A key member of Starbreeze's Syndicate development team has said he's "not super satisfied" with how long he's had to work on the first-person remake.
Asked if Starbreeze has had enough time to work on Syndicate, Lang said: "Let me put it this way: I'm really proud of the end result, but I'm not super satisfied. I want to have been able to have done more, but that's always the feeling you get.
"Unless someone says, okay, enough, we need to ship it, development will go on and on forever more or less or until everyone gets bored with it. It's been a long production: it's good to finally ship it, but at the same time, you always think, if we could have had half a year more, we could have done even more."
The long-rumoured reboot was finally announced in September last year and will release later this month - a short five month window in the public eye.
Development has been whispered about since 2008, though CVG understands playable code came into existence much more recently.
In early 2010 the Swedish developer cancelled a game based on Jason Bourne, which was also due to be published by EA, and key staff left to form a rival studio.
A Syndicate demo hit Xbox Live and PSN this week. Read our Syndicate co-op impressions if you're considering pressing the pre-order button.
Comments
30 comments so far...
richomack360 on 2 Feb '12 said:
So even the devs are admitting its not that great - "could of done more with 6 months" - You couldnt of done more with 6 years mate.
SpandexArmstrong on 2 Feb '12 said:
More, such as change it from first person perspective? That woulda gone down a treat! Damn you EA!
richomack360 on 2 Feb '12 said:
More time to add more cliched characters, clunky level design, poor animation, awful bastardisation concept enhancement
brookie_2001 on 2 Feb '12 said:
When the dev says they could do with more time. That won't help sell the game. One thing us gamers know is a shoddy game.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 2 Feb '12 said:
Really, the stupidly high sales of CoD year on year out scream otherwise. Conversely the fact that Shadows of the Damned bombed shows that most gamers wouldn't know a decent one if it slapped them in the face.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 2 Feb '12 said:
Sorry for the double post but did any of you actually read the article or just the headline. The dev IS PROUD of how the game turned out. They just think they could of DONE MORE ie. made it bigger if they'd been given more time.
I'm sure if you asked any dev of any game they'd probably tell you that they would of liked more time to add more to the game. thats the thing about actual creative people as appossed to the mindless critics, they're never happy and always want to add to things.
the great thing about this gen though is that in theory they can still do more via dlc.
TheLastDodo on 2 Feb '12 said:
THIS.
But substitute CoD for Skyrim.
A PSN friend of mine that also owns a 360 was debating to get Skyrim and I told him to get it on 360 because of the current Skyrim PS3 issues, I sent him a youtube link showing off said issues, he bought it on PS3 then moaned at me about the p**s poor state of the game
Some gamers just enjoy being stupid.
richomack360 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Yes, they were proud like a Dad is “proud” their son finished third at sports day.
As for not reading - the dev says "not super satisifed" - I would not be saying that on the eve of launching their hard work.
johnafirth on 2 Feb '12 said:
Erm, no. That's a bad thing. Sorry about the game not being finished, but we had a deadline to meet. Here's the stuff we cut out, only 800 MS points!
Publishers like EA, THQ, Ubisoft, etc don't seem to care about quality, only about the amount of money they can squeeze out.
gmcb007 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Ahh the whole game is a cash cow. Make it quick and make a quick buck.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 2 Feb '12 said:
Agreed. I used COD because the series has not really evolved at all since MW yet it consistantly smashes sales records.
The hate surrounding Syndicate is just puzzling to me. I don't quite understand how you can be so outraged over a reboot for a game that was made over a decade ago that was definately a product of its time and is more than likely the way it is due to the constriants of the hardware it was produced for.
I don't understand the mindset of people that rant and rave about things before the final product is even in our hands. moreover that they refuse to play it. You're not a fan of Syndicate iMO if your heart didn't melt a little bit when the reveal trailer kicked in with the theme tune and then the guy proceeds to do everything you used to do in syndicate. kill everything with a huge mini gun and forcefully steal information in the most devious means possible.
It's one thing to be a little cautious, its another entirly to display the kind of mindless hate reserved for cultists in science fiction games.
Failcube on 2 Feb '12 said:
Recent interview with who? Can you guys provide a source link?
richomack360 on 2 Feb '12 said:
WHERESMYMONKEY
So I am not a fan if i dont buy up everthing loosely associated with a brand, no matter how bad it may seem ? My heart did melt, but melted in sadness
Strange logic - part of the reason is in the mess it is, founded by the whole "world war 2" conveyor belt of games
ensabahnur on 2 Feb '12 said:
This.
Honestly i don't see why there's so many haters, and even worse haters who won't even try the game cause its shifted to a FPS style. Making the game a RTS would have been a risky move as no ones really quite mastered the genre on home consoles and it isn't exactly a popular genre on consoles anyway. If they had and the sales had been poor then the franchise would have been dead along with the servers a few months after release.
I was a fan of the original and i liked this demo, it shows the potential that's there to cater to your own style once you've leveled up a bit with your breach apps. It also get bonus points for doing something different with the MP rather than just sticking 12 people on a map and letting us kill each other. For me a game with a fully realised co-op campaign is always worth a look.
The main game also looks like it could be great as well and looks like it certainly hasn't forgotten its roots with the way you can "persuade" people into doing your killing for you.
Also no one seems to be acknowledging the fact that this is Starbreeze who have an excellent track record.
MrPirtniw on 2 Feb '12 said:
That would be an ecumenical matter.
MANYOO4EVA on 2 Feb '12 said:
The one thing that I've really noticed in the last year or so, is that gamers are the WORST moaners. I think we need to be grateful about how many great games we have right now, and that even more great looking games are coming out in this financially restricting time.
For me this game looks great. I played the original and sequels, but Starbreeze are great developers, just look at The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. EA definately made a good choice of developer and I understand why they have gone the FPS route.
So come on people, lighten the **** up and enjoy the high quality games we have right now and those that are coming soon.
Otherwise you might as well just give up gaming right now.
ensabahnur on 2 Feb '12 said:
http://www.rtrider.co.uk/FatherJack.jpg
WHERESMYMONKEY on 2 Feb '12 said:
No i'm saying you're not a fan if you don't give it a fair shot.
Seeing something in a different perspective and whinging that the game is mutated because its not an RTS ' a genre which has NEVER BEEN POPULAR on consoles and rarely works well on them is rediculous.
Lamenting the return of a universe ripe for all kinds of styles of play and then the devs choosing one they are comfortable with and one that they time and again do something new and interesting with that is completely at odds with the cookie cutter CoD clones the genre and gaming in general is clogged up with is just baffling.
Especuially as i've already pointed out In Syndicate Wars you could play the game a an fps anyway. It's nothing new for the series. to top it off the game gives you all the tools you had in the orignal to carry out the same objectives in a similar manner its just that you have one agent at your own personal disposal instead of four.
the missions on the demo was pretty much a loving recreation of the opening from the orignal brought to life in a way i bet Bullfrog wish they could of done in the early 90s.
As a gamer you should understand that change is good. Things like syndicate need to evolve and change or they'll die, so rather than making a product that wouldn't be successful for the sake of a few very lould so called fans. they went you know we're going to take what was brilliant about syndicate and what was at its core and we are going to make it relevant so the series can grow and gain new fans.
You lack perspective. yiou lack reason. my 360 doesn't have a mouse and as much as i love kinect syndicate would be too fast paced to use it and using a pad for an rts is generally ( halo wars excluded ) a bloody nightmare.
So yeah i'm happy with it being an fps. I'm happy to see the series return at all and i'm genunily excited to see what they've done with it.
Syndicate was always about wreaking as much havoc and getting away with it as was humanly possible and no genre does that better than the fps.
jamieleng on 2 Feb '12 said:
Should've brought in the middle management that "worked" on 'A.P.B.'. They would've made up those 6 months in no time.
TheLastDodo on 2 Feb '12 said:
If Comment of the Week was awarded for using common sense, logic, rational thinking then @WHERESMYMONKEY that last post would be in Comment of the Week.
Fr33Kye on 2 Feb '12 said:
I second that!
Syndicate looks awesome, and i think it's weird that a cheap cash-in would have a full co-op campaign.
THIS GAME DOES NOT HAVE POOR ANIMATIONS.
WingZeroSys on 2 Feb '12 said:
@WHERESMYMONKEY, you complain about COD being a shoddy series and that it out sells games like Shadows of the Damned but I bet you buy/own them all anyway.
As for Syndicate I didn't think the demo was too bad, I quite enjoyed it in fact and the singleplayer campaign has a Deus Ex Human Revolution type look & feel to it (except for RPG elements which I don't believe it has) and I'll be keeping an eye on it.
I enjoyed Syndicate Wars on the PS1 but I've forgot what the hell it was about and what exactly you had to do in it other than upgrade your Terminator looking characters (without skin they looked like T-800's), etc, it sort of reminded me of a futuristic Cannon Fodder in a way.
TheLastDodo on 2 Feb '12 said:
I bought MW3 and Shadows of the Damned. Whats your point?
There's nothing wrong with enjoying CoD, just don't restrict yourself to CoD, open your mind and try new things, you'll see there's lots of fantastic, original games to experience.
dwhlufc on 2 Feb '12 said:
I'll try the demo later and see what it's all about,I would of like a single player demo though.
I just don't get all the CoD bashing though,if you don't like it then fair enough but why call everyone who does a moron or whatever pathetic name pops into people's heads.CoD doesn't pretend to offer anything other than fast and frantic shooting with brilliant set pieces and the occasional sniper mission.I love the MW trilogy but don't like the treyarch titles but I don't call everyone who does an idiot,and finally it's not Activisipns fault every other publisher wants to copy their game and take a piece of the pie,that's just fat cats who don't understand the industry trying to jump on a bandwagon that womt stop for any other passengers.
TheBusterMan on 2 Feb '12 said:
This does not bode well.If they'd of given us a free HD update of the original Syndicate thrown in,it would have been something to appease fans.
richomack360 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Dont act condescending to me old chap, i have given it a fair shot - the demo was hideous, their own lead programmer has admitted he is pretty much disappointed with it.
Change is good, only if it is done well, this (on the strength of the dmeo) plays and looks like a pair of tramp's underpants.
Halo Wars was a decent RTS for the console, not bad for a first attempt from Ensemble with that particular franchise, so why does someone not want to produce number 2 ? or a syndicate RTS ? because they are too busy shooting people on CoD(swallop) and spending money on being ELITE - so sad
Fr33Kye on 2 Feb '12 said:
The lead programmer didnt say that. Every developer has things they wanted to do but couldnt. And judging by the demo and what i've seen it looks and plays great...so.....opinions?
You seriously have games you arent looking forward to in your signature?
Imaduck on 3 Feb '12 said:
Thanks CoD for the "rushing games = money" ideal
richomack360 on 3 Feb '12 said:
Can you not read the headline "Starbreeze not super satisfied with Syndicate" - I think the lead programmer knows it isn't a great effort. Perhaps it was rushed due to EA demands, perhaps Starbreeze aren't good enough - If Epic had a crack at it I am sure it would be better.
Yes I do have games I am not looking forward to, your problem being ? Are we not allowed to express our opinions ?
ensabahnur on 3 Feb '12 said:
Sorry but where does he say he is pretty much disappointed with the game?
At no point does he say anything about being disappointed with the product, yes he'd have liked a few more months as he knows he could have improved a few small details, probably just some polishing, but he had a deadline to meet. How many other dev's had said the exact same thing? In public a few, in private probably every single one of them!
You just seem to be jumping on the hate bandwagon with this because it's somehow tarnishing some sort of childhood memory of yours. As for all your talk of making it like CoD, did you actually even play the demo? Or are you just spouting off on screenshots, videos and other peoples opinion?
If you have played the demo then i take it you just had the one shot and then done a "don't like it" and then deleted it?
We haven't even played the SP and only seen a small bit of it through the trailers, we don't even know what the weaponry and apps will be like in the main game, in fact we don't even know what the gameplay will be like. But your already branding it as s**te and mouthing off that the developer isn't good enough. Starbreeze have an excellent pedigree, already giving us the excellent Darkness and the Riddick games, story driven games with a near free roaming environment. But oh no you've already picked out the dev's who could do it better. Epic, who have done absolutely no games like this, who's biggest games that've been multiplat this gen are Unreal, (whats that, a deathmatch game?) and Bulletstorm, a shootin-score-em up. Good choice!