Episode 44: Don't Hate the Game

[Kroack]

http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/the-hammer-comes-down-on-catalyst-games/

Fuck WildFire.

They should be cognitive of the situation, not acting like whiny little babies.

Yeah I understand your own situation WildFire, but calm the fuck down.   

[Tadanori Oyama]

Catalsyt hasn't been paying their royalties to WildFire; when somebody stiffs you, you file for legal action.

I'm with WildFire on this one.

[Ayslyn]

Catalsyt hasn't been paying their royalties to WildFire; when somebody stiffs you, you file for legal action.

I'm with WildFire on this one.

This. 

I realize I was earlier saying that Catalyst wasn't looking bad, but the details coming out constitute the "good reason" that I mentioned previously.   

[clockworkjoe]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

[ThnJonWasAZmbie]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

Its a lot like working that corner and doing that stroll.   You gots to get yo paper stacks if you out hookin!  Otherwise yo pimp is gunna smack you around.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

Its a lot like working that corner and doing that stroll.   You gots to get yo paper stacks if you out hookin!  Otherwise yo pimp is gunna smack you around.

And Wildfire isn't a very well known hoe. Their staff has a grand total of 3 dudes: president (developer), vice president (proofer), and town crier (artist and forum updater). Everything else is done through freelancers and they have to, you know, pay the freelancers.

[Dogfish]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

Its a lot like working that corner and doing that stroll.   You gots to get yo paper stacks if you out hookin!  Otherwise yo pimp is gunna smack you around.

And Wildfire isn't a very well known hoe. Their staff has a grand total of 3 dudes: president (developer), vice president (proofer), and town crier (artist and forum updater). Everything else is done through freelancers and they have to, you know, pay the freelancers.

While this is true I think it may be missing the point. It would appear that Catalyst had a payment agreement with the company, they hadn't defaulted on that agreement but the company acted rashly in demanding payment whilst still discussing the payment option with Catalyst.

I'd still call it a dick move. These publishers make massive investments into projects they don't know will flop or be a big success, that would explain them wishing to pay off the initial batch in a slow process, or quicker if it sells well.

[Tadanori Oyama]

I'd agree it was a dick move if the decision had been made swiftly. I've only been able to get more than basic information from the WildFire side of things so my overall view is likely tilted. The way the WildFire staff tells it, they've been having payment problems regarding royalities from Catalyst for sometime now.

As I understand it, CthulhuTech books only recently came out as PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG because Catalyst held the rights to the material so WildFire couldn't "e-publish" or whatever the right term is.

So, WildFire felt the terms of agreement where not to their liking (I don't know if they felt they where unfair or just wanted more money, I don't personally care either way) and has filed legal action following failed negotiations. Like I said, don't know the Catalyst side of events.

[Ayslyn]

I'd agree it was a dick move if the decision had been made swiftly. I've only been able to get more than basic information from the WildFire side of things so my overall view is likely tilted. The way the WildFire staff tells it, they've been having payment problems regarding royalities from Catalyst for sometime now.

As I understand it, CthulhuTech books only recently came out as PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG because Catalyst held the rights to the material so WildFire couldn't "e-publish" or whatever the right term is.

So, WildFire felt the terms of agreement where not to their liking (I don't know if they felt they where unfair or just wanted more money, I don't personally care either way) and has filed legal action following failed negotiations. Like I said, don't know the Catalyst side of events.

As I am given to understand, WilfFire agreed to accept the remainder of the physical CthulhuTech books as payment.  However, when those were delivered, the number in the boxes didn't match up with the numbers on the agreement.   Their legal action is an attempt to get the remainder of what is owed them, and was not a rash decision. 

[Viletta Vadim]

While this is true I think it may be missing the point. It would appear that Catalyst had a payment agreement with the company, they hadn't defaulted on that agreement but the company acted rashly in demanding payment whilst still discussing the payment option with Catalyst.

I'd still call it a dick move. These publishers make massive investments into projects they don't know will flop or be a big success, that would explain them wishing to pay off the initial batch in a slow process, or quicker if it sells well.

I really can't fault 'em for filing like they did.  Game developers are not rich people.  They need money to feed the family and pay the mortgage, and now that money they worked so hard for is in jeopardy and they are understandably afraid because this situation can put them in very real financial peril.  At the very worst, they still have their freelancers to pay before even putting food in their own mouths, and without that money, they can't pay the freelancers, so they'll get sued for not paying their freelancers and they are going out of business, too.  They can't afford to be patient.

[Kroack]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

Yeah i guess.

 

But it just seems like kicking a helpless baby.

[ThnJonWasAZmbie]

Kroack you have to understand that this is business. It's nothing personal but you gotta make sure you get paid for your work.

Yeah i guess.

 

But it just seems like kicking a helpless baby.

I fail to see anything wrong with doing that^

[Gerrin]

Another solid episode folks.  This is what other podcasts should hope to achieve.  You guys are one of the few podcasts I still listen to as many of the others have become so horrid in last year that I can't stand them.  Thanks guys for keeping it real, and keeping it real good.