Post news Report RSS Mindworld: Project Cancelled

The project was in development for over 2 years and is now officially cancelled.

Posted by on

User Posted ImageUser Posted ImageUser Posted Image


User Posted Image



Project cancelled!

This is going to be the last article for Mindworld: Shattered Dreams. We want to inform everyone that this project is now officially cancelled. The required time is not available any longer.

We want to thank everyone for the great support and the 2 nominations for Top 100 upcoming game/mod of the year. You guys have been a great audience to develope this mod for.


- Kjell 'iQew' Bunjes
(Team Leader and Art Director)

User Posted Image
Post comment Comments  (0 - 50 of 56)
Cybio
Cybio

What a shame :-(

Reply Good karma Bad karma+14 votes
Maxen1416
Maxen1416

Such unfortunate news

Reply Good karma Bad karma+9 votes
AvagantamosTEON
AvagantamosTEON

My heart just shattered ;~;

Reply Good karma Bad karma+9 votes
PINAPLEGRENADES
PINAPLEGRENADES

did your dreams shatter too? *trollface* nah jk this sucks

Reply Good karma Bad karma-2 votes
SIGILL
SIGILL

What? No!? When I saw the title of this post in my update feed I was hoping it wasn't meant literally. It was such a promising project and one of the few projects on this website of which I actually read all the news posts. Such a shame, I don't really know how to react. Trust me when I say that I feel truly sorry.

Anyway, good luck with future endeavours I suppose!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+10 votes
Mr.Walrus
Mr.Walrus

Is there any chance the progress made might be released so someone else could continue work?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+11 votes
Dr.Goupyl
Dr.Goupyl

Oh please...
Not you ! :( You'v been through so many things and you just disappear like this, i didn't expect that !

Reply Good karma Bad karma+6 votes
Deltaslayer
Deltaslayer

NOOOOOOOO!!! Just like this?! This was the project I was expecting the most!
At very least pass the project to someone else! PLEASE!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+5 votes
DroidekaMkII
DroidekaMkII

I've seen that coming. I'm sorry.
More detailed information about the cancellation of the project would be nice, though.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+8 votes
iqew Author
iqew

Uni is much more time consuming than expected, I don't even have enough time for uni, if I don't work on Mindworld at all and I'm already giving 100%. Priority is set and pretty much the same goes for Leiste, who is preparing for uni. Handing over the project to someone else is not an option for me, since I might pick the project up later in the future.

Reply Good karma+11 votes
shadowflar3
shadowflar3

(buried)

"Uni uni" I've heard it a hundred times but I expected so much more mature attitude from the team. I though you would have been able to consider things more thoroughly than some random beginners with their mods and RL.

Once you guys have kids you learn to better manage your time...

Reply Good karma Bad karma-7 votes
iqew Author
iqew

Well, the fact that you didn't think that we are some random beginners already is an indicator of us not making everything incorrect, isn't it? Because the truth is, we are some random beginners and there's nothing that can change that fact. Mindworld was our very first own project and I think that we didn't do so bad for our first project.

And, don't make this about the team, it was not their decision, but only Leiste's and mine, so don't talk bad about them.

Coming to the conclusion that I want to focus 100% on uni and really try to make the best of this awesome oppertunity to work with some great teachers, even if I have to work my *** off to even get noticed doesn't sound so immature to me.

You're coming here with your rude attitude and judge us without really having an idea neither about the project nor the people behind it, instead of having used that time for some quality time with your family or your own project, tell me about time management.

Reply Good karma+12 votes
shadowflar3
shadowflar3

Rude attitude? I'll tell you what's rude: recruiting a talented team and a good fanbase, get people following and voting the mod and then the 2 people calling the shots give up because they couldn't foresee that university takes some time.

Community is giving you a pat in the back by downranking my comments (funny minigame around here I don't take too seriously) but I am only concerned about the sheer number of people you are letting down because of selfish reasons. According to your own words there is a team of 20 + applicants and the captain is burning the ship because he can't find time to steer it. You could have passed on or shared your role in the development with some of the other team members if you really feel you can't spare the time on something this important.

Me and everyone else out there WILL judge you, based on all the material you decide to publish, like it or not. If that makes you look bad in some people's eyes, that's your problem, not theirs. Some of the basics of PR for you.

Trying to lash back at me for time management? Time spent on ModDB is not time wasted for me, neither is away from my family or my own project, on the contrary. But I don't feel the need to insult you because you made such attempt. I forgive you.

Believe me, I am actually doing you a huge favor by speaking out loud the things that most people around here only think. It will take time before you can objectively look back at your decision but I'm sure this will sink in sooner or later and you'll be able to learn from this.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

Everyone in the team had the right to leave at any point in development and those 20+ people are mostly new ones, as people leave and join the team in the course of game development, as there is no money involved. There's only a core of a handful of people, who were involved in the project for more than a year and they're fine with the decision and all of them are still up for working with me on other projects at any time.

For the rest of the team I think it's okay that the project got stopped, because they weren't part of the team for so long and just started out, some of them being internees. There simply hasn't been any contra yet. Of course, everyone says that it's sad, as everyone loved to work on Mindworld, but the reasons are understandable.

Reply Good karma+2 votes
iqew Author
iqew

About the fanbase being disappointed: I apologize here again, but it's not that much of a deal like you make it seem. I followed quite some games on ModDB too, which were cool and I commented on their media. Many of those projects got shut down and I thought "Aw, would have been so cool to see that game happening!" and that's it. Nobody of the community is harmed by this decision, everyone just goes on like usual and I think that probably 99% of our fanbase is going to have forgotten about us in a few days, if they haven't already.

You know what's really funny about people downranking your comments? Your response to it. You even had to get more attention on it on how much you don't care about it, so you must have been thinking about it, which makes you care.

I like the metaphor, in which you make me a captain of a ship. But, let me make it clear to you, I didn't burn the ship. I've been talking with the co-captain of the ship and said that the upcoming storm is probably quite hard to handle, if nobody is leading that ship. That's why we decided to go to the next harbour and said that everyone can go on with their lives, but the journey is over for now. But, I also said that I might return to the ship and continue the journey and everyone who is then still interested in going on, can jump up on board.

And the reason why I didn't hand over the project to someone else is because the co-leader couldn't continue it alone. And the reason for not handing over the project to just the first one who wants it in the team is because they didn't share the exact same vision for the game like the co-leader and I did. The story of Mindworld is extremely important, so it doesn't make sense to just give it away and hope that they'll just know what good story development is. Plus, we mainly worked with specialized experts in the team and most of them wouldn't have wanted to lead a team this big just from one moment to another.

Reply Good karma+6 votes
iqew Author
iqew

I know that I'm being looked at and judged by the community, but that's neither a problem of theirs nor mine, because there simply is no problem. If it makes me look bad in someone's eyes than that's their perspective. It doesn't affect me, if I haven't done anything bad, though.

And while I really welcome people to invest time to help me out and give critique, you don't have to try to "open my eyes". I already have learned to plan better in the moment I realized that development has to be stopped for quite some time.

So, please, save the time you invest on writing comments like that and just work on your own project to make your points stand out with your work and not your words. I'm going to have forgotten about everything you said in a few minutes anyway, because there's nothing of value in what you say, in my eyes. And that's why this is going to be the last comment from my side here, as I think that everything is said.

Reply Good karma+2 votes
monster_urby
monster_urby

Damn sad news. Regardless, all the best for the years ahead. I will continue to track and pray for an update in the future.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+5 votes
iqew Author
iqew

Very kind, thank you.

Reply Good karma+4 votes
xfer7
xfer7

I'm hoping theres going to be another update title "April fools!" but it's not april.... :'c

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
vocaloid9299
vocaloid9299

What a shame... :'(

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
ghost59
ghost59

shame i was looking froward to this
i hope to see the project come back. it is one of the best here.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Aura636
Aura636

Aw..I really wanted to see this happen!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
ferdyfist
ferdyfist

Awh man, that sucks!
- Could you release what you have so far?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Garyn Dakari
Garyn Dakari

Shame...

Real life is such a killer of indie/mod projects :(

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Kys
Kys

Aw ****...

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Keksz
Keksz

lol ...no explanation why? Just such a short "hey it's over"???
Dayum...

Reply Good karma Bad karma0 votes
iqew Author
iqew

The explanation is given. It's not like we would have to write that we do not know how to continue, that people left out on us, that files got lost in data crashs or anything else. We do not have the time to organize and lead this project like we did before because uni is taking up all of my time now. I could have also said that the project gets stopped until I have more time again, which would be in ... 3 years, that's just like saying that the project is dead. Or, we could have continued the project without organization and leadership, but I think we know where such projects end up. There was nothing wrong somewhere with us, I just ran out of time.

Reply Good karma+1 vote
shadowflar3
shadowflar3

Look, if one is serious about game development, university studies don't destroy your work, they improve and support your hobby. One might have less time to do stuff but more tools and better resourcing skills.

Studying in an university doesn't mean you'll have no time for anything you really like and people shouldn't believe that they will be forced to choose between the two just because this mod acted as a poor example.

Reply Good karma Bad karma-3 votes
iqew Author
iqew

That might be true, if I was studying project management and PR work, but I'm not and thus my studies aren't helping this project, but only limit my time. The courses I take are ultimately going to be about game development, but until I could use anything I learn about programming, at least 2 years would have gone by either way and in those 2 years, I would not have the time to lead and organize a team of 20 people + applicants, while I have to invest 50~60 hours per week for uni.

Reply Good karma+3 votes
TheUnbeholden
TheUnbeholden

That still leaves 54-64 waking hours per week. Great mods have come from 6-10 hours per week of modding over a prolong period (3-5 years). Leaving you with a fair bit of spare time for other stuff (traveling, eating, socializing, watching some movies ect). You'd be surprised how much work will get done in that time, time management is the key to success as they say, over and over again at those 'how to be successfully in study' or management classes. You can take management as more of a "watcha doing", "have you done this?", "ok then, do this and this". I'm not trying to trivialize management but over the internet it's not hard. You just need people who are willing to put in the work.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Chad51
Chad51

...No wonder its called shattered dreams...

Reply Good karma Bad karma+5 votes
BioDestroyer
BioDestroyer

I'm with Urby, I'm not untracking this. Good to hear that you might pick up the project in the future, until there, I'm waiting. Good luck in the Uni and hope to see you here in the future.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+5 votes
iqew Author
iqew

I feel honored, thanks a lot.

Reply Good karma+1 vote
=EX-Mo=
=EX-Mo=

Oh.. Sadness, depression.. =(

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
johnyo
johnyo

Shattered dreams indeed. :(

Reply Good karma Bad karma+3 votes
Paulisdead18
Paulisdead18

Considering these maps were of one of, if not the highest quality of maps and models in the Source Engine, it's so sad to see this abruptly end when we were all given the impression that things were going fine. It's just so... sudden. Shame something like this is going to be scrapped.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
NCC-1701
NCC-1701

what a pathetic end...

I will never understand how someone who has put this amount of time and effort into something and created so many incredible assets can just give up. I have seen it more times that I can count and it always baffles me. Regardless of the fans... I don't understand how you can stand to just let all this work sit worthlessly collecting metaphorical dust.

Reply Good karma Bad karma-1 votes
iqew Author
iqew

I think you're missing an important piece here. The work that has been done in the last 2 years is neither wasted nor worthless now. The experience and things learned throughout the process are the foundations to start the next projects off of. I was always very understanding when it came to members leaving the project due to their career choices, oppertunities and changes in life, now it's your turn to understand me and Leiste. We have been working with around 100 people in those 2 years and had hundreds of applications. The project got discussed with professional game studios and even got praised from top notch people from studios like EA and Sony Online Entertainment. All this can't change the fact that a day only has 24 hours and I have to invest pretty much all of the day for uni. I worked 60 hours 7 days a week to develop this project besides my day job, so please, believe me when I tell you that I don't have the time any longer. My heart is broken, too, but I had to make this step and Leiste felt the same way, as his situation is similar.

Reply Good karma+4 votes
NCC-1701
NCC-1701

the validity of your point does not change the validity of mine.

It is still a sad pathetic end for such a great project. You said it yourself, the project caught the attention of professional game studios and "got praised from top notch people from studios like EA and Sony." So for something that got so far and accomplished so much to just fizzle and die because nobody has the time to finish it is just awfull.

And although the knowledge you gained may benefit you in the future, this project and the work done on it are essentially gathering dust.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

It sure is awful that the project has to be closed. But, I still find it more important that from all the work we have done, we got more experienced in what we did and we will do in the future.

The way you put it here sounds like Mindworld was THE next big thing on ModDB and now that it is all closed, we all suffer from a big loss. It's not like that, though. In my opinion, the experience gained through working is always more valuable than the product created. It hurts that we didn't achieve the ultimate goal of the project, but that's it. There were a few goals the mod had all back in the beginning and we have achieved way more than we thought was possible.

Nobody can take us those moments when we got application letters from top notch people, working in the industry, people we actually look up to.

I can understand that the people, who were interested in this project are disappointed, because they believed in the words I said and I broke my promises. I sincerely apologize to all of those people with all my heart and hope to find some forgiveness and understanding. But, being sad about the props and assets not being used does not make much sense. Content got denied over and over and over again, because I was strict with the quality assurance and nobody said a word then, because it's (an ugly) part of the job.

There are going to come more projects and the fact that I'm interested in lucid dreaming is going to play a role in such games. The quality of the art is going to be really high again and the project is going to get attention again. Just not now, but another time and most likely a lot smaller (at first).

Reply Good karma+1 vote
NCC-1701
NCC-1701

Its not really that it was THE next big thing, but it was unique and interesting. Almost all of the games/mods that are released are basically the same. The unique ones are always the ones that die (for one reaason or another.)

I understand your reason for quitting, but having watched the modding, and indie gaming scene for quite some time I find that a great deal of experience is collected, but there is precious little to show for it. Of all the great ideas very few ever see the light of day.

Anyway, I am tracking your profile here and I look forward to seeing any future projects. Good luck.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

I'm sure there are very similar games/mods out there, especially since Alan Wake. When the game came out we were literally sitting there and worried about that game containing everything we had planned. We then changed a few bits again, but still, it wouldn't have been so much different from other games than it might seem.

I thank you for your interest and hope to see you soon!

Reply Good karma+1 vote
Haunter360
Haunter360

A shame to hear this project being cancelled, but it was certainly a pleasure to see all the ideas you came up with for it.
Good job all around, hope things work out in future.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
iqew Author
iqew

Thanks!

Reply Good karma+1 vote
booman
booman

I will also continue tracking Mindworld in hopes to see it completed one day.
I really enjoyed all the great concept art and screenshots!
You guys worked hard and gained a lot of Game Development experience.
Thank you for sharing!

I too would put college above my hobbies because you are paying for your education. If you have loans or scholarships, it would be a tragedy to waste your investment in education!

Work hard, learn as much as you can, start a career and then make some amazing games!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

That's the plan! :) Thanks for all the support you gave us!

Reply Good karma+1 vote
DevinShadowV
DevinShadowV

Dam it I was hoping this would come through and had almost enough content that this could be a Source Indie game to steam like Zeno Clash and Dear Esther their indie titles that used source engine and have it on steam for sale...oh well lets hope someone picks it back up in the near future.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
GeneralJist
GeneralJist

Do you think a dedicated project coordinator and PR person would help revive this? (may be a little late)

Either way, process over product.

Although it is unfortunate that this has happened, the true test of a leader does what is necessary, not what is wanted/ desired. You guys made the hard choice, and although did it in a very direct way, was never the less the right way to do it. (a news update giving closure)

I was part of Secrets, in which the leader wasn't even able to give a news post, and just abandoned it with few words exchanged to the community, and drama in the team, now it's in perpetual hiatus, the community not knowing if the team is working or not.

By ending it the way you did this keeps the projects standard and leaves little room for misinterpretation.
It is what it is, what it is.

As you, the former team, and community go forth may you all learn from the past, listen to the present, and leave a legacy for the future.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

The project isn't going to get developed further by anyone else, as I won't hand over the project to someone else. The only person there is, who could do the job is Leiste and he is in the same spot as I am right now. That's why the project's development is stopped completely. I didn't say that I won't return to this project at another time, though.

Reply Good karma+2 votes
Hell_Diguner
Hell_Diguner

Aw, really? I was looking foreward to this. Uni? As in university?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
iqew Author
iqew

University it is.

Reply Good karma+1 vote
Post a comment

Your comment will be anonymous unless you join the community. Or sign in with your social account: