[Zen]

And yet LA Noire's development cycle was an unabashed success compared to Versus XIII. =/

I don't think the game started proper production until 2008? I mean nearing the end of 06 they said absolutely nothing had been started on it bar the story. I think it's the same reason taht we heard about Agito for ever: Namely that Square likes to announce titles years before the teams actually get around to the production phase.

[rpg_poser]

I would like to see how much money was spent on management salaries\perks vs. development during the time Sony owned Team Bondi. Were the development costs the real problem, or is the real problem a parasitical management team sucking Sony's money?
Maybe a combination of both. If Team Bondi's devs were treated like slaves and the management got paid well, and the same management team moves on to parasite off of another company, I guess it's business as usual, right?

[Something Wicked]

I wonder what the costs were for all of the voice-overs and mo-cap of what seemed like half of Hollywood.

[boutrosinit]

AUDIT TIME!

[PIMPBYBLUD]

How did this happen? Did LA Noire not sell well? I thought I read that it did very well.

[WoodenLung]

How did this happen? Did LA Noire not sell well? I thought I read that it did very well.

As already said lots of times in this thread : 7 years of development. Is it really a surprise a game in development for so long isn't going to turn a profit? Even if it did team bondi would have been doomed with the amount of shit talk about them.

I don't think the game started proper production until 2008? I mean nearing the end of 06 they said absolutely nothing had been started on it bar the story. I think it's the same reason taht we heard about Agito for ever: Namely that Square likes to announce titles years before the teams actually get around to the production phase.

So sony shot millions at them for years while they weren't doing anything but writing the story?

[gutter_trash]

first Toronto after Warriors,
then Vancouver after Bully
now Australia after LA Noir

the Rock* cycle continues

[Strummerjones]

A bit of an update on this: I spoke to my friend again the other day and it seems things aren't as definite as I'd thought but still very likely to happen. However, the deal staff are being offered is to work two months crunch for Dr. D and then a promise of a job at KMM. That's not a formal contract guaranteeing a job after, but something vaguer than that it seems.

Either way, for people who have in many cases basically worked years of crunch many will have to think long and hard about what they want to do. A lot of staff there hadn't worked on games before, and many never want to again after their experience, and my friend is thinking carefully about whether he wants to keep working in what may end up being a similar environment.

[Zen]

So sony shot millions at them for years while they weren't doing anything but writing the story?

My post was in reference to Versus XIII.

[YuriLowell]

I wish rockstar never bought it so I didnt have to waste my time with it.

[Grimm Fandango]

first Toronto after Warriors, then Vancouver after Bully now Australia after LA Noir the Rock* cycle continues

Yup I commented about this earlier. Something stinks over at Rockstar.

[Hey You]

first Toronto after Warriors, then Vancouver after Bully now Australia after LA Noir the Rock* cycle continues

What?

Team Bondi would have went under and LA Noire wouldn't have been released without Rockstar.

Not R*'s fault Team Bondi is going down.

[Shiggy]

KMM Brisbane shuts down The Australian developer of the Happy Feet Two videogame, Kennedy Miller Mitchell (KMM), closed the doors to its Brisbane studio at the end of last week. The developer had been reported to have been planning to close when the game was finished for some time, but the ABC is reporting final confirmation from former KMM art director Jason Stark. Stark says: "With the dollar currently above the US, it's now more expensive to make a video game here than what an American publisher considers locally." "We're losing a lot of talent, and your nation quickly gets to the point where if times do come good again, we're not going to have enough experienced people here to start the companies." According to the ABC report, the strong Aussie dollar and a lack of tax incentives are only part of the reason studios here continue to close, although this flies in the face of rapidly expanding indepent game studios who are leaving the traditional models behind. Developers Firemint, Iron Monkey, Halfbrick and New Zealand's Sidhe are proving very successful off the back of mobile and browser-based games. The Australian government does seem to be getting the message, however, as the Digital Media Initiative was renewed for a further two years on Friday and renamed the Interactive Media Fund, which should see multiple smaller projects in New South Wales begin to flourish. KMM's Brisbane closure does, however, add to a long list of high profile closures throughout Australia recently, most recently including L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi, whose employees were reportedly all offered jobs at KMM. KMM's Sydney studio remains open. MCV is seeking an official comment on the Brisbane closure, as confirmation has at this time come only from staff.

http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/read/...ts-down/086570

Old article, but might be interesting for some.