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CING files for bankruptcy
- Thread starter duckroll
- Start date
Zero-Crescent
Member
Are these bankruptcy proceedings aimed at achieving Rehabilitation, or is it a Liquidation proceeding? I was trying to read a bit on Japan's bankruptcy law to find out what the options are over there (All I've read so far was this).
Interesting, $2.5 million in debt, and I believe OP site says they only had $100,000 in capital.
Interesting, $2.5 million in debt, and I believe OP site says they only had $100,000 in capital.
major_killjoy
Member
No, no, no! I need to play Last Window, at least!
I've been waiting for this for awhile. I was scratching my head about how CING has stayed in business this long after every single one of their titles (as far as I've seen) were a commercial flop. You're not going to make any money as a developer selling under 200k of your DS titles and under 100k of your Wii titles.
And eventually if all your titles are flops, no publishers is going to want to throw away their money to develop, market and manufacture your titles, thus you run out of money and go bankrupt.
Still sad though. They brought a unique spins and quality work to the industry. I enjoyed their DS titles and little king's story was a ton of fun.
And eventually if all your titles are flops, no publishers is going to want to throw away their money to develop, market and manufacture your titles, thus you run out of money and go bankrupt.
Still sad though. They brought a unique spins and quality work to the industry. I enjoyed their DS titles and little king's story was a ton of fun.
GhaleonQ
Member
Zero-Crescent said:
http://www.halaw.jp/news/HALOBankruptcyMemo.pdf
They're at step 2, filing for in-court proceedings.
major_killjoy
Member
'Again' for the DS, is probably the last (localized) game we'll be seeing from them. : (
Goodbye CING, thanks for the memories.
Goodbye CING, thanks for the memories.
This is really fucking bad.
Nintendo should have published some Another Code R and Last Window. I mean WTF were they thinking? niche games like this needs to be sold in smaller amounts but ALL territories.
It's really bad, I won't be playing Another Code R now 'cause I suppose Nintendo will never publish it here? (NA)
Nintendo should have published some Another Code R and Last Window. I mean WTF were they thinking? niche games like this needs to be sold in smaller amounts but ALL territories.
It's really bad, I won't be playing Another Code R now 'cause I suppose Nintendo will never publish it here? (NA)
GhaleonQ
Member
Big One said:
"Town Factory" isn't a thing. It was just the name his dream team worked under with assistance from Cing. So, basically, Kimura has to plan the whole game and then reassemble an entirely different team (probably) or wait until most of the people aren't working on games for their own companies. Of course, Marvelous may join Cing someday, so who knows?
Hours Left
Member
This is truly awful news, CING is one of my favorite developers and are responsible for some of my all time favorite games.
I hope that they are going to reorganize their assets and try to reopen, or if Nintendo was smart they would bail them out. A small company like this would be an easy acquisition. Though I think it would be fair to say that Nintendo is partially responsible for their situation by the lack of advertising and blocking key releases from getting world wide releases.
This can't be the end of this company.
I hope that they are going to reorganize their assets and try to reopen, or if Nintendo was smart they would bail them out. A small company like this would be an easy acquisition. Though I think it would be fair to say that Nintendo is partially responsible for their situation by the lack of advertising and blocking key releases from getting world wide releases.
This can't be the end of this company.
RelentlessRolento
Member
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
Fuck. Man this makes me sad
Fuck. Man this makes me sad
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Just started playing LKS, which I've had sitting around for a while and hadn't really gotten to!
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
loosus said:
Nintendo could give them direction?
graywolf323
Member
that sucks :-( I really liked their games
we could finally get a sequel to Mario is Missing :lol
loosus said:
we could finally get a sequel to Mario is Missing :lol
First, what is "direction?" That's an extremely broad term. That sounds like, basically, you're saying that Nintendo needs to tell them to stop making the games that they actually know how to make and start making something more mainstream -- thus, why "save" CING to begin with?ICallItFutile said:
Second, what makes Nintendo's "direction" almighty? It cannot change people. Hell, Rare and Left Field fell apart under Nintendo, for instance.
Third, why pick CING to do this with? There are countless amounts of videogame studios that need "direction."
Hours Left
Member
The first Hotel Dusk did well in the US. Since then NoA has done nothing to support any future releases from the CING. How is a company supposed to recoup their loses if the company that publishes their games won't even release them in the largest video game market in the world?loosus said:
These games obviously have a strong cult following and are not that expensive to produce. (Comparatively)
CING's liabilities are only 2.5 million, that's chump change to Nintendo. Such a small investment to acquire a company with critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base seems like a no brainer.
No one is expecting these games to be the next Halo, but adventures games do have a place in market. Capcom has had great success with the Ace Attorney series, if Nintendo would put even a modicum of advertising towards their games, they could easily tap into this.
Marketing is not the problem, anyway. People saw the games and didn't want them. Hell, have the Nintendo logo right on the box was a huge marketing tool in and of itself; it got people -- who would otherwise not give these games another look -- to give their games a try.
People just do not want these games, and there is really no other excuse. Perhaps these games sold well for the genre, but that's not necessarily enough. You have to budget these games according to the market they are aiming for, and CING apparently did not do that.
People just do not want these games, and there is really no other excuse. Perhaps these games sold well for the genre, but that's not necessarily enough. You have to budget these games according to the market they are aiming for, and CING apparently did not do that.
major_killjoy
Member
duckroll said:
... so the chances of the HD sequel coming over is...? *crosses fingers*
I know it's just speculation, at this point, but I'm desperate for good news. : (
Hours Left
Member
I disagree. The Nintendo logo nowadays is not nearly enough to convince someone to pick up a game. Unless it has Mario (or other popular mascots )on the cover, the Nintendo brand means very little to the uninformed gamer.loosus said:
Adventure games don't really scream "BUY ME" with their box art. They need exposure. Advertising can make or break a niche title, and these titles have received almost none.
Obviously there are people wanting to play these games, they are always among the first brought up in any interviews with NoA. But if Nintendo wants to expand the fan base, they need to actually support the games.
The market is very crowded, but one of the biggest publisher in the world can't even be bothered to support their niche releases and constantly send them out to die. (If they even release them at all.)
Jive Turkey
Unconfirmed Member
I'm playing LKS right now. While I didn't have much hope for a sequel this is still a bummer.
Another Code (Trace Memory) sold over 100k in Japan. (2005)
Hotel Dusk sold over 200k in Japan. (2007)
These are fantastic sales for Nintendo and for Cing. But things have gotten really bad since then.
Another Code R was released last year on the Wii, it sold a mere 10k. Hotel Dusk 2 was released on the DS in January this year, and has sold a measly 30k so far. Again was released in December last year as well, and it sold so badly it didn't even chart in the top30, and the only numbers I can find indicate it sold a mere 900 copies on the first day.
That's how badly things have gotten for Cing in the last 3 years.
Hotel Dusk sold over 200k in Japan. (2007)
These are fantastic sales for Nintendo and for Cing. But things have gotten really bad since then.
Another Code R was released last year on the Wii, it sold a mere 10k. Hotel Dusk 2 was released on the DS in January this year, and has sold a measly 30k so far. Again was released in December last year as well, and it sold so badly it didn't even chart in the top30, and the only numbers I can find indicate it sold a mere 900 copies on the first day.
That's how badly things have gotten for Cing in the last 3 years.
Hotel Dusk 2 might have sold better if it wasn't announced like three weeks before it was released. Y'know, if it was marketed and hyped.
Another Code: R is a weird situation where I think the fanbase for the games is more on DS than on Wii, so that's a bomb that's understandable.
But really, both of these games could have been marketed to sell. It seems like Nintendo threw them out expecting the weight of them being sequels of successful games would be enough. They'd release, word of mouth would spread, and they'd do similar numbers.
Another Code: R is a weird situation where I think the fanbase for the games is more on DS than on Wii, so that's a bomb that's understandable.
But really, both of these games could have been marketed to sell. It seems like Nintendo threw them out expecting the weight of them being sequels of successful games would be enough. They'd release, word of mouth would spread, and they'd do similar numbers.
major_killjoy
Member
Hours Left
Member
Exactly. It's like, "Oh, yeah, we made a new Hotel Dusk... And it was released yesterday."mooooose said:
The last few CING games got no hype and zero media exposure. The first Hotel Dusk had a lot of time to get people interested, I believe it was almost a year between it's announcement and it's release.
Here's Cing's entire development history + sales in Japan:
2003 - Glass Rose (Capcom) - 6k
2005 - Another Code (Nintendo) - 105k
2007 - Wish Room (Nintendo) - 212k
2009 - Another Code R (Nintendo) - 10k
2009 - Little King's Story (Marvelous) - 6k
2009 - Again (Tecmo) - 1k
2010 - Last Window (Nintendo) - 31k
That's 4 different publishers they've worked with, with mostly no successful whatsoever. Maybe Another Code and Hotel Dusk are the abnormal ones, and instead of the fanbase slipping away, they were never there to begin with. Maybe during the release of those 2 games the DS was at its peak, and it captured people who would normally never buy one of these games, and never will again. Who knows. Either way, with a track record like that, it's not hard to see how they went out of business.
2003 - Glass Rose (Capcom) - 6k
2005 - Another Code (Nintendo) - 105k
2007 - Wish Room (Nintendo) - 212k
2009 - Another Code R (Nintendo) - 10k
2009 - Little King's Story (Marvelous) - 6k
2009 - Again (Tecmo) - 1k
2010 - Last Window (Nintendo) - 31k
That's 4 different publishers they've worked with, with mostly no successful whatsoever. Maybe Another Code and Hotel Dusk are the abnormal ones, and instead of the fanbase slipping away, they were never there to begin with. Maybe during the release of those 2 games the DS was at its peak, and it captured people who would normally never buy one of these games, and never will again. Who knows. Either way, with a track record like that, it's not hard to see how they went out of business.
Journeywalker
Member
What a shame. LKS is one of my most-played Wii titles.
Eteric Rice
Member
Are they completely out of business, or are they going to have to reform?
Maybe they should try mobile games for a while, until they can build up a nest egg again?
Maybe they should try mobile games for a while, until they can build up a nest egg again?