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In case you missed it - Source: August 1st Deadline
Kyriesunset
Member Posts: 162
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/242/feature/3316/page/1
The next week and a half may finally bring resolution to the curious case of Stargate Worlds. According to a former employee who has recently left the company, Firesky has until August 1st to raise capital or MGM will pull the license.
At this time, the company’s last hope appears to be a group of doctors who are considering an $8 million investment into the company. This cash infusion would keep the company alive, allow it to pay off back wages and launch Stargate Worlds. However, our anonymous source does not believe that the deal will get done.
Shane Hensley, who is heading up a separate project Firesky’s Supersition Studios, and also serves as the company’s Director of New Business Development, responded to the report: “We do continue to talk to investors, including the doctors.”
He went on to say that the company has never considered scrapping Stargate Worlds, and denied that the license was on the verge of being pulled.
“MGM certainly isn't thrilled with our current situation, but neither do we have any specific indication they're pulling the license on any particular date,” he told us.
Firesky, which had several projects on the go, essentially ran out of money last fall, but rather than pull the plug, has continued to move forward. Most of the key personnel have moved onto other projects and many are behind on pay.
At this time, according to our sources, there is only one member of the client team and one member of the server team still at work on the game.
“Overall, funding is obviously a huge challenge for us, but our management is working on it daily,” Hensley said. “It's visible progress and we obviously have great faith. The struggle has been more than most could bear, but there are a few here who have independent means or significant personal investment who have been able to ride it out.”
While Hensley obviously continues to have some hope that the troubled company can come back, he is also realistic.
“I doubt this will last much longer, but those who are here currently are amazingly dedicated and continue to make progress on our projects despite the circumstances.”
This latest news likely means that the company’s only real chance at survival remains traditional investment. They had made waves with a community driven investment project they called MMOGULS, which asked regular people to invest up front for a return on the other side.
Comments
Interesting Day. in Maricopa County....... Whiting really was not required to show up for the hearing today, he will be called as a fact witness as this case progresses. Between now and the next hearing several things might happen. Discovery will be exchanged, subpoena's could be served, depositions, etc etc.. Whiting will eventually have to show up at a trial, raise his hand and take a oath to tell the trurh, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.. That will be impossible, for Whiting doesn't even know what the truth is anymore..
Whiting has told so many lies, so many stories, he actually believes some of his own BS and forgets what he said from time to time.. On thing about the truth, the basic facts and results never change, its easy to remember the truth, tough to remember things when you are constantly lying and scamming people..
WHITING is now going back to groups of original investors. He is representing that he only needs $8Million to bring the game to market.. He says that CME, with $8Million in new money, will bring a game similar to the original Stargate Worlds model to market. So off Whiting goes to the original bunch of big money investors. One group of professional businessmen have invested Millions with Whiting over the past three years, most $500K to $750K each, another group $250K each, all being hit up for MORE money to "finish" the game..
BEFORE YOU GIVE WHITING A DIME, consider this:
Speaking today with several people with first hand info about CME's talent pool, these are the people CME has to bring this new game to market:
Two non paid Artist plus Whiting;s son. Not a 3D artist among them.
Three CODE MONKEYS, no one that can really write code.
NO IT DEPARTMENT, ZERO, ZILCH, NO IT DEPARTMENT, even MMOGULS is being effected. There is no customer service, the conference calls dont work, the sites are down, etc etc etc.. NO IT DEPARTMENT.. Ill give you a complete list of remaining CME employees tomorrow
People have been put on Leave of Absence, by agreement they can apply for un employment compensation, and Whiting agreed to keepthe insurance in force.. He was two months behind, had a termination notice, BUT just came up with the money for the past due premiums.
BEFORE YOU GIVE THIS THIEF A DIME just ask for some of the following:
A certified list of investors, how much they have invested and HOW MUCH STOCK, in what entity, they own.
How about a balance sheet, complete with the "loaned money" to Whiting reflected as a receivable from Whiting
How about a CERTIFIED AUDIT. You would think a Chairman that has taken in over $60Million for his company, now needs MORE, would have a independent certified audit, to give the "first money" investors some comfort and entice them to invest the "last money".. Even a qualified audit from a legitimate NON MORMON CPA, with a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement. How about a uses of cash certification for the additional $8Million he says he needs.....
You won get anything from him, but more BULLSHIT.. He cant give you these things and he damn sure wont allow a big four CPA firm in.. HOW ABOUT TAX RETURNS ON THE 20 plus entities Whiting uses to raise money, hell, how about tax returns on CME. CMG and WHITING.... HOW ABOUT TAX RETURNS AND A BALANCE SHEET ON GARVICK
Tell you what, I support a 501(c)3 called Defenders of Freedom www.defendersoffreedom.us and the Dallas Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization www.bbbs.org.. If you have some money you want to throw away, why not get a tax deduction, feel good about what you did with your money, and know it went to help someone who needs it..
If you have any questions, information, want to share any information just call or email me. If you want to try and get your money back, call me.. If you want to stop this guy, along with several of his cohorts, and see justice done, call me.
Bob Guenther bob@jaffapartners.com 214.587.3977
"This latest news likely means that the company’s only real chance at survival remains traditional investment divine intervention . They had are made making waves with a community driven investment project pyramid scheme they called MMOGULS, which asked scams regular people to invest up front for a return nothing on the other side."
Just thought I'd correct some of what I believe to be inaccuracies in that summary, seems to me that what this guy at Superstion studios/Firesky/CME/Whatever Gary Whiting corp it is this time is trying to say is that they've gone tits up.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
CS Lewis
GAME OVER
I really hope not.
The story of this whole thing is far more entertaining that what the game could ever possibly be.
It would be a shame to lose this forum topic.
Can some dumbass give this guy another $8 million so we can keep these threads alive?
And I could never get into the beta client. Damn.
I almost do not want to clear up the confusion on the assumptions everyone is making about only two people left on SGW. However, it is untrue. The article only listed that there were 2 individuals left in programming.
The reality of the situation is there are two in programming, three artists, and a handful of developers/world builders. We are just talking staff; nobody remaining from the upper or management levels to direct these folks. There are no milestones, there is no work that they folks are doing that will directly affect the game ever coming out.
There are also a few other individuals still showing up in the office, somewhat daily , for the 'free lunch' which includes a splattering of support departments (QA has a few, customer service, administrative, etc.), and a few here and there from the other studios.
Moreover, there is nobody left in the IT department, hence why Khestral cannot even post screen shots from months ago. There is nobody left in accounting, etc. Are you getting the picture folks?
There is an abundance of people out on ‘leave of absence’, and this grows weekly. These individuals do not update their resume or linked in as they are still technically employees of CME. Notable missing in actions since the paychecks dried up in November (Joey Ybarra, Rod Nakamoto, and Howard Lyon). Anyone listed as an officer of the company on the business registration has long left the company (either quit or found other employment). Tim Jensen is the only officer remaining.
Wasn't Rod Nakamoto the person who supposedly took over Dan Egrinns position?
Yeah, he never came back from his LOA. Money talks!
I hope they were kicked out on their ass tbh.
sounds to me like at least 2 of those 3 mentioned were well into this mmoguls thing
www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/mmo-week-joe-ybarra-and-rod-nakamoto
I think that article shows how out of touch with the community and fan base of SGW that they are aiming at, to my knowledge most people usually only play 1 or 2 games (MMORPG) at a time, and then these are usually the high end game that are blizzard or whatever.
The idea maybe sound but in reality just wont sit with the audience they are aiming at, you don't think that ohh I finished playing my mmorpg session I know I will log on and play a flash browser based game, of some suposed triple AAA game that full of adverts, spam and so forth.
I actually took the time to look into the OTHER mmoguls company the one that has actually got games and is actually running atm, the one that the senior staff and CEO of mmoguls left and created there own. Now let me tell you I only downloaded one of the games, a online golf game, and its horrible, I would call it a basement bin game, its free, but you can buy credits to buy stuff in the game, and literally every other screen is an advert, or telling people they can advertise here. Its like some form of game spam to the extreme.
The whole philosophy is based on spam, finding more people to join so they can spam everyone else, its SPAM SPAM SPAM, eventually how long will it take for them to start spamming in game to join guilds/command/clans to get extra stuff ONLY IF THEY JOIN THE SCHEME UNDER THEM.
It a horrible idea, that wasnt even put forward to the gaming community to see if there would be interest, if they had they would have discovered it would be the most hated and vile creature it is, and would have dropped it instantly. They didnt aim the sales push at gamers, as they knew it wouldn't sit, they pushed it at investors who have no idea on how the gaming community works or even thinks, and since these people dont know these communities believed the hype and BS that was passed out in there sales push.
Ask yourself this, if serious investors are told 418k units sales for the first year in the SGW investor push, and then this quadruples to 1-2 million in a MMOGULS presentation for SGW sales in the first year, someone is seriously misleading people in the wrong fraking direction.
MMOGULS has done so much harm with SGW its unforgivable, never mind being told by MGM to stop referencing it to MMOGULS, look at the MMOGULS ASIA now, its like they completely ignored what MGM said, and this is no way to keep people happy that could pull the IP from CME/Firesky.
I recall an MMOGULS affliate site that said this:
For the sake of argument, let’s say Stargate Worlds® bombed and only got 1 million subscribers rather than the 150-200 million projected subscribers. How much money would you make?
Now that's some serious dope they must have been smoking. "Bomb" would be a 50K launch. Frankly, I expect no more than about 100K given forum interest (only 55K registered users atm).
Like I've said before, I've written this game off given the current management. I wouldn't trust them with my CC number. Go searching for a game called Dark and Light if you want to see how many headaches people got from giving their CC number to a disreputable game.
Meet the Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment Team
Little video to put some faces with the names and ideas.
From what I hear, you didn't miss anything.
Pertaining to agreement bewteen CME and MGM, MGM from day one has always had the ability to pull back the license without any rhyme, reason and only short notice. The current August 1st date meant nothing, it was just another date that people could get worked up about.
If you think NOW is the time to throw $8Million into a game riddled with incompetence, fraud and misrepresentation, then you must know something the experts dont....
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/playback/playback-65/1338952
It is possible, BUT it would take a CLEAN, let me reiterate, a clean new startup, operated like a real company, with a real Board of Directors, run by competent people.. All this combined with a monthly qualified financial statement, a quarterly certified financial statement and a complete list of uses of cash, short time specific performance contracts for the key people, and the immediate dismissal of every useless person working there, this would include about 90% of the remaining "mormon" employees...
Just my opinion..