Fasa and Shadowrun are dead. Here's why!

So, after I heard M$ shut down Fasa, I went over to the forums to see what people were saying. This FormerCompanyMan dude makes some really good points.

First, he made a rather sarcastic comment (albeit very very true comment) about Crackdown Vs. Shadowrun.

So I did a little bit of snooping and I happened upon a tidbit of choice information...

It would seem like someone in the Microsoft Games Scheduling and Design department screwed up and assigned the wrong team of developers to the wrong game.

Yeah! Turns out Crackdown was supposed to be a mindless, first-person, arena-based, teabag fest and Shadowrun was supposed to be a immersive, futuristic, urban romp with RPG-elements, selectable characters, non-linear story driven gameplay, and an option for cooperative multiplayer!

Ain't that the bee's knees? Anyway, no harm, no foul. You'll get it right next time, won't you Microsoft?FormerCompanyMan

At first, I was going to write this guy off as a loony, but once I thought about it, I literally shouted "WTF! He's right!"

Later in the topic, he came up with something that was equally sarcastic, and equally true.

Oh, I also happened upon a document detailing the discussion between the Shadowrun Representitive and the Microsoft Development Supervisor. I'll copy and paste it...

Microsoft: So, Fasa. We're in the market to use another one of your IPs. We've usedBattletech and Crimson Skies, what else ya got?

Shadowrun Rep: Well, we do have this game called Shadowrun...

Microsoft: Shadow Run, huh?

SR: No no. Shadowrun. One word. You don't put an accent on the Run...

Microsoft: Right, Shadow Run. Anyway, what the game about?

SR: Well, it a futuristic game about magic returning the world...

MS: Magic? We like magic.

SR: Uh..yeah...me too. Anyway, there's elves and dwarves and trolls...

MS: Elves and dwarves? In the future?

SR: Yeah. You know. Cause of the magic an what not? There's lots of cyberpunk stuff like cyberware and cool technology.

MS: Sounds good. We'll use it. What is it? Some kind of card game or board game?

SR: Uh, no. It's a role-playing ga...

MS: Sounds like a good first person shooter.

SR: Yeah, okay. It would be pretty cool as a nice, long single player...

MS: Nah, we'll make it multiplayer only.

SR: Thats not a bad idea. Cooperative multi...

MS: No, more like Unreal Tourny. Much cheaper then a story-driven game.

SR: I really think there should be a sto...

MS: When's this game take place?

SR: Well, the game takes place around the year 2060-2065...

MS: Nah. We'll make it 2030 or something.

SR: Why?

MS: Thats when my mortgage runs out. Sounds good huh?

SR: Well, not really...

MS: So, where is the game set?

SR: Traditionally, the game centers around the Seattle Metropl...

MS: Nah, let's make it Brazil or something.

SR: Hm..okay a city in Brazil might be...

MS: Not a city. We'll make it take place in some temple.

SR: A temple?

MS: Yeah, much easier to model a temple then a city. Textures are simpler too. So, you said there was magic. What kind of magic spells does the game have?

SR: Hmm...well there's the mana bolt, there's a....

MS: We'll just have teleporting spells and resurection spells.

SR: But that stuff doesn't exist in...

MS: So you can be humans, elves, dwarves, trolls...is that is?

SR: No, there are orks too. They're pretty co...

MS: Orks? Aren't those the same as trolls?

SR: No, not really. Orks are much...

MS: Nah. Let's not put orks in the game. People will get confused. What kind of technology is there?

SR: Well, there are things like SmartLinks. They help you...

MS: I smell auto-aim! What's a Shadowrun anyway?

SR: Well Shadowrunners are mercenaries who do work for huge, monolithic corporations...

MS: Monolithic? That doesn't sound too good. Scratch the corporation thing. We'll just have one, not so monolithic corporation.

SR: I'm sorry, Micro, but this doesn't really seem like a Shadowrun game.

MS: Well, we just want to make sure it's not too hard for new customers to understand.

SR: What's hard to understand about the original game?

MS: Trust me. When you stick to the original content of an IP, it's much more difficult for people to grasp. They're the ones who are paying us, remember?

SR: Right, but can't we still make a game that sticks the original setting while still being a commercial success?

MS: Listen, we're making a game for the MTV generation. They can't be bothered with deep, immersive story, meaningful dialog, and orks.

SR: Soo...what are they looking for then?

MS: Today's gamers basically just want to shoot everyone in sight, squat on their heads, rubtheir sweaty testicular-skin on them, and then call them homosexuals.

SR: Right...

There you have it. The birth and death of Shadowrun.FormerCompanyMan

Well worth the read if you know what Shadowrun is. Also very funny (in a way).

Now, I know a ton of Shadowrun-FPS fans are going to come barking at me toting how "Shadowrun is one of the best FPS games of all time!" and "best xbox live game evar!1!!" That's fine. I don't blame you for enjoying a game. The point is, because Fasa and Microsoft turned their back on the fans, and decided to appeal to people who have no idea what Shadowrun actually is, they ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Had they spent a little extra time and effort to stick to the roots of the game and broaden the scope of it, they'd be sitting pretty on a much bigger pile of cash, and probably getting ready to make a sequal.

All I can say is, they got what was coming them. I'm glad there won't be another online-only Shadowrun FPS. I'd rather never see another Shadowrun video game then hear about how they're making another counterstrike rip-off.

Shadowrun could have been like Bioshock or a more standard fare RPG but nooooooooo. It was a terrible choice imo.

Thats the first time i ever posted my disappointment that shadowrun was just an online game.

Actually the Shadowrun IP isn't really dead. FASA is - but MSGS still owns Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and Mech Warrior all of which they said there is no official announcment for new games in those franchises right now, but that there may be in the future. So it is too bad that FASA is gone - but the IP's are still actively owned by MSGS and would/could just be released directly under their name instead of FASA.

I still believe we will see a Shadowrun RPG this generation.

Sorry, but I have to ask the TC: do you honestly, even for one second believe your quoted story? Do you really think such a conversation took place? You are very gullible indeed....Flavour666

this whole thing just went right over your head, didn't it?

[QUOTE="Flavour666"]Sorry, but I have to ask the TC: do you honestly, even for one second believe your quoted story? Do you really think such a conversation took place? You are very gullible indeed....BigDaveyDogz

this whole thing just went right over your head, didn't it?

Byahahaha! No, no. Seriously dude, it was joke. Of course the conversation never took place. Duh.

Sorry, but I have to ask the TC: do you honestly, even for one second believe your quoted story? Do you really think such a conversation took place? You are very gullible indeed....Flavour666

.... Have you suffered from brain damage or are you just a **** idiot?

Em wtf is Fasa?Hell_Dude

The Fasa Corporation is the company that originally created the PnP Shadowrun game in the late 80's. They had a video game division called Fasa Interactive. I think they're the ones who created the old MechWarrior games for the PC. Then, in 1999 Fasa Corp went bankrupt and closed down. Microsoft bought Fasa Interactive and renamed it Fasa Studios. Fasa Studios developed MechWarrior, CrimsonSkies, and Shadowrun.

I still believe we will see a Shadowrun RPG this generation.DataDream

I frickin' hope not! Not unless they scrap the butchered setting and go back to the way it was supposed to be. The original history and setting was SOOOOO much cooler then the crap they put in the FPS.

shadowrun is great fun..lots of people play it stillWMDfreeman99

It actually is kinda fun, for about a half-hour. Then I get tired of people squatting on me and calling me a f-ag.

i feel cheated now. i was hoping that some awesome dlc would come and make the game more enjoyable.therapyhiccup

I hear you dude! What Fasa/Microsoft basically accomplished was this - They screwed the original PnP fans by turning the game into somethingit never should have been, and now they screwed the new fans who were into the FPS by backing out on their original promise to support the game and continue to come out with downloadable content.

Bottom line, it was a mess from the beginning. I sincerly hope they just let Shadowrun rest in pieces.

i feel cheated now. i was hoping that some awesome dlc would come and make the game more enjoyable.therapyhiccup

i enjoyed the game and think it needed DLC to make the pricetag justified but i still had alot of fun online... and it came at a time where i was really sick of FPSs... i think the magic and money elements helped me think of it as more than just a FPS.

Sorry, but I have to ask the TC: do you honestly, even for one second believe your quoted story? Do you really think such a conversation took place? You are very gullible indeed....Flavour666

Funniest thing I've read on this board in months, and hilariously ironic at the end. Wow, I wonder how some people make it out the front door in the morning. Brain damage.

Thats my dose of crap for the day.

Thats my dose of crap for the day. DEWMAN08

Hey man, us actual fans of Shadowrun have had to put up with the biggest steaming pile that ever got squeezed out of Microsoft's sphincter for months now. Now, the fans of the Shadowrun FPS get to feel their share of thedissapointment too.

[QUOTE="Hell_Dude"]Em wtf is Fasa?SentientGames

The Fasa Corporation is the company that originally created the PnP Shadowrun game in the late 80's. They had a video game division called Fasa Interactive. I think they're the ones who created the old MechWarrior games for the PC. Then, in 1999 Fasa Corp went bankrupt and closed down. Microsoft bought Fasa Interactive and renamed it Fasa Studios. Fasa Studios developed MechWarrior, CrimsonSkies, and Shadowrun.

[QUOTE="DEWMAN08"] Thats my dose of crap for the day. SentientGames

Hey man, us actual fans of Shadowrun have had to put up with the biggest steaming pile that ever got squeezed out of Microsoft's sphincter for months now. Now, the fans of the Shadowrun FPS get to feel their share of thedissapointment too.

you dont have to put up with crap, its not like you cant just ignore the game

now halo 3 on the other hand you CANT ignore that masterpiece

you dont have to put up with crap, its not like you cant just ignore the game

now halo 3 on the other hand you CANT ignore that masterpiecesupermechakirby

You're right, I could just ignore the game, and for the most part that's what I've been doing. But since I've been waiting for a good Shadowrun game for about twelve years, it's really hard to ignore it.

Let's try to put this into perspective. Judging by your blind-devotion to the Halo series (come on now, calling Halo 3 a "masterpiece" before the game has even come out is beyond fanboyish [or fangirlish in your case]), let's just say they waited ten years to come out with Halo 3, and when they did, they turned it into a mini-golf game because that's what was hot at the time. You'd be upset too (and gratified, as I am).

I call BS on the second story. MGS would've already known what IPs they own and and wouldn't have to ask FASA that question. Plus, changing an RPG to an FPS in less than 2 seconds - :roll:dlind70

Of course it's BS dude! The whole thing is a joke! I said it's "true" refering the point that he was making, not that actual story itself. Microsoft and Fasa Studios threw out everything that was Shadowrun.By the time it was done, there was nothing left but elves and magic.

Your just as bad as the first dude who called me naive for believing a story that was clearly a joke to begin with.

You are retarded.darklordlaird

Hehehehe! There it is. I was waiting for the first blatantly flamish insult. Congrats.

Yep. There's a good chance Bethsoft will screw up the Fallout franchise. However, I have much higher hopes for Fallout 3 then I ever did for Shadowrun. Bethesda threw out a lot of the things that made Fallout 1 and 2 what the are - turned based, isometric, lots of adult humor and subject matter, and meaningful dialog. However, they have kept a lot of the essence of the setting and the story- post-apocalyptic setting, vault dwellers, super-mutants, ect ect.

Sure, they put their own spin on things, and they aren't adhering to their original IP to the fullest extent, but it still has the potential to be a great game. Shadowrun is basically ruined.

Just for kicks, think about how much more Fallout fans would be pissed if Bethsoft took the same strategy as M$ and Fasa:

Fallout 3 -
A multiplayer, online only first-person-shooter that takes place in the frigid arctic a year before the bombs dropped. There are no mutants at all, and the Brotherhood of Steel is a US Military special ops team.

That's essentially the approach Microsnatch and Fasa took.

Just for kicks, think about how much more Fallout fans would be pissed if Bethsoft took the same strategy as M$ and Fasa:

Fallout 3 -
A multiplayer, online only first-person-shooter that takes place in the frigid arctic a year before the bombs dropped. There are no mutants at all, and the Brotherhood of Steel is a US Military special ops team.

That's essentially the approach Microsnatch and Fasa took.

SentientGames

Why resurrect useless arguments?....We know, Fasa and MS got together and formed an evil plot to piss off the "original" shadowrun fans.madskills6117

Why ressurect it? Cause I found what FormerCompanyMan had to say very funny, and very true. Cause I thought like-minded people may find it entertaining and might like to discuss it here. Cause all the "original" (why are we quoting something that is entirely true?) Shadowrun fans who were trying to raise warning when the game was in development stages are now gratified and saying "I told you so." All of the die-hard fans who said "F*** this. You're destroying our favorite game" and boycotted it can now dust off their hands and say mission accomplished.

Oh, and thanks for twisting it into a conspiracy theory "madskills6617" (that name made me nearly choke on my water when I read it!).

Good point. I didn't think I could possibley be any more pissed at Beth then I am for what they're doing, but I'm pretty sure if that's the route they were taking that it would be enough piss me off quite a bit.

Though Shadowrun really isn't a bad multiplayer online game, Microsoft really should have made it a spinoff or a different game entirely. It's disgusting how badly they turned on the original fan's.NumenDivinum

With Fallout 3, at first I was defending Bethsoft since I'm a long time fan of their work. But once they started releasing more and more details, it became clear that they were following in the footsteps of Fasa by saying "Screw the fans, we're going to make the game we want to make." While I don't think Fallout 3 will tank the way Shadowrun did, I do think they are hurting their sales by flipping the bird to the people who actually know what Fallout is and appreciate the content of the games. Much like Fasa, Bethsoft is blatantly turning their shoulder to the original Fallout fans, and instead is seeking to appeal to a more mainstream market in hopes of bolstering their bank accounts. It's not reallysurprising, and you can hardly blame them for looking to make money, but it's one of the lowest things a development company can do with an IP.

My philosophy is don't resurrect a game series just so you can openly sh!t in the face of the people who love the game. It seems to be becoming a tradition for developers to purchase clas-sic IPs, use the name and throw out everything that isn't their sty-le. At least Bethsoft is making an attempt at keeping some parts of the canon intact, moreso then Fasa and M$ did.

very bitter about the lack of DLC for this game but besides that , i am very happy with the game & still play it almost every day. never played the board game version so i didn't have anything to campare it to but i loved the setting & backstory from the game. I'll probably give it a break for awhile with H3 around the corner but i'll be back to it soon enough ( can't live without Gust ). i agree wih most peoples complaints about the game ( too much $ , no single player game , not enough maps ) but it's so much fun i can look past that stuff & just enjoy the heck out of it . if you're looking to play with a more teamed based group of old bastards then send me a friend request & join the rez party HOLYWOOD444

They screwed you, just like they screwed us. I can appreciate that it's a fun online FPS. I have no qualms with "new" Shadowrun fans who enjoy the game.