Developer's allegations discredited by publisher: MindsEye's publisher dismisses claims of deliberate smear campaign.
Feeling a wee bit underwhelmed, considering it's from the genius behind Grand Theft Auto, MindsEye hits the market, and it ain't attracting positive vibes. With a majority of negative Steam reviews and Tyler Wilde from PCG himself calling it a dud, MindsEye doesn't seem to be enthralling anyone.
Back in May, Mark Gerhard, co-CEO of Build a Rocket Boy, accused a pack of paid-off bots, or something similar, of attempting to ruin the game. You can read the sordid details in the story I've linked, but Gerhard alleged that there was a planned offensive against the game and studio, and that he had no qualms about the incoming negative reception being bankrolled by some well-heeled individual controlling a legion of "bot farms."
If you ask me, I think it's highly improbable that a public court of opinion geared against this game is actually bankrolled by some mysterious sugar daddy. Or maybe, it doesn't exist at all.
The CEO of IO Interactive, publishers of MindsEye, doesn't share the same opinion. In a recent interview with IGN that surfaced as the game dropped, Hakan Abrak flatly dismissed the notion: "I don't know. I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I just think the game should speak for itself on June 10."
I'm pretty sure MindsEye has spoken for itself by now-even during the Summer Games Fest, I wasn't exactly enchanted by the trailer, featuring a mediocre third-person action game set to Mad World. It had about as much pep as a game that tripped into a cryo-pod and woke up, gulping for breath, in 2025.
Gerhard's public lash-out reminds me a lot of the CEO of No Rest For the Wicked's pretty normal comments suggesting that negative Steam reviews would sink the studio, then denying it. Or Randy Pitchford's recent fit about a comment about gaming prices going down like a lead balloon.
I'd advise CEOs to keep their apprehensions pent up every now and then-for their own good, and their studios. MindsEye may not have set the world on fire, but Gerhard's staggering comments have made it the punchline to a very public joke that he himself set up.
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I even managed to see Build a Rocket Boy's two projects back in 2023-Everywhere, and MindsEye. My visit was mostly focused on Everywhere, and all I saw of MindsEye was a sub-par AAA videogame cutscene.
On the other hand, I got a sense that Everywhere had some potential, basically being a massive custom game platform with programmable AI, a level editor, an in-game economy with stamps to trade with friends, and so forth. That budding potential seems to be fading further in the rearview as games like Fortnite and Roblox establish their dominance. Dropping MindsEye first, and to some stinging critical reception? It isn't exactly filling me with hope.
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Harvey RandallHarvey's history with gaming started when he begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription at age 12, though he's been afflicted with a Final Fantasy 14 mindset ever since. He began his career as a freelancer, scribbling for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine-and naturally, PC Gamer. He tears into anything that catches his interest, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and offbeat indie titles. In his downtime, he indulges in a slew of Tabletop Roleplaying Games. Don't ask him about his favorite system-he has too many.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the release of MindsEye, Mark Gerhard's studio, Build a Rocket Boy, also had another project, Everywhere, which showed some potential in 2023, offering a massive custom game platform, level editor, in-game economy, and more.
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- While MindsEye failed to captivate audiences and critics despite being the work of the genius behind Grand Theft Auto, it seems that other games like Fortnite and Roblox have surpassed Everywhere in terms of dominance.
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