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[FelipeMGM]

So the Disney studio that was closed has been resurrected by Warner to work on a licensed Disney Pixar game...

http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...active-Entertainment-Disney-Consumer-Products

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that it will develop and publish the Cars 3 videogame, scheduled for 2017, based on the upcoming Disney•Pixar film. The game will be developed by Avalanche Software, which has re-opened under Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and will be led by John Blackburn. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has also obtained rights to the Octane engine technology, previously developed by Avalanche Software, which will be used to develop the Cars 3 title.

EDIT: Avalanche Software (Disney Infinity) not Avalanche Studios (Just Cause, Mad Max)

 

[Tavernacle12]

That's an utterly bizarre turn of events but good for Avalanche. Losing Infinite still hurts.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Wait so.

Did people end up not losing their jobs after all...?

Even more confusing that Warner Bros is the one leading a studio to make a Disney licensed game.

 

[Inferno313]

Disney closes studio, Warner revives studio, Disney immediately hires them for a Cars game....


Sure, whatever.

 

[Granjinha]

Well, practically every single Warner game this gen has been a success and had quality, licensed or otherwise, so, uh

good news?

 

[LewieP]

Very bizarre, but pleased that it means at least some people aren't out of work.

 

[SapphiCine]

What the hell. Can't be good for their morale.

 

[Yukinari]

I mean didnt Sumo Digital make the racing for Disney Infinity and not Avalanche? I guess its good to be employed at least.

 

[Rymuth]

Oh right, this is Avalanche Software, not Avalanche Studios. *self fwap*

 

[Father_Brain]

Well, this is surprising on multiple levels. But I suppose Cars fits well with Lego in WBIE's IP portfolio, so I wouldn't be shocked to see more Disney licensing from them.

 

[James Scott]

WB getting the license to licensed Disney movie games sure is something.
Good for those that retain their jobs

 

[Vital Tundra]

Im glad to see they weren't outright sacked. Also what the hell at Warner getting this? I know Disney was out of the console game making but thats weird.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Relevant

https://youtu.be/e4jprIlOFpk

 

[Sponge]

Does Warner publish the Lego games? Maybe they'll help with Lego Dimensions one day.

 

[Auctopus]

I remember the Cars open-world game for X360 being really good for a licensed game with lots of exploration.

Seeing as this is Avalanche, maybe we'll get something similar.

 

[Nirolak]

Does Warner publish the Lego games? Maybe they'll help with Lego Dimensions one day.

Yes, though I actually wonder if they want to take over the Disney Infinity style business instead.

There's not much incentive to buy their engine if you're not making that kind of game.

 

[Tizoc]

Cars 2 was pretty decent and I enjoyed playing it on PS3. Hope Cars 3 will be as good as it/better and get a PC release as well.

 

[V_Ben]

Gosh, that's fantastic news. Glad they've re-opened.

 

[Cheat Code]

Toy Story 3 was fuckin great.

 

[InsaneTiger]

I always get them confused with Avalanche Studios.

 

[18-Volt]

WB getting the license to licensed Disney movie games sure is something.
Good for those that retain their jobs

WB is just the name. They're still Midway at heart. They can get any license they want, their parent company's feuds and rivalries won't stop that.

 

[JigglesBunny]

This is one of the oddest things I have ever seen. Has this ever happened before? The immediate reopening of a studio just months after a shuddering and immediately being put onto a similar project to your past work?

That has to be such an odd experience emotionally for the team.

 

[UCBooties]

I saw a picture of one of the proposed Rogue One Disney Infinity figs...

Still hurts...

Edit:

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Surely they will eventually be making Lego Dimensions. That's good, DI was dope. Although the driving wasn't very good until Sumo came on board.

 

[Plinko]

Toy Story 3 was fuckin great.

As was Cars 2, actually. Hopefully this improves on that one.

 

[Father_Brain]

WBIE has already published three console Lego games based on Disney-owned IP (and a few more Lego Star Wars games on mobile), so while surprising, there's already recent precedent.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

The situation with Warner is kind of funny. The only one of the Big Six that has internal branches/teams actively involved in console gaming on any sort of serious scale (with a weird asterisk on Sony, who is obviously Sony, but whose film and gaming divisions aren't at all connected) and in fact are becoming one of the biggest licensees for the new biggest of the six. Marvel and Star Wars licenses through Lego and now Cars 3, lol. Wonder if Warner will be Disney's de facto kids-oriented video game licensee going forward.

 

[FoneBone]

What the hell. Can't be good for their morale.

Having jobs is bad for their morale?

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Best news of the day. Avalanche is full of a bunch of talented folks and it's great of Warner Bros. to save the company.

 

[Icolin]

Having jobs is bad for their morale?

I think it's the fact that they've been re-opened to work on yet another licensed game.

Still, looking forward to this game. Toy Story 3 was legit.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

What the hell. Can't be good for their morale.

Wouldn't being saved by a serious publisher and being given a decent project in their wheelhouse be the exact opposite of demoralizing? They'll have a solid future at Warner, especially if they keep getting decent gigs like this.

 

[Karak]

I think it's the fact that they've been re-opened to work on yet another licensed game.

Still, looking forward to this game. Toy Story 3 was legit.

As someone who deals and works closely with devs a lot in my personal and professional life. I can tell you they are stoked to be working.

 

[wapplew]

Disney closes studio, Warner revives studio, Disney immediately hires them for a Cars game....


Sure, whatever.

Fund project is more cost effective than fund studio.

 

[FoneBone]

I think it's the fact that they've been re-opened to work on yet another licensed game.

Still, looking forward to this game. Toy Story 3 was legit.

They've only done Disney licensed games for a decade or so now.

 

[Galang]

Great for the people that got their jobs back! This is a super strange turn of events though

 

[Delusibeta]

Fair play to Warner Bros, can't really complain about them buying out a developer that was about to be shuttered.

 

[SapphiCine]

Wouldn't being saved by a serious publisher and being given a decent project in their wheelhouse be the exact opposite of demoralizing? They'll have a solid future at Warner, especially if they keep getting decent gigs like this.

Having jobs is bad for their morale?

Context. It's great that they were saved by Warner. Just must hurt to be working on a contract for Disney, when they put their jobs at jeopardy with shitty management.

 

[Hero of Legend]

But Warner owns Traveller's Tales, who've made Pixar games!

Just get them off the LEGO hamster wheel and back on Pixar games, I don't even get why they even need Avalanche Software for that, as awesome of a move this is.

 

[MisterR]

What the hell. Can't be good for their morale.

Probably a lot better for their morale than still being unemployed.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

What the hell. Can't be good for their morale.

Better than being unemployed.

 

[fernoca]

This seems like something that was in the works behind scenes, but not announced until everything was set in stone.

The game is releasing in under 6 months, so it must have been in development already by the time the closure was announced.

Guess Disney wanted to salvage said work, and looked the sell it since they're not interested in publishing console games anymore.

 

[nakedeyes]

I worked at this studio for 8+ years leading up to its closure. So happy the news is official now and that a large chunk of the core team ended back up together.

I tell you what. That studio has something super magical going on with the people there and the process they use to make games. Something I have struggled much more with since working at other studios.

 

[thepenguin55]

Did someone who worked at Avalanche get a hold of a monkey's paw or something?

 

[Father_Brain]

Did someone who worked at Avalanche get a hold of a monkey's paw or something?

What's the monkey's paw part of this? Seems unequivocally good for those folks to me.

Context. It's great that they were saved by Warner. Just must hurt to be working on a contract for Disney, when they put their jobs at jeopardy with shitty management.

They're working for WBIE, which is publishing and funding the game, not Disney. Disney is 100% done with console gaming outside of licensing; they're no more involved with this than with Insomniac's Spider-Man or Battlefront.

 

[CamHostage]

Wow, good news for Avalanche Soft!

I hope WB finds ways of keeping them on kids' projects. I'm not sure what those ideas might entail (maybe Teen Titans or Looney Tunes or something more comical in the DC universe, although they already have TT Games doing the humorous LEGO games so tough to say if WB has what it needs already or would want to expand in that market. I think Avalanche has done great work with family games with Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and the Tak games, and of course Disney Infinity (which I couldn't get into but I heard got tons better in 2.0 and 3.0.) These were the kinds of games that you bought for your kids or niece/nephews but ended up playing a ton yourself.

If they get put on a big action franchise then I won't complain, but I think Avalanche Software and its technology fits a niche that's not met often enough these days and I'd be happy to see them continue i that space.

WBIE has already published three console Lego games based on Disney-owned IP (and a few more Lego Star Wars games on mobile), so while surprising, there's already recent precedent.

True, but this is a straight-up Disney property. Those LEGO games were all co-branded products, and the LEGO IP is pre-established as a cross-franchise property. (It also started its relationship pre-Disney buyout of either LucasFilm or Marvel; LEGO Avengers / MSH made some sense because Marvel had already farmed all its brands out to publishers and had never put any effort into its own exploitation of the books or films, but LEGO Star Wars TFA was a pretty big surprise because most people thought EA was going to be the only source for Star Wars films and that LEGO Star Wars was done.) The LEGO games never even coincided with a film -- LEGO Avengers was a year after the second film, Marvel Super Heroes wasn't even based on the Avengers movie that came out a year before, and none of the LEGO Star Wars games were in direct support of a film until recently. The LEGO games, you could work out a cost sharing deal and know that both brands will benefit; this is actively promoting another company's IP.

So it's not unprecedented, but it's an eye-raising business choice. But I like it, and if Disney Interactive is going to leave the development/production business of games, they can't afford to be choosy in publishers these days since there are so few companies that put games in boxes now.

 

[Sgt. Kabukiman]

That's crazy. First, the Lego Marvel / Avengers games and now WB is making Pixar games too. What a strange turn of events. If only we could get a DC vs Marvel fighting game out of this weird relationship but unfortunately that's probably a near impossibility.

But good on WB, both Avalanche studios do solid work.

 

[Malyse]

Now. License them the Disney Infinity IP.

 

[Kasper]

Wow, good news for Avalanche Soft!

I hope WB finds ways of keeping them on kids' projects. I'm not sure what those ideas might entail (maybe Teen Titans or Looney Tunes or something more comical in the DC universe, although they already have TT Games doing the humorous LEGO games so tough to say if WB has what it needs already or would want to expand in that market. I think Avalanche has done great work with family games with Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and the Tak games, and of course Disney Infinity (which I couldn't get into but I heard got tons better in 2.0 and 3.0.) These were the kinds of games that you bought for your kids or niece/nephews but ended up playing a ton yourself.

If they get put on a big action franchise then I won't complain, but I think Avalanche Software and its technology fits a niche that's not met often enough these days and I'd be happy to see them continue i that space.

I don't think Warner would have bought them if it weren't to have them keep on making family oriented games. If they wanted another AAA developer working on Arkham games or the like they'd probably just start another new studio in Canada, like they did with Warner Bros. Games Montréal, rather than buying the makers of Disney Infinity from Utah.

Either way I hope they keep on making family games as there's not enough good ones these days. I don't really like the LEGO games and I found Disney Infinity to be a bore, but I have liked some of the previous titles by the studio. Especially Toy Story 3, which was a gem.

 

[SapphiCine]

They're working for WBIE, which is publishing and funding the game, not Disney. Disney is 100% done with console gaming outside of licensing; they're no more involved with this than with Insomniac's Spider-Man or Battlefront.

Ah. I've had a misunderstanding how licensed games work.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Maybe we'll see actual family WB games again.

I'd better see Space Jam 2: The Game! We need a new good Looney Tunes game again.