Voice your opinion on NO INFORMATION POLICY regarding GRAY MATTER.

[Nico Sels]

Dear game enthousiast,

I’m writing you on behalf of a number of concerned Jane Jensen fans who are eagerly anticipating ‘Gray Matter’ anounced for 2009. A year after production on the game started, Gray Matter’s publisher DTP/ANACONDA started this ‘no information policy’ on the game. This has frustrated and worried fans and gaming website editors alike. I have been running a Gray Matter fanwebsite (cort-x.fwheel.net) since the game was announced, but received nothing but a ‘cold shoulder’ from the publisher itself, no news - resulted in closing that site.

Ever since, nothing changed and the publisher still refuses to aknowledge the pressing demand for information. Even at the Leipzig Fair last August, ‘Gray Matter’ was not present.

I now wish to send a letter to DTP/Anaconda’s Board of Directors & CEO to adress the current situation DTP’s Publish Relations Team have placed us in. I still believe in the fact that WE, the consumers, should be taken seriously.

I hereby invite you to join our cause and voice your opinion on this matter, so that I have a strong ‘case’ to present to the board. You can do this by posting a comment on our forum in the Thread I have created for this purpose:

http://cort-xforum.rilngard.net/topic.cgi?forum=2&topic=74

Spread the word!


Best regards
Nico Sels

Webmaster of ‘Sidney, the Unofficial GK3 Website’ & ‘Cort-X, the Unofficial Gray Matter Website’

[Ascovel]

I now wish to send a letter to DTP/Anaconda’s Board of Directors & CEO to adress the current situation DTP’s Publish Relations Team have placed us in. I still believe in the fact that WE, the consumers, should be taken seriously.

I think if there was something new ready for Gray Matter, Anaconda would gladly show it at GC. It's a shame that the progress is so slow.

I don't think that the consumers have some moral (or any other kind of) right to demand anything from the publisher. At best they can try to blackmail him that they will not buy his products.

[Kazmajik]

I was thinking that the place to voice concerns about the game would be at the official game forum, which is here:
http://forum.dtp-entertainment.com/viewforum.php?f=118

Maybe if there's enough activity there, someone will respond. But I'll go to your forum too, Nico. I'm so starved for information about this game that I frequent a number of sites looking for any crumb, but there's never any news, and it's been that way for months. Leipzig just made the lack of updates more vivid. I don't know if DTP/Anaconda has any kind of policy. Frankly, I don't know if they have anything. I hate the fact that they're the ones doing the game.

[Nico Sels]

I know for a fact there IS new stuff to show us..
do you really think there is NOTHING new since the switch from TONUZABA to WIZARBOX. Gray Matter was ANOUNCED to appear at leipzig. yet it didn't. people went there ESPECIALLY for gray matter.. not even an excuse afterwards.

I am a paying customers of all of Jane Jensen's products. including her books and have bought her games in thrifold just for the sake of sponsoring. so, I think I'm entitled to ask for a little info from the publisher of the product I intend to buy, don't you?

[dekaneas297]

Gray Matter has turned into a parody...
Let's forget about it...

[tsa]

For me, the game is dead. I said it before and I say it again: It's the Duke Nukem Forever (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Nukem_Forever) of adventure games. Indeed, let's forget about it.

[Ascovel]

I know for a fact there IS new stuff to show us..
do you really think there is NOTHING new since the switch from TONUZABA to WIZARBOX. Gray Matter was ANOUNCED to appear at leipzig. yet it didn't. people went there ESPECIALLY for gray matter.. not even an excuse afterwards.

I am a paying customers of all of Jane Jensen's products. including her books and have bought her games in thrifold just for the sake of sponsoring. so, I think I'm entitled to ask for a little info from the publisher of the product I intend to buy, don't you?

I think you are always entitled to ask and it's a shame you don't get an answer. However, you're not entitled to demand an answer. It's the publishers free choice if he responds and I see nothing injust about it.

[tastebud]

They don't owe us anything. It's up to them to decide when they want to show us stuff. Once they release the game, if it's good, I'll buy it. If not, I won't.

[inm8#2]

i feel bad for jensen. she has the fanbase and the talent/experience to deliver a great product, but she keeps having to reboot, move around, etc.

i'm not holding my breath for this one :(

[stepurhan]

I know for a fact there IS new stuff to show us.Unless you have inside information (which I'm assuming from the context you don't) you cannot know this for a fact. You can strongly believe this to be true but there is a very important line between strong belief and fact. There is a possibility that nothing whatsoever has happened since the last update. We'd rather that wasn't the case but it could be.

As for buying previous games entitling you to something, it did. Those previous games. The price of a game is for that game, not some rights over any future games. If you're going to buy future games regardless then it is actually in the best interests of companies to concentrate on getting them out (so they can get your money in) rather than spend time creating demos and producing news. The only reason for wanting information rather than the finished product is that you're undecided about buying a game. It might be in a company's best interests to persuade you but you can hardly claim they owe you anything if you're not firmly committed to give them something in return.

[Ascovel]

Anaconda has released quite a lot of adventure games already and I'm confident they can manage with Gray Matter, which isn't supposed to contain any revolutionary solutions. I don't understand how people keep evaluating the end product by the deley and current lack of information. I envy you if you are always capable of delivering everything according to the initial plan.

Anyway, nobody will care about topics like this anymore, when we finally see something from the game.

[Nico Sels]

Stepurphan,

it's not because -I- know stuff, or find out about stuff that that means I can share it on my website with everyone. Because sometimes it would break trust, see?

hosting a fanwebsite means DIGGING for info. but I can only post that which gets officialy approved.

If the publisher decides to keep their lips tight, there's nothing I can do but try to reason with them or try to persuade them. that's what I'm trying to do here! :)

See, I work in advertising, publicity and pr myself... I know this business.
what I see when I look around is people either don't care about gray matter at this point, or they're angry that they don't get anything to ease the wait (for what is it? 3 years)...that's not good. that's BAD pr. a fool can see that. From a professional point of view I CANNOT BELIEVE this is happening to a Jane Jensen game of all games! :)

you understand my motivation now? I know I can't DEMAND anything from a publisher for a product I haven't bought yet, but COME ON... the fact that this issue exists is unbelievable to begin with!

[Ascovel]

See, I work in advertising, publicity and pr myself... I know this business.
what I see when I look around is people either don't care about gray matter at this point, or they're angry that they don't get anything to ease the wait (for what is it? 3 years)...that's not good. that's BAD pr. a fool can see that. From a professional point of view I CANNOT BELIEVE this is happening to a Jane Jensen game of all games! :)

I agree that it isn't a particularly good PR. However, I don't understand the great meaning of people's anger and dissapointment over this. I must say I'm much more angry (and I'm sure I'm not alone in this) about the fact that I probably will never know what happened to Gabriel and Grace after GK3. Should I focus this anger on Vivendi which wastes the rights it owns, on Jane because she decided to do such a cliffhanger climax, and on Ken Williams because he sold his company to people without any vision? In regard to Gray Matter, should I keep thinking with contempt not only about Anaconda, but also about The Adventure Company because they didn't want to give enough money to do it? It all looks to me like bad PR for those people and companies. Yet I think I'll still look forward to new productions of Ken (if there are any - never say never), Anaconda, The Adventure Company and Jane. People make bad choices all the time, but in none of these cases I feel that I've been cheated, or somebody tried to be mean to me, or that the value of previous achievments has been lost.


you understand my motivation now? I know I can't DEMAND anything from a publisher for a product I haven't bought yet, but COME ON... the fact that this issue exists is unbelievable to begin with!

I'm sorry about your website not having some cool materials to discuss, but somehow I don't believe that this situation will really be a big issue in the long run. Either Anaconda will finally reveal the game to the public, or not.

[dekaneas297]

If the publisher decides to keep their lips tight, there's nothing I can do but try to reason with them or try to persuade them. that's what I'm trying to do here! :)


Are you serious?
Do you think that by moaning, crying and posting in a website you can persuade the publisher? :frusty:

[Nico Sels]

yes, I'm serious.
and yes it WILL make a difference.

my question to you is: are you happy with the current way the pr department is handling gray matter the last years?

yes or no.

with that info (and other things, we might have a story to the board of directors.

[Kazmajik]

I'm not happy at all about how DTP/Anaconda and Wizarbox have buried Gray Matter.

And really, all I would expect would be a statement concerning the non-showing at Leipzig. On the Anaconda website right now is this: "dtp entertainment is also going to show new impressions of Jane Jensen’s upcoming adventure game Gray Matter."
Well, they obviously haven't, and it's been more than a month since this statement was posted on their website. A little follow-up would be nice, but to ignore the whole thing is really mindblowing.

And what's the deal with Wizarbox? They never update their site. Go there right now and front and center is this: "So blonde is the first PC game completly developed by Wizarbox." And that's been there for months, word for misspelled word.

I don't know if anything will help, but I agree with Nico that being patient and silent isn't doing anything at all. Those of you who don't care can go back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[rtrooney]

I don't have any idea how close the game is to being a finished product. But, if I were to guess, I think final financing and distribution might come from an ulikely source, i.e., MSN Games that distributed her Women's Murder Club game. They certainly have the resources that everyone else seem to be lacking.

[Ascovel]

And really, all I would expect would be a statement concerning the non-showing at Leipzig. On the Anaconda website right now is this: "dtp entertainment is also going to show new impressions of Jane Jensen’s upcoming adventure game Gray Matter."
Well, they obviously haven't, and it's been more than a month since this statement was posted on their website. A little follow-up would be nice, but to ignore the whole thing is really mindblowing.

There was a statement at Leipzig. Despite their efforts, they failed to put together a working presentation for the game on time.

[Jonatan]

who the f cares!? it's a game, either it comes out and is legendary -or- most likely... sucks/doesn't see the light of day. either way, you should seriously go and find something to do with your life in the meantime.
and no, you are not entitled to jack sh*t.

stop taking up valuable internetz spaze.

[nomadsoul]

Game is canned, probably going back to drawing boards like SC conviction.

They dont want to show the unfinished bad version to fuel fans outcry.

Thats what i think.

[D.C.]

Hey Nico, good to see you posting here...

I've been a fan of your sites since long before GK3 was released. I visited Sidney everyday for a long while. :D (And I still do sometimes for nostalgia related reasons. ;)) It's definitely frustrating that nothing has been released about Gray Matter, it's been a long four years on that front. I think I've reached the point where I'd happily play the game when it's released, but without allowing myself to stress about it any more. Is that apathy? Maybe. If they don't want to advertise the game it's really their problem in the long run. But damn, wouldn't it be nice if they did? :) Don't get me wrong, I still care about the game and hope for the best!

[tsa]

COME ON... the fact that this issue exists is unbelievable to begin with!

Why do you care so much? It's just a game. There are much more important things in the world to worry about. You are wasting your energy on this.

[dekaneas297]

who the f cares!? it's a game, either it comes out and is legendary -or- most likely... sucks/doesn't see the light of day. either way, you should seriously go and find something to do with your life in the meantime.
and no, you are not entitled to jack sh*t.

stop taking up valuable internetz spaze.

Why do you care so much? It's just a game. There are much more important things in the world to worry about. You are wasting your energy on this.

In other words... get a life :frusty:

[Nico Sels]

I HAVE a very full life, thank you. There’s really no need to get rude.
You may not understand why I get so passionate about this, but that’s what being a fan is all about.
I have been a Jensen fan since the beginning, a real HARD-CORE fan, who would do anything to promote her games,
To help her make future games, to help spread the word about her games and stories.
I have followed previous development stages from her games upclose, I’ve always tried to spread as much info as was out there to the fans.
This time it’s a whole other matter. It’s frightening. When the game was announced there was A LOT of interest.
80% of that interest seems gone.. what happened?

I would like to see her games get successful, known.. so that maybe we get a Gabriel Knight 4 one day (I’m not holding my breath),
but a successful gray matter WOULD certainly help the cause.

I don’t know the publisher’s PR plans, but as others pointed out.. interest is not just suddenly gonna flip overnight.
And I still think they have been very disrespectful towards jane’s existing fanbase from Gabriel Knight (a name they are more than eager to use in their press releases)

[LGH]

I think dtp would have LOVED to show good game material at GC. If they decided not to do so, they must have had their reasons. Either there was nothing to show, or nothing good to show.

On the other hand, I agree that Anaconda really should improve their communication channels. Even if there's nothing to show, a little statement now and then would be helpful.

Why do you care so much? It's just a game. There are much more important things in the world to worry about. You are wasting your energy on this.

While I do agree that Nico might be overreacting from time to time, this is just a silly argument. Yes, games are not the most important things in the world... but why shouldn't we care about existing or announced games? Otherwise, why would we spend time in this very forum?

[Ksandra]

Personally I gave up being 'angry and disappointed' over this game a long time ago. Like most people here, I'm now more inclined to view it as a complete joke. Unexplained developer changes, interviews promised and then forgotten about, nearly a full year without even a hint of an update, and then a complete no-show at the GC despite announcing it beforehand... as I said in the earlier GM thread, I'm choosing to regard it as vapourware until I see some actual evidence to the contrary.

Nico, I feel for you, I really do - I fully agree that dtp/Anaconda have treated you and other fans appallingly, especially given the amount of free publicity you've generated for them. But with all due respect, I don't see that this thread of yours is likely to do any good. Like you, I cannot believe for a second that the publishers couldn't have whipped up something new to show at the GC if they really wanted to. Either they genuinely don't have anything at all to show for 10 months of work - in which case, let's face it, the game is dead anyway - or they genuinely don't give a flying crap about promoting their game to customers, and in neither case is complaining likely to make a difference.

Take the advice of other people in this thread and cut your losses. If you're still prepared to buy the game at this point, wait until the devs choose to announce something and then see how you feel. In the meantime, probably best to forget about it and move on to other things.

[AndreaDraco83]

Why do you care so much? It's just a game. There are much more important things in the world to worry about. You are wasting your energy on this.

This kind of statement always drive me mad. Come on, let's not be silly: the point Nico is making is very clear - you can agree or disagree, feel the same or in a total different way, but let's not retrieve the old, trite argument look at the suffering of the world - as in "My teeth ache terribly!" "Who cares? Think of children dying of starvation: that's real pain!".
It's just meaningless: can you really thing that Nico lost his sleep for GM? Or that he will gladly move a war to know some news about the game? Let's stick to the point.

Personally, I agree with Nico in this regard: we - fans of Jane Jensen and her work - showed a huge amount of eagerness and support toward DTP, and it's only human to hope that this care would also be the other way around. When one sees that the publisher totally ignore the so-attentive-fans (the old days of Sierra's are surely gone: InterAction and the publisher's diaries are only a matter of memory), the so-attentive-fan is disappointed.

As I wrote elsewhere, let's not talk about anger or so: we are talking about disappointment. And I think that this is perfectly understandable: saying that the game is vaporware is a sign of disappointment; saying that one isn't interested anymore in the game is a sign of disappointment; saying that one is bugged off by the DTP policy is a sign of disappointment.

[Nico Sels]

thanks for all the input guys, I already have a beautifull case.
but keep it coming, by all means :)

Maybe our letter to the board, will make a difference.
maybe it won't. but at least I'll have done my very best :)

[Ascovel]

If your case will be successful and you will convince Anaconda to your point of view I imagine they will deley the game another year, so that they have time for a long, gradual marketing campaign that people dream about.

[samIamsad]

On the other hand, I agree that Anaconda really should improve their communication channels. Even if there's nothing to show, a little statement now and then would be helpful.


It's funny that you should put it like that, but back then, they received quite a bit feedback for all their ever-present, over-the-top pre-release hype surrounding Moment Of Silence. It was perceived as being blown way out of proportion when the game actually arrived. That was back then when the Anaconda lable didn't extist quite yet.

Personally I'd rather be taken by surprise by something that isn't made up the be the very best big thing until the very next big thing arrives, than to find out that it's all just hyperbole. But that could well be just me. Doesn't necessarily mean that this almost complete lack of promotion is a direct result from what they have learned over the course of time. Doesn't necessarily mean that right at this very moment the game's turning out to be a piece of turd, either. It might just be that they haven't anything new and genuinely worthwile to show off yet.

[Melanie68]

who the f cares!? it's a game, either it comes out and is legendary -or- most likely... sucks/doesn't see the light of day. either way, you should seriously go and find something to do with your life in the meantime.
and no, you are not entitled to jack sh*t.

stop taking up valuable internetz spaze.

In other words... get a life :frusty:

Knock off the rudeness. Another rule about the internet is that if you don't like something, you don't have to read it and you don't have to comment on it. The rudeness stops here. Last warning.

[AlleyCat]

Look, I think it's great that you've done so much to promote the games and I've been looking forward to Gray Matter since I first heard about it as well, but I guess I could never feel anger or disappointment about not getting enough info. I cant imagine how I would even make time to keep up with all the things I'm interested in. It just comes out when it does, and then I'm happy (at least at first, then comes the very likely disappointment and so on :) )
What I really want to say is, I'm just worried about you wasting your energy. It seems like you've got plenty of drive and initiative in the fields you're passionate about, so I actually think it's a shame you don't direct those qualities at more "important" matters.

So it's really no critisism, just an immediate thought.

[Kazmajik]

Seriously, if you don't care about the game, why are you even posting on this thread? Go find something else to do and let the rest of us who do care about the game have our say.

[Ascovel]

Some people do care about the game, but don't treat the marketing for it as an important source of their entertainment. The only thing that really matters for me is the game itself. I also don't like when people are told how they're supposed to do things when they don't ask for it. I'm of the opinion to let Jane, Wizarbox and Anaconda do what they think is right for the game.

[AlleyCat]

Some people do care about the game, but don't treat the marketing for it as an important source of their entertainment. The only thing that really matters for me is the game itself. I also don't like when people are told how they're supposed to do things when they don't ask for it. I'm of the opinion to let Jane, Wizarbox and Anaconda do what they think is right for the game.


I second that - perfectly put.

[Lucien21]

Personally I think you are wasting your time.

It's the publishers product and they can do whatever they like with it.

When the game is ready and they feel it should be shown. They will. No amount of pressure from fans should or will sway this fact.

As much as i'd like to hear more about the game. I'd much rather they concentrated on finishing it as best as they can rather than pander to impatient fans who think they have a right to information they don't own.

[kadji-kun]

Wait? Didnt Gray matter get scrapped and redone by a different set of Devs? Why would anyone expect the game to be seen?

[tastebud]

thanks for all the input guys, I already have a beautifull case.
but keep it coming, by all means :)

Maybe our letter to the board, will make a difference.
maybe it won't. but at least I'll have done my very best :)

Just make sure to include in your letter that 95% of the people don't agree with you.

If you want to play rushed games that had lots of advertising, you should check out Hellgate London.:kiss:

[Jonatan]

Knock off the rudeness. Another rule about the internet is that if you don't like something, you don't have to read it and you don't have to comment on it. The rudeness stops here. Last warning.

oh, I'm sorry. I thought the topic of the thread was 'Voice your opinion ...'
lol.

Seriously, if you don't care about the game, why are you even posting on this thread? Go find something else to do and let the rest of us who do care about the game have our say.

I'll knock of the rudeness, but saying someone who does not share your opinion on a matter should refrain from sharing their views is just nonsene. Who said those people do not care about the game? They just don't let their lives revolve around it. I am voicing my opinion that I don't share your views on this matter. Leave the poor devs alone.

[Lucien21]

oh, I'm sorry. I thought the topic of the thread was 'Voice your opinion ...'
lol.

You are entitled to voice your opinion as long as it is not rude or insulting. Your reply failed that requirement and was pointed out by a mod. No need for sarcastic reply.

[UPtimist]

Just make sure to include in your letter that 95% of the people don't agree with you.

If you want to play rushed games that had lots of advertising, you should check out Hellgate London.:kiss:
I don't think anyone here wants a rushed game here or that they even release the game soon but rather that they would release some kind of information to at least say that they are still alive and that they are doing something.

Or if it's clear that they are still on it (I personally haven't gotten anything to even back that up) then at least something to say that they do care about the fans of the project (or whatever I should call the... interested consumers (as I'm sure that if I'm not exact in my words in this thread then someone will cling to them)).

[dekaneas297]

Knock off the rudeness. Another rule about the internet is that if you don't like something, you don't have to read it and you don't have to comment on it. The rudeness stops here. Last warning.

How did you come up with this "rule"? :crazy:
If I don't like something that I see, I have the right to comment it. Either it's in the web or not.
And the phrase I used was rather sarcastic and taunting and not rude

[Jonatan]

You are entitled to voice your opinion as long as it is not rude or insulting. Your reply failed that requirement and was pointed out by a mod. No need for sarcastic reply.

Not strictly necessary, no, but it sure feels right. And FYI, it was more of a reply to this so-called "rule" then to the general rudeness.

[MaFratelli]

How did you come up with this "rule"? :crazy:
If I don't like something that I see, I have the right to comment it. Either it's in the web or not.
And the phrase I used was rather sarcastic and taunting and not rude
In this context, sarcastic and taunting is rude. If you disagree with someone, you can still express it in a respectful manner.

[dekaneas297]

In this context, sarcastic and taunting is rude. If you disagree with someone, you can still express it in a respectful manner.

In my opinion it is not. And that's why I used it (I am not used to insulting people). In your opinion it is. So I guess it's subjective.
Can I disagree? Do I have the right? Am I entitled to? Because according to the "golden rule" that was written if I don't like something (which means I disagree with it), I can't comment it. :crazy:

[AndreaDraco83]

You can comment on it freely, as long as you don't insult or mock other peoples. If your opinion is constructive in some ways, no one around here will ever told you to not voice it. If your contribution is "get a life" (your words, not mine), you must expect to be told to knock off the rudeness, 'cause this kind of opinion is snotty, in a best way, or offensive, in the worst. Moreover, this statement is everything but constructive to the thread.

[MaFratelli]

In my opinion it is not. And that's why I used it (I am not used to insulting people). In your opinion it is. So I guess it's subjective.
Can I disagree? Do I have the right? Am I entitled to? Because according to the "golden rule" that was written if I don't like something (which means I disagree with it), I can't comment it. :crazy:

So, I take it you wouldn't be offended if a complete stranger dismissed you and told you to "get a life" just because they didn't share your passion for something? Okay, fair enough.

If you read back in the thread, I think you will find that there have been several others who disagree with the original poster, so it's pretty obvious that you ARE, in fact, allowed to disagree with something in this forum without getting in trouble for it. It's all about how you express your disagreement-- if you can't think of something constructive (or at least not taunting) to say, it will save everyone a bunch of trouble if you just say nothing at all.

Edit: Whops, Andrea beat me to it. ;)

[Lucien21]

How did you come up with this "rule"? :crazy:
If I don't like something that I see, I have the right to comment it. Either it's in the web or not.
And the phrase I used was rather sarcastic and taunting and not rude

Not strictly necessary, no, but it sure feels right. And FYI, it was more of a reply to this so-called "rule" then to the general rudeness.

I suggest you both read the FAQ (http://www.adventuregamers.com/forums/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item3#faq_respect) that you agreed to when you signed up.

Participants are expected to treat each other with dignity and respect. Passionate, even heated debate is welcome but messages which descend to personal insults, name-calling or other abuse will be deleted. Participants who routinely abuse other members will be warned. Failure to change behavior will result in loss of posting privileges.

While we don't censor swearing, we do ask that you show self-control in your use of language. Gratuitous cursing is offensive to many and an abuse of the freedom provided on the forums.

[dekaneas297]

Enough said. If the so-attentative-fans (AndreaDraco 's words) believe that by sending emails, letters, suicide notes or doing protests outside the White House or the UN they will "persuade" the publishers of Gray Matter, so be it. I and many others in this thread have stated that this is futile (at least).

[Ascovel]

Enough said. If the so-attentative-fans (AndreaDraco 's words) believe that by sending emails, letters, suicide notes or doing protests outside the White House or the UN they will "persuade" the publishers of Gray Matter, so be it. I and many others in this thread have stated that this is futile (at least).

Personally, I never said it would be necessarily completely futile. As far as getting some kind of response from DTP/Anaconda goes at least. Just that in my opinion it isn't a good idea to approach them with this. It won't help the game get made faster and may just annoy everyone involved with it.

[Henke]

The lack of information sure is irritating but is it really that important as long as the game is released?

[BenjaminBunny]

I would rather wait how many years it takes to get a quality game that is well marketed and released with some timely fanfare than a rushed game that flops due to poor management and lack of timely marketing. I'm sure that more info regarding gray matter will come out as we get closer to a finished "product" as oppossed to a project very much still under construction.

And I'm also grateful that a new full fledged jane jensen adventure is coming out at all so...

[AndreaDraco83]

I would rather wait how many years it takes to get a quality game that is well marketed and released with some timely fanfare than a rushed game that flops due to poor management and lack of timely marketing.

I completely agree, and I'm sure that Nico does as well: we all want a full, enjoyable game, without bugs and annoyances. We're not asking for a step back in developing just to give us some news: we are asking about a little bit of communication with the publisher. Ragnar Tornquist's blog is full of questions about Dramfall: Chapters and, every now and then, he answer to those questions. Isn't this right, give the huge support fans had showed toward him and his game? Fans had showed an equal support to DTP and Anaconda when they decided to revive Project-J, so - in my opinion - it's pretty much the same thing.

And I'm also grateful that a new full fledged jane jensen adventure is coming out at all so...

I couldn't agree more :D

[Kazmajik]

On the other hand, Jane Jensen's own website hasn't been updated since 2004, so I wonder sometimes about where the directive of radio silence is coming from.

If Jane and DTP/Anaconda have taken a vow of silence in order to preserve the mystery of Gray Matter until its release, then great! More power to them. But is this the case? Unless we hear a yes from an official source, then it's back to conjecture.

Whether we get any results, I believe that making some noise about the game can't do any harm. I don't believe in demands or threats or extortion practices (as if that needed to be said, but I guess it does) nor do I think we are entitled to anything. I don't think it's unreasonable to inquire, now and again, and show interest. What the parties involved choose to do at that point is up to them, but so far it's been incomprehensible, and I somehow just can't believe that's the way it is.

[Nico Sels]

maybe stirring up controversy about the non-information policy IS the big PR PLAN. it sure get's people talking about the game!:P

[Ascovel]

It would be certainly nice if dtp/Anaconda decided to get to know the audience for their game, see what people expect from them, how they respond to things. It could become beneficial to them also in the long term - for future projects. But, of course, it's the company's decision to make. Difficult to guess what they're currently planning and in what state the game is in (seems like far from completion).

[ILoveYou]

I've given up on this game and on Jane along time ago. When/if the game does get a release date and it actually gets released, I'm sure many of the Gabriel Knight fans will find plenty to whine about. Everyone has really big expectations towards this game and I honestly feel there's no way in the world all of them can be met.

I enjoy this long, (and perhaps even eternal) wait cause the minute it's out, there'll be a thread 80 pages long discussing how much it sucked or didn't.

Jane's legacy and fan base is still going on strong. But a part of it is undeniably the fact that she totally disapeared after GK3. Disapeared from the game world, I mean. Once she returns the "mystery" behind her has vanished and that's when the real fun begins.

[Kazmajik]

Jane hasn't disappeared from the game world at all. She's done very well for herself in the casual game market, and just recently released a kind of collaborative game based on a series of mystery stories by James Patterson.

But she has taken a long haitus from adventure game authoring since the Sierra days. Maybe that's one of the reasons Gray Matter will have high expectations; someone from those innovative days is going to show how it's really done! It's an undeniable treat, and I can hardly wait.

[Nico Sels]

All parties involved were mailed a (rather big) selection of remarks made here and elsewhere (remarks both in favour and against the no-information policy)

I will keep you posted, if we get a response.

Thanks everyone for their cooperation

[AndreaDraco83]

Let's hope in a response and, in the meantime, we only have to wait :P

Thanks for the effort, Nico

[Kazmajik]

I'm just curious, Nico, what other game sites have message boards with active threads about Gray Matter? It's hard to find all that much.

[Nico Sels]

there was the one here, the one at cort-x, the one at Sierra's and then there was some stuff going on at the official forum.
I've also sent that first mail (the one that started the thread) to just about every adventure gaming magazine I know off... about 20. not one of them followed it up.. that's as much Gray Matter interests them :crazy:

[AndreaDraco83]

I've also sent that first mail (the one that started the thread) to just about every adventure gaming magazine I know off... about 20. not one of them followed it up.. that's as much Gray Matter interests them :crazy:

I think that that showed pretty well how the no information policy actually ruined the game: the game also disappeared from every dedicated magazine here in Italy, and in their most wanted game to come there isn't even sign of Gray Matter since the last GC.