Final Days of LGS - TTLG Forums

john9818a on 7/6/2013 at 07:13

I didn't find this posted in a search, but I found Mike Chrzanowski's web site of photos taken during Looking Glass Studios' final days.

(http://www.digital-eel.com/mc/may252000.htm) http://www.digital-eel.com/mc/may252000.htm

june gloom on 7/6/2013 at 09:19

i know i'm tired because i swear to god my first thought was "not another 'TTLG is dead' thread" and then i realized it said "LGS"

screw it i'm going to bed

faetal on 7/6/2013 at 09:22

That was my initial reaction too, and I've had a full night's sleep.

Briareos H on 7/6/2013 at 11:08

If you search for part of the URL ("may252000" for instance), you'll see that this gets posted once in a while.
But I'm fine with it, as it reminds us of our common heritage.

Some (http://www.digital-eel.com/mc/097.htm) touching pictures in there, and a (http://www.digital-eel.com/mc/072.htm) personal favorite.

This is a letter that gives some context when it was(http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35140) first posted over here in 2000:

Quote Posted by MikeC

Looking Glass: The Series Finale

Dear Everyone Who Plays Games,

I'm still in shock as to what went down yesterday. I was sitting at my desk
working on my new level for Thief 2 GOLD when I was called to the 4PM Meeting.
I thought we were about to receive the good news that our deal with Eidos
was finalized. I sat there watching Paul Neurath's lips move, but my mind
could not calculate what he was saying. For the first few minutes no one's
face changed at all, we were all to stunned. Terri and Eric started to hug,
and there were tears in the eyes of others, but no one looked more upset
then Paul and Bill. They fought very hard for us, and they lost. I've never
seen two men fight harder for something they believed in, but at the end,
the almighty dollar ran out and we had to close the doors and go home.

The only thing I could think was, "How come I forgot to bring my video camera
today?" It's normal for me to hide behind my camera, and I didn't want to
see this with my own eyes. I didn't know what to think or feel; I was too confused.
Shortly after shock set in, people started to make jokes. Rob told Sara that
he was behind schedule and they both laughed out loud at each other. I moped
back to my desk and called my girlfriend, Stephanie, to tell her what had
happened. I was so upset and so confused. Many of us were in denial; it was
like the sinking of the Titanic. People were running around and joking loudly.
I looked over at Rob and he looked back with his blank stare of denial. I
walked over to his desk and grabbed the bottle of Captain Morgan's Rum that
we bought for a late night crunch on Thief 2. It helped with the stress that
night, and it was time to help again. I instantly threw the bottle back and
let the rum pour into my mouth. I swallowed a large gulp while the rest dripped
down my chin. I handed the bottle to Rob and he did the same. I then began
to run through the halls sharing my rum with anyone who was interested. In
the end it took about 12 of us to finish it off. Most of the Thief Team met
up in the old Thief pit and were just talking. I don't remember what it was
about because my mind was thick with denial. Soon after the rum was finished,
Steve ran to his office and took out the bottle of Russian Vodka that was
given to us as an award from a Russian gaming magazine. Rob grabbed the rest
of the champagne from the Thief 2 release celebration and we all toasted
to our accomplishments and we also toasted to all of the fans that have been
there for us every day.

When I look back at my days at Looking Glass, the thing I will remember most
is our loyal fan following. Whenever someone had anything negative to say
about our games, you were there in force to set them straight. Thank you
for that. The positive feedback that I have received from you guys has really
turned my life around. You have given me confidence in my talents and you
have taught me that money is nothing and art is everything. If LG cut my
pay in half, I would have stayed because I believed in everything we were
making. You all would have loved what we had in plan for you. I would also
like to thank every person who bashed my voice acting in Thief GOLD. When
I went to record, it was my first time and I was in a bad spot in my life.
At first, the comments hurt, but then I realized two things. One thing was
that my voice was in a video game, and the other was that I could do better
acting. All of the negativity that I have received was a very strong tool
for shaping me into a very stable and happy person. I have learned to deal
with my faults and move on instead of obsessing and becoming depressed. You
guys helped me win a major battle with the many demons that have slowed me
down. I can never explain this in a way that you could totally understand,
but thank you for just being Fans! You people rock! And I would do it all
again for you.

I would also like to thank everyone I had the pleasure to work with at LG.
Thank you Steve Pearsall and Tim Stellmach for taking a chance on someone
with no experience. Thank you Paul Neurath and Bill Carlson for fighting
like Jedi Masters for us. Thank you Randy Smith for keeping me rational and
for also for embracing my insane imagination with laughter and curiosity.
Thank you Eric Brosius and Kamal Avedisian for trying to teach me how to
act, time will tell. Thank you Steve Russell for being a role model. Thank
you Sara Verilli for being there every time I turned my chair around. Thank
you Terri Brosius for being you. Thank you Mark Lizotte for telling me that
my work is very good. Thank you Dan Thron for making me see the world
differently. Thank you Rob Caminos for being one of my best friends. Thank
you Jim Fleming and Steve Pastore for thinking I'm a cool guy. Thank you
Jen Hrabota-Lesser, and Karen Wolff for being incredible artists. I learned
a lot from watching you guys. Thank you Matt Gilpin for making all of my
insane objects, I know I tortured you but you rock. Thank you Mike Ryan for
always being there when I need help. Thank you Emil Pagliarlo for listening
to all of my insane stories and for just being a cool guy, a good friend,
and a good dad to your son. Thank you to Mahk for popping your head out of
your office for those well timed one-liners. Thank you Tom Leonard for being
one of the most incredible leaders that I have ever worked with. Thank you
Dave Teicholtz for understanding me that night at the Burren. Thank you Andy
Meuse for taking my Voodoo 3 and being a constant comedy relief. Thank you
every member of the SPCB. Thank you Greg Hill, L. B, John Osterlind, Rocco
and Birdsey, and Mistress Carrie, you guys have been constant stimulation
for my creativity. Thank you Susan Zwerbile for being an incredible listener.
Thank you Rob Simpkins and Mark Gentile for trying to beat me up in the 8th
grade. Thank you Thomas Blackheart for being a close friend with whom I can
share inspiration with and thank you for the music. Thank you Lucky for being
an individual, I have learned an awful lot from you, I consider you a brother.
Thank you Mike Steinkrauss for all of your amusement. Thank you Neil Forman
for having that artist look in your eye, I understand so much when I see
you look at the world. Thank you Rich Carlson for all the times you asked
me to come down stairs for a smoke. Thank you Kevin Callow for your objective
criticism. Thank you Fred Galpern and Rick Ernst for having a vision that
I am so sad that I cannot be a part of. Thank you Iikka for being there for
Rich. Thank you Chris Laskowski for being a great philosopher who enjoys
insanity. Thank you Chris Seigal for all the respect you show me and for
being so in love with Marcy. Thank you Constantine for being one of the most
colorful people I know and for being an incredible motivator. Because of
you, I will always be psyched and cranking. Thank you Jake Bruenelle for
the friendship and respect you give me. Thank you Nick Rampone for not being
afraid to fall on your face and then get up, brush off and move on. Thank
you Jason, my brother, for being all that I am and all that I am not. Thank
you Stephanie for being my greatest love and my inspiration. And thank you
again Tim for teaching me and tolerating me barging into your office 30 times
a day. You have been my greatest teacher. We've all shared a bond that no
one else will truly understand.

There has been a great negativity growing in the game industry, and unfortunately
we were consumed by it. We should all learn from this negativity and collectively
find a way to reverse it quickly. The future will look back at this last
year as one of the most historic years in video game history. They will feel
about our games in similar ways to how we feel about old movies and books.
We are here to create the masterpieces of the future. Video games are now
a major way of life. They teach us how to view the world differently and
help us to push the bounds of reality. Reality at Looking Glass is something
that doesn't seem to exist. This allows for some very powerful imaginations
to cut loose and define new realities. I have worked with some of the most
creative men and women I have ever met in my life. That creativity spreads
quickly through us and grows into incredible things. Now that we have all
been shaken from the tree, we will all fall to the ground and take up root
elsewhere. Where ever we grow, whether it's together or alone, we will continue
to spread our creativity and inspiration to others.

Today I walked into the Cambridge Studio for the last time as an employee
for Looking Glass Studios, for many of us it is a very sad day. I would like
to thank whoever sent us four cases of beer this morning. I brought my camera
to work today and took 101 pictures that I will share with all of you. I
need some time to prepare them, but I will leave you with two for now.

And now I would like to announce my candidacy for the future President of
the United Planet of Earth. I've been watching the world for almost 26 years
now, and I've learned a lot about life. I constantly dream of what the future
will hold and where I will be in it. I would like to help build us a future
that we can all be proud of.

Mike Chrzanowski

john9818a on 8/6/2013 at 08:54

That was a very touching letter. Thanks for posting it! :)

fett on 9/6/2013 at 20:06

I still remember this day vividly. I walked around feeling like a close friend had died, cried a bit, commiserated with fellow TTLGers and got copiously drunk off my ass at about 4 that afternoon. I was in such a funk even my dog was worried about me. I'd turn off my PC, wander around, turn it back on, hoping it was some kind of joke or mistake. The next day was even worse, and the day after, plans for a fan made Thief III began (which eventually evolved into both T2X and Theivery, and probably the Dark Mod). LGS died, but the community was kind of reborn that week. Bittersweet.

june gloom on 9/6/2013 at 21:58

Inline Image:

http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/215065020_NoRzW-L-2.jpg

Ghostly Apparition on 11/6/2013 at 06:36

Quote Posted by dethtoll

i know i'm tired because i swear to god my first thought was "not another 'TTLG is dead' thread" and then i realized it said "LGS"

screw it i'm going to bed

TTLG is basically dead. There are a few zombies posting, but its dead nonetheless. :p

Kolya on 11/6/2013 at 07:52

One of the most interesting things I read about LGS was what Ken Levine said years later, around the time Bioshock was to be released. He's quite the storyteller, so take this with a grain of salt, but anyway.

Quote:

I left because despite how talented the people were there, in some ways it was more like a university than a games company. There really was a dialogue about advancing the media, but not a lot about making successful products. ((http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/04/03/making-of-system-shock-2/) link)

It sums up a lot of things at once, the differing philosophies of both companies, why we loved LGS, why Bioshock became such a hit and largely fell through here. It certainly doesn't fully explain LGS downfall, but what made them so great probably also was a part of their demise. Because that's how tragedies go.

jtr7 on 11/6/2013 at 08:21

He mentioned in another interview that he had no structure, no idea what to work on, no tasks, and that he wasn't compatible with it. Obviously some people only thrive in a structured environment with clear goals, so it made his leaving more sensible.

I found Seamus Blackley's appraisal of the LGS environment interesting, especially since it isn't what we usually hear. When prompted by Warren Spector in one of his lectures, regarding how these geniuses would get into screaming matches, and clearly reliving the discomfort of that, Seamus stated that the LGS employees had grown up being the smartest people in the room, were just used to expecting that, and were now not the smartest, and Seamus was very aware of the "psychic pain" of that. And yet, the former LGS devs still call their time there the best it ever was.