Robert Kurvitz

Last updated

Robert Kurvitz
Robert Kurvitz in 2020.jpg
Kurvitz in 2020
Born (1984-10-08) 8 October 1984 (age 40)
Tallinn, Estonia
Occupation
Period2000s–present
Genre
Notable works

Robert Kurvitz (born 8 October 1984) is an Estonian novelist, video game designer, and musician. He was the lead writer and designer of the 2019 video game Disco Elysium as a founding member of the ZA/UM cultural association and the eponymous video game development company that emerged from it. Kurvitz was fired from ZA/UM in 2022 after conflicts arose with Estonian investors who had acquired a majority stake in the company. [1]

Contents

Life and career

Early life

Kurvitz was born in Tallinn on 8 October 1984 to the artist couple Raoul Kurvitz and Lilian Mosolainen. By the age of fifteen, Kurvitz had dropped out of school. [2] He became part of a group of peers called The Overcoats, a group of "5-10 high school dropouts...anarchists of some sort, with the motto: 'Today we drink tea, tomorrow we rule the world.'" Long pen-and-paper role-playing sessions with this group were the beginning of the world that would become Disco Elysium's Elysium, and former Overcoats would form the core of the group that coalesced into the ZA/UM cultural association (not to be confused with ZA/UM Studio) in the early 2000s. [3]

Music

In 2001, Kurvitz became the lyricist and lead singer of progressive rock band Ultramelanhool, which has seen by many as a continuation of the Estonian alternative rock tradition developed by Vennaskond and Metro Luminal. [4] [5] The literary scientist Jaak Tomberg argued, however, that such easy comparisons may do a disservice to the band's actual original character. [6] To date, they have released two albums, Must apelsin (Black Orange) and Materjal (Material), in 2004 and 2008 respectively. [7]

The band failed to secure an Estonian record label for their second album. It was then self-released with money inherited by Kurvitz's long-time friend, editor, and collaborator Martin Luiga, and released on the internet for free. [8] In 2011, Kurvitz collaborated on his father Raoul's album Forbidden to Sing, providing backing vocals and keyboards. [9] [10]

Literature

In 2013, Kurvitz published the novel Sacred and Terrible Air (Estonian : Püha ja õudne lõhn), on which he had worked over five years. [11] The novel, set in the fictional world of Elysium, centers on three men who, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of their classmates, are still determined to locate them. It received positive reviews, [12] [13] [ failed verification ] with literary theorist Johanna Ross highlighting it as one of the few books to successfully bridge science fiction and "literature proper". [14] The literary scientist Jaak Tomberg emphasized the great attention to detail in his review: "Through that novel we bear witness to (1) a style which seems to be in its actually realistic and simply reflective way to be attentive towards the world to an almost paranoid degree, and (2) to a made-up world, which in its relentless interconnectedness is far more systemic than the reality we recognize as 'our own' and also remarkably more systemic than most of the fictional ones, which may by their similar way of building reservedly be called 'fantastic'." [15] Despite its positive critical reception, the book was a commercial failure, selling between 1,000-1,500 copies, and causing Kurvitz to "succumb to a deep alcoholism". [16] An English translation was planned for 2020, but it did not occur. As of 2023, two English fan translations exist. [17] [18] [19] [20]

Having played tabletop roleplaying games for much of his life, Kurvitz uses worldbuilding techniques derived from Dungeons & Dragons , though opting for a pseudo-modernist fantasy world instead of a pseudo-medieval one. He employs help in the development of his ideas. "Mass editing" was employed as a tool in the finishing stage of the book; people of varying backgrounds assessed the readability and realism of the work, pointing out confusing passages and suggesting amendments. [14]

Video games

In 2016, Kurvitz founded the video game development company ZA/UM. ZA/UM's first game, a single-player computer roleplaying game titled Disco Elysium , was released on 15 October 2019. Kurvitz was the game's lead writer and designer, [21] [22] [23] having produced about half of the total in-game text (half a million words). [2] The game was set in the same world as Kurvitz's novel Sacred and Terrible Air . It received universal acclaim, being named as a game of the year by several publications, along with numerous other awards for its narrative and art. [24] [25] [26]

Kurvitz claims to have developed the Elysium world since he was fifteen or sixteen, originally inspired by "a bootleg Finnish Middle Earth roleplay system". The game is also notable for having far less emphasis on violence than the norm for the RPG genre. [27] Kurvitz considers some aspects of Disco Elysium "essentially Soviet", referencing the Soviet Union's tradition of science fiction literature and the works of the Strugatsky brothers in particular. "They were people who took responsibility for the heat death of the universe. When they were writing books, this needed to contribute to the ultimate fate of the universe. Because they didn't have money obligations, so what are your obligations then? So this kind of serious responsibility for, what the fuck does a piece of entertainment really do to the human mind, and what are the responsibilities therein, that I think is very, very, very prevalent in Disco Elysium." [2]

Politics

A communist, Kurvitz has a green-gold bust of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin on his writing desk, which he claimed formerly belonged to Estonian Soviet writer Juhan Smuul. [28] "I guess my favourite thing I like to say about this is that for me it's just a wholesome tradition. It's about loyalty, it's about the country where I was born. This is how I was raised, this was who I was told to follow, and I would be a naughty revolutionary, kind of an edgy rebel, if I wouldn't have Lenin on my writing desk." [2] Kurvitz is a follower of Hegelian dialectics, which he describes as "the central principle of Elysium's worldbuilding." Dialectics and other leftist historical theories were essential for Elysium's development, forming the basis for critical elements of the world's history, such as the innocentic system. [3]

2013 Sirp controversy

In November 2013, Kaur Kender, Kurvitz's longtime friend and collaborator on A Sacred and Terrible Air, was announced as editor-in-chief of the Estonian cultural magazine Sirp . Kender soon brought Kurvitz on as an editor. Kender's appointment was criticized by many in the press and some artists for their "undemocratic" nature on the part of the Ministry of Culture, though these protests were also criticized for exaggerating the problem. [29] Less than a month later, both Kender and Kurvitz announced their resignations from the magazine after they published an unpublished work by poet Andres Aule, which was done without his consent. In their statement, they said that they had made "a grave mistake" and "[did] not see the possibility of continuing." [30] In the Disco Elysium official artbook, Kurvitz described the situation as “a suicidal manoeuvre that constituted the pathetic crescendo of our national careers, an unremovable stain, an unforgivable sin.” [3]

Removal from ZA/UM

In October 2022, Kurvitz, along with art director Aleksander Rostov and writer Helen Hindpere of ZA/UM, were announced by member Martin Luiga in a Medium post to have, along with Luiga himself, "involuntarily left the company," stating that ZA/UM "no longer represents the ethos it was founded on." Luiga also revealed that the original ZA/UM cultural association had been dissolved. [31] In an interview, Luiga stated that Kurvitz and the other members had been fired under false premises. [32] A ZA/UM spokesperson stated to Eurogamer that "Like any video game, the development of Disco Elysium was and still is a collective effort, with every team member's contribution essential and valued as part of a greater whole. At this time, we have no further comment to make other than the ZA/UM creative team's focus remains on the development of our next project, and we are excited to share more news on this with you all soon." [33]

Additional statements were released by the conflicting parties in early November 2022. Kurvitz and Rostov together claimed that Zaum Studio OÜ, the development studio, was originally owned in majority shares by Margus Linnamäe and was then acquired by Tütreke OÜ, a holding company owned by studio CEO Ilmar Kompus through a share purchase in 2021. Kurvitz and Rostov claimed that the funds used for that purchase were pulled from the studio itself, making it a fraudulent purchase; on this basis they sought to challenge the purchase and recover their IP from the studio. [34] The pair alleged that Kompus purchased four sketches from Zaum that were establishing the basis for a Disco Elysium sequel for £1, then resold these to Zaum for €4.8 million, effectively helping Kompus regain part of the money spent to acquire Zaum through Tütreke. Kurvitz and Rostov discovered the change in how the company was organized, including their demotion, and alleged that they were fired when they began asking questions. Kurvitz and Rostov argued that they still have some control of the Disco Elysium intellectual property rights, and thus should have had a say in blocking the sale. [34] [35] Zaum Studio released a statement dismissing the charges, saying that the former employees had been let go for creating a disruptive environment at the studio, that the two had "limited to no engagement in their responsibility and work", and that they had verbally abused and engaged in gender discrimination against other employees. [35] Other employees of Zaum Studio speaking anonymously with GamesIndustry.biz claimed the situation lay between these points. [36] A later investigation by People Make Games corroborated some of the studio's accusations, with Kurvitz in particular singled out by some other employees, who assumed lead roles subsequent to his ousting, for poor management and creating a hostile work environment, especially during Disco Elysium's long period of crunch. [37]

Legal proceedings in the matter were started by Kaur Kender, the executive producer of Disco Elysium and Kurvitz's longtime friend and collaborator. An initial hearing in Kender's case, which included statements from Kurvitz, was held in October 2022. [35] By December 2022, Kender had dropped his lawsuit, as Kompus had paid back €4.8 million from Tütreke back to ZA/UM. [38] [39] Kurvitz and Rostov still assert that there were illegal actions to take over the development studio leading to their ouster. [39]

The studio issued a statement on 14 March 2023 stating that all legal actions from the former members were concluded. The studio alleged that Kurvitz and Rostov's lawsuit was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Further details of these cases remain confidential. [40] However, on 17 March 2023, Kurvitz and another former ZA/UM creative, Sander Taal (the real legal name of Rostov, according to ZA/UM [41] ), responded to this statement by clarifying that the announcement was "wrong and misleading in several respects" and "[sought] to unfairly paint [them] - the remaining minority shareholders in ZA/UM - as mere disgruntled employees." Kurvitz and Taal also stated that their lawsuit regarding employment claims against the studio was dismissed "as part of a larger campaign against [them]" and that they plan to "pursue legal options accordingly." This statement additionally makes clear a rift between Kurvitz and his longtime collaborator Kender, stating "Unlike Kender, we [Kurvitz and Taal] have not participated in the looting of ZA/UM". [42] [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Developers Choice Awards</span> Annual award for games and developers

The Game Developers Choice Awards are awards annually presented at the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games. Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were presented from 1997 to 1999. Since then, the ceremony for the Independent Games Festival is held just prior to the Choice Awards ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar Games</span> American video game publisher

Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Founding members of the company were Terry Donovan, Gary Foreman, Dan and Sam Houser, and Jamie King, who worked for Take-Two at the time, and of which the Houser brothers were previously executives at BMG Interactive. Sam Houser heads the studio as president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic Games</span> American video game company

Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. Following its first commercial video game release, ZZT (1991), the company became Epic MegaGames, Inc. in early 1992 and brought on Mark Rein, who has been its vice president since. After moving the headquarters to Cary in 1999, the studio changed its name to Epic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2K (company)</span> American video game publisher

2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. The company was founded as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports sub-labels. The nascent label incorporated several development studios owned by Take-Two, including Visual Concepts and Kush Games, which had been acquired the day before. Originally based in New York City, 2K moved to Novato in 2007. A third label, 2K Play, was added in September 2007. 2K is governed by David Ismailer as president and Phil Dixon as chief operating officer. It operates a motion capture studio in Petaluma, California.

Kaur Kender is an Estonian author, entrepreneur, and advertising executive. Kender entered the Estonian literary scene in 1998 with his debut novel, Independence Day (transl. Iseseisvuspäev), which has been translated into Finnish (2001) and Russian (2003).

Mikee W. Goodman is a British singer, best known for being one of the two vocalists of the progressive metal band SikTh. He made an album in 2012 titled Awoken Broken under the project Primal Rock Rebellion, with Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith.

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in Santa Monica, California. Activision Blizzard currently includes five business units: Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, King, Major League Gaming, and Activision Blizzard Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riot Games</span> American video game developer

Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher, and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop League of Legends and went on to develop several spin-off games and the unrelated first-person shooter game Valorant. In 2011, Riot Games was acquired by Chinese conglomerate Tencent. Its publishing arm, Riot Forge, oversaw the production of League of Legends spin-offs by other developers until its shutdown in January 2024. The company worked with Fortiche to release Arcane, a television series based on the League of Legends universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Studios</span> Group of video game developers owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Studios is a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) that oversees the video game development at the studios owned by SIE. The division was established as SCE Worldwide Studios in September 2005 and rebranded as PlayStation Studios in 2020.

Playground Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Leamington Spa, England. It is known for developing the Forza Horizon series, which is part of the larger Forza franchise. In 2018, Playground Games became part of Microsoft Studios. They are also developing the next game in the Fable series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SXSW Gaming Awards</span>

The SXSW Gaming Awards were awards given to video games during the annual South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), held in Austin, Texas typically in March of that year. The Awards were part of the SXSW Gaming Expo which is part of the SXSW Interactive branch of the festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Game Awards 2019</span> American video game awards

The Game Awards 2019 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2019. The event was produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, creator and producer of The Game Awards, and was held to an invited audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on December 12, 2019. The preshow ceremony was hosted by Sydnee Goodman. The event was live streamed across more than 50 digital platforms; it was the first to broadcast live in India and was simulcast in 53 movie theaters across the United States. The show featured musical performances from Chvrches, Grimes, and Green Day, and presentations from celebrity guests including Stephen Curry, Vin Diesel, Norman Reedus, and Michelle Rodriguez. In association with the event, a virtual games festival was held online, allowing free demos to be played through Steam over a 48-hour period.

<i>Disco Elysium</i> 2019 video game

Disco Elysium is a 2019 role-playing video game developed and published by ZA/UM. Inspired by Infinity Engine-era games, particularly Planescape: Torment, the game was written and designed by a team led by Estonian novelist Robert Kurvitz and features an art style based on oil painting with music by the English band British Sea Power.

The 20th Game Developers Choice Awards was an annual awards ceremony by Game Developers Choice Awards for outstanding game developers and video games held on March 18, 2020, hosted by Kim Swift. Though normally held at the Game Developers Conference, due to the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, the conference was postponed to later in 2020, and the awards were presented via online streaming media, alongside the Independent Games Festival awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mudlum</span> Estonian writer (born 1966)

Mudlum is an Estonian writer and literary critic.

Arvi Siig was an Estonian poet, translator and journalist. He was a member of the CPSU and a communist, but still critical of many aspects of the political aspects of his day. His poetry inspired later punk poets and many of his texts are used as lyrics by the Estonian alternative rock band Vennaskond. He was among the first to include modern urban themes in Estonian poetry, also giving a voice to prostitutes, including Soviet prostitutes. The creators of the award-winning computer RPG Disco Elysium, Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov hailed Siig as inspiration and the greatest Estonian poet when accepting the president's Young Cultural Figure award in 2020: "Without his modernism, Elysium - the world the game is placed in - would not be half of what it is."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Kitsuragi</span> Video game character

Kim Kitsuragi is a character in the 2019 detective video game Disco Elysium. As a non-playable companion to the player character, he is defined by his Asian-inspired culture, private queerness, and calm, stoic personality. Kitsuragi is noted by journalists and academics for his reactions to the player's choices, ranging from deadpan quips to moments of approval and vulnerability.

References

  1. ↑ Robert Kurvitz; Aleksander Rostov (10 November 2022). "TO FANS OF DISCO ELYSIUM, CONCERNING THE SITUATION AT ZA/UM".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bell, Alice (3 October 2019). "Disco Elysium's developers are in 'a bloody battle' for the human mind". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 ZA/UM. Disco Elysium Digital Artbook. iam8bit.
  4. ↑ "Sõjaajaloolane Jüri Kot?inev vestab – üllatus, üllatus – täna hoopis muusikast. Ansamblist ultramelanhool. Ja sellest, miks eelmainit grupp tänases ja ehk ka homses kontekstis tähtis on". KesKus.
  5. ↑ "Ultramelanhool – päästerõngas uppunule?". Postimees. 10 August 2004.
  6. ↑ OKIA. "Kui bänd astub lavale". Sirp (in Estonian). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "Eesti rahvusbibliograafia". erb.nlib.ee.
  8. ↑ "Hüvasti plaadid, tere veebimuusika!". Postimees. 19 September 2008.
  9. ↑ "Eesti rahvusbibliograafia". erb.nlib.ee. 2011.
  10. ↑ "Raoul Kurvitz". NOAR.
  11. ↑ Ross, Johanna (11 June 2014). "Värske Rõhk: Kirjanduse võidurelvastumine. Intervjuu Robert Kurvitzaga" [Fresh Emphasis: The triumph of literature. Interview with Robert Kurvitz]. ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  12. ↑ "Nädala raamat: Kurvitza püha ja õudne aegruum" [Book of the Week: The Sacred and Terrible Spacetime of Kurvitza]. Eesti Ekspress. 30 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Vikerkaar ; 4–5 2014-05". Digar.
  14. 1 2 "Kirjanduse võidurelvastumine. Intervjuu Robert Kurvitzaga". va.ee. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
  15. ↑ ERR, Jaak Tomberg (11 January 2014). "Sirp, Jaak Tomberg Robert Kurvitza romaanist". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Wiltshire, Alex (9 January 2020). "The making of Disco Elysium: How ZA/UM created one of the most original RPGs of the decade". GamesRadar . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  17. ↑ Currie, Richard (27 December 2019). "I caught Disco Elysium fever. No, not the Saturday Night kind. I was really quite poorly". The Register. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  18. ↑ Nelson, Samantha (1 November 2019). "Why the Creator of Disco Elysium Hasn't Read the Reviews, and What's Next for the IP". The Escapist. Retrieved 10 April 2023. [Kurvitz is] also focused on an English translation of Sacred and Terrible Air that will be released next year, but has not yet been published
  19. ↑ Macgregor, Jody (12 May 2023). "Disco Elysium novel Sacred and Terrible Air has finally been translated". PC Gamer. Retrieved 15 May 2023. Fortunately, the videogame was a little more successful, which resulted in plans to translate it into English. However, the announced 2020 release window passed without comment.
  20. ↑ Anne-Marie Ostler (12 May 2023). "Thanks to fans, Sacred and Terrible Air, a novel set in the same world as Disco Elysium, finally has its English translation". GamesRadar .
  21. ↑ Marzano, Anthony (15 October 2019). "Police procedural cRPG Disco Elysium is out today". Destructoid . Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  22. ↑ Taylor, Haydn (31 October 2018). "Chasing oblivion with Disco Elysium and alcohol addiction". Gamesindustry.biz.
  23. ↑ Macgregor, Jody (2 November 2019). "Disco Elysium's lead designer wants to make an expansion and sequel, has already written a novel". PC Gamer. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  24. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (13 December 2019). "The Game Awards 2019 Winners: Sekiro Takes Game Of The Year". GameSpot. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  25. ↑ Byrd, Christopher (17 October 2019). "'Disco Elysium': Riveting delirium". The Washington Post . Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  26. ↑ "The 25 Best Video Games of 2019". Slant. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  27. ↑ "Tabletop Fest - Disco Elysium - A chat with Robert Kurvitz, lead writer and designer". Steam News. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  28. ↑ Taylor, Ambria. "The Disco Elysium Saga Shows Why Creative Workers Need to Band Together". Jacobin. Retrieved 24 December 2024. I would have thought my spiritual history as an absolute rancid communist might help me in this situation a little bit. But no, no one wants this kind of fight, and it didn't prepare me in any way for this stuff.
  29. ↑ Valme, Valner (25 November 2013). "Grünberg: Kender tõi särtsu". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  30. ↑ Lust, Katrin (25 November 2013). "Kaur Kender ja Robert Kurvitz panid pillid kotti". Postimees (in Estonian). Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  31. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (1 October 2022). "Founding member of Disco Elysium developer claims core team members 'involuntarily' left the company". PC Gamer . Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  32. ↑ Laska, Karol (6 October 2022). "'Fans Have the Right to Know' - Disco Elysium Co-Creator Talks ZA/UM Losing With the System". Gamepressure.com. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  33. ↑ Batchelor, James (3 October 2022). "Three key members of Disco Elysium studio have left 'involuntarily'". Game Informer . Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  34. 1 2 Bailey, Dustin (9 November 2022). "Fired Disco Elysium devs allege fraud, while the studio alleges toxic management". GamesRadar . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  35. ↑ Partis, Danielle (9 November 2022). "Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM confirms former employees were fired for misconduct". GamesIndustry.biz . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  36. ↑ Investigation: Who’s Telling the Truth about Disco Elysium? , retrieved 30 May 2023
  37. ↑ Partis, Danielle (8 December 2022). "Lawsuit against ZA/UM majority shareholder withdrawn". GamesIndustry.biz . Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  38. 1 2 Litchfield, Ted (10 December 2022). "$4.8 million paid to ZA/UM and one lawsuit dropped as the battle over Disco Elysium continues". PC Gamer . Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  39. ↑ Wales, Matt (14 March 2023). "Disco Elysium studio says lawsuits from former members have been resolved". Eurogamer . Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  40. ↑ Partis, Danielle (9 November 2022). "Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM confirms former employees were fired for misconduct". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  41. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (18 March 2023). "Disco Elysium studio declares 'resolution' of legal battle while two of its ousted founders insist the fight continues: 'they will not silence us'". PC Gamer . Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  42. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (14 March 2023). "ZA/UM resolves legal dispute with Disco Elysium producer Kaur Kender". GamesIndustry.biz . Retrieved 21 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.