Video game developers are typically clued into the industry as much as they are focused on their upcoming titles. As a result, people like Experiment 101 creative director Stefan Ljungqvist are able to compare aspects of BioMutant to games like Breath of the Wild. Developers can also critique their peers, but in the case of Ori and the Will of the Wisps creative director Thomas Mahler, recent comments have led to an apology.
The Moon Studios director compared CD Projekt Red and Hello Games to “snake oil salesmen” in a Resetera post Wednesday when discussing the culture of hype and eventual disappointment built up by titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky, respectively. The original post was prefaced saying he gets “riled up” seeing people repeatedly believe false claims, and ends on the note that it “felt like a chip I needed to get off my shoulder” to try and discourage the practice from happening in the future.
However, Mahler followed up Thursday with a tweet reading, “I screwed up yesterday.” He said after reading the responses and discussing it internally with his team, he feels he “didn’t represent Moon Studios the way I should have.” While the creative director said he intended to open a conversation about how hype culture and false claims can hurt everyone in the industry, as seen by the class-action lawsuits filed against CD Projekt Red following Cyberpunk 2077‘s launch, he feels those conversations should remain respectful.
While Mahler apologizes for his “overly aggressive tone,” particularly in a post mentioning other developers such as Hello Games’ Sean Murray by name, he said the anger came from someone deeply invested in the industry. As a head developer on titles like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, he said he likes the idea of creators and fans alike having open discussions that can work toward improving the artform.
Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky have undeniably left many players cautious about the cycle of building hype, even if Hello Games has seemingly redeemed itself with an improved experience over the years. In a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier published last month, anonymous CD Projekt Red devs discussed the fake E3 2018 demo for Cyberpunk 2077 that was made even while some felt the time would have been better spent working on the game itself.
Though the comments made by Mahler received blowback for his tone, the actual discussion of issues in the industry has resonated with commenters on both Resetera and Twitter. Given Moon Studios has recently raised money for rainforest conservation, it seems clear the developer is invested in working to make the world better, despite hitches along the way.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is available now for PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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