The Sabotage of Saints Row

[@TheNathanNS]

So, Mike Watson wanted to not only get the Saints Row 2 patch done, but also bring SR1 to PC, revive the multiplayer, port SR2 to newer systems and, hopefully remaster them both? And he worked on that patch until his dying day?? That is some absolute next-level dedication to the series, it's a shame that bellend Minimaul pretty much ruined the entire community.

[@jaccthemac]

You can play SR1 60FPS on xenia now. Hello btw

[@zXTyRaNTXz]

@@jaccthemac wowww I just wrote a comment above qqing and now saw this comment, time to get xenia

[@rangerv1]

Hey nathan

[@blissfulzane715]

Mike Watson had that drive, that passion to deliver what fans wanted. He worked endlessly on a game he loves. In a way, he was the Messiah of the community. We will never forget you, Mike. ❤

[@micketm3]

He was.. is a Real Saint !! ...of these 3D streets :)

[@flameguy3416]

A betrayal AND cancer? The universe does not want Saints Row 2 to succeed. RIP Mike Watson.

[@AliBazz]

Now what

[@methman9212]

@@AliBazzplay the ps3 or 360 version I guess

[@eric-nd9yy]

I asian I don't understand what happened with betrayal... did that guy stole the money and disappear?

[@AliBazz]

@@methman9212 how does de idea of demandin de source code from deep silver employees/ utubers non stop sound to u? Interested?

[@AliBazz]

@@eric-nd9yy nah he lazy

[@Holloaway]

The Saints Row series has to be one of if not the most tragic and saddest downfall of a game series I have seen yet.

[@bineytheactionman7174]

@holloaway @r1s0tt0 right why couldnt we have had just more of 1 and 2

[@darkcheeto3338]

@r1s0tt0 3/4's remake got cancelled so I wouldn't say the series is at a high point.

[@czarnakoza9697]

silent hill too

[@ronaldito1]

@@darkcheeto3338at this point there will be no more of Saints Row as Volition shut down

[@ronaldito1]

@@czarnakoza9697 at least it’s back with a remake, even tho i wouldn’t be surprised if it would be as bad as The Lost Message because Konami

[@InternetRob]

What a story, this is so heart touching. You can feel Mike's passion for Saints Row 6:19, "it feels like I'm about to wake up from the best dream."

[@timetoplayvidya]

Him deciding to take on a surgery that would leave a terrible life to live, but give him more time to work on the patch, is fucking heartbreaking.

[@Death_Rave]

:'(

[@FR4M3Sharma]

Legit made me tear up, I haven't even played a single Saints Row.

[@Nexxus088]

Espcially when it seems to not really of mattered in the end for how long he had.

[@DonnaChamberson]

Literally crying right now

[@tm_esco]

Damn. That's some real passion and dedication. Went out like a real one

[@dinobebo]

This is the saddest game development story I have ever heard. Being backstabbed working on a game while dying of cancer, then having the studio get shut down... I have nothing but respect for Mike Watson. Rest in Peace.

[@mrsaintsgodzilla21]

First I just want to thank you Flippy for making this video. I’m grateful people can fully see the passion Mike Watson had for the Saints Row community and the lengths he went through to try bringing as much joy to it as possible. Even beyond just the patch, Mike always put the fans above all else and did countless things for us behind the scenes. Without him, we may have never had those legendary Volition’s streams, Saints Row Undercover would just be a mystery (let alone publicly playable), and so much more. You couldn’t have asked for a better community manager. For Mike, it was never just a job, it was a privilege to work for the studio that made some of his all-time favorite games. After everything that’s happened and everything Mike went through, I only hope Deep Silver realizes how important it is for the patch to be finished.

[@Trane141Kingz]

Amen, brother 😔✊🏻

[@InternetMouse]

Hi mrsaintsgodzilla21. So good to see you homie ❤ 🐀

[@super.somarion]

How many times we have to repeat the same demand we don't want them to fix anything, we just want them to release the source code so that we fix it ourselves because they can't fix anything, and by us I'm definitely not including you cause i can NOT trust you So for anyone reading, try to reach out for anyone you can on any platform and tell them to release the source code for sr 2 AND 1 and that's it full stop

[@bu3584]

@@super.somarionyou don’t trust saintgodzilla ? 🤣

[@super.somarion]

@@bu3584 yes, embarrassing at times, i disassociated myself from people like that cause it's just a nightmare having them try to represent me and be my voice, so if you want to help try to reach out to anyone at deep silver in anyway possible and try to have the source code of both of them released

[@jst_TV]

I wonder how Thomas aka Minimaul feels knowing he basically killed not only Saints Row 2 on PC, but Mike's career and ultimately, Mike himself. Knowing that if he spoke up sooner about his lack of abilities so new developers would have been added to the team, there was a very good chance the patch would've been released as planned. But since he stayed silent and ghosted Mike, he pushed the dominoes that ended up with Volition closing their doors. Hope he's happy living with the fact his arrogance and refusal to be upfront killed a franchise he loved so dearly, and the stress induced by his arrogance killed his good friend of 10y

[@mickgovernor]

minimaul probably doesnt care because he is a piece of shit

[@garbearfar1394]

That’s what I kept thinking. I can just imagine mikes boss saying “where’s the guy at?” And Mike having to cover for him only to be ghosted twice before getting let down hard. If he’d just said from the beginning he couldn’t or didn’t want too Mike could’ve moved on and got more work done. Selfish minimaul

[@Embrod]

I think that... He doesn't care.

[@iaobtc]

He's still not as big a villain as Volition itself - the first betrayers

[@MonstersSidekick]

Best case scenario: Deep Silver realises the love and care fans have for SR2 and decides to start work on a remaster. In the best event they’ll restart work on that patch and integrate it into the remaster or start completely fresh (which, knowing bigger companies, is the more likely scenario). Worst case scenario: Deep Silver abandons the IP altogether with the reboot serving as the final entry. I generally hope they’ll see the value in the franchise and restart the series from where Gat Out Of Hell left off, a semi reboot with familiar characters in a new scenario with gameplay similar to SR2. A new open world town, familiar faces and fun gameplay

[@obsu]

Seeing Mike so excited about finding the source code is absolutely heartbreaking. This man would have single handedly fixed this game, given the opportunity. I've never seen so much love for a single game from one person. Purely good things aren't meant for this world I guess.

[@AJThirdStreet]

It's a shame seeing someone give something there all out of pure passion and be struck down by something as evil as cancer man...

[@NympoGaming]

OG devs were built different. I can't imagine a single person in today's day and age go to such great lengths to fix a game not to mention while also being afflicted by a life threatening disease.

[@nathanlevesque7812]

how is this not 'today's day and age' @@NympoGaming

[@TheGreyShaman]

Just gotta pick and choose which 3D moments you experience via the 4D construct of time. This world you find yourself in exists in a multiverse, it is not the only world much like you aren’t the only you in existence.

[@TheGreyShaman]

@@nathanlevesque7812they’ve merely chosen the worst possible moments to experience while you’re still open to the best.

[@Larry]

Hope you come back soon Mr. Flippy! :)

[@BoogyMushrooms]

Hope you're off the drugs, Larry! No one likes you!

[@judge_dreddpool7593]

'ello you! Never expected to see you in the comments of a Flippy video.

[@Larry]

@@judge_dreddpool7593 Oh, I've been subbed for years bud :)

[@ededdneddyyy0727]

The fact that Mike Watson STILL dedicated himself to work on the PC patch for Saints Row 2 knowing full well that his minutes of life on Earth were running out is the best example of an individual being so passionate about a game franchise enough to continue his work on his death bed for the community involved. There isn't anybody out there who has this level of dedication to ensure that we can enjoy a game that is as beloved as SR2 is. For that, IdolNinja will always be a fucking warrior. As much as I want to see that patch get finished for it to be released to the public, at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if Embracer/Deep Silver doesn't bother to invest in it moving forward. It would be a huge disservice to Mike, but then again, when did these companies ever have a heart? Only time will tell. R.I.P. Mike Watson.

[@billforson3143]

We need to be more vocal, until this game gets patched, we must demand gearbox to stop working on whatever bullshit they are calling a game to fix the patch FIRST

[@jjcoola998]

I've literally never met a single person who's work gave a fuck about anything other than the bottom line unless they are their own boss

[@billforson3143]

@@jjcoola998 we got to start somewhere

[@Yajeeb]

No wonder he called himself "minimal" He literally destroyed the foundation of the franchise, the community and a good man who trusted him. I hope karma catches up with him

[@BMPK]

every dog has its day

[@cjhonsons]

in reality karma doesn't always do its job, but it will fuck up his mental and haunt him, i mean who the hell can stay positive running away from responsibility after neglecting and betraying someone trust and leave them to their painful deathbed, also disappointed a huge amounts of people in a community, its a pretty tough life to live that way.

[@TubeOfLaughes]

@@cjhonsons Oh, ho ho. You sorely underestimate the level of narcissism and apathy that has been cultivated in individuals by modern society. I promise you there are people who sleep soundly every night after doing things more assholish than this to others. Humanity has been sorely corrupted. We need a moral reboot badly.

[@youdonegoofed]

@@TubeOfLaughes craaaaawling iiiiiin my skiiiiiiiiin

[@someone0]

​@@youdonegoofed These wooooounds they wiiiiiiiil not heeeeaaaal

[@frosbittenmelon2247]

It deeply disgusts me that they promised him a team would work on it, and then it never happened. He spent his last days working on this for free and was not only barely acknowledged, but lied to.

[@Gamefreak2998]

Have you seen a picture of the volition developers on the reboot? Pretty obviously not trustworthy people.

[@AmyNumberSeven]

Oh shut the fuck up, everyone there wanted to make this right. It was Embracer's creatures that ruined everything.@@Gamefreak2998

[@dreamer72]

@@Gamefreak2998 You don't know those people. They don't work in the corporate side, they made a game they were told to. Hatred isn't gonna help Mike's work, it only damages it.

[@Gamefreak2998]

@@dreamer72 Wish I could have that kind of positivity. Seriously though, if they aren't/ cant do anything with the project they should find a way to release what they can

[@DrMasterAlex]

lmfao cuz the developers working on the then new game were definitely in charge of the management of projects and allocation of manpower@@Gamefreak2998

[@alexanderthealrighty]

The story of Saints Row really is a modern day tragedy. Mike Watson was the fucking MAN, and the fact that his one dying wish probably won't ever be carried out is awful. The gaming industry really is heartless nowadays.

[@MrEmoRaccoon]

Rest in peace Idol Ninja. I never cared about Saints Row until 2013 ,aka the fall of the series, but after hearing his story it saddeneds me to this day.

[@unoriginalperson72]

Rest in Peace in Peace

[@MrEmoRaccoon]

@@unoriginalperson72 whoops lol thanks for grammar correction

[@dallas5832]

It always makes me sad no one enjoyed this series when it was in it's prime, it's like almost everyone who knows about SR was introduced to the series after it started downfalling.

[@MrEmoRaccoon]

@@dallas5832 it’s not even that I didn’t want to enjoy the series and it’s prime. It’s that when it wasn’t it prime, I was four years old. Lol 😂 but hey, I still think it’s better to appreciate a classic series rather than two either a hate it or b never heard of it at all.

[@bsherman8236]

@@dallas5832 i only ever heard about the third and 4

[@Raycevick]

Beautifully done.

[@SonicKick]

Thank you Raycevick, Very cool!

[@hydrationgoblin]

Saints Row fans CANNOT catch a break

[@p0werfu11]

First time? We had abysmal PC port for SR2, huge nosedive in quality with SR3, fun but recycled game with SR4, bad and recycled again game with GooH, and misunderstood reboot.

[@reorseX]

@@p0werfu11 there was nothing misunderstood about that reboot, people understood perfectly and thats why they skipped it

[@p0werfu11]

@@reorseX I don't know, normies' meltdown after the first trailer and then constant second-hand embarrassment from both gamers and devs seems like a big misunderstanding for me

[@shadowslayer2929]

yeah join the club fans of the game series prototype got screwed over too

[@p0werfu11]

@@InkyBlitz >takes the mainstream position >sends someone to r*ddit try to see a bigger picture next time

[@spazjackrabbit61]

and Flippy gone into his cyro sleep again

[@itsbreadbin]

Saints Row 2 should have had the DLC available for PC a literal decade ago.

[@trane3827]

Facts

[@nostalgiaholic4874]

Can't you get it through mods or no?

[@ThisUsernameSystemF-ckingSucks]

​@@nostalgiaholic4874I think the only way is to emulate it through xenia.

[@nostalgiaholic4874]

@ThisUsernameSystemF-ckingSucks hmm OK still sounds touch you would need to.get sr2 for xenia and then install the dlc somehow. Xenia is great cause it uses gpu but they don't care like rpcs3 does

[@RNA0ROGER]

This is kinda where revere engineering the games is likely the best way forward, but we need something better than github.

[@hiho9149]

I refuse to believe Mike didn't hand the source code to someone in case of his demise. I hope it gets "accidentally" leaked sometime in the future, the man worked too hard on the game for it to end like this. On that note, are you hiding something from us, Flippy?

[@Mynostrum]

I hope he gave the code to a small group of the community to work on their own build to put out. Or maybe that's deep silvers next plan is to re-release SR2 selling the new revamped code as its own newer port.

[@HumungusO_o]

​@@Mynostrum i pray youre right

[@TheLonelyPalm]

Actually cried during this. I was so so SOOOO upset that they couldn't even be bothered to actually fix this mess. One man, a small team, they had the gusto to do it but life had other plans. Rest In Peace Mike, Rest in Peace Saints Row.

[@dirkchell]

Amen🙌🏼

[@ansarullah2005]

grieve but do not despair friend

[@B3rten]

If a Saints Row 2 remaster comes out it better have either Mike Watson as an honourable character, or in the credits with the title "True Gentleman of the Row".

[@OperatorMax1993]

I fully agree on this.

[@Singa_]

What fucks me up the most about it is that we sadly live in a world where money takes priority over a man's dying wish.

[@RNA0ROGER]

Where there is a will there is a way

[@rexthewolf3149]

Well yeah, fixing a fucked up PC port isn’t something that’s going to be done for free.

[@realCyng]

This is why we need socialism

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@realCyng ah yes

[@foca7550]

@@realCyngThis but unironically

[@volcanostyle5390]

This was crushing to watch - I was part of the Something Awful community and frequented the Saints Row thread all the time, Gentlemen of the Row was THE way to play and IdolNinja was a really cool guy and regular poster. Loads of us had purple avatars and fleur-de-lis under our names. This video was how I learned he passed. Rest in peace man, you made my favourite game even better.

[@tmansimpson1]

RIP IdolNinja, every time I think of Saints Row, I think of you.

[@Brandonv1103]

Honestly I completely forgot about volitions closing. This story is so upsetting and I had no idea how bad Mike's condition was when he was sick. So sad a different team can't figure out what one man could accomplish. SR2 is a very special game made by a talented group of people and Mike only makes it that much more special. Thank you Mike, for all the work and dedication you put in for all of us.

[@timbaker69]

so tom just waisted time and money and derailed all future updates by not just admitting he sucked at coding.

[@timbaker69]

How is the community not more mad at Tom? I’m over here boiling that he didn’t our boy so dirty and he continued to funnel money from a project that we all wanted. Like he’s the reason our guy was working on it till his death, Toms the reason he got un promoted too.

[@nieildilsonsouza4747]

​@@timbaker69 if history is a amazing teacher, the ones that may be mad are probably banned from whatever echochamber discord server or subreddit that may be.

[@michaelburke7978]

A man who opted for surgery so he could live longer (despite having adverse effects on him) just to have more time to finish his work is truly the epitome of love and dedication. That man deserved a much better fate. Saints Row will always house an amazing community thanks to people like Mike. Reading this comment section, I'm so glad to be part of this fandom. I hope nothing but good things come your way, everyone :)

[@Kiezly]

RIP Idol Ninja, me and him used to be friends on steam and he would let me message him on there and it was so cool of him to dedicate his time to a random saints row fan for a few minutes every day. He truly loved and cared for all of us and was always happy to help and be there for you. Him taking the time to answer my DMs for a couple minutes of his day meant so much to me all those years ago. I’ll never forget it.

[@mitchellwilliams8903]

Flippy, thank you for sticking to your ideals and not signing the NDA. This video has brought to light so much information that the community has deserved for a long time. It was a pleasure to once collaborate with you and godzilla on the saintscast. RIP Mike Watson.

[@0852657luis]

Just like Toys r Us, volition only crime was being collateral for a corporation.

[@JohnathanWilliamson849]

Volition spat on it's fanbase for a decade, they were the problem.

[@markweis6619]

​​@@JohnathanWilliamson849How? And don't use your example of a former dev agreeing on what Anita Sarkeesian said that you spam on every single video because that's invalid.

[@JohnathanWilliamson849]

@@markweis6619 If they listened to their fanbase instead of what the journalists said about the games they made we wouldn't be in this mess.

[@KiraSlith]

@@markweis6619 And don't use your example of someone else using an example of Anita Sarkeesian being the literal worst thing to happen to the entire videogame industry as a preemptive claim of invalidation, because that's itself invalid. Seriously, get mental help. You can't just proclaim a valid point invalid and not come off as a useless twit.

[@ProGamer-lk9qw]

@@KiraSlith You’re all useless twits who cares? Let’s just focus on making Mikes dream a reality! Rest in peace Idol Ninja.

[@JoesGuy]

In an alternate universe, we have the patch, an SR1 port for PC and Michael is healthy, proud and treated as a hero amongst gang bangers the world over.

[@dunghoIe]

Thank you Mike Watson for all that you've done. Rest in Peace, gangsta. 🙏

[@Skids113]

Mike always put the community first, even when he knew he was running short on time. I can’t imagine being faced with my own mortality, telling it to fuck off, and going back to work on something so many people have dreamed about for years. Life’s not fair, and it’s especially unfair when it takes the coolest fucking people for no good reason. R.I.P. Mike Watson.

[@boomstickYT]

Damn what a ride. I hope people never shut up about this patch because it would be a crime if it never saw the light of day. I fought through the pain of the pc port about 5 or so years ago to experience this amazing game and I've wanted to replay it ever since, but I've never been able to remedy the crashing on my hardware even with community mods. I've followed this patch since it's public announcement and seeing how it was and continues to be a shitshow is deeply saddening. I can't think of a game more deserving of a better port than Saints Row 2. Even past that, it is disgusting to me that Mike Watson never got to see the fruits of his labor. He was more passionate about this game than anybody else.

[@NotThatJonesShow]

I know it's not the same but you can get a PS3 Super Slim for like $80 and acopy of SR2 for like $5 on PS3 the PC copy ain't going anywhere if they ever do patch it or you could also get a Xbox 360 E (E does not mean Elite its a separate model that came after the Xbox One much like the Super Slim) and SR1&2 for like $100 altogether

[@vrclckd-zz3pv]

​@CYAN_BLAUI hope someone leaks it

[@BigBrosFilms]

​​@@NotThatJonesShowDude nobody wants to have to do that and rely on old consoles we want the game to be patched so we can play it on PC and on steam deck both now and long in the future so the game will be preserved and fixed for good

[@NotThatJonesShow]

@@BigBrosFilms first off it's not relying since those consoles are the last generation that don't require Internet to play it's games and the models I referenced came out in like 2014 as the last gasp and are the most reliable of them you want actual game preservation a steam copy isn't what you want you want a physical disc that can't be revoked from you at any time for any reason steam and PC gaming is unreliable because of that

[@johnm9893]

Fighting for the patch is a hill not worth dying on. What people should be fighting for is a remaster of Saints Row 2. Which makes more financial sense as a project and has a better chance of reviving the series.

[@Hilanthis]

What truly pains me the most out of this whole situation is that Mike passed away still hoping the franchise could be saved and believed things would turn around. The one and only positive is that he didn't have to be here for the collapse of it all. Here's to hoping that in some way, one day, we'll somehow still get to fulfill his wish though.

[@Matt0482]

As sad as this is, I’m atleast grateful I was able to experience saints row 2 on the Xbox 360… that was truly the peak of gaming.

[@kingturk339]

I am surprised to learn that Minimaul was the one who fked us over with the patch and possibly with sr1pc project too. And i was the one who keep telling everyone that he needs to be the community manager after Mike. Damn man

[@Elixir6336]

Back in the day while playing sr4 I had an issue were an ability (tornado I think) prevented you from completing some activities. Went to SR forum looking for help, and Mike not only told me what mod to use to fix this, he also was patient enough to tell me how to install it properly. This man was a paragon of passion, charisma and hard work, I think we all can agree he made this community better, and he will always be missed.

[@rangerv1]

I wish i was able to interact with him, he sounded so cool and probably could single handily get the fans through dark times like the reboots reveal

[@walker230]

This is to much to take in, a SR1 pc port, SR2 -"NewPatch" test builds, SR2 source code given to the public, I have never seen such involvement with "old" games, this would have been a inspiration for other companies (if it would have succeeded financially with more SR1 and SR2 sales). The SR-Reboot was a infuriating abomination. Man, thank you for all the time that you have put into this rollercoaster and for sharing the information with us. There was so much passion involved in this Patch, maybe others will do the same with problematic PC ports or even port games that we're never meant to see the light of day on PC, just like OpenGOAL for the Jak&Daxter games.

[@synthnation9857]

this is legit one of the most tragic stories in gaming I've ever heard, with all the videos that you and other were talking about this patch, it's absolutely heartbreaking to see that it end like this. I'm not really familiar with the Saints Row series, I've only played The Third and IV game, but I've always wanna play the first and second game (I tried playing SR2 on pc before, it's not really going well obviously) when I heard that there's gonna be a new patch for SR2, I was excited. I really wanna play this game. but we all know what happens. and also the fact that Mike was literally working on this project until the day he was gone, with all the pain he has to go through. if it wasn't for Mike and the community this wouldn't even be bring up at all in the first place, and it's just all gone to nothing. I honestly don't know what to even say anymore, but I would love to thank you, Mike, and all the other community member that keep this dream project going on as long as it could, maybe it's meaningless coming from an outsider like me, but I really mean it. let's hope that we're all gonna have a better day than this.

[@taylord5381]

The way Volition looks at Saints Row reminds me of how Konami looks at Silent Hill and completely misunderstood why people loved it in the first place.

[@fknmoonkai]

rest in peace idol ninja hurts to see he was one of the only people who actually cared about the fans and was super hard working and dedicated

[@MTFOphantom]

So thats how it all ended. Thats genuinely tragic. Rest in peace to this great community. Lets all leave off in agreement that we will choose not to acknowledge the reboot's existence.

[@KaosDeathLord]

AJ said to support this video, also Flippy I used to use your tutorials and stuff back in the day., this video really almost made me cry :( RIP Mike we all love you :(

[@AJThirdStreet]

[@leftyfourguns]

Check out the new Juiced mod. It could be the future of restoring SR2. The only other thing we can hope for is Idol Ninja's work being leaked to the public so we can finish it

[@nouryy]

RIP Mike. And thank you Flippy for sharing all of this. Instead of being hopeful for the patch, I just learned to appreciate what we got.

[@Dakayto]

I haven't seen any project that had so many worst-case scenarios. It honestly does feel like the Saints 2 patch was sabatoged.

[@yozorasakura9753]

I take this story quite personally, because I had a cousin who brought me into the Saints Row franchise when I was younger. Like about 6 or 7. And it was a blast to play the game and hangout with him. Not only that he would be sure to let me play Saint Row 2 when it came out. He’s really the inspiration to me for gaming and he had such an influence in my life to be a good person. Unfortunately he passed away early in his life and I never got to share that Saints Row 3 experience with him. Whenever I play 1 or 2 I always remember being in his room playing late night until morning. Or looking up early KZbin videos about game secrets. It just makes me sad hearing about this story now and feeling some connection to my early childhood with a cousin I’d always visit every weekend to play games or box with.

[@PrinceVegita1]

Kind of tragic how a group called Embracer isn't embracing anything at all

[@KopperNeoman]

Oh, they're certainly embracing ESG scores.

[@nieildilsonsouza4747]

@@KopperNeoman and they are reaping massive net losses thanks to it.

[@Hillthugsta]

​ESG scores? 🤔​@@KopperNeoman Edit: Nevermind...

[@EmeraldTaurus96]

What a sad situation. But respect to Mike Watson for willing to sticking to it until the end. Thats gangsta. RIP Saints Row. Rest Easy Mike Watson.

[@aviatornic2839]

Mike watson sounds like an absolute blessing, and Im sorry for your loss. I hope this blows up, and they realize completing this over all their other projects might buy whoever does it so much good will with the gaming community at large, that they might benefit. Idk. Thank you for sharing this story

[@cptblargington7556]

This just made me miss Mike more. He was not only the best community manager for SR, but the best community manager for any studio. His legacy needs finished. We need this patch for him

[@_SR3MP]

This video make you realise on how much this franchise suffered from a lot of bad decisions, and sometimes bad luck. It's tragic because we all know Saints Row 2 is far better than a lot of GTA games, Saints Row franchise could have been so much more.

[@rexthewolf3149]

Did it? 3 was the best selling game in the franchise so it’s not surprising that Volition went with that direction rather than 2s

[@_SR3MP]

@@rexthewolf3149 Yep but what made SR3 the best selling title in the franchise ? Because SR2 was a masterpiece, it had already prepared the terrain for SR3 ! Also the marketing was really really insane for SR3 ! Tbh, in 2009 I had never heard about the Saints Row franchise, I was playing GTA 4 and TBOGT a year later, and then I discovered the franchise with SR3, and then played SR1 & 2 later on. It's a proof the marketing was not that good for the first 2 games.

[@fredster594]

@@rexthewolf3149 Yes. Although it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. SR3 led to the community being split and with them jumping the shark with SR4 it resulted in the series writing itself to a corner with no possible return. The only possibility they had was rebooting the series but with the series essentially irrelevant and the entire Saints Row community extremely divided, they had no clear direction anymore. And by the time the SR3&4 fans grew up, most of them were already sick of the goofy tone and the early 2010s humor and wanted the series to be more balanced like the first two games. Although mainstream reviewers probably said otherwise. But with no clear audience anymore and mainstream professional reviewers being idiots, all they could do was play it as safe as possible and say "fuck it" and try to imitate SR3 but make it appeal to a newer and younger audience like Gen Z, which of course failed miserably.

[@IwipeoutU]

Watching flippy videos is just bitter sweet at this point knowing what could've been with the series. Thank you and everyone who worked so hard on keeping our favorite games alive. Rest easy Mike, you earned it.

[@RockieRotten]

Thank you. not just for this video, but for sticking around as long as you have, I have countless channels i'm subscribed to that have all gone dark over the years. Its always good to hear from you Flippy

[@grthjryrd7552]

Prob cause this website is Uber trash

[@WillemDafuq69]

Idolninja is rolling in his grave. Those incompetent clowns couldnt even keep one promise.

[@CaptainGlack]

I always think of Mike when I play Saints Row 2 now. I grew up playing the first game and SR2, and I have such deep feelings for it that are way past nostalgia, and it was such a formative time in my life. Saints Row 2 runs great on my Steam Deck, and with Gentlemen of the Row I get to see "IdolNinja" every time I play. It's one of the only games that really makes me feel like a kid again. I have such a love for Mike Watson, even though I never met the guy. You could really feel the love for not only the game but also for the community and you can still feel it now. Great video man, nice one.

[@humantofu]

Man, it really makes you wonder how the series would've ended up if literally anyone but Deep Silver/Embracer Group owned the IP. It's just a tragic state of affairs all around and even now, it would be nice for the patch to still be worked on. If not for Mike Watson then only because it would be the only way for Deep Silver to rebuild fan trust and get them remotely interested in future SR games.

[@Sabbalab92]

Fuuuuuck, that sucks. That really sucks. Poor Mike. Hopefully, one day, Deep Silver will get the patch made. Chances are slim, but I can see a trailer for Saint's Row 2: Unf*cked Edition come out one day dedicated to Mike. How lovely would that be?

[@bokephdeloritto6351]

“I met Godzilla” Incredible statement.

[@8684LYFE]

Outsider to the community here - really appreciate you making this and sharing Mike's story. He's an absolute inspiration. And it's good to be reminded that despite all the corporate greed that is associated with gaming nowadays that there were people that are still so passionate and cared, even if it was ultimately sabotaged.

[@Xighor]

They should release the Source Code Publicly, Someone needs to a long with the latest test build i am sure theres some modder who would pick up the work just need the community fixing whst they can

[@updog4L]

Not happening. It's deep silver's property, and considering that SR2 is still up for sale they would be practically giving us the whole game for free in exchange for a tiny amount of attention. Maybe they can do it under some very specific license, but I wouldn't get my hopes up

[@billforson3143]

​@@updog4Ldon't get your hopes up instead break into their company and steal it yourself, once it's In the public, we Good.

[@supra107]

It would be the best and the only way to bring the SR1 source port and SR2 patch to fruition, but it'll never happen. Deep Silver would see it as giving their game away for free, even though it's 15 years old and they don't even sell SR1 anymore. Not to mention that the source code =/= the entire game, but corporations don't understand that. To them, a 15-17 year old codebase of a game is the entire product, even though without the gigabytes of assets that still need to be acquired commercially, you can't have a fully working commercial game with the source code alone. The same corporate mentality that led to the patch being stuck in this indefinite limbo is the same mentality that'll never allow for it to happen. And if by some chance the source code gets leaked, Deep Silver will do their best to go after anyone distributing it, because it's their copyright, their intellectual property, and only they can decide what they can and cannot do with it, even if they'll never do anything with it and just sit on it.

[@updog4L]

@@billforson3143Wait for them to sell their property or auction off the hardware, rob the auction house like that casino from SR2, release the source code, profit! I call dibs on the life sized Saint statue

[@FrancisYorkMorganFBI]

the only thing we can hope for is a anonymous leak by one of the employees.

[@Fizzie_pops]

Crying right now no bs. I love people like Mike. Pure dedication and love. What a guy! I had grown up with this game series. Very interesting seeing the ins and outs of everything. I hope for some closure on this soon. Thanks for sharing Flippy.

[@peabuddie]

So tragic on so many levels. Mike got soo close. May he rest in peace. Thanks for sharing Flippy. I know that you found some healing and reconciliation for yourself in making this video.

[@JaredKohr]

RIP Mike, had no idea about all this. Unfortunate he couldn't help volition see what made SR great. It's amazing how spectacularly they killed the franchise.

[@GrandadYT]

There is still a small chance that the community can fix it. Reverse engineering is an option and if any of those play test builds contained .pdb files then it would make that process easier.

[@HeySlickThatsMe]

Test builds didn't contain pdb files

[@RNA0ROGER]

That chance goes from being small to substantive provided there exists a good git platform to support such an effort. Along with proper information and tutorials on reverse engineering. This reality remains a distinct possibility and something that can indeed be done.

[@BeyondDaX]

@@RNA0ROGER The question is, how long can that be hidden enough without them going for a case of cease and desist?

[@kazwat]

@@BeyondDaX the developers would have to stay anonymous, this could be done before the development process starts by creating a trust network between the dev team with PGP so they can validate all git commits. “The council of Mikes”. P.S. to anybody reading this; I would be happy to key sign with C++ game devs and reverse-engineering experts ;)

[@RNA0ROGER]

@@BeyondDaXHost outside the project outside the US sphere of influence, along with having a no log policy. They can send DMCA's and cease and desist letters until the sun goes cold.

[@weishen2407]

You might not read this bro, but I admire you so much, I can tell how painful those times might have been for you, how much the series mean to you and how close you were to accomplish something greater than all of us could have even imagined. Been watching your videos since I was a kid, SR will always have a special place for me, I'm glad you are not quitting and I'm glad and thankful that you shared this story with us, ur a great guy Flip, so seemed to be Mike, he would be proud of you and the community that I have also had the pleasure to witness grow, never stop bro, I thank you for your dedication to the series I love

[@skiddly9115]

Thank you for explaining the story on a deeper level. Ive been following the patch status for years and always wondered what exactly happened so it's nice to have more closure around it not happening. I can't believe minimaul would do such a thing and ignore a man with limited time on this earth due to whatever foolish reasons he had.

[@hansmoleman2666]

Reminds me of the L4D2 “””community””” update, just a bunch of people who didn’t care about the game at all, only wanted their names and mods attached to the game, so longstanding bugs and issues were all ignored and we received nothing but arbitrary changes to the game. Sounds like the Saints Row community was very, very lucky to have Mike, even if things haven’t worked out as you all would have liked... yet - hopefully things might still work out for the best though.

[@slash8297]

Man, this really sucked ass. They even managed to ruin compatibility with half of the community workshop mods.

[@creepypastakain5100]

Mike deserves to be remembered as a hero in the gaming industry. This man is absolutely legendary. I never knew any of this was going on, the only info I knew was watching your channel, Flippy. Been subscribed for years. R.I.P. Mike W.

[@LordSethrik]

This video genuinely brought me to tears As a huge fan of Saints Row from day 1 and a fan of Idol Ninja since not longer after the first release of Gentlemen of the Row It saddens me that someone with such selfless intentions was dealt such a bad hand in the end, but his dedication and commitment to not only Saints Row but the gaming community in general are a true inspiration, if only all game developers had the same level of passion and commitment for their projects I've recently started learning game development myself and will find a way to do a fitting tribute in a future project, Mike deserves all the respect in the world RIP Mike

[@JohnSmith-se7pp]

You know that episode of SpongeBob where his eyes get all big and he starts crying and runs away? That’s us rn

[@achair7265]

May Mike continue to rest in peace and light. In the name of the Father son and holy spirit Amen. Godspeed you literal Saint. I and others may not have known you till now. But for what you did for the series, for all of us regardless of platform. Despite of everything. Thank you.

[@ttooee2635]

Yup, I cried. Mike was a inspiration to me to. I will NEVER give up on SR!!!!!! Thank you Flippy for the video.....NEVER LOSE FAITH!!!!!

[@RotundCanine]

man I knew this video was gonna hurt to watch, but fucking hell... I'm glad you were able to get this story out here for us to hear, I just hope that at the very least the SR2 patch can happen, it hurts to hear how much Mike put into it just have all this happen and potentially be for nothing.

[@ChaseMC215]

CD Projekt also did the port of Split/Second to PC. They didn't learn jack shit from the experience with the PC port of SR2, as they somehow managed to make the game worse on PC, even with a game breaking save corruption glitch that was never patched.

[@rangerv1]

Cyberpunk moment

[@DR3ADER1]

CDPR were always the shitheads of development. So many morons defended their terrible work practices and insulting attitudes to quality control. More than Bethesda, I add. Whilst I'm glad that people now see them as the naked frauds that they are, I'm not impressed at all at the collateral damage inflicted on the men and women who have to work under those cretinous cunts.

[@Gregorious]

​@@rangerv1 CD PROJEKT /= CD PROJEKT RED. CD PROJEKT was the polish game publishing company, so their team mostly worked on translations.

[@TomokoxKuroki]

@@rangerv1 cd projekt red had nothing to do with this port, it was done by the localization team of cd projekt (the overarching company), which had previously mostly focused on localizing games for the polish market and had very little experience with pc ports

[@hardVatsuki]

reminds me of the witcher 2 on pc, more saves you have more lag game will produce and game will create a lot of saves thanks to autosaving

[@Flippirino]

I appreciate the closure, but it does feel sad. Even if we shouldn't feel sad, it still drags on. Thank you Flippy for making this and raising awareness.

[@ldking5132]

Man...my heart. This video man...all these years. All the memories good and bad. I don't even know....thank you for making this....

[@LetLiveEverything]

Thank you for sharing Mike's story. I had no idea. Saints Row 2 will forever live in my head and now so will Mike's dedication.

[@saint-]

Really gonna miss Saints Row & Volition. Huge part of my childhood, it’s sad to see it go out like this. I may not have enjoyed later Volition games like SR4 & AoM but I always hoped they’d succeed because of how passionate they all were. The Volition streams with Mike, Alex & Chip were awesome. Rest in Peace Mike Watson⚜️

[@imrileth6618]

Thank you Flippy for making this video. Idolninja's fate really brought tears into my eyes. I never knew about Minimaul's betrayal or any of the backstage bullshit he had to endure on top of his sickness. He was one of the best, a real positive force in the community. Rest in peace Mike.

[@Moaiticus]

RIP IdolNinja, I wish things could have been different for Saints Row

[@Jimy_duracell]

Me just 20 minutes ago: "Oh, just a fun Saints Row video! Let's check it out" Me right now: 😭😭😭😭

[@z1u512]

After hearing all of the tragedy, I'm so happy to hear flippy continues making videos.

[@-Raylight]

It's really sad to see what happens to Saints Row, 2's story was so amazing. 3's gameplay is so much fun, especially with your friends. RIP Saints Row, they deserve better

[@AJThirdStreet]

Rest in peace idol ninja. His dedication to the community and his passion towards the games will forever live on. as for the rest of this video... I don't even know what to say... Mike was such a great man in such a difficult situation, hearing about the beyond troubled history is a testament to Mike's dedication and to deep silvers incompetence. If deep silver has a shred of credibility left in the soul they claim to have, they should push for making this patch regardless of finances... Easier said then done I know, but how about making an investment in community trust? an investment in some serious fan service? Or maybe just to honor a legend. It's time for deep silver to understand they own an IP with a rich and crazy history and it's up to them to carry on the torch... Whether they like it or not.... Watching the video it was genuinely gut wrenching hearing the passion one man had and for it to be stagnated and pushed to the side by others... Heart breaking honestly... I think knowing all the facts and seeing this video... I can't rightfully say I would feel comfortable buying anything else deep silver make until this patch is out there... not until this wrong is righted... as for Mike man... kills me that I never got to meet him... He sounded so fucking awesome and his impression on the community might just be bigger then some of the games themselves.... Rest in peace

[@advanced4945]

F

[@KaosDeathLord]

God damn I miss Mike ;(

[@AnimeLuffyFan]

RIP 🙏🏾

[@trane3827]

Rip

[@realCyng]

I know for a fact you can't talk about community trust like how you just broke my trust completely

[@billybob7135]

Market: We want a SR2 Patch! Volition: Saints Row Reboot with 0 soul. Take it or leave it. Market: We will not buy this game. Volition: How did I go out of business? I just don't get it.

[@KopperNeoman]

Embracer Group: Damn you, capitalism. Foiled us again.

[@crimson5pider]

Correction Market: we want the sr2 patch! Volition: I gotchu Deepsilver: No the fuck you don't

[@SummerS95-12]

Correction: Deep silver: we don’t want a continuation of 2 that wraps up the dex storyline. Volition: uhhh what do you want? DS: a soulless reboot.

[@yvngdende]

The real 3rd Street Saints were the friends we made along the way

[@streamtrollmike5348]

I hope that one day in the future, this community finally catches a break and can look back on these times as the dark ages. Thanks Flippy, I started this series with SR3, and if it wasn't for your videos, I probably wouldn't have gone back and seen how amazing the first two games were. RIP Mike Watson

[@RaresEra]

thanks for putting this out man, i’ve been more of a lurker in the saints community but seeing the passion that mike had throughout the years was also moving, and it broke my heart when he passed. he didnt deserve his legacy to end like this, but in the end he did what he loved. all love man. fuck cancer. fuck embracer. and may we have a future still where mikes work is not left unfinished.

[@MattyHarris]

This video is definitely a huge tear jerker that really shows how much of a fighter IdolNinja was for the whole community. I really enjoyed the way it was edited and the way everything was told. It’s a really good closure. Absolute fantastic stuff.

[@purple7filth]

Remember those comments from people saying flippy was lying & didn't know anything about what he was talking about with the patch? 😂

[@Nice-Swine]

flippy goes above and beyond for their scripts love all the details in vids like these

[@Nice-Swine]

in tears btw

[@fredster594]

It's really awesome how well Flippy's videos have aged compared to many other KZbinrs. Seriously, his SR2 vs SR3 video does not at ALL feel like a 2012 video. His 2012-2017 videos are still just as watchable as they were when they came out. And the best part is, Flippy has only gotten better since, the script and writing for his videos have so much more poetry now while not feeling too different from the edgy and funny Flippy we all know and love.

[@locklyle10]

I've had a spotty history with the Saints Row community but I remember sitting up and watching the streams with Mike and Chip and all the other volition members back during the 10th anniversary of Saints Row 1, and when AOM was being developed. I really enjoyed those streams and everyone involved at the time seemed really passionate about the series and it was just a really fun time to be a fan of the series, even after 4 and GOH put a bit of a nail in the coffin. Everything that's happened since then has been really depressing, and I genuinely feel very sad and sorry that this is how things turned out for everyone. Despite everything, I will still cherish a lot of the memories I've made with this series, such as helping with the Secret Stash, hanging out in the VCs with everyone, and just having a good time playing co-op with hundreds of people over the years. I'm genuinely really sorry that things turned out this way, but I'm glad I got to experience it even if I wasn't exactly well liked. Thank you guys for everything. - Coolmcgroove.

[@TheTriibalChief]

Dear Flippy, I sincerely hope this isn't the end of your channel. I would give anything to see you continue your old playthrough of the original Saints Row, and God, all 4 of them. But at least the first two. You know, the real ones. Your channel gave me a lot of happiness over a lot of years, and nobody loved this game series like we did. I just don't want it to be gone forever. Maybe some day some game studio will buy the rights and remake the game and actually make it good. I've got so many ideas. Hope you're doing well, and hope you come back to us with that series someday. And if you don't, then thank you for everything Flippy. May the OG Saints live forever in our hearts.

[@King_Jakolas]

Corporate greed will continue to ruin everything in our lifes

[@loogiemaster308]

Capitalism*

[@shyguy85]

still the only good system@@loogiemaster308

[@EldishRinger]

​@@loogiemaster308That's what corporate greed is.

[@loogiemaster308]

That's my point@@EldishRinger

[@EldishRinger]

@@loogiemaster308 You didn't need to correct him then.

[@OrionWolfang]

I can't believe how IdolNinja was treated after all he did for the community, its sickening, I feel so bad for him, R.I.P IdolNinja a true legend and savior to the Saints Row series, I can play SR2 on pc cuz of him.❤

[@fritz6810]

RIP Mike Watson We Truly lost a legend

[@IronicalChronical]

If Saints Row 2 ever gets a patch, the community needs to create an in game statue or landmark in his honor.