The development studio Fntastic was actually closed after the disaster surrounding the game The Day Before. However, a month ago, the team came back and is asking fans for freely created maps for the new project. There is no talk of payment; the creators are only to receive a free copy of the video game.
Why have the developers returned? Three quarters of a year after the closure of the studio Fntastic, the developers are back and believe: “Everyone deserves a second chance.” The developers promise improvement and want to incorporate more honesty, transparency, and professionalism into their future work.
They had their new game Escape Factory funded by their fans on Kickstarter; but they immediately sensed another cheap scam. Shortly thereafter, the developers took their Kickstarter campaign down from the site and announced their next attempt: ITEMS, a multiplayer prop hunt game.
In the video by Géraldine Hohmann from GameStar, you will get all the important information about the The-Day-Before debacle summarized, plus a legal assessment of the whole situation:
No payment, just a free copy
What do the developers want? On their Discord server, the developers are now holding a competition to see who can design the most beautiful map for their new game. The map that receives the most heart reactions from the other Discord members wins (via thegamer.com).
The studio states: “This competition is an opportunity for you to unleash your creativity.”
What does the winner get? The winner of the competition will be able to find their map in the game ITEMS and will have their name immortalized on the map. Additionally, the winner will receive a free Steam key for the video game.
In principle, the studio is encouraging its fans to work for them for free. Although they hide it behind a “competition,” the effort required to create a map is certainly not insignificant.
Additionally, there have already been reports during The Day Before of voluntary workers who were lured with rewards such as participation certificates and had sometimes worked for years on the project (more about this at pcgamesn.com), without being able to show anything substantial in the end.
What are the reactions? As thegamer.com reports, the members of the Discord server are outraged. One writes: “Instead of paying concept artists, they are relying on volunteers in the form of competitions.” Another: “I thought they would hire people to make the game? What’s with the competition?”
The game The Day Before and the associated controversy has shaken the gaming world. Potential players were lured with stunning trailers that made promises the actual game could never fulfill. This game also looks too good to be true: New action RPG looks too good to be true – Players believe this is the next “The Day Before”
