38 Studios going down the shitter (Kingdoms of Amalur devs)

[Cassidy]

I heard pirate bay runs some good sales.

I heard TPB jokes were new and refreshing~

I heard that when people buy shit games they support the development of more shit games.

 

[Quetzacoatl]

KoA should have been an MMO from the start. Atleast then it would have had some player cooperation aspect to it.

 

[Roguey]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=7991

Lastly, what do you think about the current direction of the cRPG genre? There seems to be a continuing trend of publishers favouring action gameplay and the removal of character statistics. Do you believe there is a market out there for modern cRPGs in a style similar to the great cRPGs of the past?

I think there’s still a place for hardcore RPGs in today’s market, yes, but I don’t think that action gameplay is necessarily at odds with that. You can very definitely have traditional RPG stats, depth, and sophistication, while still having action gameplay, and I think there’s a place for games that combine those elements in today’s marketplace.

If what you’re really asking me about is purely turn-based RPGs (i.e. no action elements at all), then I’d say yes there’s a place for it, but it’s not in the mainstream, at least not in the West (JRPGs are a different story). I doubt we’ll see another completely turn-based AAA RPG in the West. But I think there’s plenty of opportunity for them in the growing markets of tablet, phone, social, and handheld games, where costs of development (and the amount you need to sell to be successful) are considerably smaller. I’m definitely expecting to see some sweet old-school-style RPGs appearing on my iPad over the next couple of years.

Pre-Kickstarter gaming, how quaint

Who doesn't have a place now, huh?

He's still right though, I wouldn't call any Kickstarter thing mainstream or AAA.

 

[Metro]

I heard pirate bay runs some good sales.

I heard TPB jokes were new and refreshing~

I heard that when people buy shit games they support the development of more shit games.

If people think a game is shit why would they bother to pirate and play it (other than to make edgy jokes on the Codex)?

 

[Kaol]

I played it because i thought it might be good. A new studio making a AAA seemed worth checking out at least.

 

[Grimlorn]

knew it would be shit when I saw the trailer and the big ass weapons.

 

[Outlander]

You can very definitely have traditional RPG stats, depth, and sophistication, while still having action gameplay, and I think there’s a place for games that combine those elements in today’s marketplace.

Why oh WHY are these hacks so convinced that they can successfully blend 2 very different genres? And by successful I don't mean financial.

When you're stripping the, in example, strategy from RPGs by going first or third person in order to cheaply gain immershun! because everything else in the game sucks, you are viciously raping the genre. There are some very rare exemptions of course (Deus Ex and Bloodlines come to mind).

Point is, I may want to eat fried eggs and drink sprite and that's fine, but I don't fucking put the eggs and the sprite in the same fucking bowl!

That's what they're feeding to people, a blended mixture of shit with a shiny name, a nice box (these days not even that), and a whole lot of lies and fake hype with every whore journalist telling you how yummy it is. And the people slurp that shit and they absolutely love it. That is the Decline.

 

[Kane]

Rumor: 38 Studios lays off entire staff, sells Big Huge Games

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/18...-longer-paying-workers-could-close-by-weekend
https://twitter.com/cmdane/status/205761811981680642
http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/5/24/3041662/38-studios-lays-off-entire-staff

 

[Humanity has risen!]

It's confirmed now.

Although it's sad that people lose their jobs, it's probably for the best. The model of ever more expensive AAA games chasing the latest trend setter has to crash and burn, it's unhealthy for everyone. How are they even going to avoid getting completely bankrupt if everything must look as good as the UE4 demo, when most big studios already make deficit after deficit? That's complete craziness. Let the whole industry go smaller, more fragmented, and more reasonable in scale. The more time passes, the more I only care about independent and Kickstarter projects, and less about the latest big-budget game, that will always look visually odd and glitchy and leave no room for imagination no matter how expensive the graphics were to make.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

BIG HUGE LAYOFFS!

And another American Dream went bust. Why is it dose 'Kwans just can't compete anymore?

 

[Azalin]

So their MMO is now cancelled 5 days after it was revealed?That must be a new record.Too bad for all the people losing their jobs though

Edit:According to the governor of Rhode Island KoA had to sell 3 millions just to break even but it sold just 1.2 million.
3 millions,wtf were they thinking? ME3 sold about that many copies and it's a known IP from a known developer,how could a new company with a new IP sell that many copies?

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/05/24/report-38-studios-lays-off-entire-staff

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

No. People working on shitty products deserve to lose their jobs.

The free market demands this.

 

[Metro]

Hopefully the government of Rhode Island goes through with the 99% off Amalur sale. Although, most likely I think it'll be sold off to EA and pulled from Steam with EA keeping the prices at retarded levels via Origin.

 

[IDtenT]

It's sad because this was of no fault to BHG. One has to wonder with guys like Reynolds (and many other successful developers) ending up in the casual market, if maybe it's the only safety net out there for developers.

 

[Infinitron]

So their MMO is now cancelled 5 days after it was revealed?That must be a new record.Too bad for all the people losing their jobs though

Edit:According to the governor of Rhode Island KoA had to sell 3 millions just to break even but it sold just 1.2 million.
3 millions,wtf were they thinking? ME3 sold about that many copies and it's a known IP from a known developer,how could a new company with a new IP sell that many copies?

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/05/24/report-38-studios-lays-off-entire-staff

In a press conference this afternoon, Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee said that the studio needed to sell three million copies of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in order to break even, but the game ultimately sold 1.2 million. "The game failed," he added.

Brutal.

 

[Metro]

Apparently he also went on to say he hated all the violence and sexism in the game. I guess he lives in a plastic bubble because violence and sexism is rampant throughout all media outlets today.

 

[potatojohn]

Why does the governor give a shit about this game dev anyway? Does he go to the same yacht club as the execs?

 

[RK47]

Why does the governor give a shit about this game dev anyway? Does he go to the same yacht club as the execs?

theyre pretty close. cause the dude is ex baseball star. base ball is a game played with a stick and ball. it seems like a big thing in USA.

 

[Edwin]

not a big loss

 

[Metro]

Why does the governor give a shit about this game dev anyway? Does he go to the same yacht club as the execs?

Did you gloss over the fact that the studio was funded by a $75 million loan from the state?

 

[Kane]

the loss here is not 38 studios but big huge games. they made many a great game, but i guess that they would've been closed anyway, hadn't 38 bought them earlier.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Apparently he also went on to say he hated all the violence and sexism in the game. I guess he lives in a plastic bubble because violence and sexism is rampant throughout all media outlets today.

Wanted to get some score from voters in hope they'll forget and forgive him for 75 million jewgold Fraud. What are the chances of seeing him behind bars for this? Also 1.2 sold copies for new IP game from unknown studio and 1/10 of adverts Skyrim got is not bad... when you make game in Potatoland or other 3rd wordia. :D

 

[Infinitron]

Apparently he also went on to say he hated all the violence and sexism in the game. I guess he lives in a plastic bubble because violence and sexism is rampant throughout all media outlets today.

Wanted to get some score from voters in hope they'll forget and forgive him for 75 million jewgold Fraud. What are the chances of seeing him behind bars for this? Also 1.2 sold copies for new IP game from unknown studio and 1/10 of adverts Skyrim got is not bad... when you make game in Potatoland or other 3rd wordia. :D

The previous governor of Rhode Island approved that loan, not the current one.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Apparently he also went on to say he hated all the violence and sexism in the game. I guess he lives in a plastic bubble because violence and sexism is rampant throughout all media outlets today.

Wanted to get some score from voters in hope they'll forget and forgive him for 75 million jewgold Fraud. What are the chances of seeing him behind bars for this? Also 1.2 sold copies for new IP game from unknown studio and 1/10 of adverts Skyrim got is not bad... when you make game in Potatoland or other 3rd wordia. :D

The previous governor of Rhode Island approved that loan, not the current one.

Hang them both there will be nothing of value lost.

 

[Marobug]

No. People working on shitty products deserve to lose their jobs.

The free market demands this.

This has got the most retarded post I've seen it in a while. And it does show you don't have a job or a family to support.
I would have no problem working on some justin bieber game or anything like that if I knew it could give a comfortable life to my family and myself. Anyone saying the contrary should probably try leaving their mom's basement and directing their teen angst outside the internet. Just saying.