused the two.

All it actually means to be a MMO, is that it is an online service based game, that allows a "large" number of people to actively play together. What "large" amounts to is debatable, but since I doubt anyone would argue Blade & Soul is not a MMO, and it only allows about thirty people per instance last I checked, I tend to go with the idea that about thirty, or more people being able to actively play together in an action combat online game would make it a MMO, and since The Day Before did from what I gather allow for that, then it meets the definition.

Survival
This is the one that was implemented in such a limited fashion, that one could reasonably say it missed the mark from what I could tell. Some aspects looked to be there, sort of, but for instance, from what I gather while there was food, to deal with hunger, but hunger I believe wasn't actually a thing.

Shooter
It was a shooter, I can't see anyone arguing against that.


Conclusion
This all means it wasn't a scam, they just were too inept to make the game they wanted to make. Then when combined with them being inept, I don't see it as being a bait, and switch, it was just as close to what they wanted to make, as they could manage, and they still likely thought that with enough money, and time, they could make it at least closer to what they wanted to make. Although given the utter shit results they did produce, I really can't see that happening, so them quickly shutting down, and providing a conclusion to the whole affair was the best result they could provide, not that they likely had any choice in the matter.

Kyleran

olepi said:

So no comment on why they lied for so long and claimed it was an open world MMO?

Kyleran

Scot said:

So where's the next game that is a daydream of wishful thinking I can pour some money into?

I really hope folks get their money back, but please, please now learn a lesson.

Monsters and Memories?

Don't think they are selling anything yet though...but perhaps soon, they are still reeling out the line.

What the heck, I signed up for their email newsletter.

FrodoFragins

Phoenix_Hawk said:

I don't see this as a scam, as so many have been calling it. 

How about the video they released when everyone was putting them to task?  That was clearly a video fabricated to make it look like a game.

It may not have started as a scam, but it's been a scam for a couple of years at least in terms of what they communicated.  they knew what it was.

Phoenix_Hawk

FrodoFragins said:

Phoenix_Hawk said:

I don't see this as a scam, as so many have been calling it. 

How about the video they released when everyone was putting them to task?  That was clearly a video fabricated to make it look like a game.

It may not have started as a scam, but it's been a scam for a couple of years at least in terms of what they communicated.  they knew what it was.

You mean the yoga pants girl video? All it was, was her running around with maybe one other person, looting stuff, and shooting the odd zombie that showed up. Compare to what they released, I'd say it matched up pretty well, they just managed to not run into any bugs along the way.

They just came off as desperately believing they could pull this off until the last moment, when their creditors came calling, and informed them that they couldn't.