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Factor 5 Animator Claims Studio is Cutting Projects, Needs Funding
- Thread starter FrankT
- Start date
Casamassina gets an email from an inside source, who's claiming that Factor 5 has completely closed down.
http://kotaku.com/5114990/rumor-factor-5-goes-ker+plop
http://kotaku.com/5114990/rumor-factor-5-goes-ker+plop
there you go
http://rapidshare.com/files/175627990/LairWiiengine.avi.html
It can be downloaded 10 times, so somebody should host it somewhere else
http://rapidshare.com/files/175627990/LairWiiengine.avi.html
It can be downloaded 10 times, so somebody should host it somewhere else
We'll definitely have to make a thread listing all the the studios/publishers that either reported considerable loss or fired many people or closed their doors.
Kinda depressing, really, but I guess it's nothing really unexpected, and we can't even say it's not their fault at all :/.
Kinda depressing, really, but I guess it's nothing really unexpected, and we can't even say it's not their fault at all :/.
civilstrife
Member
Judging by that short "tech demo", it looks like their engine had tons of promise, but without any animation to speak of, or characters or anything, we don't really know much about it.
They really pulled off wonders on Gamecube though.
Shame this engine wasn't licensed off.
They really pulled off wonders on Gamecube though.
Shame this engine wasn't licensed off.
Thats just horrible to happen so close to the holidays
And from a gaming standpoint its a huge loss for Wii owners, they were able to push the Gamecube at launch to a degree that most developers could not do so after years of trying. It is a damn shame they will never get a chance to make something for the Wii (which at the last would have been graphically impressive)
And from a gaming standpoint its a huge loss for Wii owners, they were able to push the Gamecube at launch to a degree that most developers could not do so after years of trying. It is a damn shame they will never get a chance to make something for the Wii (which at the last would have been graphically impressive)
JohnTinker
Limbaugh Parrot
So if these supposed Pilotwings or Kid Icarus projects actually existed at one point or another, could we potentially see some disgruntled ex-employees spilling the beans on these projects or would they still be under NDA even though they no longer work for F5?
JohnTinker
Limbaugh Parrot
I think so too, but if they actually did work on these projects you'd think someone would've snuck out some concept art or some sort of game asset to show what they'd been working on.bdouble said:
Black-Wind
Member
If these projects were in the works than I would have thought that Nintendo would be paying them to make these . . . meaning they wouldn't be going under.JohnTinker said:
But to be fair I don't think it was ever stated that Nintendo gave them the Greenlight on their KI pitch.
Oh, and theres tons of supposed KI Wii concept art from the pitch.
Cosmonaut X
Member
maxmars said:
"Rumoured to be providing" would be better. Free Radical were possibly looking at bringing TS4 to Wii, and Factor 5 appear to have been developing an engine for the system and may have been pitching projects (including - perhaps - Matt Cassapotato's cherished Kid Icarus)
God damn that sucks if true.
I just got finished playing through Rogue Squadron III Rebel Strike on GameCube. They pushed that machine farther than anyone else did, including Nintendo, SEGA, NAMCO and RARE.
Lair sucked, but I was looking forward to their Wii project
Why doesn't someone like Nintendo or Microsoft just swoop in and buy them up rather than let them go under completely? They have some tremendous talent, they're also more efficient with money than most developers. All they need is a damn bailout. I'm sure a few tens of millions would keep them afloat.
I just got finished playing through Rogue Squadron III Rebel Strike on GameCube. They pushed that machine farther than anyone else did, including Nintendo, SEGA, NAMCO and RARE.
Lair sucked, but I was looking forward to their Wii project
Why doesn't someone like Nintendo or Microsoft just swoop in and buy them up rather than let them go under completely? They have some tremendous talent, they're also more efficient with money than most developers. All they need is a damn bailout. I'm sure a few tens of millions would keep them afloat.
Operations
Member
I don't think Nintendo or MS is willing to give them just a few tens of millions :lolcamineet said:
Rogue Leader was a remarkable piece of programming when it came out on the gamecube. Rebel Strike had some of the best space battles ever but was the harbinger of incomprehensible design decisions that ultimately doomed them with Lair. These guys had major potential really, too bad. Wow, tough sledding out there. Hope these guys land on their feet soon. Hell I'd hire whoever programmed those Rogue Squadron games for GC in second.
I was so blown away by the Rogue Squadron II teaser and playable tech demo shown at Space World 2000. It proved GameCube was a powerful machine. Been a fan of Factor 5 since. I bought a GameCube for RSII Rogue Leader.
I hope Nintendo, Microsoft or even Sony comes in to salvage the core team, before their all scattered. That would be better than just the lead programmers getting hired (Which they would no matter what anyway).
The Julian Eggebrecht 'eat a broom' remark caused the first GAF mega meltdown thread :lol
I hope Nintendo, Microsoft or even Sony comes in to salvage the core team, before their all scattered. That would be better than just the lead programmers getting hired (Which they would no matter what anyway).
The Julian Eggebrecht 'eat a broom' remark caused the first GAF mega meltdown thread :lol
I see three possible reasons:camineet said:
1) There isn't any guarantee that the talents will stay on board on longterm. The only thing they can keep for sure are the IPs.
2) Both are pretty cautious when it comes to acquisitions. I don't know the exact reason of Microsoft, but Nintendo is just big enough to create enough software to dominate the market. Plus, they both prefer funding third party projects (while keep the IPs) than an expensive and difficult to rid of first/second party structure.
3) Well, it's recession. Of course, Buffett said that this time is the best time to invest the money, but you can also lose a stupidly big amount of money in a very short time. There isn't any guarantee that their first party games will sell as good as now in the next year, so more first party studios would cause more problems in the worst case.
comedy bomb
Banned
Nintendo should buy them and have them make an engine to license third parties.
Hero of Legend
Member
Hey, there's always Shin'en!
Shin'en is no doubt comparable to Factor 5, not to mention that Shin'en is in Germany as well.
And these guys only made one non-Nintendo product: a sound engine for N-Gage based on their GBA sound tech.
Shin'en can fill the giant hole made by Factor 5's closing by making a Nanostray/Iridion-like game for Wii retail and using their magic hardware pushing magic.
It's also funny, that BOTH Shin'en and Factor 5 specialize in flight games.
Why Shin'en and Majesco haven't done this yet is beyond me, as Majesco is 100% behind the Wii as we all know.
Shin'en today just released Fun! Fun! Minigolf for WiiWare, seen the graphics of that?
Shin'en is no doubt comparable to Factor 5, not to mention that Shin'en is in Germany as well.
And these guys only made one non-Nintendo product: a sound engine for N-Gage based on their GBA sound tech.
Shin'en can fill the giant hole made by Factor 5's closing by making a Nanostray/Iridion-like game for Wii retail and using their magic hardware pushing magic.
It's also funny, that BOTH Shin'en and Factor 5 specialize in flight games.
Why Shin'en and Majesco haven't done this yet is beyond me, as Majesco is 100% behind the Wii as we all know.
Shin'en today just released Fun! Fun! Minigolf for WiiWare, seen the graphics of that?
Graphics Horse
Member
Hero of Legend said:
Do 2d shooters count as flight games? They do/did both specialise in audio tech though.
Impressive that Nanostray 2 was mostly made by 1 designer/coder/musician and 1 artist.
gabe90 said:
My point wasn't that Matt is the source, but that these "news" are non-news, because they just quoting Matt's message board post from two days ago without giving us new information. It doesn't really help to clearify of what's going on at Factor 5. Additionally we should question the source as well, because we don't know anything about the guy sending Matt an e-mail.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
C.T. said:
I agree that it's silly to post blogs quoting Matt and providing new information, but this is definitely 100% true. Don't you think someone from F5, least of all Julian, would have sent a simple "This is not true. An announcement will be made shortly." message? The fact that he hasn't confirms that the announcement is true.