The End Of Level 9

[Pete Austrin]

Mike, Nick and I have spoken at length over the past few months about this, about continuing to support Champion of the Raj, and just as much about when to reveal to you, and while none of us are certain that this is the right time, we had to choose a date, a time, and a place to tell you, and this was the "lucky day" and the "best place" to reveal to you that we discontinuing support for Champion of the Raj, and closing Level 9.

Over the past six years in this format, and many years in previous formats, our adventure games have provided you -- has provided us all -- a means of self-expression, and a conduit for our humor, our passions, our interests, and for all of the ways that we could (and did) enhance each other’s lives by way of this medium -- a medium at once strangely impersonal, and yet at the same time intimate to a degree never thought possible before the invention of the Nascom and the development of the VM developed here at Level 9.

To say it has succeeded wildly is an understatement. Though many have come and gone, those who truly felt the magic of Level 9 and its games at one point in their lives or another had our products become an indispensable part of themselves and how they spent their free time. For many, visiting and participating in the worlds we created became as second-nature, as tightly woven into the fabric of their lives as reading the newspaper, talking with friends, as smiling at a cool breeze, as breathing.

Level 9 was a truly magical place, at a magical time.

There can be no denying, however, that the studio as a whole has experienced a decline. Depending on your perspective, it has been a violent decline over a short period of time, but those who have taken part and remained through out the episodes, who have been there, have a little more perspective and insight, and would surely say that has been a pattern of entropy and disintegration, infecting the place and its products slowly and steadily for quite a while.

I know it. Mike and Nick knew it. And though we all feel that you are part of this experience, as much as the hands are a part of the arm, and the arm a part of the body, there has to be an authority -- in this case, an equal partnership between Nick, Austin, and myself -- to be able to make the hard decisions when the time came.

It has not been easy. All of us have such strong feelings about Level 9, Champion of the Raj, and everything we've created, that even discussing this seemed distasteful and ridiculous at the beginning. But as time moved on, and our discussion continued, it eventually became clear what we had to do.

That is why, with a bittersweet firmness, but no small sorrow, that we must announce that Level 9 will be dismantled and closed permanently, ending with it, the continued support for Champion of the Raj and our other releases.

We did not want this to be a "sudden" thing, so we chose today as the date of announcement and chose March 31st, 2008, as the final day. We felt this gave everyone enough time to come, express their thoughts, get the most out of our games while we were still willing to be around and give them a presence of their former selves, but not so long that it became a death march, or that Level 9 would be allowed to decline any further.

We will be here to listen to your replies, your concerns, even your arguments, but know that this decision was not reached lightly, and that we are committed to this plan.

For those who may suffer from this, we sincerely want to express our remorse and regret, but we hope that you will learn to appreciate the bright sides, the way we are allowing the studio to go out with dignity, and will see that this is a time not for mourning, but for celebration, of the wonderful ways in which Level 9 made all of our lives a little more fun, a little more special, and at the end of the day, a little more livable.

Thank you all for your support through the years,

Pete Austin

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I should probably sticky this, too.

[Pete]

Would you?

[Pete Austin]

Until the end of March, we'll be here and willing to discuss any game that has been released by Level 9, even those games that have had their general support ended.

Colossal Adventure to the Champions of Raj are open to general discussion between you, me, and the remaining staff.

Sadly, we aren't allowed to discuss or provide any sort of assistance with games we've ported for other companies.

The Legend of Billy the Kid (Ocean)
It Came from the Desert (Cinemaware)

You'll have to go to the developer for any sort of help with those titles. Sorry, just the remaining staff weren't involved in working with those games beyond code level porting.

At the end of March, to celebrate our commencement, we'll also be releasing the specs to A code, and the development version of our VM. Were behind here scrambling to finish enough documentation for these to work for you, and to give to all of you the general product that your money has allowed us the time to create.

The studio is winding down and will become dormant once those two tasks are completed, with only a few on hand to help, thus the earlier the better for any thoughts or questions you may have.

Pete Austin

[Souffle of Pain]

What was the last game you made? It was in 1991, wasn't it? I would imagine we all thought you had already gone under because you'd have missed payroll for the last 130 quarters.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Pete,

What was the experience like developing "Knight Orc"? I am quite fond of it, and always interested in new information about it.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Hey dipshits - if you're gonna fucking start the lawnmower, then don't get all queasy when it comes time to cut the fucking grass.

You started this shit, now run with it, MR LEVEL 9 IS CLOSING PARODY THREAD.

You want to know who impresses me, when I see a half-baked abandoned fake thread like this? A thread whose author could only engage in the exhausting physical bafflement of typing for two days before completely giving up, never to return? PARRISH. Even though he is so amazingly depressed that he'll probably take his own life before St. Patrick's Day, he still managed to keep a daily thread about failed abortion clinic names going for months, which is made even more spectacular considering the low feedback he got from this audience.

Fuck you, eat my ass and the next time you feel like running a joke with the big boys, choke on cock instead.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Furthermore, here is a primer on my posting style here for the rest of 2008:

- One of you, any of you, posts a message in one of the bases
- I completely fucking flip out and go berserk yelling at you

If you were wondering what you were going to miss if you skipped this place in 2008, let me assure you: it would be the abuse.

[Pete]

TROLL, STOP
TROLL, TAKE MOUSE
TROLL, STOP

Feel free to contemplate your future actions, ICJ, but understand that were only here to amuse and dazzle and will listen intently as you go on.

As for Knight Orc, it appears you've already contemplated the life of a Troll and infused that with Grindleguts to get where you are now. Don't let us stop you, and we'll leave you to contemplate the course you've chosen.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Yeah, this thread still sucks, though. You'll respond to this, and then I'll let it go for now and bump it in March, and then you'll go, "Hmm, wonder what happened to that thread" in a year or so and check in for your own curiosity, but that will essentially be the end of it.

[Bill Schikn]

I just wanted to say that I am sorry for the people who lost their jobs. Can we get an update on how they are doing??

[Bill Schikn Sucks]

Thought I'd find you here, Schikn! You suck!

Also, I figured out who Pete "Austrin" Is!

[Bill Shickn]

why must you ALWAY S follow me places??? God Damn you! Let ie go! I'm not giving that microwave back to you!! GET IT THROUGH YOU'RE SKULL

[Bill Schikn]

DUMMY!