Source: According to the exceedingly niche interest Web site http://www.days-since-cheyenne-mountain-employees-have-been-paid.com/, it has been 22 days since the firm has paid its employees.
What we heard: While The Old Republic and Star Trek Online have been grabbing most of the sci-fi massively multiplayer online role-playing game headlines of late, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment has been toiling away on Stargate Worlds. The game was first announced nearly three years ago. A closed beta for Stargate Worlds is set to expand shortly, but Cheyenne and its publishing arm FireSky have yet to see dime one from the project.
With the Sci-Fi Channel ready to launch a new Stargate television series next summer, the MMORPG would seem to have a prime cross-promotional opportunity waiting in the wings. If Cheyenne is running dry on resources right now, one would think there would be interested parties in loaning them enough to reach the finish line and cash in on three years of work and buzz surrounding the new TV series. At least, there would be in a better economic climate…
The official story: A representative for Cheyenne provided GameSpot with the following comment: "At Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, we have always been upfront with the media and our fans that we are a start up. Like many start ups, we face the same cash-flow issues that all pre-revenue companies face. We have maintained a core of dedicated investors, but the new economic realities are forcing us to seek out additional sources of funding and that's what we're doing.
"We continue to move forward on the Stargate Worlds project. We recently completed a successful phase of closed beta testing and we will start a second phase early in 2009. We invite all of your readers to come to our site, check out our fantastic community and sign up for our beta."
Bogus or not bogus?: Unfortunately for both Cheyenne and its employees, this one is not bogus.
With the exception of the third-person shooter, Stargate: Resistance, and a cancelled MMO by the name of Stargate: Worlds, gamers haven’t had much opportunity to explore the rich Stargate universe within the medium of gaming.
Great article. I also love Stargate, and really wish we had more games from this awesome IP. I was in the Alpha for Stargate Worlds. It was really ambitious, had a ton of things they wanted to do, and even with the bugs in the Alpha grouping up was fun and exploring the worlds they had open at the time was great. Lots of bugs, but that’s to be expected of an Alpha. Had fun reporting all of the bugs as well, some hilarious and others game breaking. Then, all of a sudden, we got an email thanking us for our time, but it was over and gone. Bam! Oh well... What could’ve been...
We need a AAA studio to pick one of these up, because there's lots of opportunity because every world can be different. I mean even if Ubisoft picked it up, they could outsource several of the worlds to their different studios and it would still work.
Back in 2008, I had a chance to play Stargate Worlds, a MMORPG based on the Stargate franchise, while the game was never released here are my thoughts on the game and what it had.
It was a game with a lot of potential. As a Stargate fan, the story just sounded great.
stargate was a very cheap tv show. no wonder an mmo with this setting never saw the light of day.
Such a shame. Maybe one day a developer will give this franchise the attention required to do it justice. Endless possibilities.
Kotaku: "It’s frankly ridiculous how close some games are to finished when they are cancelled - or, conversely, how vaporous they can be when they’re first shown."
I'm still completely bummed out about Prey 2 being cancelled. I still have sliver of hope that it is secretly being developed for current gen consoles though. I won't give up dammit!!.
I can't describe the disappointment I felt after the cancellation of 8 days and Coded Arms Assault......
It isn't free to start and maintain a domain name.
There are no ads on the page.
How is this site being paid for? lol
(I know it's not that expensive but for them to use a web page to keep track of the days since they've been paid last is silly.)
Wow, and to think some employees in some firms actualy get paid monthly and have to wait longer!