As software engineers, we would all like it if requirements never changed. We want to be told up front exactly what features the software must support and then we can build and deliver it.

Unfortunately, requirements change—always. This is a fact of life. More importantly, if the requirements don’t change, you have a real problem. No designer (sorry guys) can know up front exactly what it takes to make a game fun. It is a process of exploration. So instead of being frustrated by change we need to take responsibility to work with the designers to make sure we have the best possible requirements. (more…)

We’ve put up the first set of detailed information for our current project, Blackstar. If you visit the games page, you’ll find a version of the game’s executive summary. We’ve also released several concept images that give a sense of the environments and enemies you’ll face in the world of Blackstar. Coming up in the days ahead we’ll be revealing a look at a couple of the game’s character classes and a deeper look at the dangerous regions of space that lie beyond our own solar system.

Check out Blackstar now!

Over the next few days we will reveal the characters, environments, creatures, and stories that define our unique science-fantasy MMO project “Blackstar.” For now, we leave you with this image and a few brief bullet points as a teaser!

Fly your spaceship to exotic locations, blasting through cunning enemies and dreadful space creatures.

Leave your ship and take up the quest, exploring mysterious planets, derelict space stations, and force your way onto enemy ships.

Live as one of four races, ranging from heroic humans and beautiful aliens to warrior robots and undead horrors in an epic science-fantasy universe where advanced technology clashes with ancient demonic power.

We know it’s not the norm but at Spacetime Studios we’ve always been about communicating when we can. For two years this has been in good times but we want to put out a message to the community before the rumors start.

Our project has been cancelled by the current publisher. Regardless of how you look at it, we won’t be entering production in the immediate future, so we are retrenching and unfortunately had to let 12 folks go. There are always wild rumors at a time like this so we wanted to be as specific as possible to the number and circumstance. All 12 employees released were given extended benefits, severance and will be supplied letters of recommendation. These were good folks and we are not happy about it. We’ll do anything we can to help them land somewhere else. If you are a developer and are looking for good folks, drop us a line at jobs@spacetimestudios.com.

The cancelled game was our primary project and we have a complete MMO engine w/ networking infrastructure, tools suite, and next-gen rendering engine. The company remains extremely committed to the IP and once all mutual obligations have been completed between the publisher and ourselves we intend to explore every possible avenue to see that our team’s collective vision come to fruition.

We want to stress that there are no bad feelings with NCSoft. There is a tremendous amount of mutual respect between our companies. They have conducted themselves with honor and integrity, and we would work with them again in an instant.

We are still here, stable and strong, and running a little bit lighter while we figure out our next move. What does not kill us makes us stronger said the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. That may be true, but it isn’t pleasant. Wish us luck and good fortune.