Game News 2.0

johnny_ultimate

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/take-two-reportedly-shuts-down-roll7-and-intercept-games-private-division-suffers-mass-layoffs

Apparently the Private Division job cuts hit even harder than initially reported.

Between this and a few other cases in recent times (Riot Games springs to mind), there’s a reminder that you just can’t trust major publishers to support sustainable ‘independent’ (emphasis on the scare quotes) labels. I totally get why it’s attractive to development teams, but sadly the corporation will almost certainly stop funding these projects either soon or later.

Nice, suitably angry tribute to Roll7 here. What a **** disgrace that great studio’s closure is.

https://www.eurogamer.net/goodbye-roll7-you-deserved-so-much-better

Zero-Cool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122091182#Comment_122091182

It's tragic, Roll7 put soul into their games. It's only something I've noticed for the last couple of years, mainly due to the amount of games coming out with no soul to accentuate the good ones. Where you can feel a game came from the heart of a dev and not filtered through bigwig ceo's sucking the soul out of it with their season passes, mtx, bloating gameplay demands to stretch out game time, etc.

Anyone know, when an indie dev gets pegged by a big publisher and let go like this, who owns the rights to the games? Like can Roll7 make a new Olliolli game? I feel like they would still open it and hope another company could pick them up but interested to know if take 2 has ownership now?

recyclops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122090324#Comment_122090324

Best things for everyone pretty much, I'd do away with exclusives if I could so much waste with having diff consoles for diff games.

Grumpypants

My only hope is they were a small studio that was recently bought. So fingers crossed the owners made enough from that purchase that they can quickly set up another studio and stay afloat long enough to get something out.

It's just a pity they will prob lose their IP, lots of proprietary tools and tech too.

McFly85

I sincerely hope that the core of that Roll7 team can stay together in some form. OlliOlli World and Rollerdome are 2 of my favourite games of the last few years, games that are fun and engaging from the moment you start them.

While it’s a shame they have probably lost their IP, in terms of what they’re capable of creating I don’t think it matters too much, any new game from them would be day 1 for me.

CatInABox

Helldivers 2 controversial account linking will now not go ahead. Surprised that it took them so long, writing was on the wall with this one since they announced it.

https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1787331667616829929

Wouldn't be surprised to see them make it an option, but with a huge carrot instead of a straight up mandate. I know loads of games that already do this, without any of the controversy.

Retr0gamer

Pretty sure it's already there as optional. They were losing massive amounts of goodwill and sales on the PC port and apparently the PC version is the one thats been by far their biggest seller.

PixelPlayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102236#Comment_122102236

The reality is its no different to any other publisher. Theres PC logins for xbox, Ubisoft, EA, R*, Epic, Activision/Blizzard etc etc. But no doubt this was very badly managed. If they had it there from the start thjs would be a non issue.

sniper_samurai

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102708#Comment_122102708

It was supposed to be there at the start but it was disabled due to the server issues.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102735#Comment_122102735

I kind of don't believe that. There's a bit of a bang of Sony throwing the developer under the bus to take the blame away from them. Let the guy with the team with more goodwill take the blow. The fact it worked from day one and operates just like all the other Sony developed games screams BS.

Not Sony's first foray at this rodeo. Still remember them throwing insomniac under the bus when all their PS3 games looked awful compared to 360.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102912#Comment_122102912

To be fair, the Steam page apparently always said there was a PSN account requirement and it was only the server chaos that led to it being temporarily disabled. No doubt a Sony decision but it was always there.

Just a regular reminder for us all though to remember there’s a lot more out there than just the western traditional audiences out there.

Grumpypants

It was a mess when people found out the only way to register your account in some regions was to do it on a console. Steam had to pull it from sale and offer refunds in those regions. Once that happened they always had to pull it back.

Next time it will be a pop up in the game UI to link accounts.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102941#Comment_122102941

I'm still not convinced. Maybe if it was implemented because of the server chaos but it that way before any server chaos so doesn't add up. I think on this case I'm applying Occam's razor and it was an attempt by Sony to increase PSN sign up numbers which has been the big stick they've been beaten with at shareholder meetings.

Mr Crispy

If this was Sony's intention all along, it's unbelievably ridiculous that the game was available to buy in Steam regions where PSN isn't available. Players in 177 countries suddenly found out that they would be no longer able to play the game.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122103132#Comment_122103132

The absolute pants on head stupidity doesn't say developer that knows their audience and reeks of clueless sociopathic MBA shareholder appeasing fuckheads.

CatInABox

https://twitter.com/NintendoCoLtd/status/1787736518762881197

Confirmation that we'll see Switch 2 this year at least, but not in the June direct. Love how Nintendo's announcements come across as if they're aliens that just arrived on Earth.

CastorTroy

Not even this year. By saying "fiscal year" they have until March.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122105755#Comment_122105755

Which would tie into a similar release date to the original switch. Iirc that was announced and launched very quickly. A few weeks build up and then launch in March.

Grumpypants

I lesson in how to turn a negative into a positive. The Steam negative reviews are now becoming a template for fan-made cape designs :)

https://twitter.com/Pilestedt/status/1787370710597312605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1787370710597312605%7Ctwgr%5E6e5c8ee0052e920fd49370facac1444e9ba7b7c1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ign.com%2Farticles%2Fhelldivers-2-fan-makes-cape-design-out-of-steam-reviews

Mr.Saturn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122105799#Comment_122105799

Console was announced in September 2016 and we got the March release date in February 2017, if I recall correctly.

I found it to be one of the more straightforward launches that refreshingly simple in selling its USP and was, for the most part, heavily software focused and was paced perfectly to build hype without the launch cycle getting mired in the usual haves/don't haves. Granted, that was probably due to the hangover of the Wii U's beleaguered launch, but still, it worked.

sniper_samurai

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106019#Comment_122106019

Yeah, the price and release date announcement was about 6 weeks before the release.

It also helped come launch that you didn't have the boll0cks of GameStop taking an "interest" list for 2 years prior to release making it near impossible to preorder like with the PS5.

CatInABox

God **** damn it Microsoft, FFS

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1787835350745842153

Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and two others gone

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122107276#Comment_122107276

Jesus…. It's just relentless….

johnny_ultimate

Ah here, Tango?! Just after they released the best game of 2023?

**** corporate consolidation. This is why you have to be so sceptical of companies like Microsoft buying up so many studios: they’ll shut them down without a second thought. Horrible stuff: so many needless job losses and super talented teams lost in one go.

Retr0gamer

Jesus this one smarts. Three great companies, two of which were hamstrung by corporate shenanigans and another that I really don't get. I mean tango game works were making great stuff and were a much needed injection of variety in Microsoft's portfolio.

I wonder if Shinji mikami knew it was coming when he jumped ship recently?

Mr Crispy

This industry is the pits.

Mitch Connor

Tango Game Works and Arkane Austin are big surprises imo. Redfall was a disaster, but if you let Austin do Arkane things it would have been a good studio. Tango released two good titles, one of which is on/about it be multiple platforms and possibly positioned for a sequel? Bizarre.

On top of this… imo BGS itself is RUBBISH at games pipe line and if i was MS i'd be positioning the teams to deliver disperate offerings in the Fallout, Elder Scrolls and Starfield franchises - rather than getting 1 title every 7 years.

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122102941#Comment_122102941

Yeah it's pretty obvious this was always the plan, and such requirements to sign up to a free account management service are standard for most multiplayer games these days. Due to the backlash the devs are now being forced to move resources away from developing future content and onto building up a tech stack that duplicates the functionality they were counting on from PSN.

Mr Crispy

Dinga speaking out against the suits.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-fing-gut-stab-arkane-boss-criticises-microsoft-execs-for-studio-closures/

“This is absolutely terrible,” he wrote. “Permission to be human: to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.”

He added: “Don’t throw us into gold fever gambits, don’t use us as strawmen for miscalculations/blind spots, don’t make our work environments darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we seen it before".

johnny_ultimate

Still taken aback by the Tango news. I mean, they released maybe the best first party Xbox title in a generation or two, widespread critical and audience acclaim, lots of awards, and apparently very solid sales… and then boom, closed. And that all in the context of Microsoft now basically giving subscribers games as part of GamePass so cutting out the traditional sales process anyway. Arkane Austin is also a shock - less so after Redfall, but you still would’ve hoped they’d have the opportunity to make something more in their wheelhouse and bounce back.

How are they ever going to build a solid release pattern of games when this is their approach? Would really make you fear for the likes of Double Fine who also make niche, acclaimed games. Really extraordinarily grim news, and absurdly short-sighted stuff from Microsoft who just keep stepping on rakes of their own making.