Piranha Bytes has shut down, Bjorn Pankratz founds new studio

[I eat frozen vegetables]

Damn, what a shame for Krauts and Polacks everywhere. Here's hoping the spirit of Eurojank still goes on with one of its stalwarts gone.

Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians as well. Popularity of Gothic 2:

Risen:

ELEX:

German studio shuts down, Slavs most affected.

 

[Zlaja]

Damn, what a shame for Krauts and Polacks everywhere. Here's hoping the spirit of Eurojank still goes on with one of its stalwarts gone.

Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians as well. Popularity of Gothic 2:

Risen:

ELEX:

Wow, Elex found an audience in Africa. And Pakistan.

 

[Humanophage]

Damn, what a shame for Krauts and Polacks everywhere. Here's hoping the spirit of Eurojank still goes on with one of its stalwarts gone.

Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians as well. Popularity of Gothic 2:

Risen:

ELEX:

Wow, Elex found an audience in Africa. And Pakistan.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Ironically ELEX killed this company

Well, ELEX 2 did.

I mean what were theytm thinking with elex 2 using new / revamped engine and animation software (gonna applaud the ambition at least) that bloats the development length (instead of reusing assets and map, because elex 1 looked fine) and made it completely unfinished.

They could have put out elex 2 in 2-3 years instead they release it in 5+ years, which is the biggest gap in piranha bytes game release, on top of releasing so close to elden ring

 

[Outlander]

Well there goes my hope for this thread title:

ELEX III - Jax is black​

 

[Alienman]

Ironically ELEX killed this company

Well, ELEX 2 did.

I mean what were theytm thinking with elex 2 using new / revamped engine and animation software (gonna applaud the ambition at least) that bloats the development length (instead of reusing assets and map, because elex 1 looked fine) and made it completely unfinished.

They could have put out elex 2 in 2-3 years instead they release it in 5+ years, which is the biggest gap in piranha bytes game release, on top of releasing so close to elden ring

I think they got trapped in the mindset that everything new, especially when considering sequels, that it must look better. Many such cases. But it's extra sad and wasteful, seeing as they are AA. They will not be able to compete with AAA either way, so why even bother?

 

[Latelistener]

The general conclusion is that they were just making the same game that aged badly, although you all know that wasn't the case.

That they have been making the same game for the last 25 years, that's absolutely the case.

That it aged badly... for zoomers sure. For the fans? Nope.

The real problem with PB is they stopped caring. Risen 3 and Elex 2 were so tired, so completely washed out, without even trying to to something exciting or interesting. Yes Elex 1 was a lot of fun but mainly due to the novel setting. Stripped off that it was still the same tired, badly balanced nuGothic.

Even I was tempted for a while by the argument the formula just wore out... but then I played Archolos and realized the formula is still fine. More than fine, it's a fucking blast. It just has to be handled by someone who gives a shit.

The case is exactly the opposite. They didn't make the same game.

In fact, Bjorn has been stripping Gothic II of its features for more than a decade, while also trying to pursue AAA gaming, eventually leading PB to its grave.

They should've concentrated on combat, animations and world exploration, not on graphics, cutscenes and narrative.

Considering the popularity of Archolos, such a game would've received a warm welcome, no matter the visuals.

 

[PanteraNera]

Björn Pankratz is the German version of Todd Howard.

 

[Tweed]

If they'd just made ELEX, but better like they did with Gothic 2 then none of this would have happened, but hey at least the remake will still come out, that's something to look forwards too, right guys?

 

[luj1]

Ironically ELEX killed this company

Well, ELEX 2 did.

it was already over by then

 

[thesheeep]

Sounds like the correct time to close doors.
ELEX 2 was the first PB game I couldn't finish, it was just too ass.

Would be nice if someone else picked up the mantle of this kind of game, but I have little hope in their new studio (as others said, given the leadership, I doubt they understood what made the first games so beloved).

Alkimia, maybe, if they can manage to not make their remake suck? Then again, even if, they'd probably be stuck making remakes for years to come

 

[MjKorz]

The studio was dead long before this. The last good game they made was Risen 1. RIP in pieces, Gothic 2 Night of the Raven will live on as a timeless classic.

 

[Decado]

Lol

 

[Dodo1610]

According to German news sites, their first game will be a "immersive indie horror-action adventure with RPG elements" So he and his wife are not making a Gothic-like.

 

[Konjad]

According to German news sites, their first game will be a "immersive indie horror-action adventure with RPG elements" So he and his wife are not making a Gothic-like.

Wow, even the description makes it sound like it's another shitty Steam asset flip

 

[Tweed]

Horror rpgs are few and far between, but I don't expect anything from these two.

 

[thesecret1]

Two decades, and they couldn't clone their own fucking game... All they needed was make another Gothic 2. Archolos has proven it.

 

[Be Kind Rewind]

According to German news sites, their first game will be a "immersive indie horror-action adventure with RPG elements" So he and his wife are not making a Gothic-like.

Wow, even the description makes it sound like it's another shitty Steam asset flip

You could read Geplant sind „einzigartige und immersive Indie-Spiele“ mit Schwerpunkt auf düsteren Action-Adventures inklusive tiefgründigen Geschichten, Horror und Rollenspiel-Elementen. as an intent to make Unity horror slop, but since they've been making the same game since 2001 I'd prefer to remain hopeful that they'll just make a horror themed Gothic instead.

I'm still angry over the silent cancellation of the Polish attempt at their own Bloodlines, the site is still up, so if Pithead could deliver on that it'd be nice. Not getting my hopes up though.

We could have had Two Worlds crossed with Bloodlines and Resident Evil

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

Two decades, and they couldn't clone their own fucking game... All they needed was make another Gothic 2. Archolos has proven it.

For real. Archolos is more damning on their track record than any pseudo-sequel they attempted because it proved clearly that:

- it isn't just "nostalgia" glittering our memories of the past, you can still do better than what they did so far in tangible, replicable ways.
- "amateurs" in their spare time managed to grasp some of the strong points of the original better than their team of professionals.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Bjorn is a cunt.

 

[sosmoflux]

It is no exaggeration to say that Elex 2 killed Piranha Bytes, and Archolos nailed the coffin.

 

[Tweed]

So what about the rest of the studio? Did they all disperse among the shitty developers out there or are they going to reform?

 

[v1c70r14]

I feel bad for Jennifer, Germany might be swamped with Arab and Turk rapists while the native men are mentally checked out, but surely she could have done better than Shrek.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

So what about the rest of the studio? Did they all disperse among the shitty developers out there or are they going to reform?

They were already trying to "secure funds to continue as an independent team" but they failed and the studio was dismantled, so I guess that yeah... They are going to spread around in other studios.

 

[Latelistener]

So what about the rest of the studio? Did they all disperse among the shitty developers out there or are they going to reform?

Same as always. Bjorn and the rest of execs took the money of selling out PB to THQ Nordic and ordinary folks without a share got the middle finger.