Important Announcement from GDS Software

[Tim Tellean]

I'm saddened to announce that Gary Gorski has decided to leave Grey Dog Software to start his own gaming company Wolverine Studios (http://www.wolverinestudios.com). We will continue the existing relationship with TPB 2005 and TCB, with Gary providing the same level of customer support for these titles. All future projects including Total Pro Golf will be released under his Wolverine Studios label.
It's been a pleasure watching and assisting Gary to improve and grow as a developer. I've enjoyed working with him and expect nothing but great things from Wolverine Studios.

Sincerley

Arlie Rahn
CEO
Grey Dog Software

If you wish to read the entire statement as well as a message from Gary please visit www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/index.php (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/index.php)

[Neuqua]

Pretty unexpected to say the least.

Good luck to all parties involved.

[vex]

Only dev. from GDS I've ever bought a game from...

[Icy]

Good luck to Gary in this new venture. I'm really looking forward the new golf game, the RPG idea for sports text sims is something tried before but not fully developed and imho it could be one of the most fun sub-genres if well done. Btw Gary, i love the company name :)

Good luck also to GDS, it seems that they have big plans for their company and that is a great thing for all us text sims fans.

[John Galt]

Interesting. First .400 and now GDS. It makes me wonder if conglomerations of text sim developers are just doomed to fail or if there is something in particularly wrong with those two arrangements.

[chinaski]

good for Gary!

[stevew]

From the way it seems, he was always independant and licensing his games out to the major company for better sales/marketing. I think this points towards the fact that he now believes that he can do well on his own would like to reap the full benefits for his product.

Good luck.

[Franklinnoble]

Wow... totally unexpected. I do hope it was an amicable parting...

[Draft Dodger]

Interesting. First .400 and now GDS. It makes me wonder if conglomerations of text sim developers are just doomed to fail or if there is something in particularly wrong with those two arrangements.

sometimes I think the text sim community is just a Desperate Housewives show for men. :)

[Gary Gorski]

Wow... totally unexpected. I do hope it was an amicable parting...

It was both unexpected and amicable. Arlie and I are still friends and still talking to each other. There was no huge drama or anything like that leading to the decision. It was my decision and the reasons for it have nothing to do with anything negative from GDS. Arlie does a great job with the company and I think he'll do a great job growing it further in time.

[KWhit]

Arlie can stick it!

Wow.



;)

[John Galt]

With the new name (Wolverine) and Jim's Michigan fanboyism, isn't obvious that Solecismic is set to merge with Gary's new project? ;)

[timmynausea]

Is this where I tell everyone that Gary paid me to diss The Sims 2 in a review?

[WSUCougar]

Best wishes for both companies.

[Antmeister]

It was both unexpected and amicable. Arlie and I are still friends and still talking to each other. There was no huge drama or anything like that leading to the decision. It was my decision and the reasons for it have nothing to do with anything negative from GDS. Arlie does a great job with the company and I think he'll do a great job growing it further in time.

Dammit, I thought we were going to have a Friday scandal. Oh well. I guess I can't write a song about it. :D

[Gary Gorski]

Dammit, I thought we were going to have a Friday scandal. Oh well. I guess I can't write a song about it. :D

If we were going to give you a scandal we would have had the decency to do it on Monday so that you all would have something to do all week at work :)

[DanGarion]

Excellent introduction and backstory Gary. Good luck on the new venture! I will be keeping an eye on it.

[Arles]

Yeah, I'm still good friends with Markus and will be the same with Gary. Sometimes, a developer wants to try something new when he gets the opportunity and I can't fault Gary for doing that. It was a pleasure working with him and we'll miss him at GDS.

[Bee]

Congrats and good luck Gary.

[Marc Vaughan]

I was sad to hear about that and wish both sides the best for the future ...

[Rizon]

Is this where I tell everyone that Gary paid me to diss The Sims 2 in a review?

:D

[Draft Dodger]

:D

yeah, that one definitely should have gotten more love.

[Rizon]

yeah, that one definitely should have gotten more love.

Isn't it about time for someone to steal your facepacks again?

[SirFozzie]

what is this, random flamewar from FOFC history night?

[John Galt]

what is this, random flamewar from FOFC history night?

SirFozzie, you're such a dictator sometimes.

[sabotai]

Wolverine Studios?

Better keep this news away from Marvel. :)

[stevew]

what is this, random flamewar from FOFC history night?

“David, tell us about SirFozzie” came out of her mouth and when those words hit my ears my stomach knotted up, I felt queasy, and could barely breathe. I was speechless both from shock and from the physical sickness that had just overcome me. “It seems you are quite the character in your secret life, aren’t you?”

[st.cronin]

“David, tell us about SirFozzie” came out of her mouth and when those words hit my ears my stomach knotted up, I felt queasy, and could barely breathe. I was speechless both from shock and from the physical sickness that had just overcome me. “It seems you are quite the character in your secret life, aren’t you?”
:D

[MizzouRah]

Definitly unexpected, but I wish you the best Gary!!

[Gary Gorski]

Wolverine Studios?

Better keep this news away from Marvel. :)

I don't think Marvel can do much about people using the word wolverine when it has nothing to do with their character or comics. If so I would suggest a rather large university that I attended and a worldwide seller of boots and shoes would probably be of interest to them not to mention the dozens of other companies that are wolverine something or other. Hey for fun this weekend, check out these other wolverine sites (of course only after you visited mine). :D

http://www.wolverine.com/
http://www.wolverinecoatings.com/
http://www.wolverineenergy.com/
http://www.wolverinesoft.com/
http://www.wolverinesoftware.com/
http://www.wlv.com/
http://www.siding.com/

[jbmagic]

Congradulations Gary

Any chance we going to see a last patch update for Total Pro Basketball 2005 and Total College basketball?

[Mac Howard]

Interesting. First .400 and now GDS. It makes me wonder if conglomerations of text sim developers are just doomed to fail or if there is something in particularly wrong with those two arrangements.

There are simply insufficient sales for text sim games to sustain a situation where proceeds are split. I tried working with three publishers in the the late nineties and all came to nothing for exactly the same reason - there just isn't enough there to go around and conflict becomes inevitable.

Unless you can come to an arrangement with a major publisher who can get the sales over a fairly large "critical mass" (as SIGames have done) then individual operation seems to be the only viable option. That's my experience.

[Franklinnoble]

There are simply insufficient sales for text sim games to sustain a situation where proceeds are split. I tried working with three publishers in the the late nineties and all came to nothing for exactly the same reason - there just isn't enough there to go around and conflict becomes inevitable.

Unless you can come to an arrangement with a major publisher who can get the sales over a fairly large "critical mass" (as SIGames have done) then individual operation seems to be the only viable option. That's my experience.

I think you're exactly right. The only way partnerships work is if both (or all) parties are doing it simply for the love of the game, and not actually trying to make a living of it.

[Mac Howard]

I think you're exactly right. The only way partnerships work is if both (or all) parties are doing it simply for the love of the game, and not actually trying to make a living of it.

I'm convinced a workable commercial agreement is possible and SIGames are proof of that. But it requires that the publisher can take sales over a fairly high hump essentially by getting the game onto retail shelves. The downside for the designer, however, is that he will then face conflict over the creative development of the game - I've been there also on two occasions.

The text sim does not naturally have direct sales appeal - the gameworld's equivalent to the estate agent's "location, location" is "graphics, graphics" - and there are usually demands for compromise on this which leave most individual designers cold. The Collyers have my grudging admiration for the way they've achieved such a partnership without compromising their design princples :( :)

[Craptacular]

I guess I can't write a song about it. :D

I wrote a song about it, wanna hear it? And a-here it goes.

Gary left Grey Dog Software, he wants to stroke his shaft himsel-elf.

Ahhhhhhhhh ha ahh haaaaaaaaaaaa. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!