Joe Martin – Product Marketing for Startups

Update: Unlimited Hyperbole is no longer available. There are two episodes preserved by the Thief community on Youtube which are linked in the episode index, however other episodes have since been lost to time.

There’s a temptation when you ask someone about a cancelled game to delve into the details of the idea itself. What was the game like and is there any way I can play it? This episode isn’t about that.

Instead, Introversion’s Mark Morris talks openly about Introversion’s only cancelled game – the futuristic heist simulator called Subversion. Rather than delving into the potential mechanics of the game and the hit that might have been, Mark walks us through the story of Subversion’s inception, collapse and eventual rebirth on a personal level.

Unlimited Hyperbole is a short podcast about videogames and the stories we tell about them. The show is divided into seasons of five episodes, each with a precise topic. This time we’re talking about ‘The One That Got Away’ – but to find out more, read after the jump.

So.

I have to confess, I was enormously excited for Subversion when it was first released and what Mark says at the end of the show is a perfect explanation why – I was sold on the dream of the game. The idea of a heist game at the level of detail Mark discusses is tantalising in the extreme. All through the interview I was just thinking how desperately I want to play it.

I can’t though, obviously. In a section that was cut from the final episode Mark said he actually wouldn’t rule out the idea of releasing Subversion as either a free prototype or code drop, but he didn’t seem optimistic. It would take work, he said. It’s not a priority, he said.

On the topic of what Mark said, it’s worth touching on the topic of perspective. Assembling this episode I was regularly reminded that a lot of it involved Mark talking about Chris and presenting actions in a way which might seem one-sided. Several times I considered  chasing Chris for comment or exploring the story in more depth because of that.

Ultimately, I decided not to. I’ve mentioned before that Unlimited Hyperbole is founded on a set of rules (‘Episodes can be no longer than 15 minutes’, ‘No repeat guests’…) and one of those is a limit of one guest per episode. I also reminded myself that this is a podcast about stories in a broad and often personal sense. Even if Chris did disagree then Mark’s story is still valid as a perspective, if not a universal truth.

Again, this is a podcast about stories, not facts. Facts are just what’s left when all the stories agree.

Journalistic philosophy aside though, I’d like to encourage everyone reading this to please support the show by the usual methods – sharing it with friends, posting in forums and giving us positive iTunes reviews.

• Go to Twitter.
• Go to Facebook.
• Go to Penny Arcade.
• Go to Neogaf.
• Go to wherever you go to talk about games and tell them about us.

Seriously, we don’t ask often and it means a lot. We’re currently halfway through Season Four and, while we value every listener, it’s very possible real-life pressures may make this the last season.

There’s two episodes left. The only thing that can change that is you.