Jagged Alliance 3D in Limbo

[baby arm]

According to a press release from Strategy First, GFI Russia (formerly known as MiST land) is no longer working on Jagged Alliance 3D.

 

Montreal, Canada. September 1st, 2006. -- Software publisher Strategy First, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSTR) announced today that their Agreements with Game Factory Interactive relative to the development, publishing and distribution of the titles "Jagged Alliance 3" and "Jagged Alliance 3D" have been terminated. Game Factory Interactive will therefore not have any right to publish, distribute, license nor to develop any Jagged Alliance title or derivative products for any platform.

 

Strategy First is confident that it will access additional development resources so that the new addition to the Jagged Alliance franchise will not only equal but surpass its predecessors in scope and play value.

 

This statement is a bit of a surprise considering I just published an interview with GFI Russia about JA3D. So is JA3D canceled? Or will Strategy First bring in a new developer to complete the project? We'll let you know as soon as more information becomes available.

 

[Hurlshot]

My guess is that GFI was messing the game up. The screenshots and the interface look decent, but I was really concerned about GFI's ability to create an atmosphere and story. The territories even look a bit bland...the excellent thing about JA1 and 2 was the fact that every sector was unique and well thought out.

 

They should take the engine and pay the Urban Chaos team to put together a solid game. I bet they can do better than GFI with less resources and money.

[mike9o]

They should take the engine and pay the Urban Chaos team to put together a solid game. I bet they can do better than GFI with less resources and money.

 

I like that idea. I'd like it even more if they used the same Urban Chaos beta testers as well!

[Sophocles]

Well it certainly does not come as a surprise especially after the internal changes in GFI.

 

Lets face it Stratey first and every other company relaited to them have a very bad track record when it comes to JA franchise development and publishing.

 

That said my hopes of seeing a new JA game within 2006 (if not anytime soon, 2007,2006, 2009,2010) just died.

 

Now my only hopes reside with Brgade E5 (unfortunately another Strategyfirst upcoming title) although I have serious reservations conserning the graphics and interface controls of the game.

 

Well one can only hope for the best.

[Crazy Gringo]

Limbo is the right word in this case.

I know that Strategycore (this place) is trying to make enough noise to get a new X-COM game made. Fallout 3 was for some years kicked into the darkness of Limbo (Shame on you, Interplay!) until someone dug it up again and decided to have a go at it

And now Jagged Alliance 3 and 3D is in Limbo.

I would like to ask Strategy First and GFI: What is the problem? No matter what the reasons are that has caused this situation there is bound to be an way to get this game made. Just keep it true to the JA2 form....turnbased that is. Heck I would even have a go at it if it was the SAS system as used in the UFO A-series.

Just don't try and make it into a FPS because they are a 'hot item'.

[Skonar]

I'm kind of relieved, in a twisted way.

 

Jagged Alliance just wouldn't be Jagged Alliance without the input of Ian and Linda Curie, if you ask me.

[Hurlshot]

One if the Strategy First community relation guys posted that this won't affect JA3 on the Bear's Pit. I assume that means that GFI/Mistland was only doing JA3D and SF was still handling JA3. Still, it means we are probably waiting until at least 2007 to see a new JA.

 

At least it's not dead dead.

[baby arm]

I assume that means that GFI/Mistland was only doing JA3D and SF was still handling JA3.

GFI acknowleged that they weren't doing JA3 just before this drama popped up (check the interview). Richard also mentioned that Strategy First has "a team with experience and talent to complete JA3" in that thread at the SFI forums.

 

As far as the GFI/SFI split, GFI told me:

GFI verifies the fact of cancellation of the agreement with Strategy First, Inc. for Jagged Alliance titles development.

 

The project under the working title Jagged Alliance 3D, developed by GFI Russia (former MiST land - South), is going to be released in October, 2006 as expected.

 

At present the development is going on in a quiet atmosphere and in compliance with the scheme approved earlier. The official title of the game will be announced in the nearest future.

 

And Strategy First said:

At the moment the status of JA3D is 'cancelled'. Several possibilities had been offered to GFI but we haven't received a response yet.

Hope this answers your questions. More information on this will be available soon.

[baby arm]

Our buddy metallix (from CRPG.ru) also has some new information:

Vitaliy Shutov, one of the founders of Mist-land south, has gotten all pissed off about this in his personal web-blog and said that what SFI did was basically a set-up. Furthermore, he was eager to announce his team's determination to continue working on JA3D -- of course, with a different title -- and what's even more interesting, they are going to implement some features that we were blaming them for not including in the original project, like, world map travel, for instance. Interesting, but it could only be inferred from the blog that Shutov actually blames SFI for the abscence of world map. As he put it, "it was cut in order not to intersect with JA3 too much". Same goes for some other features.

 

He is very caustic about SFI, naturally, and he says that many developers aknowledge SFI's bad reputation in dealing with partners (he illustrates that with mentioning JA2 Wildfire's dev team). He says it was basely of them to announce the contract termination so abruptly, in the weekend night, anticipating a late reply because of that. "Very crafty of them", he says.

[Slaughter]

Oh the drama... . I'm not sure if I think this is good or bad news, but it will be interesting to see what happens with the Jagged Alliance franchise now.

[baby arm]

Here's more drama, an interview at AG.ru with both Vitaly Shutov of GFI and Richard Therrien of Strategy First.

 

AG: How productive was the development process in general? Who had the final 'OK' or 'nay' on what goes in the game? Did MiST land put forward any ideas for JA3D that were subsequently axed by SFI? And vice versa, what (if any) was forced by SFI on MiST land?

 

VS: Naturally, Strategy First had the final say. We didn't put forward any feature-related ideas for JA3D. I.e., SFI gave specific requirements which we reflected in the design document. After that, we were green-lighted and went down to work. Some time later, our Canadian partners began making changes to the concept.

 

I think that when SFI was still in euphoria after JA2: Wildfire, they wanted to create a small but solid game and make some quick money. When euphoria wore off, they decided that they needed a bigger, AAA-title. Soon, the rights to JA3 were secretly bought off by another company, and JA3D was not fit in SFI's plans anymore.

 

This is the source of conflicting demands that were laid down by Strategy First - at times they wanted us to restart the whole project from scratch, or asked us to introduce features that would require massive investments from GFI (note that SFI did not finance the project).

 

RT: The development process appeared to be real slow. Communications were not optimal one could say. My understanding is that after Yaroslav's departure from MiST land, the team had been amputated, including the main programmer. I could see some progress for a while but at the rate things were going, I was projecting a good year more of work if 3D was to be properly balanced, polished and tested.

 

Basically, I had the final say. The ideas that were part of the design documentation that I approved were partly from MiST land and remained. The African premises, the mission based structure are examples. Those that were rejected, like the smart pause system did not make it into the documentation. The real-time version that came to me as a complete surprise was axed as soon as I heard about it. Beyond this, I always insisted on details that would insure the appropriate amount of polish would be included in the game.

[FullAuto]

What a mess. I hate the way people watch their words, in interviews like this. They never say "Oh, it was X who royally buggered everything, blame him."

 

I'm falling in love with JA2 all over again, and I dearly hope that in future, quality JA games will be forthcoming.

[Slaughter]

I guess a review is in the making then?

[Crazy Gringo]

One more won't hurt....I started with a review of the Jagged Alliance 2 1.13 mod yesterday. But it is still in it's early stages....Getting it all together and such....And yes I will keep you posted.

[Slaughter]

Good stuff!

[FullAuto]

Sorted. I'll review good old JA2 and le Crazy Gringo can take a swing at the 1.13 mod.

[Kaiden]

Sorted. I'll review good old JA2 and le Crazy Gringo can take a swing at the 1.13 mod.

 

@Crazy Gringo, Don't suppose you could provide me the link when you finish that Review?

[Crazy Gringo]

@Kaiden: Will do, Kaiden, Will do.

[PorT_Lobo]

And now??? There are any previsions where JA3 will be out?? Or it is cancelled for ever .....????

[Crazy Gringo]

From what I could find out on Strategy First's forum the game is still on.

It is going through a 'Windows Vista delayed phase' I guess. But until anything is official I still consider it in limbo.

[KoMik]

I would like to plagiarize Columbo in this case: "Murder is bad but suicide is sad."

 

Yep, I know that limbo is not a final but think it's an annoying loop.

[PorT_Lobo]

Thanks.....

 

Anyway, i guess only in midle 2007 (at least) we can expect JA3....