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Mindseye’s attempt at damage control just made the mess worse
When a new game is released, it’s typical for publishers to partner with gaming personalities to promote their game. Mindseye, the debut narrative game by the studio formed by the ex-president of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, was no different in this regard — Twitch streamers teased playthroughs on social media for launch day, June 10. […]
When a new game is released, it’s typical for publishers to partner with gaming personalities to promote their game. Mindseye, the debut narrative game by the studio formed by the ex-president of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, was no different in this regard — Twitch streamers teased playthroughs on social media for launch day, June 10. Some of these influencers showcased the game and its high-stakes AI adventure as planned. But as negative reception to the game spread, others were jerked away from their planned livestreams without any heads-up.
For those who haven’t been keeping up with Mindseye, it’s a third-person shooter that sounds like one part GTA and two parts sci-fi. In it, players try to stop an uprising of sentient robots wielded by the military. While the game isn’t open world, the DNA of Rockstar’s genre-defining blockbuster is evident throughout, from the cinematic-level animations with impressively accurate facial expressions to wacky NPC dialogue, and plenty of driving involving cool fast cars. Except now there’s also drones and microchips.
However, what began as a promising game with an impeccable pedigree soon devolved into a wreck. Most of what’s floating around regarding Mindseye is the weirdness around the launch, hundreds of negative reviews on Steam, and footage of widespread glitches and dull gameplay.
At the center of this mess are Twitch streamers, who were paid to show the game off. Presumably, many of these influencers were given contracts that stipulate conditions for livestreams. These can be anything from ensuring that specific elements of the game are mentioned to, at worst, preventing the streamer from mentioning negative elements about the game. While we don’t know what the clauses were for sponsored Mindseye streams, whatever they said couldn’t prevent streamers from losing composure while talking about the game.
In one clip that’s gone viral, a livestreamer called DarkViperAu ended his stream by encouraging viewers to check out the game on major storefronts, but with the stilted diction that gave the impression he was either reading from a script or forcing himself to say the words amid laughs. The streamer did not respond to a request for comment. In the full three-hour video where he goes through the game, the personality repeatedly grabs his face and wildly gesticulates while trying to make sense of the story and dialogue. There are also plenty of incredulous turns to look straight into the camera, as if he were playing a part in The Office.
Another popular clip is from streamer ExtraEmily, who dies after getting stuck in the game without any recourse.
