Sources: GameTap & Wired

Blacksite: Area 51…ya I know what your thinking: “Blacksite what now?” The Midway developed title was released in the center of the 2007 AAA game storm. It has gone completely unnoticed by gamers world wide. I know it glanced by my gaming radar maybe once this year.

It has a lot going against it right now. Not only was it released during the height of 2007 game release season, it’s not even a quality title to boot. Scoring a measly 67 on Metacritic; the game was slammed by critics and gamers alike for its terrible squad tactics/control, a whole host of bugs and non-existent online community. The most notable aspects of the Blacksite title are the statements Harvey Smith (of Deus Ex fame), the creative director of Midway Games’ Austin and director of Blacksite, gave last week at the Montreal International Game Summit in Quebec, Canada.

Check out what he said after the jump!

“This project was so f***ed up,” Smith said at the summit. He went on and said, “I wasn’t excited about this Area 51 game,” apparently because he was also working on another project at the same time. He continued his rant with “Everyone was forced to share tech. It took eight months to get one thing working.” and “There were long delays just getting Blacksite playable” and once that was achieved “it went straight from alpha to final.”

While he qualified his statements with “I believe in personal accountability…” his distress over Blacksite’s lack of success was palpable. “I would give it an 80,” he claimed, citing the contemporary political satire he feels sets it apart from other titles this year.

Well seriously dude, what do you expect? You admit the game did not get the attention or support it deserved in development, not even from you, but you still think it deserves an 80? When does “contemporary political satire” become a big selling point? Invite me to your dream land Mr. Smith, it must be a wondrous place.

Well apparently Midway does not live in the aforementioned wonderland. Just days after his blunt discourse at the MIGS, Mr. Smith has been “let go”. Finally a story about someone getting the axe who actually deserved it! You can’t indite your own work, the company you work for, at the same time as you feign shock at a games lack of success in a public forum and not face the consequences.

Poor Mr. Smith. You lost your job over a game nobody gives two cents about, just because you can’t help yourself from rambling like a madman in public. So very sad.

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