Second thoughts about developer delays Gray Matter

Written by Jack Allin — April 2, 2008 at 10:53

If you're a fan of Jane Jensen and concerned about the deafening silence regarding all-things-Gray Matter in recent months, there's good news and bad news today. The good news is that the responsibility for ongoing development of Gray Matter has been transferred to a new development team in Wizarbox. The bad news is that the change will result in a delay of the game until 2009.

Regardless of whether you see glasses half full or half empty, today's announcement marks a significant move in the production of Jensen's highly-anticipated new adventure. However, the only obvious change from the public's perspective should be the release date delay, as dtp claims that gamers "won't notice a difference" with regards to the size, quality, and look of the game.

According to the German publisher's COO, Marcus Windelen, the decision to change teams was not undertaken lightly, and was reached only with the consent of Jane Jensen herself. While no specific details were cited for transferring the game from Hungarian studio Tonuzaba to Wizarbox, Windelen explains that the move was made "to make sure that the game will be finished in the highest possible quality."

Wizarbox may not yet be a recognizable name to many, but the French studio is also responsible for So Blonde, which was recently released in German speaking territories. The successful partnership between the companies on that game was a motivating factor in choosing the new team, as dtp was determined that the game be in the hands of an experienced adventure game developer from this point forward.

It'll be a while before we see Gray Matter, then, and the wait will surely be disappointing to many, but dtp's commitment to finishing the game and ensuring that quality isn't sacrificed in the process hopefully bodes well for an end result that's worth the wait.