Quote from: SeanchaiYou've seen the police report or court documents? I didn't realize they'd been released. Where can I get a copy?

Seanchai

I've spoken with Kev and several other directly involved other parties about it.  Everything jives insofar as I can tell, and that's good enough for me.

Quote from: RPGPunditYou have to have at least some admiration for a guy who can (allegedly) successfully run a game with dozens of players.  Any more than 8, and I'd be tearing out my hair.

RPGPundit

You and me both, you and me both.

Quote from: J ArcaneThat was a genius move though, wasn't it?  "Lets bet the future of our company on a video game from an utterly unkown developer being released on a dead platform!"  Brilliant!

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't some people even tell him it was a dead system.

Not just people, Palladium fans who also play Video games?   And instead of trying to move the game to a better system that had a chance he kept going with a dead system.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI'm afraid you don't really have the right of it here.  I've heard this same line via internet scuttlebutt a lot, and it's still patently untrue.  I know there's been a lot of rumors out there, and it's easy to get mixed up, but this simply isn't the case.  Yeah, a lot of personal property got stolen, but a LOT of warehouse product was taken.  Books were outright stolen, unaccounted for, not delivered, etc.  But hey, it's Palladium.  It's a topic that gets people worked up.

I believe that many of the items he talked about in his own press release and they were personal items.

That's where everyone got the idea of many of the stolen items were personal items.  And lets face it, Kevin's press releases bend the truth and border or complete lies.  

He hasn't updated his system even though the fans have begged for it, his sales have slipped.    Then someone stole from him which is bad, but giving it the silly name like "Crisis of Treachery" is being way over dramatic.
 

Quote from: Zachary The FirstYou take what you're given.  Palladium's involvement with the N-Gage didn't nearly sink them; it was a disappointment, yes, but hey, you take what you can get.  Here's hoping they'll find another platform and game soon.

I playtested Promise of Power before it was released, and it was a really fun game.  Pity the N-Gage didn't do better.

It didn't tank them but it did hurt them.  Saying the person stealing from you caused your downturn when there are many other factors that helped is bending the truth.   The downturn as a whole in the market, sales dropping because they aren't really bringing in new blood and because many Palladium fans have everything the need and aren't buying anymore more, the video game.   It all adds up.  Saying the theft was the only thing that did it borders on lying.

The NGage was not a major source of catastrophe for the company, it's just a funny (and somewhat sad) footnote in the greater Palladium story of making poor decisions.

The theft certainly caused some problems, but I remain unconvinced that they were to the degree that Kevin said they were.  By my estimations, between the reparations and the donations to the company, they've easily made back any money that was taken by now.  In fact, I wager that if they hadn't had the theft, they would be worse off now than they are (because they wouldn't have had all the donations).

Of course, in Kevin's most recent discussion on the topic, he's completely changed his story as to what the cause of the problems were (now he's blaming it on embezzled payroll taxes and market downturns).  Funny how that happened after everyone gave him money...

Still, despite his quirks, I do agree that Kevin's level of enthusiasm and creativity are laudable (even if his business sense and ethics are not).

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI've spoken with Kev and several other directly involved other parties about it.

And everyone who has read his press releases, posts, etc., has basically done the same. I know what he's telling folks, but that doesn't make it so.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstEverything jives insofar as I can tell, and that's good enough for me.

Good enough for you, but not proof that Blue Devil was wrong.

Seanchai

Quote from: Blue DevilI believe that many of the items he talked about in his own press release and they were personal items.

That's where everyone got the idea of many of the stolen items were personal items.  And lets face it, Kevin's press releases bend the truth and border or complete lies.  

More than that. When directly asked how much of what was stolen was personal property and how much was company property, Palladium representatives have avoided the question.

Which is telling, because it's a particularly germane one when people are being asked to donate to save the company.

Seanchai

WTF? I´m here for Adventure, and the Kev-inator provides it.

Adventure, I say!

Quote from: SeanchaiMore than that. When directly asked how much of what was stolen was personal property and how much was company property, Palladium representatives have avoided the question.

Which is telling, because it's a particularly germane one when people are being asked to donate to save the company.

Seanchai

Yes, there were many times durning the time they were begging people to donate that when asked direct questions the question was ignored or avoided.

If I were planning on donating and that happened I would be like "Um, until you answer my basic questions you aren't getting money from me"

QuoteAgain, they didn't "bet the future" of the company on a single video game release. Yeah, it sucked, and it's a shame it didn't turn out to be a better seller. But they hardly went in whole-hog on it.

As I understand it, and as it was explained to me in Palladium's press releases, they budgeted in projected revenues from the game deal, despite having been told by countless people that the game system was already dead and wasn't likely to make them a cent.  They made print runs expecting to pay them off with revenue from a game that didn't sell for crap.

It could have easily been avoided if a) Kevin wasn't such a damn luddite that even their printing equipment is decades old, b) Kevin wasn't a goddamn egotist who absolutely refuses to listen to anyone but himself, and c) they hadn't made the Aesop-level mistake of counting their chickens before they hatched.

Quote from: J ArcaneAs I understand it, and as it was explained to me in Palladium's press releases, they budgeted in projected revenues from the game deal, despite having been told by countless people that the game system was already dead and wasn't likely to make them a cent.  They made print runs expecting to pay them off with revenue from a game that didn't sell for crap.

It could have easily been avoided if a) Kevin wasn't such a damn luddite that even their printing equipment is decades old, b) Kevin wasn't a goddamn egotist who absolutely refuses to listen to anyone but himself, and c) they hadn't made the Aesop-level mistake of counting their chickens before they hatched.

You are right.  I am not going by Internet Rumors (nor does it seem like you are either).

We seem to be both going from the same script which is the press release Kevin wrote.

I sure am not making things up just for the sake of making things up.