(Full disclosure: I backed Jagged Alliance: Flashback on Kickstarter for $25)
Information has come to our attention that, back in January, Full Control made blatant threats to withhold content over negative user reviews. When Flashback launched after a successful Kickstarter and early access period, backers slammed the game with poor reviews over bugs, missing features, and unfulfilled Kickstarter rewards. In an announcement posted to the Kickstarter page, Full Control blames the community for the game’s poor sales, demanding that users revise their scores or face that further content will not be released.
But at the same time, the gamers or even you as backers have not yet given us credit for this work by revising your reviews on Steam. We still have user reviews that are at this point hurting sales – and thus the possibility of doing future updates. Things hang in a thin thread due to bad sales with bad user review. Heck – I would not buy a game myself that has 40% positive on Steam.
If you really think JAF is only worth 40% positive, then so be it. I cannot change your mind then, and we will be forced to stop here. But with only a few changed reviews or a good handful of more positive reviews, the new gamer perception would improve a lot and possibly gamers will give the game another chance. And with improved sales, we can again do more updates and features.
They didn’t (Steam page stands at 54% positive currently), and as per their word, the entire JAF team was laid off, ending development. Full Control has since ceased operations, aside from console ports of their final game: Space Hulk Ascension. CEO Thomas Lund has found new employment at Sybo Games, a developer whose library consists of two endless runner mobile apps. Lund notes:
“But at least I have enough control of my budgets to be able to “land” the entire company and avoid bankruptcy. Even though we will not be producing any more content after May, I want Full Control to continue selling the Space Hulk and Jagged Alliance games, and providing community support for several years to come.”
One thing is obvious from the tale of Full Control. Backlash from aggrieved Kickstarter backers isn’t just swift, it can be deadly.
Credit for the extensive research all goes to Reddit user TheLARPKing.
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