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Factor 5 now completely dead

Shiggy

Member
We all know that the US branch of Factor 5 shut down in December 2008 after Brash went bankrupt and Superman was canned. A few months of unpaid wages were enough to put the studio down, which hastily took their other two projects and transferred their licenses to their German branch Factor 5 GmbH, which was made to look like it was their main studio right from the beginning - even though it was only formed in 2003 (this led to a yet unsettled lawsuit).

So some of the former Factor 5 US employees formed WhiteHarvest, which is said to have continued on the Rogue Squadron Trilogy, Pilotwings and later a Wii port of Brutal Legend. While the Rogue Squadron Trilogy pack was more or less finished, Pilotwings might have lost Nintendo's backing and then not have found a new publisher. WhiteHarvest was finally killed when EA cancelled the Brutal Legend port in August 2009.

Since then the German branch, Factor 5 GmbH led by Achim Moller, appeared to be still operating. However, in January 2011, Moller decided to liquidate Factor 5 GmbH - all game licenses were transferred to "Eggebrecht, Engel, Schmidt GbR". Moller seems to have formed a new company in late June 2009 when WhiteHarvest went down. This company is pretty similar to Factor 5 GmbH and is called "Factor V Media Production GmbH"; same adress, same services.
Eggebrecht, Engel and Schmidt are now working on casual titles at TouchFactor.


So Factor 5 staff, check your NDAs whether they are still valid when both Factor 5, Inc and Factor 5 GmbH vanished. If not, leak these titles :D

c_03200ook.jpg
bm1yaol9.jpg
 
I'm very curious to see what the Wii version of Rogue Squadron looks like. I heard it was running the Lair Engine or at least the terrain engine.

I didn't even see the words Sony in that picture. I thought that was suppose to be a Wii title.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
If the Rogue Squadron trilogy was done I have no idea why it was never released. It's Star Wars for fuck's sake. Even if it didn't set the charts on fire surely it would have pulled in enough dosh to warrant development.
 

Ridley327

Member
I know that Lair wasn't ultimately responsible for Factor 5 going down the tubes, but it certainly did show how quickly one game can reverse the fortunes of an entire developer.
 

Ysiadmihi

Banned
BigTnaples said:
Well that sucks. Rogue Leader was soo damned good.

Am I the only person who thinks Rogue Leader played like crap compared to the first game? It's not really satisfying shooting down a TIE Fighter if it only takes one hit.
 

Shiggy

Member
EatChildren said:
If the Rogue Squadron trilogy was done I have no idea why it was never released. It's Star Wars for fuck's sake. Even if it didn't set the charts on fire surely it would have pulled in enough dosh to warrant development.

Activision even told some UK retailers that it was coming...
LucasArts probably just didn't want to pay Factor 5.
 
Deadbeat said:
It would have been amazing to see what graphics the wii was truely capable of, but I guess we will never know.

Shin'en does a great job, it's just that their style is more cartoony, whereas Rogue Squadron looks more realistic.
 
EatChildren said:
If the Rogue Squadron trilogy was done I have no idea why it was never released. It's Star Wars for fuck's sake. Even if it didn't set the charts on fire surely it would have pulled in enough dosh to warrant development.

The only possible explanation I can think of is the ongoing lawsuit; maybe this complicates publication of the title. I hope it still finds its way out there one way or another.
 
A Wii version of Brutal Legend? Ah jeez, that ridiculous RTS half of the game might have actually worked with a Wiimote.
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
The icy grip of Nintendo's cursed hand has been complete on this chapter.

I should play through Rogue Leader again one day. I remember wasting hours playing the Tatooine training section because it was so calming.
 

FHIZ

Member
I don't know about you guys, but Beaver Pioneer sounds like the next Uncharted to me... shame we'll never get to play this masterpiece.

Just look at that dude, he's got a sleeping bag, medkit, grenades AND he's a beaver. Nathan Drake can suck it. I want all my game protagonists to be space marine beavers next gen.
 

Shiggy

Member
The Main Event said:
Once you leave Nintendo...

They worked together on a flight game, most likely Pilotwings.


And Beaver Pioneer is the name of that character, not that of a game.
 

TheOddOne

Member
Shiggy said:
They worked together on a flight game, most likely Pilotwings.

And Beaver Pioneer is the name of that character, not that of a game.
Seems like a project for Sony, did they also terminate a contract with Factor 5?
 

Ridley327

Member
SolidSnakex said:
Of course they did. Factor 5 took 20m and made a reskinned version of their Star Wars games.
And somehow made it worse with the awful contrast of the art, even more unclear objectives and the complete lack of distinction between friendlies and enemies.

And then they threw the world's worst motion controls on top of that!
 

Shiggy

Member
TheOddOne said:
Seems like a project for Sony, did they also terminate a contract with Factor 5?

Sony originally had a multi-game contract with Factor 5, but you can probably see why that did not work out in the end.
 
What are the studios that have historically been exclusive to Nintendo and have since closed or become irrelevant? I can only think of this and Rare.
 

Ridley327

Member
Dr. Feel Good said:
What are the studios that have historically been exclusive to Nintendo and have since closed or become irrelevant? I can only think of this and Rare.
Left Field Productions hasn't exactly been thrilling audiences since they left Nintendo's care.
 
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