Roger's Blog

Let me start with a disclaimer: This story is built on supposition, personal bias, and a healthy dose of ego! There are probably other sides to it—versions that are more accurate than mine—but it’s a great story nonetheless.

The funny thing is, I had nothing to do with the launch of Conflict: Desert Storm. In fact, I never even played it. And yet, few examples better illustrate how the unintended consequences of our words and actions can shape the games industry in ways we never predict.

The Missed Opportunity

Back in 2001, I was working at Activision, responsible for growing European-based development and franchises. One day, I found myself in discussions with a well-known UK-based author who wrote books about the British armed forces and modern warfare. His works seemed like perfect source material for the kind of squad-based, tactical shooters that were growing in popularity.

Excited by the potential, I pitched the idea internally. The response was promising—but with a catch. Activision would only sign the license if we could also secure the right developer at the same time.

Enter Pivotal Games. The studio had been founded by former employees of Pumpkin Studios, which had been shuttered by its parent company, Eidos. The team quickly put together a prototype, and I took it—along with what I still think was a cracking presentation—to Activision HQ. The pitch was polished, the game concept was strong, and the potential seemed obvious.

But then came the verdict: “It's a Pass: It's too European.”

And just like that, the deal was dead. After all the effort, all the relationship-building, we had to walk away. Letting down the developers and the author was hugely frustrating.

The Unintended Chain Reaction

But Pivotal Games wasn’t about to let a good idea go to waste. Their response? “To hell with the license. We’ll make the game anyway.” And so, they reworked the concept, Americanized the content, and sold the publishing rights to SCi Games—a British publisher best known for Carmageddon.

The result was Conflict: Desert Storm. Despite mixed reviews and a modest marketing budget, the game sold incredibly well worldwide. So well, in fact, that it spawned a sequel, Conflict: Desert Storm II, which also became a hit.

The financial success of these games gave SCi a huge cash injection—enough, in 2005, to help them acquire Eidos, the troubled publisher behind Tomb Raider. It was an industry-shaking moment—like a small fish swallowing a whale.

SCi later rebranded itself as Eidos, and in 2009, the company was acquired by Square Enix.

The Bigger Lesson

Think about that for a second. The very developers Eidos let go ended up creating a game that bankrolled the company that later bought Eidos out—paving the way for their eventual acquisition by Square Enix.

Would it have happened anyway? Maybe. But it’s a fascinating example of how one conversation, one idea, or one decision can set off a chain reaction that changes the industry.

And that leads me to my biggest takeaway:

💡 If you’ve been in the games industry for 25 years, the “three degrees of separation” rule applies. Your reputation follows you. How you treat people matters. If you commit to something, follow through. Build relationships that create win-win scenarios. And when you have to say no, do it with respect—because in this industry, today’s rejection might just shape tomorrow’s billion-dollar deal.

Julian Lynn Evans, Marcus Iremonger, Julie Man, Alex McLean, Paul Comben, Ron Doornink, Kathy Vrabeck, Scott Dodkins