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Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider) seemingly hiring second team for New IP

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
So it looks like Crystal Dynamics is hiring a second team: https://crystald.com/careers

I thought they might have had an exodus as well, but there were too many positions, and then the Executive Producer position spells it out.

They're hiring pretty much every lead position.

Sample Positions:
- Executive Producer
- Game Director
- Creative Director
- Art Director (Project)
- Lead Level Designer
- Lead Systems Designer
- Lead Artist
- Lead VFX Artist
- Principal/Lead Graphics Engineer
- Lead Engineer
- Technical Art Director
- Senior Network Engineer

And here's where it lists that it's a new team: https://crystald.com/careers/getJob/oJ8qXfwY

Crystal Dynamics said:
Join now to be a Producer on a new team at the formative stages of a new, original AAA blockbuster being built in our Redwood City studio, just south of San Francisco. Benefits for this fulltime position include competitive salary, health insurance options to suit all lifestyles, generous paid time-off, as well as other studio and corporate perks, including a free 50,000’ foot athletic club, a campus by the Bay, and discounts on all of Square-Enix’s games and goodies.

Position Summary

Crystal Dynamics is looking for a talented, enthusiastic, and highly organized Producer with demonstrable project management experience to take on a major production role in building our next AAA franchise. We are looking for an individual with outstanding communication skills and a proven track record in Development and Production. A successful Producer will work in support of the Executive Producer to coordinate, track, and guide activities of other Producers, Associate Producers and a full development staff to ensure that projects are completed on time and with high quality. Exposure to formal project management techniques in an internal development environment a must; previous experience building and maintaining schedules is essential.
Click to expand...

It also seems they're trying MP again: https://crystald.com/careers/getJob/oWqx2fwF

Position Requirements:

Own vast sections of our multiplayer game engine.
Relentlessly improve our online experience.
Work with designers to specify and cost multiplayer features.
Click to expand...
 
L

Lime

Member
Crystal Dynamics' strength has never really seemed to be in their narrative department and with the departure from any creativity in their single player design, perhaps multiplayer is the way to go.

However, I also think that CD suffer from a lack of new thinking and basically just carbon copy what other studios are already doing successfully. Last time they tried to do something new (TR ico survival horror), it failed to impress the SE executives and instead they had to copy the same stuff that we saw in Uncharted and the Batman games.

We'll see what they're capable of, but they haven't really done anything memorable or impactful in a long time.
 
sublimit

sublimit

Banned
Lime said:
Crystal Dynamics' strength has never really seemed to be in their narrative department and with the departure from any creativity in their single player design, perhaps multiplayer is the way to go.

However, I also think that CD suffer from a lack of new thinking and basically just carbon copy what other studios are already doing successfully. Last time they tried to do something new (TR ico survival horror), it failed to impress the SE executives and instead they had to copy the same stuff that we saw in Uncharted and the Batman games.

We'll see what they're capable of, but they haven't really done anything memorable in a long time.
Click to expand...

lol
 
J

jelly

Member
Burn cards are probably going to be big for them going forward.

Nice to see another studio pop up.

Will it have a jeep :p
 
D

dex3108

Member
If they are working with SE i am a bit scared. When was the last time Square did great MP game? FFIV in second try?
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
They should just do a new Gex in today's mascot-starved climate.
So many shows and movies ripe to parody
 
Y

Yoday

Member
CD doing something new could be really cool, but I just want a new Legacy of Kain game damn it. I assume this means the core team is continuing Tomb Raider, and I am perfectly okay with that.
 
Maxey

Maxey

Member
The second team will work on a new IP called "The Remainder of Ourselves" while 1st team makes Tomb Raider 3.
 
S

Shin-chan

Member
I wonder if Crystal Dynamics can start to carve their own path. All of Squares western studios tend to have their own niche that they excel at but the Tomb Raider franchise has become one of the most derivative in gaming with no real identity.

The studio needs a fresh start so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
 
T

Taker34

Banned
Can we all agree that CD should concentrate all their talent, money and resources into a new Legacy of Kain title?
 
A

AntraxSuicide

Banned
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.

Doesn't Square own the Deus Ex people too? I don't like those games, but I recognize the work they put in. Someone should save them too.
 
Maxey

Maxey

Member
AntraxSuicide said:
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.

Doesn't Square own the Deus Ex people too? I don't like those games, but I recognize the work they put in. Someone should save them too.
Click to expand...

lol, they're fine where they are now.
 
I

IcyRhythms

Member
Lime said:
Crystal Dynamics' strength has never really seemed to be in their narrative department and with the departure from any creativity in their single player design, perhaps multiplayer is the way to go.

However, I also think that CD suffer from a lack of new thinking and basically just carbon copy what other studios are already doing successfully. Last time they tried to do something new (TR ico survival horror), it failed to impress the SE executives and instead they had to copy the same stuff that we saw in Uncharted and the Batman games.

We'll see what they're capable of, but they haven't really done anything memorable or impactful in a long time.
Click to expand...

lol
 
T

Triggerhappytel

Member
AntraxSuicide said:
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.
Click to expand...

What exactly is wrong with their relationship with Square Enix? Considering SE are generally a pretty dense publisher prone to cocking stuff up, I think Crystal Dynamics have had a decent amount of creative freedom and they always get large budgets for their developments.
 
N

Ninjimbo

Member
Cool. They've been stuck on Tomb Raider too long. I love the games but they're capable of a lot more than just Lara Croft.
 
1

10k

Banned
Good. This studio has great talent, and I love tomb raider, but I don't want them being "the tomb raider studio" for life. We need new IP's this gen more than anything.
 
D

Dremark

Banned
Is Crystal Dynamics really so obscure it needs (Tomb Raider) after it in the title?

I suppose they probably aren't as well known as they once were though.
 
L

Lime

Member
sublimit said:
lol
Click to expand...

IcyRhythms said:
lol
Click to expand...

Excellent posts.

Morrigan Stark said:
...What
Click to expand...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=525210

Larson Conway said:
A video of the game's prototype was recently posted at the Tomb Raider forums. At one point, the game was apparently called or subtitled "Ascension." It also had giants and demons as enemies, an a flamethrower as one of Lara's weapons. It was also supposed to have horseback-riding on an island. And a little girl as a gameplay companion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AbJjcBC2rnc



More concept images:
Click to expand...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=530373

Anticitizen One said:
So one of the big complaints with the new Tomb Raider is that the cool looking japenese creatures/monsters that were shown when concept art for the game leaked out a few years ago are nowhere to be found in the game. Originally it was going to be inspired by old school Resident Evil, Shadow of the Collosus and Ico instead of Uncharted and Call of Duty. Instead replaced by generic military guys and
samurai swordsmen
. I was doing some digging and apparently this website has video footage showing the game when it was still going to be an open world metroidvania survival horror reboot instead of a "Survival" game:

http://stickskills.com/2013/03/18/tomb-raider-reboot-originally-featured-monsters-and-demons/

and here is concept art of what i'm talking about:

tombraider1ggbi.jpg

tumblr_kofnmjPzY01qzhm43o1_500.jpg
Click to expand...
 
A

Acosta

Member
I hope there is some love left in CD for fantasy, it pains me to see the team who made Soul Reaver making Tomb Raiders non-stop.
 
S

StrongBlackVine

Banned
AntraxSuicide said:
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.

Doesn't Square own the Deus Ex people too? I don't like those games, but I recognize the work they put in. Someone should save them too.
Click to expand...

Save them from what? Square Enix seems to be a pretty good publisher. Definitely a step above EA, Activision and Ubisoft.
 
H

HMD

Member
Thank god Ascension didn't happen and we got TR2013 which lead to the awesomeness that is RoTR. But if they really are turning Ascension into its own IP that'd be great.

AntraxSuicide said:
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.

Doesn't Square own the Deus Ex people too? I don't like those games, but I recognize the work they put in. Someone should save them too.
Click to expand...

Square Enix is the best thing that happened to them.
 
P

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
Shame that it doesn't sound like Gex, but I've always loved CD's output so I'm really looking forward to this.

Edit: Hopefully not multiplayer focused

AntraxSuicide said:
I really want MS to buy them, just to save them from SE. I don't trust any studio with them. I say MS because they seem to have a good relationship.

Doesn't Square own the Deus Ex people too? I don't like those games, but I recognize the work they put in. Someone should save them too.
Click to expand...

Uh, no... Square Enix is a fantastic publisher.
 
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