Everywhere - by Build A Rocket Boy

[Spider-Vice]

Interview with Leslie: http://www.polygon.com/2017/1/26/14398978/everywhere-interview-leslie-The Benz-matthew-smith

Leslie Benzies & co. discuss their new game

Quote

Leslie Benzies and two other ex-Rockstar North leads — Matthew Smith, former audio director at the studio, and Colin Entwistle, former lead programmer — are starting their own team for a new video game project.

Their unnamed company currently has offices in Edinburgh, Scotland, the hometown of Rockstar North, as well as Los Angeles. Their game, which has the working title of “Everywhere,” is in development on Amazon Lumberyard, the retail giant’s free game engine.

 

[Kirsty]

Wow, he even brought along other ex-Rockstar staff!

 

This reminds of that interview where he said he wanted to bring every world of GTA into a single game....looks like he still has that vision!

[BS_BlackScout]

Jesus...

 

 

Reporter: Do you feel that your legal dispute with Rockstar is affecting this project at all — hanging over it in any way?

 

The Benz: Not at all, this project is incredibly exciting for us and does not share any brain space with the dispute.

This made me think two things. Either he is doing well on that dispute or he doesn't really care at all...

 

RIP Rockstar Games.

Edited January 26, 2017 by BlackScout

[Ivan1997GTA]

I knew this was gonna happen someday. This is kinda like the case with Hideo Kojima, who left Konami after MGS V: The Phantom Pain to form his own company.

[RedDagger]

Just gonna quote specific parts that I think are interesting/important:

 

 

While itll have many established gaming elements, were also including features that games havent touched on yet.

Were using Amazons Lumberyard

(note: this is Amazon's game engine that's basically an offshoot of Cryengine, currently notable for being what Star Citizen uses)

 

 

Weve grown from a core team of just a few to a team of around 30 now, and are currently hiring at both studios we filled that blank page pretty quickly and now need to make it all!

The Grand Theft Auto games have always been about sending up American pop culture with puerile humor and a healthy dose of cynicism. Is that something youre interested in?

 

The Benz: Everywhere is very different from GTA. There may be parts of our game that include satire but the tone will be very different and at times our players will be in control of how the tone is set.

 

Smith: Well have a distinctive style and tone, and plenty of story and characters but what I find more interesting is letting players create their own stories, their own personalities. To a degree, more like a social network where whats being commented on or ridiculed isnt written three years in advance, but can change hour by hour. And if a future President chose to make policy announcements in Everywhere, thats something Id certainly find interesting!

(Benz, on his influences)One that really resonated with me was Hideo Kojimas Metal Gear Solid he has a great eye for detail.

Smith: Many and varied! I love impossibly detailed, personal games like Inside or Firewatch, but am equally drawn to expansive open worlds the original Elite in the 1980s probably had the biggest single influence on me.

Definitely seems interesting, wonder how this will pan out in the coming years.

[Kirsty]

It makes me wonder whether this was what their original dispute stemmed from - is "Everywhere" what the Benz wanted for GTA, but the Housers didn't? It sounds big and bold for sure, and something like the core direction of their flagship series could definitely split the team when it was the 3 of them at the top.

 

I know he says it'll be different from GTA, but if someone could find that quote about what he said he wanted for GTA Online, it matches up a lot with what he's suggesting.

[Jabalous]

I don't expect something big (AAA), but interesting nonetheless.

 

 

GTA Online turned out to be a huge success. Is that something you anticipated? How important do you think online multiplayer is to AAA games these days?

The Benz: I had a hunch that online was the future and hoped that we could make it a success. I’m proud that the foundations we laid worked and are still working so successfully. I see a future where we don’t reference single or multiplayer — we just choose when we play and if we want to hang out with others or we want to be alone. Just like real life — sometimes I want to be with people, sometimes I don’t, or I want them around but I don’t want to interact with them. We’re making “Everywhere” as seamless as possible so players won’t have to think about jumping from mode to mode — except when it helps the gameplay.

 

 

That's exactly where he was taking GTA to, which is something I despise.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Jabalous

[Spider-Vice]

Also this about his influence at Rockstar:

Quote

 

 

What do you think was your biggest contribution to Rockstar over the years, and do you want to bring that same thing to this new project?

Benzies: I think I brought order to the chaos of making video games. Having a clear idea of the big picture was very useful when designing. I enjoyed the challenge of making many complicated parts fit neatly together. There is a lot of psychology in design. Everything I did ultimately focused on how players would feel or react to a mechanic in the game. I hope to do that with “Everywhere.”

 

 

 

On 1/26/2017 at 7:00 PM, Kirsty said:

It makes me wonder whether this was what their original dispute stemmed from - is "Everywhere" what the Benz wanted for GTA, but the Housers didn't? It sounds big and bold for sure, and something like the core direction of their flagship series could definitely split the team when it was the 3 of them at the top.

 

I know he says it'll be different from GTA, but if someone could find that quote about what he said he wanted for GTA Online, it matches up a lot with what he's suggesting.

You do make a good point, all this seamless online stuff he's talking about looks like was going to be the future of GTA.

 

This said, we still don't know whether he was the "GTA destroyer" or not, or why the dispute really happened, but this will be extremely interesting and I can't wait for it. Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we'll see.

[Spider-Vice]

It has a logo, revealed in a separate Polygon article!

http://www.polygon.com/2017/1/26/14397968/everywhere-leslie-The Benz-amazon-lumberyard

 

 

 

Edit: Also

 

The Benz was credited as director of Grand Theft Auto Online, the ambitious (and hugely lucrative!) online component of Grand Theft Auto 5. “The Houser brothers had little interest in GTA Online, and did not focus on its development,” The Benz claimed in the lawsuit. That focus on game as service appears to be in play with Everywhere.

 

Maybe the Housers did right in not wanting his GTA Online experience because it reached the levels it's at today, maybe they didn't. Maybe both companies will make great games in their own genres (online/SP) without/with Benz, who knows. But nonetheless great news.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Spider-Vice

[Kirsty]

It's kinda funny how they are promising to give us a whole "new world" that' encompasses "everywhere" with buzz worlds like "freedom" but they still haven't settled on a studio name or a proper title

 

I'm excited to see where this is going, I just hope they aren't getting ahead of themselves!

[Ash_735]

Official Website

 

Press Kit

[Kirsty]

Check out their hiring positions in "Work" and read the descriptions, some very adventurous stuff in there. They are hiring on Rockstar's doorstep too, I wonder are they trying to poach?

[Ash_735]

It wouldn't surprise me, the amount of people who walked out after Leslie was fired at North, NYC AND San Diego makes me curious if the L:A studio is going after those guys from SD too.

[Spider-Vice]

Looks like they might be opening up for user generated content or a forum? Found on their privacy policy:

 

[Zoobz]

Looking forward to what the team has in store.

[Xiled]

http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/26/why-grand-theft-auto-veteran-leslie-The Benz-started-his-new-game-studio/

http://www.polygon.com/2017/1/26/14397968/everywhere-leslie-The Benz-amazon-lumberyard

 

New game announced already for console and pc

 

"To begin with, Everywhere will run on consoles and PC. And you’ll be able to engage with the game through other means, too." From venturebeat artice

[Spider-Vice]

We've been talking about this over at the Rockstar section, for now, as the company is comprised of ex-Rockstars. Will probably be moved to here once more details arrive or once the initial "hype" dies down.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/880459-leslie-The Benz-talks-new-game-new-studio-w-r-staff/

Edited January 27, 2017 by Spider-Vice

[Xiled]

Glad to see this happening

[RogerWho]

That focus on game as service appears to be in play with Everywhere.

So grinding and "micro" payments with items costing $20?

 

Also he brought in the lead programmers, so it's gonna be a buggy unstable mess?

 

Am I too cynical?

Edited January 27, 2017 by RogerWho

[DieselFuelOnly]

That moment when you qualify for one of the job listings.

[Spider-Vice]

You'd probably qualify for R* too then?

[El Dildo]

this news appeals to my interests

[DieselFuelOnly]

You'd probably qualify for R* too then?

 

Providing it's the same field, I suppose so

 

 

Now look what you've done.

Edited January 27, 2017 by DieselFuelOnly

[GameChristopher]

 

That focus on game as service appears to be in play with Everywhere.

So grinding and "micro" payments with items costing $20?

 

Also he brought in the lead programmers, so it's gonna be a buggy unstable mess?

 

Am I too cynical?

 

It's hard to not be too cynical nowadays, especially when no real information has yet been released. Remember, everyone wants to make pre-paying the norm, and it should never be.

[KarimNTerr]

I knew this would have happened - The Benz opening a new studio and hiring former Rockstar employees, I mean - I just didn't think it'd happen so soon. Very interested in how this will develop.

[LincolnClay]

In think letting go of "The Benz" was their biggest mistake yet. It's a possibility that this "Everywhere" could become serious competition for the GTA series. But right now, I applaud Leslie for making his own company. Well done, man. Glad to see you back in action. Just...that this time you don't have your usual team with you.

[Coleco]

They're using Lumberyard?

 

Last I heard about this CryEngine-based also-ran I wasn't convinced it was worth looking at. How's it working out for Star Citizen?

[Sunrise Driver]

PC announcement and possible release on day 1? That's already a better game than RDR3.

[Fuzzknuckles]

PC announcement and possible release on day 1? That's already a better game than RDR3.

Hahahahahahahahah oh you are still SO salty about RDR. You really should move on with your life pal.

 

Interesting that he mentions that the Housers had no interest in pushing Online as a "service". And yet, everyone blames the Housers for making GTA Online the big thing it is.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Fuzzknuckles

[Mister Pink]

It wouldn't surprise me, the amount of people who walked out after Leslie was fired at North, NYC AND San Diego makes me curious if the L:A studio is going after those guys from SD too.

 

Did a lot of people walk out after him? Is there any article I can read supporting this? I mean aside from the ex-employees working for the new studio, a lot of them could have left for their own reasons. The other way makes it seem like they walked out in solidarity with the Benz.

 

So The Benz is responsible for GTA Online? Hmm.. I might be kind of glad he's gone then. However, looks like Rockstar are in too deep with this Online and it's too lucrative that it's going to be a permanent and flagship feature of GTA now. Even if GTA Online resources were halved, I wonder what SP would have been like and how it would been developed. I mean GTA Online is cool for the new kids that like waiting in lobbies and paying to play but I come from a time when a game felt complete and you could play a GTA in SP for years. Times have changed.

 

I wish all the success for The Benz and his team. The guy is obviously a legend and he impresses me when he says there's a lot of psychology that goes in to implementing features in games etc. At the same time I also question some of the decisions made for GTA IV and V like Yoga, lack of features in IV, the abandoment of SP for GTA V etc. Maybe The Benz was the only guy that could implement the further development of GTAO things in to GTA SP. Maybe that's why things were blocked eventually after he left because it was unsustainable and potentially unstable and could cause to many bugs therefore Rockstar actually blocking access of Online things in SP.

 

Of course I don't have a clue who's decisions where who's and what the original idea was and how it ended up. I'm just speculating for my own amusement.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Mister Pink