Brad McQuaid Site Updated

[Zehn - Vhex]

Originally Posted by Requiem

We all did.

Uh...no. Most of us realized he was off his fucking rocker the minute he started saying shit like low level content shouldn't be developed because nobody pays attention that shit anyways and fuck lowbies and how people wouldn't mind upgrading to 2000 dollar machines because 10 years ago people who were already 3 years addicted to a game were willing to pay for a 100 dollar upgrade on a video card.

Brad was an endless font of terrible idea's. His only saving grace was how good he was at speaking for hours and saying absolutely nothing. 99% of his posts were "VG is coming along great, we're really excited! The game is loads of fun, we think you'll enjoy it as well. We're striving hard to create the BEST GAME EVAR!"

If I'm going to be fed marketing bullshit I'd rather get it from that vapid cunt Jade over at Ubisoft. At least she has tits.

[jayrebb]

Originally Posted by Requiem

And you guys ate it the fuck up. We all did. In my opinion Brad is a really uniquely skilled visionary of sorts, he just shouldn't run his own company. I don't know if I could have done any better in his shoes, I absolutely abhor the business end of things in a corporation.

Not that SOE is the shining beacon of MMO gaming studios at this point, but I would personally become very interested if it was confirmed that Brad is going to get to do what he does best for EQ3 with SOE handling the bullshit.

Agreed. Hes the man dawg.

[Soygen]

This could turn it around for Oxycontin.

[Plaeroma]

I think the lesson here is that any creative type needs to have a fucking editor of sorts who is grounded in practicality. It's like when The Mars Volta releases an album and it's 90% musical masturbation. The 10% that isn't self-indulgence is absolutely amazingly badass, it's just not worth going through the rest of the pile of shit for that nugget of corn. Someone in that studio needs to have the nuts to backhand them when they get retarded like that, and keep them in line doing the good shit. Don't surround yourself with yes men for the love of Christ. Personally, I nominate Zehn to be Brad's personal bitch slapper to keep him in line.

[Drave]

Replace "he/his" with "I/my"... it sounds like him.

Brad McQuaid has been involved in games development for over 15 years. He was the original producer and co-designer of EverQuest, managing the development team from the project's inception until its launch. He then assumed the role of executive producer for the first few EverQuest expansions. He also was a founder of Verant Interactive and its Vice President. After Verant's acquisition by Sony Online Entertainment, Brad served there as Vice President of Premium Games responsible for EverQuest, EverQuest 2, EverQuest Online Adventures, PlanetSide, and Star Wars: Galaxies. In addition, Brad was the company's Chief Creative Officer.
After leaving SOE in October 2001, Brad took a short break and then founded Sigil Games Online with Jeff Butler. There he took on the role of CEO and co-executive-producer. The company started work on the massively multiplayer Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. They made a development deal first with Microsoft and then later with Sony Online Entertainment. Sigil started out small, but grew to over 100 employees for the five years it was around. In January of 2007, Sigil and SOE launched Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. When Vanguard wasn't as successful as was hoped, Sigil sold the company and Vanguard to Sony Online Entertainment.
After the sale, Brad decided to take an extended break from games development and is currently pursuing his hobbies and spending time with friends and family. That said, as of late, he’s starting to get that itch again...

Brad McQuaid

[ToeMissile]

Made on a Mac

[Azrayne]

Originally Posted by Plaeroma

I think the lesson here is that any creative type needs to have a fucking editor of sorts who is grounded in practicality. It's like when The Mars Volta releases an album and it's 90% musical masturbation. The 10% that isn't self-indulgence is absolutely amazingly badass, it's just not worth going through the rest of the pile of shit for that nugget of corn. Someone in that studio needs to have the nuts to backhand them when they get retarded like that, and keep them in line doing the good shit. Don't surround yourself with yes men for the love of Christ. Personally, I nominate Zehn to be Brad's personal bitch slapper to keep him in line.

Exactly. The people who have lots of great ideas usually have lots of shitty ideas as well. They need someone to tell them which is which, if you give them a free reign and assume that just because they've done one great thing that their next thing will be great, then you're just as likely to end up with a steaming pile off ass as a work of staggering genius.

[Malakie Torsade]

Originally Posted by Requiem

And you guys ate it the fuck up. We all did. In my opinion Brad is a really uniquely skilled visionary of sorts, he just shouldn't run his own company.

Not really.

http://www.fohguild.org/forums/mmorp...ard#post595289

Originally Posted by Malakie Torsade, October 23, 2006

Anyway, thread topic... I won't be trying Vanguard unless I get into a free trial and it blows me away. No offense to Brad, but I lost interest the moment I found out he was involved. I think he's a smart guy, but his idea of what's fun doesn't mesh with mine.

The latter part was a nice way of saying "I think most of his ideas are terrible." It always amazed me at the amount of cock stroking he got here when Sigil got started. EQ had a lot awful ideas that should have never made it onto paper let alone into the actual game (I'm looking at you, spellbook meditation.)

Obviously he's an important figure in MMO history, but his time to shine has passed. As I've said before, when EQ came out, he was a Zima dealer in a dry county. Everyone devoured it because that's all there was. With Vanguard he was still trying to push his archaic ideas and it's just wasn't going to fly because they are either not fun to most people or just cannot be implemented in an entertaining way. Most people don't want that shit anymore... even if you put a Jolly Rancher in it.

[Cybsled]

PILLS HERE!!!

[Ngruk]

Originally Posted by Malakie Torsade

EQ had a lot awful ideas that should have never made it onto paper let alone into the actual game (I'm looking at you, spellbook meditation.)

Here's where I find fault with this sort of thread (In addition to the lame ass drug jokes).
EQ did NOT have a lot of awful ideas that should have never made it, none. There were some design flaws, some tech issues, bugs for sure, exploits? Yep.

But for what it was, when it was, it was 'perfect' to us. We had no barometer, nothing to go off of, and that in and of itself takes HUGE balls and HUGE vision.

Say what you want about his post EQ career, I didn't follow him much and never met him until right before VG launch. At that point I felt sorry for him because I was looking at a person who was on the precipice, and burnt out in ways I hope I never experience.

But what he did, and they did, with EQ was genre/industry changing in ways no one here, including me, had even a smidgen of talent to know or create.

I tip my hat to him and his team for creating one of my all time favorite gaming experiences, because like many of you no matter what I play or when I'll always have the 'man I remember Blackburrow....." to hang on to.

[dechire]

Perhaps McQuaid and Garriot can join forces in their next money grab? I'm sure there is a fool somewhere who thinks funding these two "pillers of innovation and gameplay" are worth 7 years of development costs and huge stock incentives.

[Mannorai]

Originally Posted by Ngruk

Here's where I find fault with this sort of thread (In addition to the lame ass drug jokes).
EQ did NOT have a lot of awful ideas that should have never made it, none. There were some design flaws, some tech issues, bugs for sure, exploits? Yep.

But for what it was, when it was, it was 'perfect' to us. We had no barometer, nothing to go off of, and that in and of itself takes HUGE balls and HUGE vision.

Say what you want about his post EQ career, I didn't follow him much and never met him until right before VG launch. At that point I felt sorry for him because I was looking at a person who was on the precipice, and burnt out in ways I hope I never experience.

But what he did, and they did, with EQ was genre/industry changing in ways no one here, including me, had even a smidgen of talent to know or create.

I tip my hat to him and his team for creating one of my all time favorite gaming experiences, because like many of you no matter what I play or when I'll always have the 'man I remember Blackburrow....." to hang on to.

I could be completely wrong in my assertions, but I think the vehement hatred for Brad has more to do with everyone knowing how capable he really is and the potential he has. Yet, just when we had what we wanted, in no small part due to his influence, it was taken from us, twice. He just happens to be the one who is held responsible. The lashing out isn't exactly right, but I get where it comes from.

[Erumaron]

Just because there's so much nostalgia being tossed around here, it seems like a fitting place for this question that's been nagging me for a while now. Does anybody else still type /camp desktop in *every* new MMO they play whenever they log out fully - even when it has no effect (Like in WoW)?

[findar]

Originally Posted by dechire

Perhaps McQuaid and Garriot can join forces in their next money grab? I'm sure there is a fool somewhere who thinks funding these two "pillers of innovation and gameplay" are worth 7 years of development costs and huge stock incentives.

sign koster up for that boat

[Ancalagon]

Originally Posted by Mannorai

I could be completely wrong in my assertions, but I think the vehement hatred for Brad has more to do with everyone knowing how capable he really is and the potential he has. Yet, just when we had what we wanted, in no small part due to his influence, it was taken from us, twice. He just happens to be the one who is held responsible. The lashing out isn't exactly right, but I get where it comes from.

Um, no. The hatred is because he fed this community fluff and lies for the better part of two years, took a 'holier than thou' attitude in the face of criticism, and essentially led a lot of people along even toward the end of the ride when he knew that the product that was going to be released was an abomination.

Edit: He's also a spineless coward who didn't have the balls to show up to work on the day many of his employees were called into the parking lot and told to pack their things up.