Mr. Roberts Goes to Hollywood, Part 2: The Producer
6 days ago
- #Chris Roberts
- #Digital Anvil
- #Star Citizen
- Chris Roberts and Digital Anvil returned to game development after the failure of the Wing Commander movie.
- Microsoft, having invested heavily in Digital Anvil, was disappointed with the lack of progress on game projects.
- Starlancer, developed by subcontractor Warthog, was the first tangible product from Microsoft's investment but received mixed reviews.
- Freelancer, an ambitious project by Chris Roberts, aimed to create a dynamic, living universe but faced significant delays.
- Microsoft lost patience with Digital Anvil's lack of progress, leading to Roberts' departure and the studio's eventual shutdown.
- Chris Roberts moved to Hollywood, shifting from game development to film production, leveraging German tax loopholes for funding.
- Roberts co-founded Ascendant Pictures, which produced several films funded primarily by German investors through media funds.
- The VIP Medienfonds scandal revealed fraudulent activities in the German film-funding scheme, implicating Roberts and his business partner Ortwin Freyermuth.
- After leaving Hollywood, Roberts returned to gaming, founding Cloud Imperium Games and launching the highly controversial Star Citizen project.
- Star Citizen, despite raising hundreds of millions, remains in development with significant delays and criticism over its business model.