Death of a Game: Troika Games (Vampire the Masquerade)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2017
  • I tell the story of Troika Games with shitty video editing. Pls pm/email me if you want to be my editor :)
    Patreon: / nerdslayer
    Amazon: www.amazon.com/?tag=nerdslayer...
    Twitter: / nerdslayerg
    Twitch: / nerdslayerrr
    Discord: / discord
    #DOAG
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ความคิดเห็น • 613

  • @nerdSlayerstudioss
    @nerdSlayerstudioss  7 ปีที่แล้ว +224

    Thanks for the positive responses and feedback all. This script was 8,200 words and took me a week to write. Although I loved the way this story came out, it really highlighted my video editing deficiencies. I have such grand visions of the type of content I want to produce, but not the ability to craft it in terms of video editing/transitions. My goal is to find someone else willing to edit for me, that way it frees me up to write and voice over more which means more content and since the editor will be better than me better quality as well. I can also end up doing redux/remakes of previous videos where I can add extra commentary and we can have nice and fancy editing to accompany it.
    If you have experience editing and would like to apply as my editor, email me at exforcegamer@gmail.com and/or send me a message on TH-cam. Thanks all!

    • @carsomyr8231
      @carsomyr8231 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Your content is great, hope you find an editor!

    • @DokDicer
      @DokDicer 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Great Visions... just like Troika. :)

    • @damdradon
      @damdradon 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      As a point of interest.
      Obsidian are working on a fallout based game. (Being the studio that develped New Vegas.)
      Two of the lead Devs from the original Fallout are staff of Obsidian.
      So, yeah. Next Fallout iteration is going to be insaaaaaane.

    • @WobblesandBean
      @WobblesandBean 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Are you ever going to do the death of Airtight Games? I worked there when it went under, it'd be one hell of a great dose of schadenfreude for me.

    • @JoPeTuYaTroJoueY
      @JoPeTuYaTroJoueY 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      wonderful episode ! Can i request a game maybe ??? FIREFALL ! that was a damn good open world / TPS shooter... COOP/PVE and PVP... 3 years of beta, the PvP done, and redone to be again stopped... and the whole studio felt appart. (it was also one of the rare game using Voxels...)

  • @lewdvlesh
    @lewdvlesh 6 ปีที่แล้ว +194

    You know the saying... "If anyone mentions VTM: Bloodlines in conversation, it's soon after installed once again on a computer"

    • @nerdSlayerstudioss
      @nerdSlayerstudioss  6 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      Unfortunately a true one.

    • @ninjaprodigy640
      @ninjaprodigy640 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Something I've been thinking about recently is.

    • @GodOfPlague
      @GodOfPlague 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I saw someone play this once I just dont remember who or why. They played the crazy vampires.

    • @Ichiyobikuro
      @Ichiyobikuro 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      funny enough i never played it nor had any interest in playing it

    • @RC__1207
      @RC__1207 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@nerdSlayerstudioss The hell do you mean "unfortunately"?

  • @nodosa994
    @nodosa994 7 ปีที่แล้ว +374

    I hate seeing Death of a Game. Always breaks my heart when people put time and effort only to fail.

    • @Pastafari4
      @Pastafari4 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Nodosa Thankfully Vampire got pretty popular after the fall. Still sad it didn't get a bigger following sooner.

    • @henkvisser9741
      @henkvisser9741 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      OMG vampire bloodlines was the most fun game i ever played, the repeating value was low though. A follow up to the mood, system etc and multiplayer teamwork options in a far bigger world where you fight for your own faction to destroy the other ones etc would rlly get some nice followers I would think.

    • @henkvisser9741
      @henkvisser9741 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      a slight add-on: the replay value of different characters and how ppl respond was fun (chatting using the crazy vampire made a lot of rolfs), but the replay of doing the same mission and story over and over...that was low

    • @CommanderSqueaks
      @CommanderSqueaks 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I wouldn't consider a game failing to be a total loss. The lessons learned by a game's failure can be used to create something amazing later. I think Pillars of Eternity is a great testament to that.

    • @calebmorgan8358
      @calebmorgan8358 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      in this case i would consider it a horrid failure. this was the last of the true RPG games. it was not only the death of the the company but took a entire genre in a whole new, and in my mind worse, direction.

  • @DeadPalette
    @DeadPalette 7 ปีที่แล้ว +171

    Shit, someone mentioned Vampire Bloodlines: The Masquerade. There goes my next 25 hours...

    • @DeadPalette
      @DeadPalette 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @Joker Jesus You sonnavabitch
      *launching Steam*

    • @Occasus91
      @Occasus91 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Whoa, Vampire Bloodlines: The Masquerade? Such an awesome game, looking forward to the new game coming later this year.

    • @dreed100
      @dreed100 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      At least no one mentioned deus ex

    • @TheDarthpsi
      @TheDarthpsi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same for me, I love that game but oddly I never managed to finish it, so I don't know how the ending is. Perhaps I'll go for it. I also love the original fallout 1 and 2. Screw the new ones =p.

    • @dreed100
      @dreed100 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@TheDarthpsi even new vegas?
      Last part of bloodlines is lots and lots of fighting
      But I definetely don't mind except the sewers they are the worst

  • @mihkelnoot8465
    @mihkelnoot8465 7 ปีที่แล้ว +425

    VTMB is the most perfect imperfect game ever made.

    • @xaverius6170
      @xaverius6170 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      It's one in the morning and I am watching this video... >sigh< I'll be reinstalling.

    • @sebastianraduschmotz9499
      @sebastianraduschmotz9499 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sweet. Thanks you Warstar.
      Got the original copy and never bothered patching, BUT ..it's time to reinstall after half a decade and let's see what the patch fixes. I remember that besides the shotgun all weapons/arms were near worthless compared to bloodboost+unarmed.

    • @Apethantos
      @Apethantos 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hey Warstar, I've still got the original physical copy (3 discs and all) from back when it was first released. All those fixes/updates you are talking about, are they automatically included if I buy it on Steam? (instead of installing from the discs and searching/updating all patches separately on my own).
      I've played this game many, many times with all clans and endings, and it's my 2nd best WRPG ever (Fallout 2 is the 1st), and with all those data you provided it sounds like an almost new experience :)

    • @robertdubois3448
      @robertdubois3448 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Really? I have several hundred games off steam and most of them I don't need to be online for. There are some however, that DO require you to be online to play and those ARE irritating because I like to play games when I am waiting for people.

    • @robertdubois3448
      @robertdubois3448 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      That begs the question, who demands that you be online to play the game? Steam, the publisher, or the developer?

  • @Dazdigo
    @Dazdigo 7 ปีที่แล้ว +349

    RIP, still playing VTMB it just got another community patch update

    • @corkus
      @corkus 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Have they managed to work out most of the kinks out? Remember playing it and not being able to get past some part due to a bug. Couldn't find a fix for it so just stopped there that time.

    • @sollbruchstelleamknicklich9495
      @sollbruchstelleamknicklich9495 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      nearly any bugs fixed + some restored content

    • @xilyanapotato9251
      @xilyanapotato9251 7 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      with the patch you can go through the whole game without crashing now. Something i personally was never able to do before lol. I still quicksave every 5m out of old habits though.

    • @corkus
      @corkus 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Guess it's due time for another visit to that game then. :)

    • @jamessalvatore7054
      @jamessalvatore7054 7 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Still one of the best RPG's ever made. And best vampire game to date.

  • @jamesfreeman7954
    @jamesfreeman7954 6 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    "Death?" This game lives up to it's name. It's un-death.
    Infact, a new unofficial patch just dropped not too long ago.

  • @zeppo3K
    @zeppo3K 7 ปีที่แล้ว +138

    RIP.
    Arcanum was indeed a buggy, rushed game with sub-par graphics at the time and badly balanced combat. But it's also my most favourite game ever. It had an imaginative yet very well thought out world, something which doesn't usually happen. Most of the time in games with a more fantastical setting, like the steampunkish style arcanum has, the developers usually forget about real world problems and focus on their own. Rusty looking machines with extra cogs and steam coming out of them are treated more like magic. Arcanum however didn't do this, it deals with the bad working conditions, slavery, racism, greed, poverty and everything else which was a part of the industrial era in addition to the magic vs technology thing they had.
    Their other games were also very good at what they did and you could see how much love they put in to making them.

    • @thedavischanger
      @thedavischanger 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Sweet avatar. Arcanum is the best.

    • @ElliFong
      @ElliFong 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Best CRPG I have played, another crpg are good but they didn't impact me as much as Arcanum did.

    • @roguishpaladin
      @roguishpaladin 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      So...the "buggy, rushed game" thing is a recurring theme when it comes to the principals involved at Troika. Arcanum, ToEE, and Bloodlines all demonstrated this, and Fallout and Fallout 2 both shipped rather shakily also. At a certain point, you have to start looking at the processes of the developer rather than reflexively blaming four different publishers. They were an imaginative studio, but they allocated too much time to implementation and not enough to bugfix and polish.

    • @robcampion9917
      @robcampion9917 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Would love to see a sequel to Arcanum

    • @WraithMagus
      @WraithMagus 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      I loved all the games Troika developed, and I always felt a lot of regret at how people regarded the company's death so cavalierly. ToEE in particular gets crapped on, but it was really the best D&D game in terms of actual combat mechanics ever made for the computer. (Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment definitely having superior story, but the actual turn-based combat was fantastic.)
      I've always had a lot more patience for games with bugs but vision than polished turds.

  • @galbyman
    @galbyman 7 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    I purchased all of these on day one. This is a company that should have never died.

  • @BillPairaktaridis
    @BillPairaktaridis 7 ปีที่แล้ว +328

    Long story short, Troika gave a shit. They may not have been the best studio technically and they sure as hell didn't have the funds but they really cared about their projects. Can't say the same about a lot of studios today. Maybe CD Project.

    • @DylanJo123
      @DylanJo123 7 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Bill Pairaktaridis
      CDPR is going to save the industry, mark my words

    • @MikeySaysGo
      @MikeySaysGo 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      FromSoft made people rebuy DS2 in the form of DS2:SotFS, which should have been a free patch to Season Pass owners.

    • @MegaKilerr
      @MegaKilerr 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Witcher 2 and 3 are soulless and wooden pieces of modern and idiot with low standars pandering shit. They are no better than Skyrim or Fallout 4. Witcher 1 was great.Morrowind was great.Deus ex was great.Vampire the masquerade bloodlines was great. Too bad that only retarded things like COD,MCU and Transformers make money nowadays... The bar for quality has never been lower.

    • @kummakummakummakummakummac8606
      @kummakummakummakummakummac8606 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      "The bar for quality has never been lower" - This is so true.And very sad.

    • @retrogaminginsanity7585
      @retrogaminginsanity7585 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      skyrim is shit oblivion is way better so is daggerfall skyrim is nothing but graphics looks and awes it has no real rpg elements in it not like morrowind and daggerfall did why eso is way better than skyrim

  • @eyedam
    @eyedam 7 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    Arcanum is still my favorite game of all time. I spent countless hours playing it and most likely even more trying to create my own scenarios years back.
    Games like theirs made me the gamer I am today. A tutorial type of level and then do your own thing. Nowadays, the handholding is out of bounds... as well as restrictions. You can't even be a pickpocketing gnome in his underwear running aroun in the capital city with a fake ork slaughtering everyone with an ancient supergun.

    • @Arkanthrall
      @Arkanthrall 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The combat system is a pain though.

  • @souldry
    @souldry 6 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Vampire the masquerade bloodlines is one of my favorite games of all time.

  • @robertdubois3448
    @robertdubois3448 7 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    I absolutely adored Arcanum. I even read the game manual. Several times. It was that good. Even the banana fruit bread recipe in the back was good (made it one time, now I can't find the manual). I also got a kick out of the guy who lectured on where all the races came from.
    It was a really thought-out game world. Also, I just got myself and two of my brothers copies off steam.

    • @Lamadredetuamigo
      @Lamadredetuamigo 6 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I know is too late, but: In a large bowl, blend one-third of a cup softened butter and two-thirds of a cup
      of sugar until creamy and light. When this is done, add a fresh hen’s egg and
      beat the mixture a bit more to blend.
      In a second bowl, sift one and three-quarters cup of flour together with one and
      one-half teaspoons baking powder, one-quarter of a teaspoon of baking-soda, and
      a teaspoon of Cumbrian cinnamon.
      In the third bowl, mash three very ripe banana-fruit, preferably of the sweeter
      Cattanese variety.
      Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter bowl, and beat the two together; then add one-third of the mashed bananas and beat again. Continue adding
      both mixtures by thirds to the large bowl until all the flour, butter-and-eggs,
      and banana-fruit are thoroughly blended. Then, if you wish, you may add a halfcup of shelled walnuts for flavor. Spread the batter into a well-greased 4" x 8"
      pan and bake for one hour at a temperature of 350 degrees.
      The resulting bread is very healthful and tasty and can be served as an addition to
      the mid-morning meal. It also makes a pleasant snack in a picnic basket, and is
      wholly appropriate fare to offer elven visitors

    • @Spicy_Spores
      @Spicy_Spores 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Lamadredetuamigo wholesome

  • @CringeLord0119
    @CringeLord0119 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    One year later and now we know what obsidians new project is: The outer worlds. I can see why Cane called it his dream project, as it has the heart and soul of fallout new Vegas, the fallout game most similar to its predecessors by interplay. Best of luck to Cane and crew!

    • @war2theren227
      @war2theren227 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The Outer Worlds was my favorite game the year it came out, I hope they're also working on the sequel

    • @CastIronEric
      @CastIronEric ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@war2theren227me too

  • @ToneysReviews
    @ToneysReviews 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I never played any of their games, but when I heard employees went without pay just to deliver an amazing game that they could put their name behind is the type of company that deserves a kickstarter. If only kickstarter was around back them.

  • @KingOfMadCows
    @KingOfMadCows 7 ปีที่แล้ว +107

    White Wolf also kind of screwed Troika by not helping to advertise Bloodlines since they were moving on to a new version of their World of Darkness RPG system.

    • @duncanthaw6858
      @duncanthaw6858 7 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      Not sure what is more sad, the death of Troika, or the joke that is Vampire the Requiem.

    • @retrogaminginsanity7585
      @retrogaminginsanity7585 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      screw u that was awesome game

    • @Aspenly
      @Aspenly 7 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      No, Vampire the Requiem was a steaming pile of shit..

    • @simonmacomber7466
      @simonmacomber7466 7 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      It was such an awesome game that Vampire the Masquerade continued to outsell it when all the Old World of Darkness books were out of print.

    • @sunyavadin
      @sunyavadin 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      VTR was so successful... that we got V20 in 2011 and 5th edition is in development.
      :D

  • @Placker8102
    @Placker8102 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I always use this game as an example of how a great community can keep a game alive

  • @Ovog95
    @Ovog95 7 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I, too, played VTM:B recently (A year or so ago), and it was one of the most, if not the most wonderful experience I had with a video game, it felt so powerful to me, shame about the latter part of the game, but nevertheless I really like it. I don't really know what it is, maybe the inmersiveness, the music, the setting, is what cautivated me, also thanks to the game, I became a gm for WoD (more specifically, nWoD, but details) so I can experience more and more of a dark, supernatural setting. I really liked this video, helps to offer some perspective, and got me nostalgic about the game hearing the music. I have yet to play Arcanum but it is in my backlog, maybe i'll move it a bit forward. Your videos are good at getting me nostalgic, keep up the good work!

  • @jackabsolute5525
    @jackabsolute5525 7 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    I remember playing this gem endlessly during my college days. And it introduced me to Lacuna Coil and the metal genre. It had such an impact on me.

    • @souldry
      @souldry 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Jack Absolute
      Same here.

    • @MrBingogogo
      @MrBingogogo 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ditto.

    • @everx7
      @everx7 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Lacuna coil opened a door for me to other great bands like Within Temtation, Epica or Delain and so on. When i heard Lacuna for the first time, that Swamped song was absolutely refreshing from me, simply darkish and still brilliantly melodic.

    • @MilomirDesnica
      @MilomirDesnica 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      same here, as far as lacuna coil goes :D

    • @419Films
      @419Films 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      _V:tMB_ got me hooked on Lacuna Coil and Chiasm.

  • @shweatypalms4423
    @shweatypalms4423 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    RIP Troika, its a sad story. They deserved so much more

  • @EATherridan
    @EATherridan 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I loved both Arcanum and VTMB and I agree with a lot of your conclusions. Thank goodness there are still people out there keeping the games alive.

  • @michaellandstreetjr9968
    @michaellandstreetjr9968 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Even in its buggy state the game was an absolute masterpiece. One of my all time favorites.

  • @charlesballiet7074
    @charlesballiet7074 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    If only they had kickstarter back then Troika is a perfect candidate

  • @saramol
    @saramol 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Troika really has a special place in my heart. I love Arcanum and I really wish there would be a new game in that setting.

  • @romnksn5932
    @romnksn5932 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I’m glad to come back, realizing that VTM 2 will come out soon, hopefully it will be as good as the first one

    • @KennaDeMerkedo
      @KennaDeMerkedo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Still holding your breath on that one? Looks like hardsuitlabs went woke and broke way before getting halfway through. Seeing what they had planned it was for the best. This game needs dedicated people to do it justice, not vacuous ideologues hellbent on supporting the current thing

  • @Robert048
    @Robert048 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I've completed Vampire every year since it's development. Troika were on another level with that game. It's a shame we've not seen anything match it, since.

  • @ivanatanassov6542
    @ivanatanassov6542 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is the spirit I try to keep in me when designing games too. And this is the way the games should be approached... Yes, you should try to get rid of the bugs for sure since it could kill every game no matter how good the design is but hell, this is the dream of every game designer - to see his games live long after they are maid and stay in the hearths of the fans.

  • @joluoto
    @joluoto 7 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Wait, Boyarsky and Cain work at Obsidian now. Obsidian have a close relationship with Paradox Interactive, PI was their publisher for both Pillars and Tyranny. Paradox Interactive now owns White Wolf Publishing. One can hope.

    • @souldry
      @souldry 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Jonathan Luoto
      And pray

    • @ItsRawdraft2
      @ItsRawdraft2 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Your wish has been granted

  • @moniquelegarda1842
    @moniquelegarda1842 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I remember playing Arcanum and Bloodlines when they first came out. I still have the original discs and their original cases. Bloodlines, in particular, left a lasting impression and I was saddened when Troika folded. Some publishers are truly a blight on gaming.

  • @colsanders101
    @colsanders101 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    You make great stuff. Unpretentious, intelligent observations. You can almost hear the love for these games in between the editing oversights. Have a subscribe.

  • @oceanwhite5087
    @oceanwhite5087 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Your great at making videos and researching. It's so nice to listen to these stories when playing games. Thank you for making quality entertainment.

  • @Stolleflitzer
    @Stolleflitzer 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    The Legend says: Evrey time someone talks about Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines someware it gets reinstalled ^^

  • @FantasyFan4Eva
    @FantasyFan4Eva 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    oh my... thank you for reminding me of these amazing games i used to play so much... so many memories

  • @pakkazull8370
    @pakkazull8370 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This video finally made me play through V:TM Bloodlines and I loved it. Really reminded me of Deus Ex.

  • @mbe102
    @mbe102 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I wish I could forget about your videos, so I could go back and watch them all over again. Fantastic stuff.

  • @Elenrai
    @Elenrai 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Bloodlines introduced me to the idea of vampire RPGs, in a relatively modern setting, and honestly, I loved it!
    Mostly because I only used the vanilla version unpatched back in the day, which meant that there was a bug in character creation, I stumbled across it by accident and had an insanely overpowered character, which suited my inept RPG skills really well back then.
    Also, the fact that the muppets of activision actually forced Bloodlines, without the final polish, on the market, next to half life 2....well...
    If Troika games struggled with the business aspect..well..what the fk do we call this decision on activisions part? Horror grade ineptitude? This is the equivalent of releasing your electric car to the market the same day that the tesla 3 went on sale aswell....
    This does not require 30 years of experience and a university degree, a random muppet with a countryball icon and a 3 year business exam equivalent to a highschool exam..like, I know a guy from work, he is a grown man in his mid twenties, he reads like a 9 year old, and his writing is about on par with an 8 or 9 year old aswell, even HE, EVEN HE, can take this exam, and he did, I might add.
    So, if someone with such a basic educational background, with next to no knowledge can see that "X is definently gonna be amazing!! All my friends and I are gonna play!" why the hell can those massively overpaid suits not do that?
    Again, millions of dollars were lost in potential revenues, both from Bloodlines but also future sequels, and why?
    Because some megalomaniacs in activision got their egos bruised and they looked a little silly...
    It really speaks to why corporate cultures, at the top, need to be screened for psychopaths and separated them from any management role.
    I worked at a place where we had a psychopath, that was fun. Half our original staff have left in protest and those that remain are either worse people then the manager, or they are simply so bad at their jobs that if they were to work elsewhere...yeah...they would be found out real fast.
    Speaking of which, my manager mostly had meetings with other managers and then he paid the bills...which..kinda points towards the corporate issue.
    I could replace him with any random 14-15 year old kid with a few months of training, and all I would have to do myself that a random 14 year old cannot quickly learn, is the optimization of local marketing, and even that, well...frankly, its easy..could probably teach that in 12 months including 2 months of vaccation for the pupil. So 10 months and you can replace an old fart with a brain that actually works.
    Think about it, activision got so many financial people, marketing, PR, but very, VERY few full blooded "Gaming is my life and if my girl cant accept that, then am done with her" types. Which of course are the kinda people that actually have the innate understanding of gaming to read the market way better then an outside observer ever could.
    Its like the local marketing thing I mentioned, it is not possible to do that optimally unless you do research, and most retail people actually doing any work, well, why would you waste time doing that research in depth with focus groups and such? you wouldn't.
    Gaming is the same, each genre represents a different area with different socio economic compositions, cultures, morals, lifestyles, etc, and you need a firm grasp of gaming, not gaming statistics, in order to actually be able to tell the difference between a game with a high value proposition and a MVP(Minimum Viable Product) and if you cannot tell the difference between those two things, as an employee of activision..well...that is actually pretty emberassing.
    I wonder what activision would look like if their investors had a clue about how incompetent they've been the past two decades, a lot smaller I imagine.
    I mean geez come on, even WARNER BROS STUDIOS, have a less idiotic track record, yes they fuck up their games with live services, but atleast they did not demand the original shadow of mordor be released 6 months early because of budget issues...remember people..its activision.
    They got money. In fact, I am fairly sure they have been issued a printing press because of WoWs insane sucess. So why throw out a golden nugget with the bathwater? Did nobody making this decision read the market, or even play the game before making the decision?
    Someone fucks up their budget, so a company, with solid finances, throws a shitfit and throws its toys out the pram? I think there is more to that story..once you can pull in +60k USD a year, you gotta have half a brain on your head, surely?

  • @patrickmiller4229
    @patrickmiller4229 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Oh yeah​, been waiting for this since the streams on Twitch.

  • @guildam7105
    @guildam7105 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    7:46 better animation than ME: Andromeda

    • @soraniajericho2170
      @soraniajericho2170 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      EXACTLY what I told my husband a few minutes ago. xD You nailed it.

  • @vladimirstanisic7550
    @vladimirstanisic7550 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great series! Keep 'em coming.

  • @2wdr5
    @2wdr5 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Arcanum such an imaginative game

  • @alyssinwilliams4570
    @alyssinwilliams4570 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I wouldn't mind seeing a video like this on Origin (specifically focusing on their greats of the 80s and 90s, compared to where it is now) or a similar type on EA (from their good rep 30 years ago to their current tatters). Would be pretty interesting I think :D

  • @HDico2013
    @HDico2013 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is a very nice analysis! Well written and researched. Keep up the good work!

  • @veruc3175
    @veruc3175 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    VTMB is genuinely my favorite game of all time. So proud to see it rise from its ashes.

  • @adamokoriscant8500
    @adamokoriscant8500 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    man your killing it with these videos!!!! keep up the good work!

  • @Mike55690
    @Mike55690 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hey nerdSlayer, i randomly found your channel last night within my recommendations channel, and oh boy what a ride it's been. I've binged 3 videos of your already (Within the same series) and this is amazing work. I can't begin to fathom the effort, stress, attention to detail put in - whether it pertains to scripting, research, pacing - all of it just works so well and in tandem seamlessly. Though this is a video from a year and a month ago, the quality is fantastic, specially in this day and age of TH-cam, rather the state it's been in for the past few years. Great work !

  • @Rubysh88
    @Rubysh88 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Listening the background music from the Temple of Elemental Evil brought me so many memories, i loved that game. I still have the box somewhere.

  • @Drain_Life_Archive
    @Drain_Life_Archive 7 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    It probably didn't help that Vampire released same month as World Of Warcraft in NA, and a few months later, EU as well. But you can really tell who gives a shit when Troika was working hours unpaid to try to polish the game while Activision promptly shoveled it, no updates, no sequels, to this day. They happily continue to sell the product, but with no support since 2004. You as the customer are expected to run unofficial fan made patches in order to fix "their" game, after paying for it. Dark Souls got a similar treatment from From Software, who shoveled the game on PC, leaving it in a terrible state, while moving on to make and release sequels right next to it. You have to patch the hell out of it to get it to a decent playable state, none of which comes from the actual sellers of the game.

    • @DeathBringer769
      @DeathBringer769 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Shitty practices that people have sadly become far too accepting over.

    • @lalas198
      @lalas198 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      On the other hand it's insulting in it's own way in Activision's face when a bug-ridden and abandoned game that's almost 15 years old has a more enduring fanbase than Activision's typical "blockbuster" games that are completely desolate 2-3 years after their release date.

    • @TheMetastasia
      @TheMetastasia 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@lalas198
      Like Activision cares for that. They dont care if people honestly like their games. They should look good enough to make enough people buy it. If enough people buy it they will release a second game until no one buys this games. Than, they move on with new products that look püromising for people that dont care enough to watch how previous games ended up at Activision....

  • @Sethios1
    @Sethios1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I loved Arcanum even tho it was buggy and to this days is still one of my favorite games of all time. I played it all the way through multiple times just because you can finish it in multiple ways. The story was great, voice acting was spot on, it touched tough subjects like slavery, poverty and it had quests set up where you can question your own moral compass.
    The whole magic/tech gouge system was interesting and I think never explored in any game to date.
    Wanted to sneak around avoiding fight...raise prowling, dexterity, perception.
    Tank'n'spank? Go melee.
    Like to blow stuff up with spells? NP...go full mage
    Wanted to use guns or better yet run around with an army of robots at your command? Get a PHD in engineering.
    It had SO MUCH to offer.
    I didn't get this amount of depth and choices in any game until Witcher 3.
    The bugs were somewhat fixed and even more content was added by fans via fan-made patches, so I still like to play it from time to time just to get my nostalgia fix.

  • @Tyear
    @Tyear 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dude thanks for doing this, love me some Troika games!

  • @vincentthekeeper2163
    @vincentthekeeper2163 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Troika!! Man so many awesome games, memories...subbed

  • @419Films
    @419Films 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    _Bloodlines_ is, hands down, one of my favourite games ever.

  • @Exiled_Rouge
    @Exiled_Rouge 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent video. Spot on accurate assessment in the second half I feel.

  • @BillBuchananFtw
    @BillBuchananFtw 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love your vids man keep up the good work!

  • @HoverCat
    @HoverCat 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I waited for this video for so long :)

  • @rahveel
    @rahveel 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Ive enjoyed some of your earlier 'death of a games', but this one was really good! I've actually wondered why we never got a sequel to arcanium and bloodlines, they where both so good!
    anyway, I think you've more than earned a sub from me by now :p thanks for the great content!

  • @sunyavadin
    @sunyavadin 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Bloodlines was the game me and all my friends were playing the month Half Life 2 launched. Because at the time you had to wait a good 50 minutes for Steam to even connect just to be able to play HL2.
    Still really stands up now, and the fan patches continue to maintain support. They're so far the only people to have truly done White Wolf's OWoD justice.

  • @PsychoWedge
    @PsychoWedge 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Have you watched Tim Cain's great Post Mortem of Fallout? He and Boyarski were able to create the same working enviroment they had with Troika inside Interplay as well. As he tells it, various Interplay employees were staying at work after their harrowing shifts to go and help with Fallout because they loved the game/the people so much that their were willing to do it for free/in their spare time.

  • @BocajFreedman
    @BocajFreedman 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Definitely one of you better videos. Looking forward to more company vids.

  • @Bubblegob
    @Bubblegob 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Arcanum is one of my favorite games, it was just so rich the character editor was madness so many paths could be taken and NPC felt real that system to see if they were antipathic or friendly toward the player immediatly really worked it's a shame it didn't have the success it deserved 'cause I mean Baldur's Gate while decent doesn't compare for me... But hey I'm just glad Arcanum exist at all.

  • @j.p4974
    @j.p4974 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    excellent video you're very best yet in my opinion awesome work

  • @Daervar
    @Daervar 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    You have some of the best videos on the internet. A true video game aficionado! :D

  • @yonos007
    @yonos007 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Nooooooo! This one is too sad! :,(

  • @flopyrelly4281
    @flopyrelly4281 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love to check on my old gaming CDs and magazine to find old hidden gems and memories, the good old times

  • @Suibriel
    @Suibriel 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    The first half of this video would've been solid in and of itself - you always go the extra mile nerdSlayer, nicenicenice

  • @raremage
    @raremage 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice work on this video, and the series in general. A couple of suggestions for topic material: Asheron's Call (especially the sequel) and Shadowbane.

  • @samerm8657
    @samerm8657 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the vid.
    And R.I.P, Troika :'-(

  • @cadianloyalist
    @cadianloyalist 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    It is sad what happened to Troika but over the years I have purchased multiple copies of VTMB and still load it up from time to time to take a little adventure into a universe that still brings me much joy to this day.

  • @akaimizu1
    @akaimizu1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Loved both Bloodlines and Arcanum. And many can talk about Bloodlines, I'll mention what Arcanum was to me, here.
    The thing about Arcanum was choice, as mentioned in the video, but not one video could describe how awesome choice was in the game. It gave the player so many ways to actually role-play the character, even in action. It felt like every mission allowed you to do it your own way, and treat various people involved in the mission your own way, based on your stats and your interpretation of what kind of attitude your character was to play out.
    I remember playing the game coming up with various character ultimatums, for which I had to play the entire game with. Stuff where, if I'm faced with a certain situation, I have to have my character do *this* in return. Often enough, that kind of planning is how you get into trouble (the fun kind), and it creates puzzles for which you may need to prep to still stick to the ultimatum. The game allowed you that, and I'll never forget it. I truly got to play my first true *grey area* character, and it felt like the story morphed to envelope my decisions. Sure, the combat had some issues, but given the time the game released, still fairly comparable to the competition; but it allowed you to do so many things outside of combat. (And yes, even set up some really violent and insidious traps to settle the fight before one could even start).
    Of course, this whole death of a game, at least for the main creators, did have a pretty happy ending for everybody, and one where their luck had a total reversal. And one which by the time of this video, nobody knew about. We had no idea that this "Dream game" was going to be Outer Worlds.
    Outer Worlds, seems like a game that is so very Troika (obviously), but instead with all the stars aligning in their favor. Having an absolutely Huge publisher come in for them, and one who was a fan enough to give them the resources they need and the marketing. And then, having the Masterstroke of Fallout 76 happening, having the legion of fans flocking to Outer Worlds to get their...well...a game more like what those fans wanted. It was like some sort of Karma built up over decades finally paying off. I think what is funny is that now that Microsoft kind of owns almost all the things that would otherwise be license issues, they could technically have the original Fallout owners take over Fallout combined with the teams who can masterfully create solid engines for it.

  • @donnydarko47
    @donnydarko47 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    almost an hour long yet i wish there was more, well at least i have several more games to add to my list to play, loved vtmb so much

  • @DRsideburns
    @DRsideburns 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love these. Do one about Westwood!

  • @homesliceslices69
    @homesliceslices69 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I loved Arcanum... Great story great game... I really loved the map creator too.... I would create my little campaigns in it was so much fun... Miss those days.

  • @greggwalker8378
    @greggwalker8378 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Bloodlines was such an awesome game, I bought a copy for three of my friends that admired it when I played it. Now that it's on Steam, when I get my computer back up I will definitely be buying it again. I only played through once, but spent a lot of time figuring out my character. Something I rarely do in most games. This game was and still is one of my favorites to this day. I need to get my PC back up. Playing again will no doubt be a treat.

  • @Dark__Thoughts
    @Dark__Thoughts 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I would love a modern, open world, adult VTMB esque title.
    Pretty much one of those overlooked genres that has a shitload of potential.

    • @Ladywizard
      @Ladywizard 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      CCP just sold off white wolf to another company so maybe we'll get one eventually seeing as CCP stole the money was supposed to go to their WoD MMO for Eve staying afloat after their Dust flop

    • @nerdSlayerstudioss
      @nerdSlayerstudioss  7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I regret not mentioning that...but I can make another video for WoD/White Wolf at some point

  • @BaconSalads916
    @BaconSalads916 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    well done nice coverage of Torika

  • @ManuelLopez-mo7im
    @ManuelLopez-mo7im 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video nerdslayer. I would love to see a video like this on the former game development studio Factor 5.

  • @suddenimpactut
    @suddenimpactut 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    How have I not come across your content before? This is exactly what the gaming community WAS missing, but you have filled that void with professional content. Don't ever sell yourself short because your content is amazing. Why your not pitching this as a tv show to netflix or amazon, I do not know, but you should be. Your work is unique and one above all else.

  • @JustSkram
    @JustSkram 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    do the downfall of pandemic studios, the ultimate EA fuck up

  • @TheRogueMonk
    @TheRogueMonk 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    THHE ORIIGNAL VAMPIRES the masqurade was AMAZING both graphically and gameplay it was WAY BEYOND its time.. and underated

    • @TheRogueMonk
      @TheRogueMonk 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      the original not the fps one in this review

  • @Efreeti
    @Efreeti 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love all the 3 Troika games. It's evident I'm not alone going by the amount of fan patches, and how popular Arcanum became as a title sold on GoG. I still occasionally go back to these 3 games.

  • @Desmolas
    @Desmolas 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The people at Troika loved their games. And it shows in the games themselves. The vision sadly outstripped their abilities as teams to create them in their fully glory

  • @jonw3982
    @jonw3982 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    A redux of Bloodlines would be awesome. Loved this game despite all the flaws.

  • @neothaka
    @neothaka 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    well hey, I gave this a thumbs up because of the honesty and transparency about shitty video editing!

  • @baronsengir187
    @baronsengir187 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So sad that it was the last Masquerade Game...I would pay a fortune for a Sequel to this from the same Team in the same universe with the same rule set.

  • @stevenamm32
    @stevenamm32 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I still think of and talk about Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines fondly to this day and often recommend it to be people that haven't played it.
    Fantastic game.

  • @Epoch615
    @Epoch615 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I still play this game every year, deliciously janky, but those Malk and Nos runs are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    tasty. Gotta love being able to have an in depth conversation with a stop sign.

  • @EdzCreationz
    @EdzCreationz 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    So much nostalgic feels from the arcanum parts

  • @shoutingstone
    @shoutingstone 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Someone mentioned Earth and Beyond the other day which was a blast from the past. I was in the beta for that and would love to see you do a video on the story behind what happened there.

  • @juanfacundomendozabari8589
    @juanfacundomendozabari8589 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Arcanum. One of my favorite rpg's of all time. I have it installed right now. I always do.

  • @azraelswrd
    @azraelswrd 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'd love to see you do Sierra On-Line on a death of a company. Such a good run of games but they couldn't keep up with the technology and trends

  • @Professor_Vince
    @Professor_Vince 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Weird fact: the word troika also has some grim meaning for post-USSR people. During those days this was the slang name for government inspection who checked homes of the people who were suspected to be unfaithful to the regime.

  • @calidabrisadeverano
    @calidabrisadeverano 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great videos, well researched! I hope you find a good video editor.
    If I may suggest a topic, Looking Glass Studios was also a company with some really good games, I'd love to see your analysis on them.

  • @brandoncyoung
    @brandoncyoung 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    this series would be great as a podcast as well

  • @scottycheesecake
    @scottycheesecake 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love all of their games. Such good ideas.

  • @Lancor84
    @Lancor84 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    And now we know what will be the legacy: Outer Worlds :3

    • @deanyy3373
      @deanyy3373 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Lancor84 and now bloodlines 2 is coming out ;)

    • @Ergeniz
      @Ergeniz 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@deanyy3373 Except it isn't. ;)

  • @timetochronicle
    @timetochronicle 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    After seeing Matt McMuscle's video on Amalur, hoping that N.S. will cover 38 studios and Kingdoms of Amalaur in the future

  • @alaric6740
    @alaric6740 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Bloodlines 2 has been announced... had to rewatch this. Love this game. Still have my discs.

  • @snaccpacc651
    @snaccpacc651 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Still have VtM:B installed to this day. Great game and great vid on Troika.

  • @dimitrijestojanovic3651
    @dimitrijestojanovic3651 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Troika is probably the most undervalued developer in history.
    Arcanum and Bloodlines are overlooked classics, but for most of the people who played them, they're perfect examples of what an RPG should be, and perhaps the last of the truly great (albeit buggy) RPGs.

  • @BenFrayle
    @BenFrayle 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Temple of Elemental Evil was a classic, it was re-released with major expansions by a fan group, Circle of 8. Horribly buggy but they were able to re-use background illustrations from the game to build an entire city and several other dungeons as well as boost the maximum character levels considerably.

  • @Konuvis
    @Konuvis 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    VtM Bloodlines 2 hype!!!!
    I still have my boxed copies of Arcanum and Bloodlines. I LOVED Bloodlines! The atmosphere of that game was amazing. One of my favorite games of all time.