Bernie Stolar

To do

• https://web.archive.org/web/20090914103341/http://bitmob.com/index.php/mobfeed/qaa-former-sega-president-on-dreamcasts-failure-pranks-against-sony-his-ouster.html
• Make sure "the quote" is actually quoted here, with a dedicated section and breakdown.
• Thought: Bernie wasn't.... technically (and from a sales perspective) wrong for his actions, and like much of SoA, he was doing what he thought was best and working in a new environment where none of this had really been done before, so I don't think he should be faulted for that. What he CAN be faulted for is not considering the influence of his words. Want to wind down the Saturn so the Dreamcast has a more solid launch? Fine, sure, that's just business. Whether it was a good or bad decision is another thing, but... at that point we're just talking business decisions yknow. But to say the things he said to the press, and to be ignorant of the effect those statements would have.... there's not really much excusing that. I mean AGAAAIIN he was doing what he thought was best, but dang. In WHAT industry would a statement saying "Don't buy our product, wait for the next one" EVER works out? Even in the few it might, Stolar was in far too high of a position in SoA to be ignorant to the fact that the game industry works in cycles. Among other things. I don't know, this article needs to be contextualized (much like a lot of SoA) as: Dude tried his best, and did what he thought would do good things, but made a few important mistakes (like SoA often does), but the difference was that someone in Stolar's position should have known better and should have had more awareness of the consequences of his press statements. I mean frick he was the corporate spoookkeeesssperrsonnn omghh.
• He should have gone about winding down the Saturn by-- exactly that. Letting development slowly cease and maybe give heads-up to devs, whatever. INSTEAD he did shit like this with Working Designs, in addition to basically slapping the face of any devs who wanted to continue working on the Saturn. Your development companies aren't children, they're adults and businesses, and to react this way was--- (seriously, is there a--- see below) If you don't want a bridge crossed for a year or two, you don't BURN that bridge. Because then the devs on the other side are gonna find another bridge (PlayStation.)
• Is there a reason why Stolar went- I like that slap analogy - is there a reason why Stolar went full slap on these "We wanna support the Saturn" devs? Like- I know ppl would just chalk this up to "That's how Stolar is." but.... I don't know. There HAAASSS to be a reason Stolar went right to slapping before talking to devs. A derision towards game devs/games/the industry? Was he having a bad year? I just can't understand why someone who was smart enough to be HIRED into this position would then go and act this way, and with this attitude....
• Everything from https://hiddenpalace.org/News/Go_Go_Goemon!_Mystical_Ninja_Goemon_Zero
• Everything from http://www.gaijinworks.com/interact/showthread.php?56-WD-Trivia-Storytime-Thread&p=3152&viewfull=1#post3152
• http://www.lostlevels.org/200403/200403-xtreme.shtml
• https://web.archive.org/web/19970601220206/http://www.workingdesigns.com/graphics/news/interact.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/19970624043429/http://www.workingdesigns.com/graphics/products/ramcart.htm
• From a 1998 interview with LunarNET (or just hosted there): "Rudo: Like the Bernie Stolar Superman Picture! Webber: He looked like an idiot in that picture! Vic: The majority of SOJ was mad about that picture, they didn't want their CEO portrayed like that. Phil Harrison, for Sony, and he looks like you expect a CEO to look in his picture, in the same issue(Next Gen). He(Phil Harrison) looked really in command and really great, and you've got Bernie leaping off a desk with this crazy look on his face. Thats the whole thing with pictures...." IMO I like the superman picture, I didn't think it presented him as incompetent (tbh it makes him look fun) but it was the late 90s and things were more serious I guess, but the bit takeaway here is that SoJ didn't like the picture... which, reading between the lines.... reads as more "We don't like Stolar so far". A lot of other execs are known for some silly photos, and for SoJ to go out of their way to such a degree that Ireland would say "the MAJORITY of the company" was against it... there's definitely more going on than "please take more respectable photographs". Anyway.

CartridgeCulture (talk) 23:56, 22 November 2021 (EST)