means they dont have another game in the pipeline... so basically i would say these are "planned".
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Layoffs at DriveClub developer Evolution, [UPDATE: 55 laid off (~50% of studio)]
- Thread starter Quentyn
- Start date
means they dont have another game in the pipeline... so basically i would say these are "planned".
While this is a... less than helpful comment, I do wonder if they prioritised those specific features because they'd lend themselves to word-of-mouth and viral promotion?
johnnyquicknives
Member
It's a real shame that there are cuts, and hopefully they aren't too substantial.
If done properly, like they have been doing it so far, Driveclub as a service is the best thing that could happen to that game (at least over the next couple of years). The engine seems really robust so hopefully it will allow for substantial developments and not just a skeleton crew turning out more events on the same tracks.
Adding a couple of tour events and some cars each month as part of the season pack but also coupled with new locations, ideally encapsulating new types of racing (Driveclub: Rally, Driveclub: Cities) every 6months - a year would be amazing and I'd continue paying for it.
If done properly, like they have been doing it so far, Driveclub as a service is the best thing that could happen to that game (at least over the next couple of years). The engine seems really robust so hopefully it will allow for substantial developments and not just a skeleton crew turning out more events on the same tracks.
Adding a couple of tour events and some cars each month as part of the season pack but also coupled with new locations, ideally encapsulating new types of racing (Driveclub: Rally, Driveclub: Cities) every 6months - a year would be amazing and I'd continue paying for it.
Doing cities from scratch sounds like too much of an undertaking after staff are laid off
Even new country's added via DLC sounds like a longshot. More like new tracks in already present locations (so assets are reused) is the absolute best case scenario in this shitty turn of events
Leona Lewis
Banned
Did we ever get the full story on what happened with Liverpool?
My understanding was that they had proposed numerous projects after Wipeout HD, each of which were shot down, and then after Wipeout 2048 flopped, they were finally given the opportunity to work on a new PS4 IP (a third-person stealth action game). But then the game was canned and the studio was shuttered.
I just want some light shed on the situation, since most people seem to think they were closed because they insisted on doing Wipeout after Wipeout to increasingly diminishing returns, when in fact they tried their damnedest to branch out just to be vetoed until it was too late.
My understanding was that they had proposed numerous projects after Wipeout HD, each of which were shot down, and then after Wipeout 2048 flopped, they were finally given the opportunity to work on a new PS4 IP (a third-person stealth action game). But then the game was canned and the studio was shuttered.
I just want some light shed on the situation, since most people seem to think they were closed because they insisted on doing Wipeout after Wipeout to increasingly diminishing returns, when in fact they tried their damnedest to branch out just to be vetoed until it was too late.
So Motorstorm joins WipEout on the Sony scrapheap, eh? Fuck. Horrible day.
Can't see how it could mean anything else. The key people at a studio are the ones who get a new project up and running. The project lead, the lead programmer, the creative director (or equivalent on a racing game) and the top programmers, artists, audio people etc. Very few of those people are needed to create DLC. They'll just gut the company, have their medium-salary content production people churn out cars and tracks, and then when it's all said and done wind the whole thing up. They'd have to wind it up, because they won't be making another game. If they were making another game they wouldn't lay people off, they'd be having the heads of development working on that while the content people made DLC for DriveClub.
'Tis the end of Evolution, I fear.
I'm sure that part is next, sadly
Skeleton crew to finish up support of DriveClub and fulfill their PS+ promise, then it's probably lights out.
I hope not, but we see this kind of thing happen far too often.
Can't see how it could mean anything else. The key people at a studio are the ones who get a new project up and running. The project lead, the lead programmer, the creative director (or equivalent on a racing game) and the top programmers, artists, audio people etc. Very few of those people are needed to create DLC. They'll just gut the company, have their medium-salary content production people churn out cars and tracks, and then when it's all said and done wind the whole thing up. They'd have to wind it up, because they won't be making another game. If they were making another game they wouldn't lay people off, they'd be having the heads of development working on that while the content people made DLC for DriveClub.
'Tis the end of Evolution, I fear.
It's a little worse than that, IMO.
The new tracks planned for the season pass have already been delivered. The stuff left are mostly cars and tours, which takes work, of course, but doesn't require any new design or anything of the sort.
Sorry, as much as I want to believe that there will be a Season Pass 2 and a slew of new content, I'm preparing for the worst. God, I hope I'm wrong. Fuck.
Prototype Viktor
Member
adding cars into their engine after Poly models them for GT7 since it's a long ways off?
GifGafIsTheBestGaf
Member
This is my sentiment as well and of course good luck to those without job it sucks .
What a shitty day and 11 hours to go ,fuck
Parhelion69
Member
It's sad news, as they specifically said Driveclub content, so no new games, at least for the time being...
The AAA model has been struggling, while other companies are making tons of money with much less development effort, so making a new platform each time with sequels seems like to big and risky of an investment.
On the bright side, well get more content for not so much money, if the season pass price gets to be the standard. It's the first season pass I bought, and it's worth every penny, and it's only halfway through!
Driveclub offers a great platform, which seems very optimized. All that's happening on the screen without a hitch to the framerate is something to be admired. Lots of stuff can be done with it, and I believe it can be expanded beyond what DC currently offers (think Blood Dragon for Farcry 3), so we may even get a "Motorstorm" kind of DLC. I'd buy that in a second.
Anyway, best of luck for all the Evolutions studios employees, I hope they can get a new job soon
The AAA model has been struggling, while other companies are making tons of money with much less development effort, so making a new platform each time with sequels seems like to big and risky of an investment.
On the bright side, well get more content for not so much money, if the season pass price gets to be the standard. It's the first season pass I bought, and it's worth every penny, and it's only halfway through!
Driveclub offers a great platform, which seems very optimized. All that's happening on the screen without a hitch to the framerate is something to be admired. Lots of stuff can be done with it, and I believe it can be expanded beyond what DC currently offers (think Blood Dragon for Farcry 3), so we may even get a "Motorstorm" kind of DLC. I'd buy that in a second.
Anyway, best of luck for all the Evolutions studios employees, I hope they can get a new job soon
unapersson
Member
Wouldn't it mean another season pass? What's the point of restructuring the studio to run DriveClub as a service until July. When they've already described it as having a service model before now.
This finish the season pass then shut down talk lacks any logic.
NullPointer
Member
That depends upon the DLC doesn't it? New features (replays, game modes, etc.) could still keep people busy and keep the game improving, alongside new cars and tracks and tours.
I read "games as service" as a platform for continual development. If its just a core game with some DLC packs every few months that just sounds like business as usual with any game.
Because Metascore says so? The only one I didn't play there is Freedom Wars and I respectfully disagree. Mediocre at best for Driveclub, in particular, sounds crazy.
bananafactory
Banned
This would be the best possible situation
Because at this point we can't parse out the PR from the reality.
"Restructuring the studio" might be the best case scenario of new and continued support for Driveclub (please, please be this) or it might be stripping it down to a skeleton crew to deliver what was already planned.
FinalStageBoss
Banned
So they're going to keep adding content to drive club? Fine with me.
You know that you're just projecting your personal opinion in saying that the games are mediocre. Gravity Rush for example is heavily regarded here on GAF, and Tearway is awesome. But let me guess, they don't count because they are on Vita?
And let's not forget that games like Haze, Lair, Genji, MAG and others were greenlit when Harrison was the boss.
I agree that things are more problematic with Shu as the head of WWS, but i think that putting every problem on his back is a overreaction.
If the games aren't great that's the team fault too. Common, there's lot's of senior professionals on the studios, on the different areas. They should know how to evaluate their work.
And being realistic, Sony needs to make a profit on the projects. It sucks, but they can't keep founding project and paying staff to work on something that just bleeds money.
And this is their inhouse team, can't imagine what will go down between Sony and RAD. It's very unlikely the game performed as well as Sony wanted, either Sony and RAD will part ways or RAD start being conservative and partner with Sony for download games, manageable games that will allow them to craft exciting and unique gameplay.
you forgot PD, but after GT6 yikes
DR2K
Banned
I honestly forgot about both.
I feel like it's going to be Project Gotham Racing all over again….
I...hmm. I can never decide if this is worth doing, but as often as I see you bring up how much you appreciated the PGR games last gen, you sure didn't play them much.
XxRampage07xX
Member
Still, I'm glad to see Sony having some reactions to the studio after DriveClub's disappointing launch.
DirgeExtinction
Member
Geez, people are pessimistic as fuck.
Leona Lewis
Banned
I feel like there's been a bit of a role reversal this gen, with most of the interesting, quirky new IP that once defined Playstation now being relegated to smaller digital titles, and the risky titles with bigger budgets like Sunset Overdrive and Quantum Break now commonplace on the competition.
Last generation, it was the opposite (weird new IP being given bigger budgets and physical releases on PS3, while the more offbeat 1st party stuff was only on XBLA).
SEGAvangelist
Member
Ha!
The Artisan
Member
fuck that shit.
How big was Evolution? Because the studio didn't seemed like it was huge.
I know that Driveclub didn't set the charts on fire, but the game seemed to be performing reasonably well. And with the recent updates the word of mouth was really great, some sites even reported on how the game was so much better.
I think that once the PS+ Edition got out (it can't be that far, can??) they would get some more sales and reach at least a break even point.
I know that Driveclub didn't set the charts on fire, but the game seemed to be performing reasonably well. And with the recent updates the word of mouth was really great, some sites even reported on how the game was so much better.
I think that once the PS+ Edition got out (it can't be that far, can??) they would get some more sales and reach at least a break even point.
I don't like you.
Maybe he meant Geometry Wars.
I shared a flat with 3 others in those days. So most of my 360 gaming was on my flat mates consoles.
BlackBuzzard
Banned
I feel like there's been a bit of a role reversal this gen, with most of the interesting, quirky new IP that once defined Playstation now being relegated to smaller digital titles, and the risky titles with bigger budgets like Sunset Overdrive and Quantum Break now commonplace on the competition.
Last generation, it was the opposite (weird new IP being given bigger budgets and physical releases on PS3, while the more offbeat 1st party stuff was only on XBLA).
I don't think you know what risky means.
jackissocool
Member
Yeah this is my stance. I hope the layoffs were small.
Why would this prevent you using your own profile?
Because we level a lifed or tracked on their profiles and only one play through? Why would he sign out and I sign in just for the hell of it? I never cared for achievements or trophies so it never concerned me.
And yet "JapanStudio" continues on being all sorts of irrelevant. What's up with that. Why does that place even exist.
The writing was on the wall for Evolution though, they received a miraculous second chance after the MS3 deable, which wasn't their fault, but they screwed the pooch badly with Driveclub. Not just with a yearlong delay, but with the non-existence of the promised PS+ edition and the failure to provide basic online functionality for several weeks after launch, functionality that had been poised as being basic tenants of the game. There was no way they'd survive this.
Haha
Trigonometrize.
Member
I hope they get a chance to make new projects in the future.
reynal1287
Member
Terrible news.
Chris Metal
Member
Sad news, talented team, great bunch of guys/girls. Hopefully some new great games will continue to come out the studio.
BTW...
If possible, does anyone one have contact for Rushy's email at Evolution Studios that they could PM me? I tried to PM him for some details but I gathered he's been busy. I want to send him some photographs from the DC launch event I attended that the team might like.
BTW...
If possible, does anyone one have contact for Rushy's email at Evolution Studios that they could PM me? I tried to PM him for some details but I gathered he's been busy. I want to send him some photographs from the DC launch event I attended that the team might like.
SEGAvangelist
Member
Yeah, especially since he played a lot of Rainbow Six around the same time. Unlocked a ton of achievements the same week as when he played PGR3. Doesn't add up.
I love MS and WipEout, but let's be real, they aren't that successful.
WipEout HD had a lot of development issues and was delayed a year, it came out well, but it didn't sell all that well. Their next project was WipEout 2048, which again didn't sell well. Yeah, we could blame the platforms in both cases or Sony's marketing for sales, but its not like they were unanimously praised by critics
Evolution also had problems, the series was selling less and less, Apocaplypse was just a cluterfuck of problems. Lowest rated game in the series, lower sales than PR, and then the earthquake that made them delay the game. Then you get RC that while fun didn't get that many sales either, and now DC, which also had a shit ton of problems.
As much as I love both developers, its really hard to argue against the actions taken by Sony after this long.
I don't care much for achievements either, but I'd still want to use my own profile to save my own progress, or to play online etc. Especially when it's a game I love.
But sure, fair enough.