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Clover Studio Dissolution

E

ethelred

Member
Guys:

Update from GameLife:

UPDATE: A source who wishes to remain anonymous is telling me that the Clover gang actually wants to split from Capcom and form their own independent development studio. So the dissolution, then, would have been caused by the developers deciding to take off.
Click to expand...
 
X

xir

Likely to be eaten by a grue
okami was in development for....two years? anyone know in months? I know it was at tgs in 04....
 
M

{Mike}

Banned
Zyid said:
A source who wishes to remain anonymous is telling me that Clover is buying Microsoft and this is the reason for the dissolution.
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That is contradictory to my source, who said Clover has been dissolved by Capcom because their team was found playing with Pokemans instead of working, and even planned to release a game based on this.
 
R

radjago

Member
This seems consistent with Capcom's next-gen strategy. They want to slim down with one engine for their games and fewer internal divisions.
 
B

BenT

Member
At least the song at the end of God Hand is the best possible note a company could go out on. Best... no, most amazing credits song since Jumping Flash! 2.
 
K

Kurosaki Ichigo

Member
Gamers don't like a Capcom decision.......UNBELIEVABLE :)

They could just pump 3 versions of Megaman for DS for 60m$ or more just in Japan, but....wait...they are already doing that! Gamers hate business, I do too.
 
N

[Nintex]

Member
I wonder what will happen to the people who work there. If the developers from Clover Studios just merge into a bigger capcom group I dont see the problem. No one was complaining when Nintendo merged all their internal studios into EAD.
 
B

Blackbeard

Member
So they're setting off on their own? Great; I was just today lookin at my games from Clover and thinking "wow, Clover's one of the best devs of last gen" Consistently fun games. They should have no trouble finding publishers. (can't speak for God Hand yet but it looks fun too :p).
 
I

InsertCredit

Member
Blackbeard said:
So they're setting off on their own? Great; I was just today lookin at my games from Clover and thinking "wow, Clover's one of the best devs of last gen" Consistently fun games. They should have no trouble finding publishers. (can't speak for God Hand yet but it looks fun too :p).
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EDIT.

Didn't get the GameLife update.
 
O

Orobi

Member
b2f2059d13.jpg
 
M

mikeGFG

Banned
Avutta1978 said:
hurray now, nintendo give them money to make superduper wii game studio.
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Hell no. Nintendo doesn't need their support whatsoever. A Sony or Microsoft funded ex-Clover studio could be interesting, though.
 
E

ethelred

Member
Mike G.E.D. said:
Hell no. Nintendo doesn't need their support whatsoever. A Sony or Microsoft funded ex-Clover studio could be interesting, though.
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Actually, looking at the software lineups across all three platforms, I'd say Nintendo needs the kind of support these three could bring far, far, far more than Sony or Microsoft do. Whether that would be for the best or not, however, is another debate entirely.
 
C

C- Warrior

Banned
cvxfreak said:
For the record, I'll go on to state that I don't think this is as bad as it may seem. Kamiya did not magically become innovative or stylistic because he was suddenly at Clover. He still created RE2, DMC and VJ at Capcom proper. If Clover Studios never existed, Okami still would have been created. Mikami also... he created something like God Hand, but like P.N. 03 he still would have created it at Capcom itself. (Let's ignore that Clover was a part of Capcom anyway, de facto.)

Capcom's games are the type that don't really rely on the actual developers but more so on the actual thinkers that initiate the projects. If Kamiya gets his next big idea, it's going to get made.
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I agree with this guy. I never really understood the POINT of Clover in the first place. All it was taking a few guys from Studio 4, and putting them at another studio, but instead of calling it another studio with a number at the end, it was given the name Clover.

And it's not like Clover was an attempt for a few developers to get developer freedom, as far as I'm concerned Capcom let Kamiya and Mikami do whatever they want.

Mikami was given 34,434 retries and 23 years to make RE4, Kamiya was given a chance to create a new IP with a very very very large budget (DMC1) etc. and so on, as well as a second chance with RE2 (we've all seen the re 1.5 clips).

Now, they are going back to Capcom. The studio is gone, but not the creative minds behind it. Hopefully they all pack up and go back to Studio 4.
 
G

Gaia Theory

Member
Anybody have a breakdown of Clover Game sales by game title AND platform?

VJ 1 GC
VJ 1 Port PS2
VJ 2 GC/PS2
VJ Battle PSP
VJ Battle GC
VJ Double Trouble DS
Okami PS2
God Hand PS2
 
L

Luckett_X

Banned
Yeah, this has made me lose almost all faith in the industry altogether. Hey at least Brain Training is selling 10's of millions though right! God knows there needs to be more of that! Meanwhile, one of this generations most polished, content filled and amazing game is left to piss into the wind. Great stuff, really. I think its pretty clear gaming as we know it is dead in Japan.

It's a cliche, but I'd like to see Microsoft pick up this new independant studio, if it does happen.

What you got here is a team shutting up shop because it wasnt profitable. Even if they do form a new company, or go back to Capcom, their creative freedom just got sliced to "yeah well, that didnt sell did it so we're doing what the suits want now!".

Really ****s me off this, Clover deserved to be rolling in money after Okami with all the love and effort they put into it.

I was under the illusion that the US sales have been pretty good of Okami, with it in the Top 5 charts for the past 3 weeks. NPD today right? So that should be revealed shortly. So looks like the blame is squarely aimed at Japan.

This is why gamers are embittered about bullshit like Nintendogs and Brain Training selling zillions, and one of the most creative dev teams this gen is forced to shut up shop. Rrrrrgh, ****ing stupid industry. Thank god Team Ico is first party, because thats pretty much all I got to look forward to now unless Clover's new identity is quick to form and miraculously gets to make whatever they want.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
Luckett_X said:
Yeah, this has made me lose almost all faith in the industry altogether. Hey at least Brain Training is selling 10's of millions though right! God knows there needs to be more of that! Meanwhile, one of this generations most polished, content filled and amazing game is left to piss into the wind. Great stuff, really. I think its pretty clear gaming as we know it is dead in Japan.
.
Click to expand...

*nods head sagely*

Yeah, it's like I said... if the industry is being saved, it's not saving anything worthwhile... so why do I care? Shit that was doing poorly on PS2 or Gamecube is still doing poorly now, so I can't celebrate.

Real gaming is dead.
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
The Clover team, as in the programmers, don't really matter all that much. I'm sure they're talented, but Capcom games happen make their mark due to the work of great directors and producers. I highly doubt Mikami or Kamiya care about who program their games as much as they do what the programmers create.

I mean symbolically this is pretty sad news, BUT THE COOL MIKAMI/KAMIYA CONTENT WILL STILL COME unless they leave Capcom. Then cry.
 
R

RaijinFY

Member
cvxfreak said:
I mean symbolically this is pretty sad news, BUT THE COOL MIKAMI/KAMIYA CONTENT WILL STILL COME unless they leave Capcom. Then cry.
Click to expand...

This is the most important thing to know actually. If the big heads leave, now that would be a pretty big blow for Capcom, but otherwise I think that's ok. It seems they are just re-integrating Capcom HQ.
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
RaijinFY said:
This is the most important thing to know actually. If the big heads leave, now that would be a pretty big blow for Capcom, but otherwise I think that's ok. It seems they are just re-integrating Capcom HQ.
Click to expand...

Capcom's lucky Mikami didn't walk out on them when RE4 PS2 was announced. :lol Glad they still have a good relationship.
 
L

Luckett_X

Banned
Yes but whatever Mikami and Kamiya do now, its going to be more 'mainstream' based. Its going to be in the same vein as Resident Evil, DMC because theyve been proven to sell. I like those games, but Clover was afforded chances to make stuff that wasn't mainstream. An old style 2d beat-em up, an amazing watercolour shaded adventure game about a wolf god, and a piss taking beat-em with very tongue in cheek game-humour.

This whole fiasco now just provides more ammunition for the faceless suits in the company to throw out even more ideas, and force more sequels out. Sure they'll continue to make stuff, but its now on a tighter leash that can be tugged if they want to be reminded of "dismal failure".
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
Luckett_X said:
Yes but whatever Mikami and Kamiya do now, its going to be more 'mainstream' based. Its going to be in the same vein as Resident Evil, DMC because theyve been proven to sell. I like those games, but Clover was afforded chances to make stuff that wasn't mainstream. An old style 2d beat-em up, an amazing watercolour shaded adventure game about a wolf god, and a piss taking beat-em with very tongue in cheek game-humour.

This how fiasco now just provides more ammunition for the faceless suits in the company to throw out even more ideas, and force more sequels out. Sure they'll continue to make stuff, but its now on a tighter leash that can be tugged if they want to be reminded of "dismal failure".
Click to expand...

Kamiya created Viewtiful Joe and Mikami created PN03, both before Clover. Capcom's stance is simply this: a studio dedicated to unique games is unprofitable. Time to bring them back home and let them do that with the mainstream teams.

And I cannot emphasize enough, buying Clover's developers but not Mikami or Kamiya would be like... MS buying Rare. Wouldn't do much good in the end.

And people who buy Brain Training (old geysers) were not going to buy Okami, ever. Stop blaming them.
 
D

D2M15

DAFFY DEUS EGGS
BenT said:
At least the song at the end of God Hand is the best possible note a company could go out on.
Click to expand...

And even that's by Grasshopper, not Clover.

The world will go on. Great games will still happen.
 
L

Luckett_X

Banned
I guess I should be more blaming the 10 million PS2 owners in Japan that only buy Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

Its just such a shame that an original IP making studio IS unprofitable. We expect it because we know what a rut the industry is in regarding original IP's, but it just looks like madness to an outsider.

And yeah I know Mikami and Kamiya are where the weight is in all of this, so where they go decides it.

Just feels like game creativity got smacked in the face and some of its teeth fell out, today.
 
Tieno

Tieno

Member
MS needs a art-house like developer, like Sony has with Team ICO, to broaden their portfolio...But I guess Sony is more lickely to pick Clover up as the studio won't give MS much success in Japan, if they get picked up at all...I don't know...
 
A

_Alkaline_

Member
Aaron said:
Yeah, because they want to break from Capcom to have more restrictions...
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Graphically maybe, but Clover's art design is almost always cell-shaded or highly stylized. PS2's lame power didn't stop Okami from looking and playing great, did it?

Besides, the Wiimote can offer new gameplay experience that can't be offered on any other system. I think that's not exactly restrictive...
 
C

C- Warrior

Banned
100 million ps2's mean shit.

Substract piracy, casual dumbshits who look foward to the next EA game, re-purchased PS2's, and you're left with about 20 million viable Okami buyers. Which puts it at the gamecube level.
 
F

Feindflug

Member
Well that sucks...VJ, Okami & God Hand are all awesome games...sadly as Amirox already said real gaming is dead. T__T

Come on Sony you must pick up Clover..Clover+Team ICO ftw!
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
Feindflug said:
Well that sucks...VJ, Okami & God Hand are all awesome games...sadly as Amirox already said real gaming is dead. T__T

Come on Sony you must pick up Clover..Clover+Team ICO ftw!
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-_-

Why the hell is everyone suddenly associating Clover with Sony? Last I checked, they created Viewtiful Joe 2 and Red Hot Rumble on GC and Scratch! VJ on the DS.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
i think we'd all rather forget about Red Hot Rumble and Scratch! VJ. For the good of tommorrow, perhaps. They shouldn't be what we remember Clover by :(
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
Amir0x said:
i think we'd all rather forget about Red Hot Rumble and Scratch! VJ. For the good of tommorrow, perhaps. They shouldn't be what we remember Clover by :(
Click to expand...

So it's down to remembering them by two games. I see. :/
 
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