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[Derrick01]

was watching him on bonus round recently and he was saying for next gen he wants to see it become much easier to throw out smaller, dd only games on the consoles, like you can on PC without the $40k patches - i guess he's done with the $60 boxed games

I don't know, he seems obsessed with Skyrim and you can't make a game of that scale as an indie studio, or even worse, as an ios studio. You can make something like it on a much much smaller scale but it won't have the same feel as exploring a huge 3D world does.

 

[PapaJustify]

In his latest interviews he is talking a lot about VR making a big comeback next gen.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him attached to Occulus Rift or any similar VR project anytime soon.

 

[Mastperf]

was watching him on bonus round recently and he was saying for next gen he wants to see it become much easier to throw out smaller, dd only games on the consoles, like you can on PC without the $40k patches - i guess he's done with the $60 boxed games

That might be something MS has planned for the next Xbox and he could be taking a break before starting a small studio. Who knows...

 

[Wuthering_Heights]

Oh no.

I'm crushed.

Really.

Though, I still wish him the best wherever he ends up.

 

[filler]

Cliffy B nintendo direct would be awesome.

 

[kayos90]

After watching the Bonus Round, this comes as an even bigger surprise...

 

[TheLight]

Did Cliff really steal a GAFfers girl?

 

[Smash88]

Best of luck Cliffy B.

Thanks for Jazz Jackrabbit and Gears of War.

 

[Corto]

Completely unexpected for me. Good luck Cliff. Hope to be able to play your future games. Epic lost two great devs these past months. I know that Unreal next-gen will be unaffected but it's a bit awkward that this happens at this time, at the start of a new cycle.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hmmm first Rod Fergusson goes to Irrational now, and now Cliffy :/

 

[Randdalf]

Let's hope it's not another talent lost to Zynga or Mobile games.

 

[Protein]

Goodbye my hopes & dreams of Unreal Tournament 2014 or UT2004 HD

/weep

 

[Gattsu25]

Wow, this is terrible

I loved his earlier games and enjoyed his later ones.

 

[davepoobond]

definitely didnt see that coming.

 

[PixyJunket]

It seems like a lot of people are getting out while the getting is good.

A portend of things to come, I hope.

 

[RooMHM]

Best news ever. Day redeemed.

 

[Demon Ice]

Holy shit

 

[a secret-boss]

Doctors and Cliffy form new studio...EPICNESS

EDIT: RUMOR: Cliffy was really hurt by GAF's reaction with the girlfriend thing so he left the industry

 

[qizah]

That's totally unexpected.

I wish him good luck with his future endeavours. Him and his team made some kick ass games this gen!

 

[Einchy]

I took a huge dump in my diaper when I heard this news.

 

[Glorified G]

was watching him on bonus round recently and he was saying for next gen he wants to see it become much easier to throw out smaller, dd only games on the consoles, like you can on PC without the $40k patches - i guess he's done with the $60 boxed games

He was also hyping up f2p. I wonder if this had anything to do with his departure

Did Cliff really steal a GAFfers girl?

lol what?

 

[black_vegeta]

I took a huge dump in my diaper when I heard this news.

Dem depends

 

[purg3]

Good for him, hope he has success where ever he ends up. He's one of the main reasons I got into PC gaming.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

It's hard to look at this as anything other then a bad sign for Epic.

 

[spats]

I hope somebody posted Cliffyphoria already. I love that video.

http://youtu.be/M2XYf4zI-I4

 

[Raide]

It's hard to look at this as anything other then a bad sign for Epic.

I am sure there are plenty of talented people in Epic still. Cliff just happened to be the best frontman they ever had, so someone stepping into those boots will have a hard time keeping up.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Which had nothing to do with him being there or not..............

Okay.......

 

[dragonflys545]

Looks like I'm not getting 720. Gears was the only reason why I own a 360.

 

[PixyJunket]

Again, I never wanted to build a game with muscle-bound characters; the art department produced the concepts and models and they simply felt good slamming into walls and cutting one another in half with chainsaw guns. I do hope that in the future we can get some of the "dudebro" out of Gears, to be honest.

Wow, this is most interesting.

I am curious what he would have wanted, visually, for the game.

 

[Eusis]

It's hard to look at this as anything other then a bad sign for Epic.

It's an absolutely insane time for the industry on a whole to be honest. A lot of major figures are leaving, more frequently than in the past, not to mention the buyouts/mergers/closures. Next gen is going to be very interesting, I just hope it's in more of a good way than a bad way.

 

[xJavonta]

Yeah I'm sure that was it...

If anything I think it's the opposite. He seems sick of the way the console industry is heading and the extreme, crippling linearity and scripted stuff in most big games now.

Yup. He has stated numerous times that Skyrim has brought back his love for exploration, maybe he felt he needed to move on to more open world type games or start a company with a new image

 

[TheFightingFish]

Let's hope it's not another talent lost to Zynga or Mobile games.

Give the number of employees fleeing Zynga realizing that their $10 per stock options will be underwater forever I don't think that seems very likely. Small mobile startup, maybe? But I really don't see Zynga.

 

[Huff]

He just got married right? maybe he and the wifey are just going to do a little exploring the world

 

[vidcons]

cliff to revive action button entertainment

 

[KageMaru]

If you're reading this Cliff, thank you for many awesome gaming memories over the years.

Enjoy your break and good luck on all you do in the future.

 

[paskowitz]

See him become the top boss of Kojima Productions LA.

I fully endorse this opinion.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I don't know, he seems obsessed with Skyrim and you can't make a game of that scale as an indie studio, or even worse, as an ios studio. You can make something like it on a much much smaller scale but it won't have the same feel as exploring a huge 3D world does.

True. I'd say the problem the industry is really facing now are the dev cycles. Too many games have to be made way to fast. That has to lead to way too much stress and I think that's also the reason why people are leaving the industry.

I really think the AC3 director was right when he said that this way of making games is doomed to implode sooner or later and that they'll be one of the last.

I mean, for christ sake... 2 Gears of War games in one generation would have been enough. Now we get 4 titles. That's just sick.

 

[not_so_special]

next john romero?

 

[Riposte]

megaton :/

Unlike the doctors, I actually respect Cliffy a good deal.

 

[Yami]

was watching him on bonus round recently and he was saying for next gen he wants to see it become much easier to throw out smaller, dd only games on the consoles, like you can on PC without the $40k patches - i guess he's done with the $60 boxed games

Makes sense, as back at GDC last year, he stated the "middle-class" game was dead, that there was only AAA games and indie games.

Either way, best off luck dude huge.

 

[SafeinSound]

Wow. Best of luck to him with whatever he does. One of the reasons I bought a 360 is because of Gears.

 

[StuBurns]

He just got married right? maybe he and the wifey are just going to do a little exploring the world

The OP article says he's been on sabbatical for a year, presumably that means he wouldn't leave the company to take multiple years out, he could just not work during that time and come back at his leisure.

 

[Sorcerer]

There's a Nintendo Direct tomorrow...

Cliffy B. Fils-aime?

 

[apana]

After watching the Bonus Round, this comes as an even bigger surprise...

Wasn't that the episode where he said he was disappointed in Uncharted 3? I wonder if the direction he sees the industry heading in has something to do with this move. Better to get off the Titanic before he is blamed for it sinking?

Spoiler

Or most likely he is just human and wants to take a break.

 

[TheSeks]

That's gotta be a troubling sign for Epic. Cliffy is Epic. So it's just so weird that he's just leaving like that.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

First the doctors at Bioware, now CliffyB - the rabid fans have claimed more blood.

(i'm kidding of course... or am I?)

 

[dyergram]

Good luck to him.

 

[User Name Here]

CLIFFY WHAT ABOUT JAZZ JACKRABBIT? ;-;

I was hoping we would see a side-scrolling 3d Version of it. Now we never will! ;_;

 

[xJavonta]

Cliffy B. Fils-aime?

Please no. Go to Valve!

 

[enewtabie]

No wonder it's a dreary day in North Carolina today...sad