I’m shocked, but happy you’re in a position where you 𝙘𝙖𝙣 do something like a free Queen’s Wish conclusion simply for the art of it. You’ve shown beyond any shadow of a doubt that you’re a responsible, grounded businessman. But you’re still an author, a game designer, and not some soulless money homunculus. Nothing hammers that idea home harder than what you’ve got planned.
And maybe this 𝙞𝙨 still at least partially the right business decision. If Queen’s Wish 2 didn’t sell, does it really make sense to sink the time and effort into a third one? And sure, the money homunculus might say to dump the story alongside the road and speed off, but you’re better than that.
Still, I would love a post-mortem on the series. Three years ago you wrote about how it was… well, kinda a bummer. And yeah. It was. But I’m sure with time, analysis, and feedback there’s more to the story than the doldrums of the author being in a funk. I’d also love to hear about what, if any ideas you might have had for a full scale Queen’s Wish 3, and what ultimately clenched the, “nah, let’s not do that” – sales numbers or something else.
In any case, looking forward to it. I didn’t care for the more dismal bits of the setting, but there were some unique points to it I loved and wish could have been expounded on. And it absolutely does deserve better than a cliffhanger non-ending.
For Apple TV, I really enjoyed For All Mankind (the few seasons of it I watched). When I renew Apple to get access to F1 (and Soccer, if I can bring myself to ever spend time watching the beautiful game instead of the ACTUAL beautiful game, which is our national pastime), I'll finish FAM as well as Severance, which I think you're right about but really liked nonetheless.
It feels like the TV equivalent of a tone poem. Don't worry too much about what's going on!
For what it is worth: I tremendously enjoyed the first Queens Wish, and have also backed the Second on Kickstarter. Have not gotten around to playing it, though (life...).
Therefore, I would have paid for a third one without thinking... would still throw some money your way even for a DLC. Really unique setting and much different from your other stuff.
Loved Geneforge 1 and 2, 3-5 still on ToDo, stuck somewhere in Nethergate, played Avadon 1-2, am somewhere in early Avadon 3, but Avadon never really clicked with me.
Ah well, big shoutout for providing an ending to Queens Wish, even though it does not seem to be a commercial success for you!
The Queen's Wish conclusion-as-DLC is bittersweet news -- I'm happy to *get* a conclusion, but sad it was a commercial failure for you and sad it won't be a full-sized sequel. I felt like QW2 was a solid step up from the first game!
Aside: It feels validating to know that someone else shares my opinion regarding Severance (and, I imagine, a number of other shows). From experience - consider thickening your skin prior to sharing your thoughts about this show (and perhaps any other topic if your opinion isn't the popular one) online. The response may not be a pleasant experience. Logic, facts and discourse need not apply.
As Lynch proved with Twin Peaks that people will watch nonsense as long as it looks good, so did Nomura prove with Kingdom Hearts that people will play anything as long as it looks good.
Except KH1&2, those were actually good games with coherent stories, 2 assuming you played Chain of Memories. Afterwards the franchise turned into endless sequelbaiting and funnily enough as of KH3, quite literally having a mystery box maguffin to keep the story going.
The mystery box critique is spot on. I've been burned by too many shows that mistake confusion for depth, so the emphasis on clear storytelling really ressonates. The point about how vagueness lets creators avoid accountability while concrete endings invite criticism is something i hadnt thought about but now cant unsee. Looking forward to checking out Pluribus.
Can't say I exactly loved Queen's Wish - the story was good, but I found combat less satisfying than any other games you've made. Still, it's sad that there won't be a third part: I'd have bought it anyway, because even worse-than-average Spiderweb Software game is still a good enough game (and, well, as I already said, the story had nothing wrong with it).
Regarding Queen's Wish specifically, I don't know why the second didn't do as well as the first overall, but for me it a game play issue and not a story issue. I really liked the story but the character building and advancement was a bit too simplified. The original Avernum Trilogy and the Geneforge games are still my favorites and I find myself going back to those often compared to the newer series and the Avernum re-remake.
I think this is probably a hard line to walk though, by simplifying you risk losing some of the audience that was built with the earlier titles, but by keeping or increasing the complexity you risk alienating new customers.
I have to say while we might be just too different in the kind of stories we like, I wanted to add that I feel you couldn’t be more wrong about twin peaks.
I mean the show was about a lot of things but the central mystery of who killed Laura Palmer was actually wrapped up in the second season. Most people didn’t like the reveal and stopped watching but nevertheless it was an attempt to answer a question.
So glad you said that about the Pluribus main character. I was watching and thinking to myself "What is wrong with all the other people - they're just letting all this slide off of them?!"
I’m shocked, but happy you’re in a position where you 𝙘𝙖𝙣 do something like a free Queen’s Wish conclusion simply for the art of it. You’ve shown beyond any shadow of a doubt that you’re a responsible, grounded businessman. But you’re still an author, a game designer, and not some soulless money homunculus. Nothing hammers that idea home harder than what you’ve got planned.
And maybe this 𝙞𝙨 still at least partially the right business decision. If Queen’s Wish 2 didn’t sell, does it really make sense to sink the time and effort into a third one? And sure, the money homunculus might say to dump the story alongside the road and speed off, but you’re better than that.
Still, I would love a post-mortem on the series. Three years ago you wrote about how it was… well, kinda a bummer. And yeah. It was. But I’m sure with time, analysis, and feedback there’s more to the story than the doldrums of the author being in a funk. I’d also love to hear about what, if any ideas you might have had for a full scale Queen’s Wish 3, and what ultimately clenched the, “nah, let’s not do that” – sales numbers or something else.
In any case, looking forward to it. I didn’t care for the more dismal bits of the setting, but there were some unique points to it I loved and wish could have been expounded on. And it absolutely does deserve better than a cliffhanger non-ending.
I'm probably one of the few people that is sad that there won't be a Queen's Wish 3. I liked those a lot.
For Apple TV, I really enjoyed For All Mankind (the few seasons of it I watched). When I renew Apple to get access to F1 (and Soccer, if I can bring myself to ever spend time watching the beautiful game instead of the ACTUAL beautiful game, which is our national pastime), I'll finish FAM as well as Severance, which I think you're right about but really liked nonetheless.
It feels like the TV equivalent of a tone poem. Don't worry too much about what's going on!
Lurking and reading for years here...
For what it is worth: I tremendously enjoyed the first Queens Wish, and have also backed the Second on Kickstarter. Have not gotten around to playing it, though (life...).
Therefore, I would have paid for a third one without thinking... would still throw some money your way even for a DLC. Really unique setting and much different from your other stuff.
Loved Geneforge 1 and 2, 3-5 still on ToDo, stuck somewhere in Nethergate, played Avadon 1-2, am somewhere in early Avadon 3, but Avadon never really clicked with me.
Ah well, big shoutout for providing an ending to Queens Wish, even though it does not seem to be a commercial success for you!
The Queen's Wish conclusion-as-DLC is bittersweet news -- I'm happy to *get* a conclusion, but sad it was a commercial failure for you and sad it won't be a full-sized sequel. I felt like QW2 was a solid step up from the first game!
Aside: It feels validating to know that someone else shares my opinion regarding Severance (and, I imagine, a number of other shows). From experience - consider thickening your skin prior to sharing your thoughts about this show (and perhaps any other topic if your opinion isn't the popular one) online. The response may not be a pleasant experience. Logic, facts and discourse need not apply.
As Lynch proved with Twin Peaks that people will watch nonsense as long as it looks good, so did Nomura prove with Kingdom Hearts that people will play anything as long as it looks good.
Except KH1&2, those were actually good games with coherent stories, 2 assuming you played Chain of Memories. Afterwards the franchise turned into endless sequelbaiting and funnily enough as of KH3, quite literally having a mystery box maguffin to keep the story going.
The mystery box critique is spot on. I've been burned by too many shows that mistake confusion for depth, so the emphasis on clear storytelling really ressonates. The point about how vagueness lets creators avoid accountability while concrete endings invite criticism is something i hadnt thought about but now cant unsee. Looking forward to checking out Pluribus.
Can't say I exactly loved Queen's Wish - the story was good, but I found combat less satisfying than any other games you've made. Still, it's sad that there won't be a third part: I'd have bought it anyway, because even worse-than-average Spiderweb Software game is still a good enough game (and, well, as I already said, the story had nothing wrong with it).
Regarding Queen's Wish specifically, I don't know why the second didn't do as well as the first overall, but for me it a game play issue and not a story issue. I really liked the story but the character building and advancement was a bit too simplified. The original Avernum Trilogy and the Geneforge games are still my favorites and I find myself going back to those often compared to the newer series and the Avernum re-remake.
I think this is probably a hard line to walk though, by simplifying you risk losing some of the audience that was built with the earlier titles, but by keeping or increasing the complexity you risk alienating new customers.
Happy to get a new column!
I have to say while we might be just too different in the kind of stories we like, I wanted to add that I feel you couldn’t be more wrong about twin peaks.
I mean the show was about a lot of things but the central mystery of who killed Laura Palmer was actually wrapped up in the second season. Most people didn’t like the reveal and stopped watching but nevertheless it was an attempt to answer a question.
So glad you said that about the Pluribus main character. I was watching and thinking to myself "What is wrong with all the other people - they're just letting all this slide off of them?!"