10 Recent Video Game Disasters Developers Apologised For
3. Moon Studios Founder Apologised For Calling Peter Molyneux & Others "Snake Oil Salesmen"
At the start of 2021, Thomas Malher - CEO of Moon Studios and director of the Ori franchise - made a post on Resetera where he heavily criticised games developers who have misled the general public about their products, branding them "snake oil salesmen."
Malher aimed his ire at three figures in particular - Fable developer (and repeat under-deliverer) Peter Molyneux, No Man's Sky Sean Murray, and Cyberpunk 2077 devs CD Projekt Red.
He called out the "lies and deception" on which he claimed their games were sold, while also calling out games journalists for not sufficiently taking them to task.
Malher's post was met with major division, many gamers expressing agreement with his comments, while others - especially fellow developers and even some of Malher's former co-workers - felt that he was effectively throwing his own industry colleagues under the bus.
Regardless, Malher eventually apologised, stating that he "did not choose the right tone or platform," acknowledging his "overly aggressive tone."
Ultimately nothing Malher said was majorly wrong, but in an industry so heavily contingent on relationships and networking, it perhaps wasn't the most shrewd or tactful decision.