MindsEye founder blames employees for the game's failure, says they are 'saboteurs'

The founder of Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind the failed title MindsEye, has blamed employees at the studio for the game's extremely poor reception, describing them as "saboteurs".

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The founder of the studio Build A Rocket Boy is Leslie Benzies, who stated during an all-hands staff meeting in July, shortly after MindsEye's release in June, that the title's poor reception was "uncalled for" and went on to allege that "external and internal forces" were influencing the launch. Additionally, Benzies stated that an investigation would be launched into locating "saboteurs" within the company, which was a message sent to staff only a week before staff were informed there were going to be layoffs.

For those who don't know, Benzies was known for his work at Rockstar, specifically on the Grand Theft Auto franchise, where he gained increasing recognition for his influence on the series. Stepping away from Rockstar, Benzies formed Build A Rocket Boy to release MindsEye, which critics and casual gamers alike received as a buggy mess that appeared to be far from complete.

"I find it disgusting that anyone could sit amongst us, behave like this and continue to work here," said Benzies during the meeting

Former developers have spoken out about the situation at Build A Rocket Boy through MindsEye's development, with one former employee named Jamie saying, "Leslie never decided what game he wanted to make. There was no coherent direction".

Additionally, Benzies was accused by former developers of trying to micro-manage the project, which was referred to internally as "Leslie tickets," as the founder would highlight aspects of the game as he played it and place what he found at the top of the priority list.

"It didn't matter what else you were doing, what else was being worked on. The Leslie ticket had to be taken care of," said former lead data analyst Ben Newbon

The BBC asked about Benzies' claims of "internal and external" forces working against Build A Rocket Boy. Leslie and the entire senior management team take full responsibility for the initial launch [of MindsEye]. The version of the game that was released did not reflect the experience our community deserved."