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Jerry Bruckheimer Games closed

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Jerry Bruckheimer Games closed

Pirates of the Caribbean producer's game incubation studio no longer moving forward after shipping no products since 2007.

Film and TV icon Jerry Bruckheimer's first foray into gaming yielded no products. A Bruckheimer Films representative confirmed with GameSpot today that Jerry Bruckheimer Games, founded in 2007, is no longer moving forward.

"Jerry Bruckheimer Games is no longer active," the representative said.

Asked if "no longer active" should be thought of as dormant with the possibility of returning to operation or simply no longer a functioning entity, the rep was clear: "no longer a functioning entity."

The outfit--once in partnership with MTV Games--was described as a "game incubation studio," one that would conceive games but wouldn't actually develop them. "It'll be an idea [house]," Bruckheimer told GameSpot in 2007. "We'll work with other developers and studios to hire an executive team and come up with something we feel is interesting."

The company's website--www.jbgames.com--now redirects to Bruckheimer's film website.

Jerry Bruckheimer Games had no announced projects, though the company was reportedly developing three different games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A Bruckheimer Films representative declined to comment on the status of these rumored projects.

Highly touted Jerry Bruckheimer Games founding presidents Jim Veevaert and Jay Cohen have moved on. Veevaert is now a general manager at Zynga, while Jay Cohen left the company last year and is currently chairman of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

No comment was given regarding the nature of the pair's departure from the now-defunct game company.

Though Bruckheimer may no longer have a hand in gaming, he is set to produce a number of high-profile upcoming films, including National Treasure 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean 5, among others.

Bruckheimer's film and TV legacy is extensive. In addition to producing the Pirates of the Caribbean films, he has helped create films like Top Gun and Black Hawk Down and shows like C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation and The Amazing Race
http://www.gamespot.com/news/jerry-bruckheimer-games-closed-6404727
 
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ToxicAdam

Member
I bet in 2008, these dudes were sitting in an office laughing their ass off at drawing a paycheck for this venture.

8:00 - Make coffee

8:05-11:30 - Stare at white board, laugh your ass off

11:30 - Lunch

12:00 - 12:20 - Lurk video game forums for game ideas.

12:30 - Email Jerry's assistant a new idea

12:35 - 4 - Laugh your ass off
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.

Tigon didn't really make Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay or Riddick: Dark Athena... that was Starbreeze and Vin consulting, wasn't it?

They released Wheelman (which bombed due to Midway which closed due to too many bombs early this generation), but haven't released anything else since.

Those three projects on their site I haven't even heard of/been announced. I'm not sure if it's due to Vin being busy with Fast and Furious and Riddick, but if nothing is coming from them due to Wheelman bombing
which didn't seem that bad from the demo, I should track a copy down at Gamestop and actually play it...
that's a bit of a shame as the Riddick games (even if that was mostly Starbreeze's doing) wasn't terrible and I would love to see more games from Vin consulting on them/building universes for them.
 

Cade

Member
Tigon didn't really make Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay or Riddick: Dark Athena... that was Starbreeze and Vin consulting, wasn't it?

They released Wheelman (which bombed due to Midway which closed due to too many bombs early this generation), but haven't released anything else since.

Those three projects on their site I haven't even heard of/been announced. I'm not sure if it's due to Vin being busy with Fast and Furious and Riddick, but if nothing is coming from them due to Wheelman bombing
which didn't seem that bad from the demo, I should track a copy down at Gamestop and actually play it...
that's a bit of a shame as the Riddick games (even if that was mostly Starbreeze's doing) wasn't terrible and I would love to see more games from Vin consulting on them/building universes for them.

The Wheelman actually had some good ideas and gameplay mechanics, but most of them are utilized better in other games (Sleeping Dogs comes to mind).
 
I heard an interview with Bruckheimer around the time he was starting this up. It was pretty clear he didn't know a thing about video games and was throwing money at it just because he wanted to get in on something new and popular.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
The Wheelman actually had some good ideas and gameplay mechanics, but most of them are utilized better in other games (Sleeping Dogs comes to mind).

Hmm, well I'd still like to give it a try. The last news post on their site is from the Wheelman releasing in 2009. So that's been 3-4 years radio silence. Someone from GiantBomb/Kotaku/et. al. should e-mail them and see what is up, you know?
 

Cade

Member
Hmm, well I'd still like to give it a try. The last news post on their site is from the Wheelman releasing in 2009. So that's been 3-4 years radio silence. Someone from GiantBomb/Kotaku/et. al. should e-mail them and see what is up, you know?

It's definitely worth a try and it should be pretty cheap to find essentially anywhere. The driving was fun and the airjacking and slow-mo shooting systems are enjoyable. Never hear anyone talk about it, though.
 

Zeal

Banned
The Melkor game from Diesel's Tigon Studios has an amazing premise. Is this really under development still or is it vaporware? I can't find a single piece of released media anywhere.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
I met with Jay a couple of times at their studio a few years back to explore opportunities. What they were working on sounded all very speculative, and it never seemed like they had any momentum unfortunately.

What helped stunt their efforts was hitching themselves to MTV Games

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/15...kheimer-announce-video-game-partnership.jhtml


On related film director gets into game development news, Peter Jackson announced his game studio years ago too, Wingnut Games. They have never hired an employee (probably good for me being based in the same town).
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
Just remembered this existed.

On related film director gets into game development news, Peter Jackson announced his game studio years ago too, Wingnut Games. They have never hired an employee (probably good for me being based in the same town).

Doesn't that sound a bit shady? And wasn't that company working on a Halo project too?
 

Sentenza

Member
"Vin Diesel and Tigor Studios bring you Melkor, an epic Action-RPG that is best described as a 'hardcore mature take on Zelda 64"
I would play the shit out of this.
in some sense I already did, because it sounds a lot like Dark Souls.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
The Melkor game from Diesel's Tigon Studios has an amazing premise. Is this really under development still or is it vaporware? I can't find a single piece of released media anywhere.

Honestly, we don't know. I mean that's the first I've heard of it and I don't think any sites or magazines talked about it. They've been silent for 3-4 years now. So who the hell knows what is going on. Someone should e-mail them/ask Vin about it.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Doesn't that sound a bit shady? And wasn't that company working on a Halo project too?

Weta Workshop was working on pre-production for the Halo film, and I think Peter himself was writing for a Halo game side project but that was being developed by some other team. Both those projects were cancelled.

I don't think Wingnut Games ever received funding for anything. The idea was they would produce original IP that I think Microsoft would fund. But when everything else fell apart and Peter continued to be busy with films, nothing ever got off the ground.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
Weta Workshop was working on pre-production for the Halo film, and I think Peter himself was writing for a Halo game side project but that was being developed by some other team. Both those projects were cancelled.

I don't think Wingnut Games ever received funding for anything. The idea was they would produce original IP that I think Microsoft would fund. But when everything else fell apart and Peter continued to be busy with films, nothing ever got off the ground.

That makes me wonder, is there any movie director that is directly associated to a game where it didn't fall apart?

Medal of Honor does not count.
 

Zeal

Banned
Honestly, we don't know. I mean that's the first I've heard of it and I don't think any sites or magazines talked about it. They've been silent for 3-4 years now. So who the hell knows what is going on. Someone should e-mail them/ask Vin about it.

Just tweeted his ass about it. Lets see what happens.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
Nothing. Just a bunch of documents with concepts. No prototyping.

5 years of doing pretty much nothing?

Anyone can write docs with concepts. What a sinkhole for money. Wow.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Ah yes. Of course. EA had to do that game with Spielberg instead of LMNO.

LMNO sounded amazing on paper, but you have to ask yourself: Would it have been able to be done with the PS3/360 hardware (or was it X-box/PS2?) in 2007-2008.

That said, the 1950's decor art-set pieces that leaked looked AMAZING.
 

NewFresh

Member
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
LMNO sounded amazing on paper, but you have to ask yourself: Would it have been able to be done with the PS3/360 hardware (or was it X-box/PS2?) in 2007-2008.

That said, the 1950's decor art-set pieces that leaked looked AMAZING.

It was current-gen. Was supposed to be a short, but sweet game. Did you ever see the concept video?

I strongly suggest you read this article from 1UP about the game, it was amazing: http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3182177 (BTW, will this article disappear once 1UP is closed?).
 

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
Maybe it was a front to get government subvention money, if there was any.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
It was current-gen. Was supposed to be a short, but sweet game. Did you ever see the concept video?

I strongly suggest you read this article from 1UP about the game, it was amazing: http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3182177 (BTW, will this article disappear once 1UP is closed?).

Yes, I know of that article. And like it stated in it, it was trying to do First Person Pakour in an age/time before Mirror's Edge. While hind-sight is 20/20 and all that, you have to ask yourself: Would that concept have worked/been possible in that time-frame? Somehow, I doubt it and that's why EA canned it.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
Yes, I know of that article. And like it stated in it, it was trying to do First Person Pakour in an age/time before Mirror's Edge. While hind-sight is 20/20 and all that, you have to ask yourself: Would that concept have worked/been possible in that time-frame? Somehow, I doubt it and that's why EA canned it.

It kinda read to me more like "we already have another dev that has more percent complete of the same kind of game, you're out". If they had given it a chance it would've been great. And you know, it was in the good years of EA (of the few they had).
 

Zarx

Member
That makes me wonder, is there any movie director that is directly associated to a game where it didn't fall apart?

Medal of Honor does not count.

Some people like Clive Barker's games don't they? I heard some bad things about Stranglehold but it did get released.
 
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