Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda interview at RPGCodex

[funcroc]

http://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=207

11. Tell us more of this Project New Jersey which was going to be beautiful but was killed before its time. What was it, why was it going to be so beautiful, who was working on it? Any plans to resurrect it one day, in some form or another?

 

It was a console action RPG that used the Unreal 3 engine (which was in its super-infancy at the time, as Gears of War wasn't even out yet), and it was basically an original IP. Kevin Saunders was the lead designer, Brian Heins (who's now a senior designer over at Carbine) and Josh Sawyer were on systems, Travis Stout and Matt MacLean were designers, Brian Mitsoda was doing level design in addition to writing it, and Brian Menze was the concept artist. When it was canned, the team was split between NWN2 and Alpha Protocol, the latter of which was quickly moved into pre-production.

 

As for the design of the game itself... it was the sort of project I dreamed about working on when I first got into the industry. Something that I looked at and went "holy crap, this is something that could appeal to a ton of markets without feeling like it was pandering to them," and there was a lot going on in its proposed level and system design that felt really exciting.

 

I wish I could say it'd come back but sadly - I think it's dead for good. I can't bring it back on my own, and with the original dev team scattered throughout both Obsidian and elsewhere, what it once was is snuffed out. It's one of the saddest parts of the industry. I have to actually challenge you with this question, though - is it harder to find out what a game was like and know you still can't have it?

Edited July 12, 2010 by funcroc

[Morgoth]

I'd like to know why it was canceled. Trouble with the publisher? Or just some management incompetence?

[WorstUsernameEver]

She says it in the interview.

 

EDIT : For anyone too lazy to check it, she basically says that the published did focus testing as early as pre-production phase, didn't really know what direction they wanted to go, and ended up axing the project.

Edited July 12, 2010 by WorstUsernameEver

[Morgoth]

Didn't know what they want? Sounds like Sega to me!

[Oner]

So we learn that Projec New Jersey was... a game. Sorry, an ARPG with UE3.

Uh..great?

[WorstUsernameEver]

So we learn that Projec New Jersey was... a game. Sorry, an ARPG with UE3.

Uh..great?

 

And that it would have been awesome.

Though admittedly, I'm not sure if Annie's opinion alone convinces me about that.

[HoonDing]

I was wondering why the interviewee said **** so many times in the interview. But then I noticed where it was originally posted.

[Oner]

My point was that this was nothing. No story or setting or theme info, she just tells us it would've been an RPG. No ****.

And a quick google search indicates the info she gave wasn't new either.

[WorstUsernameEver]

My point was that this was nothing. No story or setting or theme info, she just tells us it would've been an RPG. No ****.

And a quick google search indicates the info she gave wasn't new either.

 

Maybe she's still under NDA? Though I doubt it.

[funcroc]

Annie's codex post

And I wish I could say more about Project NJ, but in case anyone didn't suspect it yet, YES, NDAs are still binding. Hell, I think they're even MORE binding if the game doesn't come out, because you have possible backlash on the companies involved. I would dearly love to say more about it (and calling the publisher on the carpet about it publicly would be delicious) but that sort of **** can basically punch your career in the balls. Like, LAWSUIT level bad.

[Oner]

This clears it up then.

[WorstUsernameEver]

And I was right, apparently.

Still, it's incredible that NDA for a non-published, never-even-out-of-pre-production games are so binding.

This industry is certainly.. bizarre.

[Wrath of Dagon]

A cotract is a contract, has nothing to do with whether a game came out or not. Like she says, the publisher doesn't need the backlash when they're spending millions for good PR.

[Wombat]

I guess it's a part of the package for "ideal candidates."

The ideal candidate possesses a strong work ethic, excellent problem solving skills, has the ability to deliver on time and work well in a team environment.

(Bold is mine) I didn't know Annie had balls to be punched...Brian must have been surprised.

 

When I heard about ZRPG, I suspected Brian may be suffering aftereffects by writing too much Malakvian dialogues but I hope Annie is right...not about her marriage but about ZRPG. I wonder if there is a possibility that they (including Iron Tower) will release the games for portables.

[Thorton_AP]

And I was right, apparently.

Still, it's incredible that NDA for a non-published, never-even-out-of-pre-production games are so binding.

This industry is certainly.. bizarre.

 

 

That's not surprising. Especially with preproduction level stages.

 

You can't have people talking about all the gloriously wonderful and ambitious things you thought about doing from pre-production times and making people make judgments about the publisher for being stupid (or whatever other insults the internet will toss at them) because ideas are just ideas. Until they're implemented in the game you don't know what's going to happen.

[Flouride]

Hopefully those NDA's will run out soonish. I think Obs still got like 2 years left of Aliens: RPG NDA according to some interview. Unless I remember the interview completely wrong