Sweet Baby Inc. Continues to Destroy Video Game Companies, Blazing a Path of Destruction
Sweet Baby Inc. has struck again, and I know... you're all shocked. Yet another video game has been left in ruins. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, a once-promising co-op action RPG, is the latest casualty in the trail of destruction left by Sweet Baby Inc.
Wizards of the Coast and developer Tuque Games have announced the closure of Dark Alliance servers, set for February 24, 2025. The game will also be pulled from sale on the same day, although those who already own it can still access to offline single-player and DLC content.
This somber announcement appeared on the game’s Steam page:
“We will be shutting down (shut down) the Dark Alliance servers on 2/24/2025 and it will no longer be available to purchase starting that day. The base game and all DLC are still available to play in offline single player by anyone who currently owns it.”
This marks the final nail in the coffin for a game plagued by dismal player numbers, tons of problematic bugs, and just overall lackluster reception since its launch. However, the real story lies behind the scenes—specifically, in the involvement of our much discussed Sweet Baby Inc.
Sweet Baby Inc.’s Role in the Decline
Sweet Baby Inc. CEO Kim Belair and Ariadne Macgillivray are credited as Game Writers for Dark Alliance. Their involvement flagged the game for inclusion in the all-important Sweet Baby Inc.-detected Steam curator list by friend of the channel, Kabrutus. A badge of shame for many gamers familiar with the company’s reputation. Once again, their fingerprints are visible on a failed project.
The game peaked at a mere 9,912 concurrent players upon its release in June 2021. But its popularity evaporated almost instantly, plummeting to under 300 concurrent players by July 2021. In its final days, the game limped along with a peak of just 10 concurrent players in the past 24 hours. TEN.
Reviews eviscerated the game for its buggy, unpolished state. One scathing critique read:
“This is not a Dark Alliance game. The level progression is horrible. It's poorly optimized and my strikes don't line up with where they land (neither do enemy strikes). Don’t play this game. Instead, go play Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 1 and 2. Then, play NeverWinter Nights (or Champions of Norath, but you probably need a console for that). Then go play Divinity 2: Original Sin, followed by Baldur's Gate 3. Hopefully by then you will have forgotten this game existed and you will be able to live a happier life.”
Another wrote:
“This game is the reason gamers hate buying things on day one. We are NOT your BETA TESTERS!”
A Pattern of Failure
Of course, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance isn't alone. It joins a growing roster of titles marred by Sweet Baby Inc.’s involvement. Other notable failures include:
Unknown 9: Awakening
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Not to mention game studios like Heart Machine suffering massive layoffs.
...Among many others... THIS YEAR ALONE.
Not the greatest track record.
Each of these have suffered directly from poor reception, lackluster sales, and dwindling player bases—a damning indictment of Sweet Baby Inc.’s "influence".
The Sweet Baby Inc. Effect
Sweet Baby Inc.’s reputation for unnecessarily injecting diverse storytelling, lack of polish, and misguided priorities into projects has become a hallmark of their own failure. Instead of enhancing games, their approach alienates gamers and steers projects directly into irrelevance. It's not just me. Far from it. The gaming community has repeatedly voiced its frustrations, but developers and publishers for whatever reason that we haven't been able to figure out for certain... continue to ignore the warning signs.
The shutdown of Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance underscores the ongoing damage caused by Sweet Baby Inc.’s involvement in the gaming industry. As another title fades into obscurity, at some point... You'd think developers by this point would have begun to rethink their reliance on Sweet Baby Inc. and their destructive practices. Maybe they are... Maybe it's a victim of long development time causing the lag. Who knows - but ultimately, gamers deserve better, and the industry’s future depends on listening to our voices.
You know... the people who actually play the games.
~Smash
