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[Betta Lines]

I thought the whole point of Rockstar getting on board was to get hold of the facial capture tech?

 

[TheOddOne]

Wouldn't or couldn't Rockstar buy the tech, since they own the IP?

The question is: is it worth it? If the facial tech is a costly thing, then I doubt they would even consider it.

 

[JJD]

There was a big thread a little while ago with David Cage of Heavy Rain infamy said that the face tech in LA Noire was a dead end, unsustainable and not the direction the industry should be headed in. Many jumped at his throat and it turned into a David Cage/Heavy Rain shitfest.

Lookie what we have here...

What does this have to do with the topic at hand? With all respect David Cage's still insufferable and LA Noire is 10 times the game Heavy Rain wished to be regardless of McNamara douchiness and Team Bondi's handling of their employes.

 

[carbonbased]

BONUSES

*cracks whip*

 

[DarkKyo]

They got used and withered so hardcore

 

[whitehawk]

One of the best games this generation It was the first game I bought at launch since God of War 3.

 

[KingJ2002]

not surprisingy... the game seemed like it bled money and with all the scandals... it was time to destroy and rebuild.

all rockstar has to do is create a press release stating that they took ex-team bondi members and started rockstar sydney.... and they're working on a sequel.


and no one would care about team bondi anymore.

 

[daegan]

There are people shocked that it didn't make money? It was in development for seven years burning staff left and right and needed help from multiple R* teams just to get out the door. This makes apparent that Brendan McNamara is among the industry's worst managers.

 

[Dead Man]

Anyone would think spending nearly a decade to make nearly anything was bad.

Fixed

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Everything I hear about this company and the production process suggests it had awful management.

Yes, it sucks that some people are losing their jobs, but given the management situation, their days at the company were numbered anyway.

 

[Night_Trekker]

Welp, I'll buy the PC port if it ever materializes. The game looks great. But I'm having a hard time feeling bad about Team Bondi's fate because of McNamara. Let's see if that douchebag ever gets put in charge of a massive project again.

 

[Shard]

Well, this is rather unexpected.

 

[Lightning]

Team ICO is like 40 people tops.

Aren't they also owned and fully funded by Sony?

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Wouldn't or couldn't Rockstar buy the tech, since they own the IP?

I'm pretty sure they have. They called their relationship with Team Bondi somewhere an investment, where they would remain with the IP and the technology behind the game.

If I recall correctly, Team Bondi would have absolutely nothing on coding from the game and tech if Rockstar wanted to.

 

[Diablos1125]

Drama aside, this is still pretty sad news. There aren't many games like LA Noire out there. Given the fact that a lot of time went into developing the facial capture I would say the best thing to come out of this would be Rockstar buying that face tech so that in the end, gaming wins.

 

[Utako]

They made a blockbuster for this generation of consoles thar didn't involve shooting EVERYTHING, and promptly go out of business.

Sounds about right.

 

[Kintaro]

Bankrupt? Damn. That's a lot of blackjack and hookers.

 

[L00P]

Ugh. Messed up.

 

[Fantastical]

They made a blockbuster for this generation of consoles thar didn't involve shooting EVERYTHING, and promptly go out of business.

Sounds about right.

The game sold crazy amounts, and are you really trying to make this a PC vs console thing or am I misunderstanding your post?

 

[Square Triangle]

So in the end Sony gtfo before it was too late then huh.

The game sold crazy amounts, and are you really trying to make this a PC vs console thing or am I misunderstanding your post?

He is referring to the fact that a studio was successful saleswise in a game that wasn't a bro-shooter and then this happens. What is so confusing about that?

 

[okenny]

Karmas a bitch aint it.

They're worked to hard and now they all lose their jobs... Karma.. yeah...

 

[L00P]

The game sold crazy amounts, and are you really trying to make this a PC vs console thing or am I misunderstanding your post?

You totally misunderstood him, bro

 

[Fantastical]

He is referring to the fact that a studio was successful saleswise in a game that wasn't a bro-shooter and then this happens. What is so confusing about that?

I hardly see how the two are related... I mean I don't understand how the game not being a shooter has to do with the studio shutting down. They made way worse decisions than not making this game a shooter.

 

[Thirteen]

So who took all the money? did the staff get paid their bonuses?

 

[Square Triangle]

I hardly see how the two are related... I mean I don't understand how the game not being a shooter has to do with the studio shutting down. They made way worse decisions than not making this game a shooter.

Jesusfuckingchrist. I'm walking away.

 

[Fantastical]

Jesusfuckingchrist. I'm walking away.

I'm legitimately confused, not trying to be an asshole.

 

[infinityBCRT]

There was a big thread a little while ago with David Cage of Heavy Rain infamy said that the face tech in LA Noire was a dead end, unsustainable and not the direction the industry should be headed in. Many jumped at his throat and it turned into a David Cage/Heavy Rain shitfest.

Lookie what we have here...

I think this has way more to do with management than it has to do with their tech.

 

[L00P]

I hardly see how the two are related... I mean I don't understand how the game not being a shooter has to do with the studio shutting down. They made way worse decisions than not making this game a shooter.

keywords are 'blockbuster' and 'out of business'

 

[Valnen]

The management may have been shit, but the employees don't deserve to be jobless in this market. I can only hope some of them find gainful employment at the new company.

Yeah. The only people that deserve to be jobless are the management. More specifically McNamara.

 

[Replicant]

I think this has way more to do with management than it has to do with their tech.

Sony bailed out because it was too expensive not because of some management issue. If that's the case they'd have just assigned a different person to oversee. No, they spent almost $20 million on a tech that is not sustainable in the long run and decided to just salvage what they can and give the rest of the BS for Rockstar to deal with.

But I think most people have seen it coming. Also, LA Noire's face is approaching uncanny valley like no other games. Those characters look freaky.

I just feel sorry for the employees at KMM, who now has to deal with this shitty head McNamara again. I hope he's downgraded into one of the tech guy who has to do night time labor.

 

[i_am_ben]

so will the employees get all their entitlements?

 

[Buckethead]

GAF sure is a vengeful bunch.

 

[GillianSeed79]

What does this have to do with the topic at hand? With all respect David Cage's still insufferable and LA Noire is 10 times the game Heavy Rain wished to be regardless of McNamara douchiness and Team Bondi's handling of their employes.

I know the hate for Cage is strong on this forum, but I actually think HR is a better game. Story wise it might suck ass, but I'm sorry - I really do feel bad for the Team Bondi guys that lost their jobs - but LAN is a mediocre, often frustrating game masked with amazing facial animation tech and good production values.

 

[xbhaskarx]

So one game in seven years, one million plus sales = bankruptcy.... how is Silicon Knights still around after Too Human bombed?

 

[bhlaab]

I don't get it. Where did all the money they had to have made from L.A. Noire go?

Into the previous 7 years of development hell, presumably

So one game in seven years, one million plus sales = bankruptcy.... how is Silicon Knights still around after Too Human bombed?

Silicon Knights was sustained by other projects (Eternal Darkness, Twin Snakes) during Too Human's "down" years and the final product didn't appear to be extravagantly expensive.

 

[Zen]

Too human actually had virtually no active development for a period. Microsoft funded Too Human.

So one game in seven years, one million plus sales = bankruptcy.... how is Silicon Knights still around after Too Human bombed?

Canadian subsidies, but hopefully their latest injection, the one that allows them to self publish will expedite the slow death. I have no doubt that Dyack will try to place all blame on his publisher for the sorry state of the upcoming X-Men game.

 

[Fantastical]

keywords are 'blockbuster' and 'out of business'

Which points to problems in management and the super long dev cycle this game had... right? Not the type of game they made? I mean I thought the original post was pointing out that the type of game they made was the problem but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[bhlaab]

This makes apparent that Brendan McNamara is among the industry's worst managers.

I have a sickly feeling in my gut that he's actually roughly average for this industry.

 

[Thirteen]

nice body language at the start when McNamara asked about Rockstar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3z_-gFc6W4

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

 

[Fantastical]

nice body language at the start when McNamara asked about Rockstar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3z_-gFc6W4

Wow that's pretty telling. Also that man has a lot of arm hair.

EDIT: Actually he kind of acts like that throughout the video.

 

[Forkball]

I'm surprised they spent so much time and effort into this game. Are gamers really clamoring for a film noir-esque detective video game? It seems like an obscure subject to invest a lot of time and money in.

 

[freddy]

I smell something fishy here.

 

[Yagharek]

This generation is littered with the corpses of way too many studios.

 

[jyoung188]

This generation is littered with the corpses of way too many studios.

True, this sucks :/

 

[Kritz]

Shit like this makes me sad for the dudes at my Uni studying games as their major.

Although, you've gotta be crazy to study games in Tasmania. >_<

 

[L00P]

Which points to problems in management and the super long dev cycle this game had... right? Not the type of game they made? I mean I thought the original post was pointing out that the type of game they made was the problem but maybe I'm wrong.

XD
He's mocking the fact that the developer made a million-selling game that is completely unique(i.e. not a shooter), yet they still went under. That's it lol

 

[Fantastical]

XD
He's mocking the fact that the developer made a million-selling game that is completely unique(i.e. not a shooter), yet they still went under. That's it lol

Alright, I was overthinking it then.

 

[DrXym]

If not for bad management and unsustainable churn they would have had this game on shelves 2 years ago. So I think the blame can be rested squarely where it belongs.

 

[Para bailar La Bomba]

So in the end Sony gtfo before it was too late then huh.

Not before they dropped $20M for zero return.

TB was like a money furnace notwithstanding they were working their employees to the bone. The perception of the place was like a chicken coop filled with headless chickens run by a Gestapo farmer.