NeoGAF

duckroll · (03-07-2010, 01:45 PM)

http://www.data-max.co.jp/2010/03/post_9070.html

On 1st March 2010, Cing (the developer of Another Code, Hotel Dusk, Little King's Story) filed for bankruptcy in Japan. The company has suffered liabilities totaling 256 million yen (about 2.5 million USD).

Jocchan · (03-07-2010, 01:47 PM)

Swittcher · (03-07-2010, 01:47 PM)

PepsimanVsJoe · (03-07-2010, 01:47 PM)

Ouch. =/

Augemitbutter · (03-07-2010, 01:48 PM)

yankeeforever2 · (03-07-2010, 01:48 PM)

2.5 mil, that is it? No one must want to give them credit.

Wolves Evolve · (03-07-2010, 01:49 PM)

God DAMN it.

Sipowicz · (03-07-2010, 01:50 PM)

Roxas · (03-07-2010, 01:50 PM)

Hotel Dusk <3

Wiseblade · (03-07-2010, 01:51 PM)

Noo! :(

Swittcher · (03-07-2010, 01:51 PM)

Wait, who's developing Last Window then?

akachan ningen · (03-07-2010, 01:52 PM)

And nothing of value was lost.

Oh wait, LKS. :(

duckroll · (03-07-2010, 01:52 PM)

Originally Posted by Swittcher:

Wait, who's developing Last Window then?

The game came out in Japan some time back.

Neomoto · (03-07-2010, 01:52 PM)

What the hell :-( Maybe Nintendo should help them out, being one of the few 3rd party developers actually making worth a damn for their systems and a few 2nd party titles.

NinjaBoyLao · (03-07-2010, 01:53 PM)

duckroll · (03-07-2010, 01:53 PM)

Originally Posted by Neomoto:

What the hell :-( Maybe Nintendo should help them out, being one of the few 3rd party developers actually making worth a damn for their systems and a few 2nd party titles.

Unfortunately I don't think Nintendo would really care to save a developer when the sales don't seem to imply anything of value to Nintendo. It's very unfortunate.

abstract alien · (03-07-2010, 01:54 PM)

This is not how I wanted to start the morning :^/

Magypsy23 · (03-07-2010, 01:54 PM)

I think my lifespan just got shortened by a month. :(

sprsk · (03-07-2010, 01:54 PM)

Man that really sucks.

Were they not involved with Shiren 4 at all? Though I guess it wasn't really setting the media create hearts on fire.

JonStark · (03-07-2010, 01:55 PM)

Good one always go first... :/
In heaven, tell Sierra and Black Isles I still love them.

duckroll · (03-07-2010, 01:55 PM)

Originally Posted by sprsk:

Man that really sucks.

Were they not involved with Shiren 4 at all? Though I guess it wasn't really setting the media create hearts on fire.

Wrong developer? Shiren is by Chunsoft.

iceatcs · (03-07-2010, 01:55 PM)

Awwhh, I love their adventure DS games. :(

Hope it didn't mean completely close down, are they?

Empty · (03-07-2010, 01:56 PM)

Fuck. Really liked Hotel Dusk and LKS, talented guys.

:(

Starwolf_UK · (03-07-2010, 01:56 PM)

What does this mean for international releases of Again: Eye of Providence (Tecmo is publishing) and Last Window?

ShinobiFist · (03-07-2010, 01:56 PM)

Nintendo needs to hook them up with cash. 2.5 million USD is nothing to Nintendo.

electroshockwave · (03-07-2010, 01:57 PM)

How will this affect being able to get LKS in Europe? I still don't own a Wii but I don't want to miss out on this game when I eventually do get one either.

Cerebral Assassin · (03-07-2010, 01:57 PM)

Originally Posted by duckroll:

Unfortunately I don't think Nintendo would really care to save a developer when the sales don't seem to imply anything of value to Nintendo. It's very unfortunate.

They saved Monolith didn't they?

sprsk · (03-07-2010, 01:57 PM)

Originally Posted by duckroll:

Wrong developer? Shiren is by Chunsoft.

AAAaahhh right right. Brain fart. Still though, sucks. Independent studios here need all the support they can get.

Oxx · (03-07-2010, 01:58 PM)

Oh dear.

loosus · (03-07-2010, 01:59 PM)

While I hate to see anybody lose their job, I just could not stand a single one of their games. I understand there is a niche market for these types of games, but that's exactly how they need to treat these games: as niche games. You can't put a whole team on these types of games with semi-high production values and expect to be consistently profitable.

samratty · (03-07-2010, 01:59 PM)

Jexhius · (03-07-2010, 01:59 PM)

Well that sucks big time.

Stumpokapow · (03-07-2010, 01:59 PM)

Originally Posted by ShinobiFist:

Nintendo needs to hook them up with cash. 2.5 million USD is nothing to Nintendo.

Companies don't go bankrupt because they have liabilities, they go bankrupt because their ability to generate revenue in the future can't offset their liabilities. There's no company in the history of the world out there whose financial position is "We're making a profit, our business is sustainable, we're making headway, our stock price is up, we're well respected... welp, we can't service our debt payments time to shut down!"

Moreover, companies that are debt-heavy but profitable generally have no problem raising funding or floating corporate bonds to defer their debt payment. In fact, that's an incredibly common practice.

If you want Nintendo to buy out Cing, go ahead and post it, but it's not like writing them a comical cheque for their entire debt load would be practical or useful.

Dascu · (03-07-2010, 02:00 PM)

This is bad news.

Shit.

duckroll · 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Cerebral Assassin:

They saved Monolith didn't they?

They didn't save Monolithsoft, they bought into Monolithsoft. Monolithsoft was previously owned by Bandai Namco Games, and now Nintendo has a majority stake in the developer. Monolithsoft was not really in any danger of closing when Nintendo bought into it.

Originally Posted by loosus:

While I hate to see anybody lose their job, I just could not stand a single one of their games. I understand there is a niche market for these types of games, but that's exactly how they need to treat these games: as niche games. You can't put a whole team on these types of games with semi-high production values and expect to be consistently profitable.

I'm a little confused as to what you're referring to. Cing is a very small developer, and none of their games are even of "semi-high" production values. A game like Hotel Dusk has very low production values and sold AMAZINGLY well both in Japan (over 200k) and worldwide (iirc ~100-200k in the US).

What is unfortunate is that all their recent titles bombed hard. Again, Another Code R, Last Window - all total bombs. It's definitely not the production value of their games which killed them, but their failure to sell. We could blame Tecmo and Nintendo for lack of marketing, but ultimately what's done is done.

slaughterking · 02:18 PM

I kinda liked their games, but I don't think I'll miss them very much as a developer. It's still a sad thing to see a creative, little company like CING go down. :(

F#A#Oo · (03-07-2010, 02:03 PM)

Originally Posted by loosus:

While I hate to see anybody lose their job, I just could not stand a single one of their games. I understand there is a niche market for these types of games, but that's exactly how they need to treat these games: as niche games. You can't put a whole team on these types of games with semi-high production values and expect to be consistently profitable.

I agree...every developer should try to make similar games to each other and stay within a certain genre that is liked by the mainstream...

Empty · (03-07-2010, 02:04 PM)

Originally Posted by electroshockwave:

How will this affect being able to get LKS in Europe? I still don't own a Wii but I don't want to miss out on this game when I eventually do get one either.

Not much, as Rising Star games the publisher in europe is still in business. Even if they weren't, or if they never print another copy, it wouldn't cost too much on ebay or amazon marketplace.

obaidr · (03-07-2010, 02:05 PM)

have they been Nintendo exclusive? If yes nintendo should buy them out or at least give them some money for future projects.

lucablight · (03-07-2010, 02:07 PM)

Does this mean goodbye to alocalised release of the last window?

duckroll · (03-07-2010, 02:07 PM)

Originally Posted by obaidr:

have they been Nintendo exclusive? If yes nintendo should buy them out or at least give them some money for future projects.

Nintendo already gave them money for Another Code R and Last Window. The games bombed. Why should Nintendo give them more money if it's not profitable?

faridmon · (03-07-2010, 02:07 PM)

what? first Team Boom Blox dessolve now this. damn i am depressed.

this is not good month so far. Theatre of Targedy Disband, Acid Flavour Disband, Closure of Team Boomblox at EA and now this.

Mad_Ban · (03-07-2010, 02:07 PM)

Sad face. :(

dolemite · (03-07-2010, 02:08 PM)

Smaller studios really live or die by the fate of a single game. Really sad and cruel, imo.

Hyunkel6 · (03-07-2010, 02:09 PM)

Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk were among my favorite DS games. I was looking forward to their sequels. :(

JDSN · (03-07-2010, 02:09 PM)

Shit, I hold you all that didnt buy LKS responsible.

dolemite · (03-07-2010, 02:09 PM)

Do we know how many people are affected?

Magypsy23 · (03-07-2010, 02:09 PM)

Now I feel guilty for not having bought AGAIN yet.

Stumpokapow · (03-07-2010, 02:10 PM)

Originally Posted by duckroll:

What is unfortunate is that all their recent titles bombed hard. Again, Another Code R, Last Window - all total bombs. It's definitely not the production value of their games which killed them, but their failure to sell. We could blame Tecmo and Nintendo for lack of marketing, but ultimately what's done is done.

Again seemed to have some pretty awful production issues as well, because it ended up getting delayed more than 12 months... which is really more than 100% of what the development time for the game should have been.

Sipowicz · (03-07-2010, 02:10 PM)

Originally Posted by duckroll:

Nintendo already gave them money for Another Code R and Last Window. The games bombed. Why should Nintendo give them more money if it's not profitable?

because they're awesome