Games Day Baltimore - Interview with Josh Drescher and Paul Barnett

[PhoenixRed]

Anchoring our interviews with Mythic at Games Day Baltimore are two familiar faces - Josh Drescher and Paul Barnett. We talk about the state of the game, where it's going, what was great and not-so-great about WAR so far, and more! You won't want to miss this if you've been following recurring questions about WAR's development.

In addition to the interview, we had a little surprise in store for Josh and Paul. Thanks to awards/merchandising business LockeStock.com (who any of you should consider for your awards/merch stuff), Warhammer Alliance had beautiful-looking glass awards created for both Josh and Paul for being in the finals of our Mythic Mini-March Madness tournament. Josh won the championship by a mere 2 votes over Paul - and just so there weren't any hard feelings, Paul helped present the Champion award to Josh. Thanks guys! I hope it wasn't too over the top.

So without further ado, here's the videos as usual.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Bonus: A Champion is Crowned:

[Khannage]

More awesome content, thank you PhoenixRed.

Now where the hell are my other 200 classes? . I really like the action RPG style of gameplay that Mythic are aiming for with this new content!

Khannage

[Azhul]

PART 1:

Josh refers to Warhammer Online as "product" not a game.

PART 2:
If they pulled the four classes prior to launch due to lack of quality (and that's what Mark Jacobs said at the time, yes), then why did the White Lion get in?

"Commitments that you might have made - in passing - in a marketing presentation". - Wow. Just wow. Might have made - in passing? An official podcast is not "in passing".

[ep17]

Too much background noise. Why aren't they wearing those clip-on mics?

[Azhul]

I had to stop listening halfway through the second video. Hearing Josh calling it "product" just sickens me. If that is how he and the other high level people see it, then I have no hope of the 'game' being improved as far as fun is concerned.

[PhoenixRed]

Originally Posted by ep17

Too much background noise. Why aren't they wearing those clip-on mics?

Because my directional crapped out on me. Sorry, that's just the way it worked out.

[Gerd]

I'm not sure that's where Josh should have made his stand...

[Andy_Mythic]

While I understand a negative reaction to Josh's referring to it as a product, understand that Josh, as much as any developer here, is very passionate about this game. More than anything, we consider WAR to be a service that we provide to our players, not a nameless off the shelf "product".

[Wyld/Nihilum]

Nice to have a face to all your posts Andy_Mythic, keep up the awesome work mate.

Now a question to you, in the interview with you the core testers got talked about and I waited to see if you would mention core testers for EU, any plans to bring that select group of testers with close contact with the devs to EU so we euros can get to feel special too like the yanks?

[Andy_Mythic]

Originally Posted by Wyld/Nihilum

Nice to have a face to all your posts Andy_Mythic, keep up the awesome work mate.

Now a question to you, in the interview with you the core testers got talked about and I waited to see if you would mention core testers for EU, any plans to bring that select group of testers with close contact with the devs to EU so we euros can get to feel special too like the yanks?

It's something we've discussed in the past with GOA, but unfortunately I cannot comment any more than that at this time.

Sorry

[Azhul]

Originally Posted by Andy_Mythic

While I understand a negative reaction to Josh's referring to it as a product, understand that Josh, as much as any developer here, is very passionate about this game. More than anything, we consider WAR to be a service that we provide to our players, not a nameless off the shelf "product".

Calling it a service isn't any better, frankly. It's still a widget to be sold to consumers.

Yes, I understand that's he's on the business side, rather than creative, but when the top decision-makers think of it as something to be sold, they make choices like spending more money on marketing (which might sell more units) rather than upgrading servers (which might improve gameplay). Or choosing to have more people working on new content, at the expense of hiring more (or better) programmers.

[feral monkey]

Originally Posted by Azhul

I had to stop listening halfway through the second video. Hearing Josh calling it "product" just sickens me. If that is how he and the other high level people see it, then I have no hope of the 'game' being improved as far as fun is concerned.

That is a naive view. It is a product. It's purpose it to generate a profit for shareholders and that is its only purpose. It took a group of gaming dorks and some business guys coming together to bring you this game/product. That pairing is integral to creating and improving the game. Saying you have no hope of improvement because someone called the game exactly what it is, is one truly impressive piece of backward logic. If you want to see what happens when games are not treated like products go look at NCsoft.

[Coupe]

Originally Posted by Azhul

I had to stop listening halfway through the second video. Hearing Josh calling it "product" just sickens me. If that is how he and the other high level people see it, then I have no hope of the 'game' being improved as far as fun is concerned.

I don't understand why people have to nit pick on one particular usage of a word. If you are a business man or went to school your game is a product. You are trying to make money. How you do that is by making the customer happy. So act like an adult for once!

To you its a game. To him its a lively-hood and a passion. I wonder what's more important. You can quit any time and your 15 bux can be spent on breakfast for one day out of the month and if he fails it could be his life!

Now get your head outta your keister!

Thank you for the continued communication guys. Your product is great and it continues to approve.

I know you guys put a tremendous amount of time into the game where you probably have ruined your social life and we appreciate it. Thanks!

[Azhul]

Originally Posted by feral monkey

That is a naive view. It is a product. It's purpose it to generate a profit for shareholders and that is its only purpose. It took a group of gaming dorks and some business guys coming together to bring you this game/product. That pairing is integral to creating and improving the game. Saying you have no hope of improvement because someone called the game exactly what it is, is one truly impressive piece of backward logic. If you want to see what happens when games are not treated like products go look at NCsoft.

Let the dorks make the game and the vendors hawk it. Letting marketing people get involved in creative decisions only makes the game worse.

[Azhul]

Originally Posted by Coupe

I don't understand why people have to nit pick on one particular usage of a word. If you are a business man or went to school your game is a product. You are trying to make money. How you do that is by making the customer happy. So act like an adult for once!

You don't make the customer happy by referring to a game he's supposed to enjoy playing for a long time as a "product". Calling it a product shows that he doesn't care what it is he is producing. IT could be tires, baby food, or a tabloid TV show.

To you its a game. To him its a lively-hood and a passion.

Prove it's a passion to him. You don't call a passion "product".

I wonder what's more important. You can quit any time and your 15 bux can be spent on breakfast for one day out of the month and if he fails it could be his life!

His life? A little overboard on the drama, there.

Now get your head outta your keister!

Thank you for the continued communication guys. Your product is great and it continues to approve.

I know you guys put a tremendous amount of time into the game where you probably have ruined your social life and we appreciate it. Thanks!

Gush more.