OLD SIERRA HEADS ROLL, ‘SHOTGUN’ DAVE GRENEWETSKI STEPS DOWN, TO THE REJOICING OF FOOTBALL FANS WORLDWIDE [Author: Arcadian Del Sol]

Changes in the Middle Earth Online lawsuit seem to be hitting Sierra’s upper management. On 5/24/01, the case was promoted from Los Angeles county circuit court to the Federal level. Only weeks later, the following internal memo was dispatched to all Sierra associates, including our little chatty blue-bird:

In an effort to keep you informed OF THE TRUTH, be aware that this departure comes with absolutely no prior notice or warning – which can mean only one thing. All compasses are pointing to magnetic FIRED. Sierra’s compasses are all spinning too fast to get a reliable reading. Trust me on this one.

The next move might indicate certain reluctances by Sierra VPs to so much as poke the Middle Earth Online documents with a ten foot pole, as displayed in Sierra Internal Memo #2:

“what me take responsibility for THAT?! Are you nuts?!” “fine, we’ll stick Mike with it.” The afforementioned conversation actually took place….inside my head. Something similar was taking place inside at least two other heads inside Sierra-On-Line (and can we drop the On-Line now, given that you haven’t had an online product since you fired The Realm team, and even your own website is online roughly 65% of the month?).

Whose job was he afraid to take, why none other than the scourge of computer gaming, the demon of dysfunctional software, the ORIGINAL “T-Shirt” scam-artist, David “Shotgun” Grenewetski has STEPPED DOWN.

Those of you who remember Dave’s claim to fame know full well the saga that was Front Page Sports: Football 99. A product so horribly bad, that David issued THREE PUBLIC APOLOGIES, and dispatched a COMPLETE AND TOTAL RECALL OF THE PRODUCT. Of course, the fact that every retailer was sending the copies back prior to this recall has been lost to history. Dave had a plan, tho. He spoke directly to his most staunch supporters and promised that for the next year, until the 2000 release, the FPS: football ’99 dev team would work with those who kept the product, allowing free access to patched builds, and beta testing boards – to ensure that football 2000 would not be the horrible FRAUD that the 1999 version was. He created “The Home Team” and offered, brace yourself T-SHIRTS TO ANYONE WHO SIGNED UP.

Yes, that’s right – keep the game instead of getting a refund, and you too can wear a white hanes undershirt with a $2.99 iron-on logo that tells the world, “I AND MY MONEY ARE SOON PARTED.” or “I GAVE FIFTY BUCKS TO DAVE GRENEWETSKI AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT.”

Notice to Mr. Grenewetski I STILL DONT HAVE MY FUCKING T-SHIRT!”

Oh – I simply *MUST* give you the end of this story: one month after initiation this “Home Team” system, Dave Grenewetski cancelled it, and fired the ENTIRE SIERRA SPORTS DIVISION. He issued yet another apology (FOURTH). If you’re wondering, this cancellation came exactly ONE DAY after the final valid day in which you could exchange your football ’99 for a full refund. He waited until the most devoted (read: gullible) fans of his products were stuck with it, and then cashed their checks. Thanks, Dave!

So good riddance to one of the pioneers in the “sell them a box of wet rocks” method of software publication. I promised then that I would dance a happy jig of victory when he was finally gone. Too bad that there is nothing left of Sierra, now. He’s leaving scorched earth in his wake. I don’t fault Tom Hernquist one bit for staying very far away from Shotgun’s office.

God bless you, Josh Mandell, wherever you are.

This is a banner day for THOUSANDS of old timers

Just go already. now. leave.

and stay gone.

What does all of this mean?
Why, that SHADOWBANE suxs, of course.