Is Sadness really going to be uncovered this E3? What really was going all that time at Nibris studios? N-Europe tracks down an ex-employee of the company for the real deal...
Yesterday we reported on the possibility of Polish developers Nibris turning up to this year's E3 gaming expo with something concrete after more than three years of development on their title Sadness - which they also said about last year's Game Developers Conference before failing to show up.
In an exclusive interview, we have spoken with Adam Artur Antolski, a scriptwriter for the game from the very initial stages of the project (here he is commenting on the title in June 2006). Describing his work on the project, he explained:
Antolski: I'm the author of many of Sadness's characteristic's that NIBRiS is still using, such as black and white theme, time and place, major characters, and Slavic mythology references. N-Europe: When did you start working at NIBRiS, and how long did you work there? Antolski: I started at the very beginning, in 2006, and it lasted just over a year ... I had absolutely no experience: In fact, I wasn't even an adult yet. [I was chosen] probably because of my work as a journalist for a Nintendo website [a fansite - nothing to do with Nintendo themselves - ed.] I was very grateful back then, but I have no clue why he didn't asked someone more experienced. It is strange, but I wasn't the only one - I remember he involved couple of others from that site, at least one of them still works for the project.
We felt it was time to delve into what was really going on at Nibris, in the year after the first trailer hit at E3 2006.
N-E: So how many people were actually involved with Nibris then, including yourself? Antolski: Not more than ten, I do not precisely remember, because I didn't know the entire crew. N-E: What work did you actually do in your time there - was there any progress with actual development, or was Sadness still in pre-production? Antolski: When [I was] contacted, there was only a title - Sadness. In about three of four days I come up with some ideas, which evolved into a "script". We actually wanted to make a interactive movie, and there was couple of other ideas as well.
When I was leaving, there was only one 3D object - some train cart I believe, which says a lot for me, most of the time the Sadness project was science-fiction.
This is most intriguing, since by the time of Antolski's departure, the first "trailer" for the title had already been released for almost a year.
Look for part two of our interview - with more details behind-the-scenes at Nibris and planned gameplay details for Sadness, very soon.
Sounds like their aiming for a Q4 release date then.
Sumo73 Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 14:26 || Total Comments: 370
I still think a lot of people are interested in seeing this come out but I've been confused as to the lack of info regarding this game since the early trailer.
I don't have any hopes for this game coming out this year sadly.
Ganepark32 Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 15:43 || Total Comments: 612
^ There has been huge problems with development. Took them ages to get a publisher and then Frontline Studios dropped their support leaving them up the creek without a paddle so they were floundering a bit. But now that FOG Studios have come along, it seems things are falling into place. Whether we see it released this year is unknown but I know they'll try their hardest to do so seeing as they've always said it'd be out this year. They also said they don't want to show much of the game prior to release so as to keep the game fresh.
I'm optimistic they'll live up to their word about E3.
Hellfire Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 18:10 || Total Comments: 827
I wonder what, if anything will be shown at E3.
Some interesting stuff here and more to come :D
Blue_Ninja0 Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 18:22 || Total Comments: 139
Very weird. Let's see if something comes out of this. But I'm getting ever doubtful.
Drift Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 20:27 || Total Comments: 298
So basically, the team sat there comming up with ideas, but not actually doing anything.
Xanthateto Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 21:18 || Total Comments: 68
They should probably have at least started making the game before spending what looks like a relatively considerable amount on the trailer. And if this really does turn out to be an "interactive movie" it doesn't sound that interesting.
Pod Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 02:41 || Total Comments: 1218
Whatever happened to Raid Over the River anyway?
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 02:56 || Total Comments: 598
Some people are too gullible. You do realize someone CAN press charges on client deceit and can take those "people" to court. Wake up people, in the history of video games there has been vaporware where IN GAME videos of the game were made available. 3 years and no IN GAME footage, those people are pulling our leg so I suggest they go back to their little hole they crawled from. They made a lot of FUTURE Wii owners happy with their crap and I guess they are still laughing with the gamers eagerly anticipating the game.
Moving along people nothing to see here.
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 02:57 || Total Comments: 598
"Whatever happened to Raid Over the River anyway?"
Oh that's going to be released VERY soon hehehe
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 03:06 || Total Comments: 598
Oh by the way this just in. Another Vaporware game WITH released in game footage (ok it was being developed longer, but don't worry Sadness is on its way to reach it) is never going to make it. 3D Realms have shut down. Remember 3D Realms HAVE made games in the past so some people still had hope for this.
Fromouterspace Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 05:08 || Total Comments: 41
This article has no news value. Nibris has no news value. They haven't had any news value since they first showed their ugly face a couple of years ago.
People. Seriously. A studio that doesn't take the industry seriously doesn't deserve to be taken seriously by the industry. They don't belong, and you (the market) shouldn't be listening to them.
I mean, cmon. Use your eyes.
They hired an uneducated teenage Nintendo nerd to come up with the fundamentals for their project.
Their website hasn't been updated since its launch in june last year. It's still talking about Liepzig - an expo Nibris didn't attend.
E3 '09?
I don't think so.
Auntnadia Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 05:52 || Total Comments: 891
i'm sure Nibris were or are a real team, but by the way they handled things, you can see how much inexperience is in the project management.
there are a few convincing development vids on youtube that haven't been claimed by anyone other than nibris, but they only look like 3d models, with no proper environment etc. having seen other devs in progress, they would normally work with a skeleton until everything was in place and they started to pretty it up.
i have my doubts that you've interviewed a real (ex) employee. one thing nibris have proved they do well is create spin and i've no doubt this is more of it.
I really doubt we will ever see this game.
normally, when a game gets hyped, then disappears, there is trouble. nibris have been going for 4 or 5 years and i assume they've never made any money in that time. how can they afford to develop a game of this size?
Hellfire Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 06:20 || Total Comments: 827
Indie development is like this, you don't hire experts, the games are usually made by a couple of students or "amateurs", that is completly normal.
The ammount of hype they generate is the problem, since it doesn't go hand in hand with an indy developer. It was a huge screw up.
Just wait for the rest of the interview :P
Critter171 Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 09:08 || Total Comments: 84
I am tired of fans being douches cut the crap off already. go to there site there three pics of in game.
now shut up and be blown away. I trust Nibris and if it doesn't become true oh well. You all act like since they haven't shown anything you want
they don't exist. which is wrong or ign and wouldn't of made this long. And still be in the god damn news.
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 10:10 || Total Comments: 598
"You all act like since they haven't shown anything you want"
the "you want" is not necessary :p
also this http://nibris.net/projekty_sadness_en.html#screens could be artwork as well. Images are too damn small to see anything so really they have shown NOTHING...for 3 years...by someone with no games developed...who apparently "develop" FOUR games...
and you know why we moan? Because there is a strong possibility that all this is a joke. A really bad joke by someone who for some reason wanted to have a look at the Wii development kits or has other goals by making a fake company. I really wish someone goes into the trouble of suing them on behalf of all the people who paid attention to this game.
Nirbis, please prove me wrong...if you can..hehehe
Ganepark32 Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 11:04 || Total Comments: 612
^ If you understood how difficult it is to get hold of development kits for the Wii then you'd probably be quick to take back that comment. It takes a considerable amount of time for studios to get them as Nintendo don't just send them out to anyone (Although you could argue they do given the amount of shovelware appearing on the console but it's not really the case). If it was a joke, Nintendo would have stepped in long ago with a legal request to return the dev kits to them. Seeing as this hasn't happened, it would seem they are being used for the intended purpose. And with FOG Studios partnering with Nibris, I highly doubt they'd let them piss about seeing as FOG have a fairly decent reputation in the industry.
Time will tell but I'm sure Nibris will show something and prove many wrong.
Fromouterspace Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 12:45 || Total Comments: 41
Ganepark32: I think it's safe to say Nibris haven't got their hands on a dev kit. Never did, never will.
Critter171: Nibris haven't been bothered to update their website in almost a year. In the news segment they're still talking about an expo they never attended. Does that strike you as odd in any way?
Not me.
Hellfire: Indie development (serious, fruitful indie development) is all about expertise, education and being a professional. You can't make it without it.
HolyBlade Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 12:47 || Total Comments: 49
this is starting to look like an ARG...like ilovebees
just maybe...
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 12:47 || Total Comments: 598
(Although you could argue they do given the amount of shovelware appearing on the console but it's not really the case)
That's right, what you say happened with the N64 and the so called "dream team" but not the Wii. Nintendo's strategy has drastically shifted from the quality over quantity to quantity to flood the stores, so N64 kits were to difficult to get a hold of, the Wii on the other hand, that is a GC board with both CPU and GPU clock speeds doubled, was made available to developers without too many questions asked.
Look all I am saying is stop bothering until we get something solid so that we do not get disappointed when they do not deliver.
PS: For your information while Nibris has a wikipedia page, Fog Studios (wtf??) DOES NOT. You got any more arguments?
Ganepark32 Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 13:42 || Total Comments: 612
^ I was never arguing and never made any arguments for Nibris. I've merely been stating how the situation has been interpreted on my end and I have been in contact with several others at other sites with Nibris and FOG Studios about Sadness for quite awhile. I agree we should wait until we see something solid but the same goes against you. You're saying I shouldn't bother believing in the game unless they show something but it works the opposite: why slate something from someone if you know nothing about it? Just saying really. I know they've let people down on many occasions (believe me, I've been following this since it's announcement and trying to get a word out of the devs at Nibris is incredibly hard) but I do think they are getting things sorted now. Whether it means they'll show the title or not is unknown but I'd like to believe the former.
CSP Says:
May 7th, 2009 at 14:02 || Total Comments: 598
If you want to wear yourself out, that's fine. I am really spending way too much time on this but the Fog Studios site (never heard of them in my life) has different games listed every time you reload. This is as fake as it gets. In fact it can not get any more fake than that. There are quite a few actual Wii releases we are looking forward to playing so we could show ourselves some respect and not deal with the ones who do not know the meaning of the word.
PS: I am not sure on this, but did anyone ask Nintendo about Nibris getting a Wii dev kit? If they say they can not disclose the information then they have, if they ask who Nibris is, then problem solved.
Critter171 Says:
May 8th, 2009 at 07:32 || Total Comments: 84
Wait so someone say something and it didn't plan out that way there lying? this company is not big.
and you failing to know there half way around the world.
they change there website like they said they will. it took longer than usually but so what. there are pics of them wii a wii remote and nunchuck with a computer.
Critter171 Says:
May 8th, 2009 at 07:35 || Total Comments: 84
ign took there time and to prove that this is not a fake company. that said i look at e3 list and didn't see nibis listed. Yet so i dont believe they will show up.
But i do believe there working on the sadness. Nintendo wont answe that csp and if a site as fog studio has .com than i believe there a real as you can get.
why the hell would they people waste time to fake two sites? you make no sense and like i said ign have said Nibris is real.
Auntnadia Says:
May 8th, 2009 at 09:23 || Total Comments: 891
well if ign said it,then it must be true.
nibris have twice claimed they will show up at leipzig, but they've never appeared on the devs list and never showed up.
they're not on the list for e3 which is possibly leaving things a bit late.
and how can they afford the exhibitors fees for e3, which are huge, when they're not a buoyant company? they've never made any money in 5 years or more!! how do they afford to live?? how can they afford to pay for their "experienced pc developers" they claim to have?
the fog website, when i went on claimed to have developed soldier of fortune payback, which was published by activision. that game was developed by cauldron HQ.
they also claim to have involvement with neopets, which was made, published and developed by neopets inc and neopets studios. there's no way fog would have been involved with this.
i could go on........
Toots Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 04:55 || Total Comments: 246
Personally I find it all a bit too shifty. So I'm going to have to go with the nay-sayers on this one. I don't think we will ever see a Sadness game. I do however believe that Nibris exists.
Critter171 Says:
May 11th, 2009 at 10:03 || Total Comments: 84
what about the bob panting that was suppose to come to wii did you believe that as well?
That was so called true but the game never came out so does that mean it was a lie? no.
No release
No release
No release
No release
