KatsBits Community

General Category => Public Discussion => Topic started by: Shaderman on February 20, 2010, 11:24:07 AM

Title: Project offset (continued)
Post by: Shaderman on February 20, 2010, 11:24:07 AM
This (http://www.katsbits.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=26) was the old thread in the old forums and here's a new video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOPbyl7r8gk) :)
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on February 21, 2010, 02:30:38 AM
that's impressive imo and thanks for posting the link shaderman :)
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on February 21, 2010, 04:43:32 AM
Don't know if you guys have played Oblivion but the noise he makes sounds very similar to the noise the Brown and Black bears make when they attack you!
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on February 21, 2010, 01:10:32 PM
@ kat, I haven't played oblivion myself. do you think these guys used their sound clip as a placeholder?
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on February 21, 2010, 02:15:28 PM
Nah, more often than not when that happens it's because they're using a library item bought from somewhere or other... There aren't that many Equity Card carrying blind giants available for voice work .. heh "grrr", "arrr", "owww!"
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on February 21, 2010, 04:02:42 PM
hehe, understood ;)
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: Shaderman on April 10, 2010, 11:43:48 AM
The official forums were closed. Not a good sign IMO...
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on April 10, 2010, 01:03:19 PM
Wasn't OffSet bought up by Intel as a way to showcase that new graphics chip(?) they were working on but scrapped recently? It wouldn't surprise me if the closing of the forums is a delayed reaction/response to development on the new chips ceasing. Always the way with Indie developments that get bought up by big corporations, they *are not* doing you any favours, despite the six or seven figures buyout, they will drop you as soon as their bottom line tells them to.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on April 11, 2010, 02:59:37 AM
thats sad news, hopefully this game will resurface oneday.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: Shaderman on April 11, 2010, 09:19:36 AM
I thought it was more than just a showcase thing. I thought there were real plans to release this game.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on April 11, 2010, 11:03:50 AM
I'm not sure TBH. I understand that Intel were looking for something to 'showcase' their new chipset but I don't think I ever came across anything else in terms of how they were doing that with OffSet as an on-the-shelf shipped title. How long has the game itself been in production? It's got to be more than four years?
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: Shaderman on April 11, 2010, 11:13:57 AM
Tthe company "Offset Software" was founded in 2004 presumably with the start of their first title "Project Offset".

More information like this can be found on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offset_Software):

Quote
Early 2010, Intel moved the official Project Offset forums to a new page http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/project-offset/ and removed the old forums in March. With the disappearance of the large and fan approved forums, spam threads plagued most of the new forums with upset followers. Despite the new forums, the original Project Offset website was still thriving with the continuation of the comraderie of those that spent hours in “Offset Chat” [the site’s web browser chat room]. By late March 2010 all threads were erased, the chat room was discontinued on the main website, and fan activity seemingly ceased.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on April 11, 2010, 02:10:46 PM
The fact that the new boards/site got spammed as heavily as it appears means there was no-one there in a significant enough of an admin position to deal with it. That in itself is quite telling as it implies the company (Intel, not Offset) may not have cared too mcuh about community activity anyway, which is ironic for a company developing a game that needs 'community'. Most odd.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on April 11, 2010, 08:27:35 PM
agreed, it sounds very mismanaged by intel.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on July 02, 2010, 01:56:14 PM
DEAD (http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/07/01/project-offset-officially-shut-down-at-intel-founders-launches/)! Yep figured this would happen as soon as Intel bought them out, it was pretty much confirmed indirectly when they dropped work on the processor (Larrabee?) that was supposed to have been the showcase for Offset. Looks like a lot of work has gone down the tubes. The good news is that former members of Offset have moved on to set up a new company, "Fractiv".
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on July 02, 2010, 03:14:52 PM
damn you intel.

kat, any idea is the ip remains with the devs?
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on July 02, 2010, 03:32:30 PM
From the article linked
Quote
We have emailed McGrath and other Offset Software team members to find out more about Fractiv including if they have the rights to continue development of Project Offset at their new company.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on July 02, 2010, 05:16:37 PM
understood, thanks.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: kat on January 12, 2011, 01:52:16 PM
Must read article on Offset (http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/12/15/interview-we-chat-with-sam-mcgrath-about-fractiv-what-happened/). The thing I take away from the reading is always remain 'independant' and make sure you always have the rights to your own ideas (often easier said than done when publishers are involved;
Quote
Does Fractiv have the IP and the source code to Project Offset's engine and game or are those still in Intel's hands?
All of the Offset related stuff we developed prior to and during our stay Intel remains property of Intel. Prior to leaving and for a couple months after setting up fractiv, we were working with some good guys over there to set up a contract which would have allowed us to use the engine and continue development of the game. We were pretty excited about it, and even though development of the game wouldn't have continued right away, it would have been one of our long term goals as a company. Unfortunately, things fell through and despite some people's best efforts (on both sides), we didn't get the contract we wanted.
Title: Re: Project offset (continued)
Post by: ratty redemption on January 12, 2011, 06:02:27 PM
wow, that really sucks. publishers can be so immoral, especially considering all the work those devs put into that project before they signed up with intel. i will definitely will keep this in mind in the future if any publishers try to get my indie team to give up our ip rights.