What Happened to Paprium? A Documentary (Part 3) - St1ka's Retro Corner

[@st1ka]

Check out my review of Paprium here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqO0ZWuJjM5lja8

[@darkfalzx]

I had a history with Watermelon, starting with unpaid, then paid work on Pier Solar. Gwenael wanted me to do all sprite animation on Paprium, but then he described the scope of work, the 6 month deadline, and the art budget. Doing the back-of-the-envelope calculations I figured that in order to get the game done to spec, I'd have to work 18-20 hour days, 7 days a week, getting paid around $2.50/hr, so I noped the hell out. Fast forward two years, and Gwenael finds me again, this time he needs me to redo (some of) the work that was done in the last two years by the Chinese studio, and complete whatever animation was still unfinished... I work with Luis for the next 6 months, and everything is fine. Finally, we finish the last of the sprites, I submit my last invoice and... Gwenael does something really odd. He refuses to pay me. Instead he goes on a tirade of how I was overcharging him this whole time, and mockingly offering to pay me a fraction of the invoiced sum. I don't think he ever paid any part of that in the end, and poor Luis was stuck in the middle of this shitshow: (

[@st1ka]

Jesus! I had no idea. I'm sorry I didn't know about this before. I'd love to have contacted you and include you in the documentary

[@darkfalzx]

@@st1ka It's all good - I probably wouldn't be able to add anything new to the story anyway. Plus, it feels like this happened in a different lifetime, though it's only been a few years. My relation with Gwenael was very similar to everyone else's in your awesome docu: one day he's great and totally my indie-dev bud and wants to relocate and hire me full-time, the next, he tells me my work is overpriced shit, writes me out of credits, refuses to send me a copy of the complete game, or straight up ghosts me on an invoice.

[@st1ka]

@@darkfalzx Wait, you weren't even included in the credits?!

[@darkfalzx]

@@st1ka When Paprium credits were first made public my name wasn't on there. I believe it was added a few days later after I twitted about it. This in itself was a very minor incident, but it sticks in my mind as a similar thing happened back on Pier Solar, though details of that are impossible to recall now. Also, it possibly felt more significant since I was still salty after being stiffed on the last invoice: )

[@xneoken]

@@darkfalzx you did so much work on the project. To not include you in the credits is really terrible and shameful.

[@Zubatticus]

Who knew this simple question would allow you to make a legitimate documentary? Seriously, you did an amazing amount on research on this.

[@fortitude9932]

@@st1ka great job !

[@videogameobsession]

Rumor has it that Fonzie blew all of the Paprium pre-order funds on a giant supply of mustache wax and a barrel of pickles. I'm starting to believe this is true.

[@videogameobsession]

@@st1ka Haha. So true.

[@pferreira1983]

@@st1ka Everyone knows it's a stick on moustache. Ahahaha!

[@cmr2079]

I wonder how much he spent on that body builder in the trailer?

[@விஷ்ணு_கார்த்திக்]

what a Fonzie scheme

[@craigjuan5744]

@@விஷ்ணு_கார்த்திக் oooh I see what you did there! 😂

[@danielmccormick700]

While you can argue that WM had a positive effect, but they've also harmed the projects that have come in their wake. How many potential backers of Xeno Crisis, Tanzer & Kung Fu UFO stayed away because WM failed to deliver?

[@wulver810]

@@st1kaeah, I posted about Kung Fu UFO in many groups and most people wanted to wait to see if they would buy it... well too late now dumb asses!!

[@yandman26]

None.

[@pauclaris9876]

Me.

[@dacealksne]

So they saved people from being scammed by other projects, like Elysian Shadows, Saber Rider, etc. etc. Ok.

[@itsaPIXELthing]

That moustache was indeed hiding something... Great vid, st1ka! Thanks for your hard work!

[@gameboy8425]

Paprium finally got realesed!!!!!!!!!!! I just saw a video about it! It looks AMAZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!

[@st1ka]

Yes it did! Still waiting for my copy!

[@andylindsey]

Thanks for sharing! Nice to see the last episode of Paprium/Watermelon doc. Like that you ended it on a positive note of how Watermelon helped start the latest trend of make new games for retro systems. That's exciting stuff.

[@5saeken981]

Your Dungeons&Dragons developer commentary videos are a lesson in how to compromise and work as a team to make an amazing game. Your Paprium documentaries are a lesson in what mistakes to avoid if you want to make a game at all. Both beat'em ups, both ambitious. Completely different outcomes. Any aspiring indie game developer should watch both.

[@MachokRomeo]

just remember this game Paprium and find this video watch all three awesome documentary episodes thank you

[@st1ka]

Glad I could help

[@videogameobsession]

Nice job on the conclusion of this. As a buyer who was scammed by Fonzie I'm not happy about it, but I do like knowing more about the whole situation. I feel badly, not only for the other customers, but also the other developers who dealt with Fonzie's abusive ways and who ended up working without pay. That's a terrible way to treat anyone. Does anyone at WM know how much money was taken in by them? I've heard of some people sending hundreds of dollars each. I wouldn't be surprised if WM (Fonzie) accepted over $100K USD. The other question would be what happened to those funds. Did he use it to pay off his own personal debt.. Did he blow it on that ridiculous "Paprium release party"...drugs? Drugs could also explain his crazy mood swings.

[@abaroners]

@@st1ka The figured I heard was USD 300,000+

[@videogameobsession]

@@st1ka That seems like it would be more than enough for a law firm to get involved in a Class Action Lawsuit. I heard the PayPal funds were funneled through Fonzie's USA address. So the fact that he lives out of the country shouldn't even matter. I would love to see him not get away with everyone's money (including those who worked for him).

[@videogameobsession]

I filed a complaint with the USA FTC. It's sort of a last ditch effort to get my funds back, but who knows. Maybe with enough people filing they will take a serious look into this. All of the info on how and what to file I found on the Paltrium Fiasco website. Here papriumfiasco.wordpress.com/2018/11/07/the-next-steps-recover-your-money-or-wait-for-wm-to-deliver-the-game/ This is the part I read about them operating within the USA. "WM is a company that is incorporated and operates on U.S. soil and is therefore subject to U.S. laws. Sometimes FTC cases result in refunds for the people affected." It might be worth adding to the description. I imagine more and more customers will find your videos when they realize they have been ripped off by Fonzie, and there is no chance they will be receiving their game.

[@pferreira1983]

@@videogameobsession I think someone in Spain is getting a lawsuit together.

[@videogameobsession]

Do you have a link to that or any other info. If so, I'd like to spread the word to forums where customers who bought Paprium are discussing it. I wouldn't expect much of a refund, if any at all as I'm sure Fonzie has blown all of the money, but who knows. At the very least it would ruin his credit for life and likely carry jail time if he's convicted.

[@GustavoPLima]

Man i receved email about the project Dear lambaum, Thank you for your patience! We are proud, today, to once again, deliver. More than 30 years after the initial release of the system, 20 years after the end of the 16-bit era, and 8 years of sweat, this is the ultimate game in the console's library. SIZE shock: No other game packs so much original art, sound and gameplay in so few yet so many MEGs. SPEED shock: No other game plays faster, better and stronger than PAPRIUM. SOUND shock: No other game casts a more advanced score and astonishing sound quality than PAPRIUM. PAPRIUM is the pinacle of video game programing, engineering and artistic excellence, nothing less, believe it or miss it! Actually, PAPRIUM is much more than a game, it's the total and absolute victory against the odds. We are, at this very time, packing and soon shipping our preorders. The release day will be on December 16th 2020. Our stocks are limited and we will likely sold out in a snap, you will be able to preorder for the next shipping batch, estimated delivery 1st trimester 2021. Don't panic, the wait is worth it. www.paprium.com So don't miss out, be bold, be part of 16bit history. In the past and whenever we could, We always sold our products at a floor price and some of you may notice a steep increase in our pricing. To clear any misunderstanding, our first batch of PAPRIUM was developed, manufactured and shipped at our own expense, we have to recover this massive loss in our future sales. More over, we believe this is not a Android, PS5 or WiiU game. It's closer to a tailor-made item. The aftermarket (second hand) price don't lie, our products often reach 200% to 1000% of our original sale price. As opposed to the past, we will also update our price as our limited editions gets closer to sold out. Anyone pissed about lack of support, well, we cut out all our cost and staff so the game can ever release. And the game is there, that's all matters. Important notes: - If you have preordered a game, you have/will receive an email shortly about the shipping procedure. You can also sign-in and go to your account to check preorders status. - For any past refund request, we have already sent you an email, we are processing them at the moment. - You did work on the game? Same, an email will reach you shortly. - For the guests present at the 2018 MD's 30th anniversary party in Paris, we also sent a specific email to you. - Any game works on any original SEGA system (MD1,2,3,GEN1,2,3,Xeye,WonderMega,CDX...), there is no region locking. - We unfortunately broke compatibility with some Model1 systems, please check PAPRIUM's FAQ on our website for additional informations. More over, we announce... hahem, no no no ??? what's that ??? about ???.

[@XXTROB]

Great series, I really enjoyed it even though it’s a painful story 😭

[@chadc437]

Thanks for the video series. I wouldn’t really know much about what’s going on if not for you. So knowing what I know now, I’m pretty sure I’ve lost $90 but I actually was really looking forward to the game. I liked Pier Solar and expected great things from this project.

[@Dirk1Steele]

Great trilogy of videos. Obvious you worked very hard on this. It is just a shame for all of us who backed this on Magical Game Factory and the more recent pre-order crowd will not have a happy ending with this.

[@Digitaaliklosetti]

HOT OFF THE PRESSES You may want to make an update to your documentary soon, St1ka! I just got an email from MGF about confirming my preorder. I'm still half expecting this to be some next level of scam, or the package will just have actual dogshit in a plastic case. but hope burns eternal

[@madmax2069]

And funny enough I just got an email to confirm my preorder for shipping.

[@thehumbleone1983]

Can’t wait to see your 3rd and final video

[@SuperSteaman]

Amazing 3-part documentary! Thank you for your hard work!

[@wingygaming]

And finally, unbelievably the game is actually released on December 16th 2020! (Still waiting for mine in the post....)

[@st1ka]

Oh I know, I'm waiting for my copy too. Hopefully it'll get here soon so I can review it.

[@latinsizer]

@@st1ka make sure to find any minor flaw so you can keep your argument as valid

[@st1ka]

@@latinsizerI will give it a fair review, like I do any other game. :)

[@worldofretrogameplay6963]

Wow. This series answered more questions than any of the updates Watermelon ever published . So... that’s it; this game is sitting in limbo somewhere, and Fonzie is supposedly the only one working on it. In short: don’t hold your breath expecting this game to ever see the light of day. It sounds like Watermelon as a company is finished.

[@LaC64]

How about an Epilogue: "How to get your money back" ?

[@seanoliver7162]

@@st1ka I tried that a couple of weeks ago. But because it had been more than 180 days they denied my request. At this point it seems like nothing less than a class action lawsuit would get our money back.

[@AllardRT]

Well, there is a surefire way, but the first step is to buy a ticket to France.

[@pferreira1983]

Pay Pal? Lawyers?

[@Stoppskylten]

Maybe when all the various production issues started mounting, they could just have offered a copy of Pier Solar instead as compensation.

[@pferreira1983]

@@Stoppskylten That would require reprinting which costs money.

[@Decerebrado]

I was seriously thinking about buying their games. But it seems there are some hardware flaws on them that can damage the console. I've got my childhood's SNES damaged by a game with similar flaws and asked about it on twitter. I got banned! So this helped me to decide to not throw a single cent on their games. I must thank them for helping me to finally take a decision!

[@orbitingdecay6797]

Can't remember but was this about the level translator for vols that the cart uses? A bit like how some flash carts are not advised to be used, though the sd2snes components are meant to be perfect. I know the Mega Everdrives are hit and miss.

[@Decerebrado]

@@orbitingdecay6797 Yes. The talking was with Voultar, DBElectronics and INL. Some flash chips are 3.3v only. I had a cartridge just like this from Aliexpress that caused damage on my SNES CPU after about 8 months of intense usage on a very hot weather. I just asked these guys why this damaged my console and their games would not.

[@Decerebrado]

@@st1ka Your work is awesome! Thanks for all the videos. :-)

[@stefanalbertshofer7736]

Fisher Moraes p

[@Shendue]

@@Decerebrado Bootleg cartidges are WAY worse than any Everdrive. I know quite a lot of retrogamers, since I have a lot of friends in what is arguably the largest retrogamers' community in Italy, and none of them had issues with Everdrive. I know it was debated that it may have some design issues, but I've also read that the creator strongly denied it and said the worries are exaggerated.

[@RetroIslandGaming]

All of Fonzie's camera parts look like something out of the 70s.

[@zabustifu]

23:22 "So fuckin' ridiculous" is transcribed as "So fuckin' (expletive)" :p

[@LyingSecret]

Excellent work on this documentary, getting all those people involved and such. Seriously impressive work :D

[@st1ka]

Thank you! It was a lot of work yes ^^

[@drPeidos]

I'll probably just watch it next Monday during work. Really excited about it. Obrigado!

[@KenKenWorldWide]

That's too bad. I was very interested in seeing the game pan out. Awesome work on this from someone who watched it a year + later.

[@st1ka]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! ^^

[@Fattydeposit]

St1ka, you've done sometime pretty exceptional here by producing something akin to journalism; a real documentary work. Congratulations and kudos.

[@Zerohour2k12]

This has been an Amazing Series St1ka.! I really like the interviews, provides a deep look on the struggles that come when making a game and the factors that impact a dev team in both good and bad ways! This was really Enlightening!

[@_briangomes]

Fantastic video series, thank you for making this. Following the interesting story you put together almost makes up the fact that I spent so much money backing their projects.

[@_briangomes]

Paprium is Alive!!!

[@M31-Gaming-Boss]

frankly I lost all hope in this game but for the people who want play awesome retrogame i have 3 name : Fight.N.Rage the takeover Streets of Red: Devil's Dare

[@orbitingdecay6797]

@@st1ka I downloaded it recently, really enjoyed it.

[@M31-Gaming-Boss]

@@st1ka Thanks I'm glad my suggestions were helpful

[@M31-Gaming-Boss]

​@@orbitingdecay6797 Thanks I'm glad my suggestions were helpful

[@orbitingdecay6797]

@@M31-Gaming-Boss no worries, it is one of the best best em' ups I have ever played and I've played a fair share of them.

[@worsel555]

Crap, missed the premier but this final part is going to as great as the other ones. Thanks for making these videos st1ka, it really need to have light shone on this "game".

[@worsel555]

@@st1ka Ouch! I feel your pain.

[@pferreira1983]

@@st1ka We do.

[@SkyYuyo]

I literally just got two email from here saying this game is finished and is shipping it out by Fonz. I confirmed my information, So let's see if I actually even get it. Still highly suspicious

[@st1ka]

You and me both

[@Digitaaliklosetti]

Thanks for doing the research and making this docu. I've been waiting for someone to do so for a good while

[@djvoid1]

They should sell all the assets to the guys that made Sonic mania and let them get it done

[@wulver810]

@@st1kalso Fonzie doesn't deserve a damn dime and should be banned from all things SEGA.

[@getzapped313]

Wulver agreed he shouldn’t be touching another sega project all this should be handed over to real dev teams with experience

[@TsunoOkashi]

Great work on this series.

[@alannaevans2402]

Outstanding work on these videos. I had never heard of Paprium, but the story was fascinating.

[@666jamie666]

The actual story behind this whole project is more interesting than the game itself!!

[@orbitingdecay6797]

Certainly, if, if Paprium ever comes out, this story will always be in my mind whilst playing. Who knows maybe I'll play this documentary whilst playing the game lol.

[@Daniel.Hernandex]

Im waiting. Impatiently... great videos

[@reydreem5705]

😨Some one needs to pick this game up and finish it. 🙏

[@dacealksne]

I used to fly to Switzerland quite often. Air France looses luggage all the time. No other company. But AF - omg, every other flight. It was always delivered within a week though. Then again all I had in luggage was some clothes.

[@Elrinth]

It's sad to never be able to play this game. I remember preordering Pier Solar reprint from a german store. I actually canceled my payment because it took so long to get it. Then like one month later the store owner said he had the copies in hand and asked if I still wanted it. I took it then. I'm guessing watermelon already had problems back then. This was an amazing three part series. Loved it! Thank you for making it.

[@dreamspheree]

What a great deep a thought out documentary, nice interviewes. Really good, this series need exposure or re-release it as a whole video to share

[@dreamspheree]

@@st1ka yeah I see understandable, also it was fun waiting on the next chapter :)

[@pferreira1983]

Really good doc man! It's a shame you couldn't get Camille to talk about this. I did contact her back in January and she said she hoped to play the game in less than three months but at this point who knows? Finally after a year of annoying him about this Pat the Nes Punk has covered Paprium on his podcast but it doesn't seem to have all the information. I did leave a long list of things in a comment explaining what they forgot to mention but you can tell Ian had to persuade Pat to talk about this as Pat probably doesn't think this is newsworthy...for some reason. He seems very disinterested throughout the segment.

[@almaelma11]

At the very least, we got more games coming to the Genesis from other talented people! So thanks for that Watermelon!

[@famousfigures]

At this point,I'd be happy if they just released it on PC/Wii. At least we could play the game and it would match all of the concept videos (ie, real transparencies). Having all that beautiful artwork completely lost to the world is a shame.

[@zakuguriin4521]

I am still holding hope that one day I will find Paprium in the mail. I think at this point though its best to just forget about it since its unknown when or even if it will ever come out. If I had more money and a way to contact Fonzie I would hire on and pay all the people needed to make this project a reality and speed up the process but that just isnt realistic.

[@zakuguriin4521]

@@st1ka I'm still hoping and trying to stay optimistic. To be frankly honest, I really feel bad for Fonzie. From this documentary you can really tell that the man was really ambitious and he dreamed really big, but his passion for quality control and investing in new technologies only burned out his funding and his comrades. I hope that Paprium can become a reality after all the hardship and I hope that it can still be profitable so that all parties can get paid and recieve their product. I would love to see a future where Fonzie and his comrades can settle their grievances and start working together again. The team had amazing ideas and they all worked together really well when things were going smoothly. I hope that Fonzie learns from this experience and can be more transparent in the future with his colleages and his customers.

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

Curious to see part 3!

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

@@st1ka Great job!

[@TheTaxAutister]

I was confident Paprium would appear in some form eventually...until I watched this video that is. Also didn't know about the 2 Japanese titles, those would have been cool.

[@rogersmith494]

oh man thanks for this vid I was hyped for this game but I never pre pay and wondered what the fuck happened. this answers everything what a wild ride of missed opportunities and ego gone amok.

[@st1ka]

Sad but true. It's a huge missed opportunity. I'm glad I could help though.

[@KevTheGalaxybender]

ok I got a shipping confirmation for this game today. Along with the arcade stick I pre ordered. this is really weird.

[@Loveistheirwholehapp]

Cool that you got Jenovi in this video!

[@dirtyharry1844]

100 years later,guy lying on his death bed... "Hey grandpa,here's your copy of Paprium!"

[@st1ka]

100 years? Optimistic, are we? :P

[@ultris07]

Well this was an enjoyable little 3 part series. Looking forward to more great content. Kinda makes me wonder what other ambitious projects were/are out there that have had rough Dev cycles.

[@ultris07]

@@st1ka Don't feel that way. Having insider info from devs themselves is an opportunity of a lifetime for sure. But that doesn't mean you won't have better stories or coverage afterwards. It's a trying Battle for sure, but you do good work.

[@danielmccormick700]

The guys from Kung Fu UFO haven't posted anything in a few months now on their Patreon. They shifted to working on what is supposed to be a smaller game with a warrior girl as protagonist, but all they've shown in a screen mockup and a sprite illustration.

[@wulver810]

@@st1kaeah, they had to pull out since they didn't get enough backing. I think some are also working on the Halloween game.

[@danielmccormick700]

@@st1ka And now the Kung Fu UFO guys have deleted their Patreon page altogether.

[@RetroGamePlayers]

Wow I watched all 3 episodes and man this was great! A bit sad, but great job on it!! Looks like if that footage didn't have sound or enemies it's gonna be like 5 more years if at all.

[@thehumbleone1983]

Thank you again St1Ka for all the great work on all three videos Thanks from Saly Mao

[@chrismills214]

Great documentary. Thanks for shedding light on what happened to the game, That Fonzie guy can choke on my money.

[@Shendue]

"The assets are complete", "The game is basically complete"...those statements hurt my soul. Basically, the game would be done by now if Fonzie didn't fuck up his part of the coding and the cartridge manifacturing. Ugh.

[@bizarroman69]

st1ka, use the Street of Rage music on the documentary is pour salt on the wound :P (just saying). Great videom as usual! Best Regards

[@ryzmaker11]

This game has such massive potential (it looks unique and very impressive by 4th gen standards) that it would be just an as massive shame if it never see the light of day all because of a mess of a management. With proper communication and management, everything would be just fine even if delayed big time. Sad :(

[@ryzmaker11]

@@st1ka Yep. Like I said, being delayed is ok but ruining a team work and not paying people is not :/

[@ryzmaker11]

I had such faith in my frenchie Fonzie! Hopefully he will "awake" eventually...

[@pferreira1983]

The thing that costs zero money is the thing Fonzie didn't want to do.

[@ryzmaker11]

@@pferreira1983 no datenmeister?

[@pferreira1983]

@@ryzmaker11 Communication.

[@ManchaSolar]

Great documentary, congrats!!!

[@IBaez-pd9jt]

great inside look

[@loganjorgensen]

At least they produced that trailer, always the most important part of game development. ^_^ Palette management is probably one of the harder things on GEN/MD so I'm not surprised the contract work was poor, if you look at some of the palette hacks by Pyron even big companies like Capcom did a bad job bitd. As far as transparency, it's much easier with dither since it's hard to balance the palette limits as a whole to an attractive result let alone a whole other layer on top with only 61 colors typically. The vertical interlace trick looks better on NTSC SDTVs than PAL for sure. You drop to greyscale and do a hue tint instead it gets a lot easier to do transparency like the SNES can. He sounds like he clearly has a personality disorder, we're just on the cusp of understanding how mental health affects the world especially when it comes to leadership IE. mental illness exists period. ;) Fonzie could be talented but unless he works on himself and how he relates to others very little of that talent will ever see the light of day. :\

[@loganjorgensen]

@@st1ka That's probably for the best, all I can tell is there is a problem but it could be anything from Depression or even Bipolar Disorder which might explain the rapid shift in moods. Steve Jobs definitely had mental issues. :|

[@AllardRT]

I say that even if Fonzie does have some personality disorder, he can still work perfectly fine in a team... as long as he's not the leader and the project is instead helmed by someone who is not only more responsible, but also understands his condition, whatever that may be and can work around those issues. But alas.

[@pferreira1983]

Remember this is the same guy that took a picture of himself in his underwear as an update.

[@dirtyharry1844]

I did some illustrations for a book.The guy only paid me after i chased him a lot and guess what?When the book was published,my name wasn't in the credits.Then he came back to me for more work and the answer was... ''no thanks.''

[@st1ka]

I don't blame you

[@CushionSapp]

Recently discovered your channel and am currently going through several of your videos. Was that Fonzie guy trying to pull some kind of Ponzi Scheme or scam?

[@MegaDriveGenesis1988]

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge have real transparency in bike glass , in Kid Chameleon options too

[@captainnintendo]

I guess this is just money I'll have to accept that I'm never gonna see again :/

[@ren7a8ero]

Amazing documentary, man! Too bad it was about to an unrealized dream. Why some things have to be so bittersweet? The history of watermelon is great. I was too young, but I remember accessing some sega retro foruns where threads about pier solar development took place, Tulio was there, all situation denoted how passionated and strong retro gaming community was. But now it seems it is fading. Few are active, the ones who dreamt about making 16-bit games are already raring, since new generations never even played them. At least it sparkled brightly for a moment. I wasn't following paprium development closely, shenmue 3 took my attention in this regard. Even so, all this put me up to speed, and while chances are slim, I still hope I will got a game for the pre-order I entered. *sighs*

[@GradiusPilot]

Great documentary! I’m another (unhappy) customer. But good to know the truth.

[@ArctheLadder]

"Talking to Fonzie was an almost bipolar thing." As someone who has bipolar disorder, the way Fonzie is being described is precisely the way you'd describe someone's behavior who suffers from bipolar disorder. In terms of his conduct as a person, this really extends beyond "personal shortcomings/mismanagement." Finding out someone is bipolar is like some unpleasant surprise, while the disease itself is disparaged and basically never acknowledged. And because of that, you can probably expect any number of co-morbid symptoms might have accompanied this. That's being favorable. I'm assuming Fonzie just passes as normal to folks. Either way, I have no real sympathies about that fact, just to state that if you're supposing Fonzie has "personal shortcomings" and not problems that society allows to exist, there's a reason why people are shocked at free market visionaries and big promises. It's unfortunate.

[@ArctheLadder]

st1ka I don’t blame you for not drawing a conclusion from an off handed statement. You laid out all the facts from the statements people made, I just keyed in on that particular quote because it maps to what the other co founder, Tulio(sp), said about Fonzie judging people or “having no filter.” Potential co-morbidities would be something like narcissism or “lack of filter.” Having grand aspirations but never being able to realize or share or execute a vision... it is very difficult to overcome these as a bipolar person if you see yourself as, and more importantly if society sees and recognizes you as, normal. I’m not saying this is an identity issue, however. This is not a “bipolar rights” issue so much as saying that when people talk about mental health issues, this is probably bigger than video games. All I can say is, fonzie sounds bipolar coming from a bipolar person. It doesn’t excuse what he’s done, but if he is bipolar inevitably his wrongs are part of a larger, on going problem that we are going to probably need to learn to actually deal with. This was a great series of interviews, and I’m grateful you read and replied. I have no negative criticism about the video if it seemed that way. You see something like this in someone, something that is reflective of you, it just hurts. Thanks for listening.

[@jbmaru]

Just finished watching; great job! Not holding my breath, but as Fonzie seems to still work on it, I'll keep hoping.

[@abaroners]

That's actually the part that should cease your hoping. As long as Fonzie is ahead of it, it will never see the light of the day.

[@jbmaru]

@@abaroners Well people like Luis or Arm are still in touch with him every once in a while and are our only source of info, but there's that. But I agree it's not much; the best we can hope for is a few more months' delay... Provided he at last tells the truth.

[@abaroners]

@@jbmaru Yeah, the real issue is Fonzie's behavior. He's not an adult so don't expect adult moves from him. It's all very childish and self-centered beyond belief.

[@orangeoctober.]

Someone has probably answered this, but I believe Paypal may have froze the funds due to it being a preorder. I THINK Paypal's terms of service do not allow it to be used for preorders or reservations, and goods are supposed to be delivered within several weeks. I'm guessing Paypal had a ton of people file complaints after the "launch party" fiasco, so they took action.

[@Clesarie]

How long before those of us who worked on projects have to wait till we don't have to actually follow up to NDAs? Like is there really any legal recourse someone can come at you with when they didnt pay you for your services, stole from tons of people and never released a product?

[@Clesarie]

@@st1ka Well hopefully some wheels are in motion and I'll be able to get something out there to the fans who got nothing. Trying to figure out what exactly everyone has signed and who got compensated and who didnt.

[@summerlaverdure]

excellent documentary, tragic demise of a company because of one person

[@st1ka]

thank you! And yeah, at least the game is finally out xD

[@summerlaverdure]

@@st1ka thats good, but after learning of all of this drama i will never support it >_

[@AtariBorn]

Well fuck. I guess I now know why I never got that email to pay for shipping. That's awesome.

[@predaking2wings]

Its really tough trying to make a 16 bit game, boy it takes a lot of effort. Hopefully they can finish this project with good artist!!

[@st1ka]

I hope so, but sadly I doubt it. Even their website had been down for months now

[@andersdenkend]

Great video series, very well done. Sad story, though, I really would have loved to see this game being released on the Mega Drive. :/

[@MaxwellsUnearthly]

Fonzie turned into a ponzie scheme. It showed promise to flourish into something, but it sounds like fonsie grew selfish and greedy, it's really a damn shame. The worst part is he has completely tarnished his talent and career. How could anyone possibly trust him again or anyone that potentially sticked around and knew what was going on?.

[@st1ka]

The Fonzie Scheme!

[@fortitude9932]

Its like you read all 9000 posts from Sega 16 😆 and more great documentary getting audio video proof !

[@CheetoPanda64]

@Sarumaru look!! Your video game is at the end of this :D

[@cerbomanu7572]

Time to do a part 4 ?

[@st1ka]

I'll be doing a review, not sure if there's enough for a part 4 of the documentary though.

[@orbitingdecay6797]

@@st1ka Maybe be a review with your final thoughts on this whole saga, perhaps thoughts about what Watermelon's future is, Fonzie's modus operandi , Project N, Pier Solar 10 year anniversary release, the new game they are asking for etc. Stay safe have a good holiday and look forward to review, the game is in my basket but not sure whether to commit.

[@st1ka]

@@orbitingdecay6797 that's basixt what I plan to do ^^

[@TwoBlackMarks]

From my view, atleast the PayPal trouble is fully beliveable. I have also had trouble with Piko interactive, I got the wrong game, or another game was on the cart than it was supposed to be. (The box, manual and cart was correct, but wrong "ROM" on the cart) I tried contacting them several times, even with offers that would not cost them any money out of their own pocket to fix it. Since I wanted to buy another game anyway. But I never got any answer back at all, so I never bought anything more from PIKO at all... I see they are now coming out with more games, but I do not know if I will buy any of them, although I want to..

[@TwoBlackMarks]

@@st1ka Maybe, trouble with PayPal seems not easy to resolve. And I will never ever in my life use anyting with PayPal. I find it strange that a private company has gotten almost an monopoly on payment option anyway.

[@TwoBlackMarks]

@@st1ka Well, we do have an increasing rate of new payment options with the "rise of the mobile phones". And their seems to be a lot of payments solutions, but not many has become widely recognised yet. But for me, I prefer regular VISA, if there is an problem you can actually talk to your bank, and they can help you. And I do not trust all these wireless and Mobile payments. I have had trouble with PayPal several years ago, (I do not know how, but someone from Italy managed to somehow get an payment from me), which my bank solved for me, PayPal just said they were doing an investigation and the funds would be on hold until further investigation was done, nothing more happened, so I contacted my bank, who fixed it. My PayPal account was then downgraded and I am more or less unable to use PayPal, it was exactly as Watermelon explains it happening to them. I could not even log in to PayPal, it could be that the money is still locked away with PayPal, I am not really sure, so long time ago. Anyway, the solution for me is to never ever do anything remotely linked to PayPal, if everything goes over to PayPal, then I will never buy anything anymore, which is fine, since I then will save a lot of money.. :D Hehe..

[@orbitingdecay6797]

So things got a whole lot more interesting on Twitter.

[@orbitingdecay6797]

@@st1ka certainly sounds more promising than it did, especially hearing from Luis. It's commendable he put differences aside with Fonzie to go and visit him. Ultimately it rests with Fonzie though. I do wonder though if there will be a chance to preorder it again. If the game turns out just OK, which I hope it won't as I know people have worked very hard on it. At least it will be a game with an interesting development history.

[@jonvitrano8394]

Looks like the paprium website is down now. Guess it's over.

[@jonvitrano8394]

@@st1ka Looks like it was just down for maintenance...

[@rjsilvers3181]

This "Fonzie" is one interesting character

[@mbe102]

Code is like a fart, you can only handle your own, haha. Thats great.

[@devastator200]

Honestly If I had the wealth and resources I would continue this project without Fonzie’s permission and place his head on a button-bash bonus task.

[@kc5946]

i thought you could flicker a white block on and off as a transparency

[@samysnes]

Don't worry guys. I'm sure in the near future Fonzie is gonna run out of money and will have to sell the rights to Paprium to someone elese who could complete the project. I'm sure the creators of Xenocrisis would be delighted to finish the game. I still have faith that this game will see the light of day. It looks too good not to complete. I don't even care I was scammed out of my money at this point... I just want the game to be out.

[@SHINOBHS]

@@st1ka if money finish, his ego will finish too.

[@afropowa1598]

Fight 'N Rage lives up to SOR2 greatness. Hopefully this Paprium game will still comes out.

[@hikari67]

Oh my god, casuals....

[@afropowa1598]

@@st1ka Also to throw an expensive ass party but not pay the employees is such an asshole move, rofl.

[@benthomas3328]

Any idea whats going on now? the whole website has ghosted, i dont know what to believe anymore.

[@MegaDriveProfile]

Fonzie doesn't seem like a person you want to develop a game with yikes 🤐 Anyways great documentary on what was going on with this game because many of us were truly lost!

[@MegaDriveProfile]

@@st1ka Interesting! It just sucks because the damage is already done. I do hope it comes out and customers receive the game - their money can't just vanish like that ya know.

[@mageofjapanbackup]

Well am glad I just waited but is real shame I really liked PS so I was looking forward to this like many others

[@roartjrhom4932]

Well, it did get a release in the end so that is at least an ok ending to this story! 😊😊

[@fortitude9932]

"We arent drug dealers we genesis programmers" - correct fonzie a drug user ! Around 26:00 PayPal project y kickstarter screenshot

[@ArcaneWorld3]

Heartbroken

[@captainnintendo]

Somebody, please punch me. I just got a confirmation mail that my Paprium order is ready to ship! O_O