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Evolution Studios, Guerrilla Cambridge & SCE London Studio hit by layoffs
- Thread starter nbnt
- Start date
LoveCake
Member
I wonder if this is anything to do with the tax break issue that the government has been trying to get through ?
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/jan/23/tiga-on-brain-drain-and-investment
http://www.continue-play.com/news/tiga-sends-an-open-letter-to-the-uk-government/
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/jan/23/tiga-on-brain-drain-and-investment
http://www.continue-play.com/news/tiga-sends-an-open-letter-to-the-uk-government/
Concern trolls, drama queens, etc.
i think they might drop them down to a smaller scale digital developer. motostorm RC very well recieved and sold really well. i think it's the only reason they're still around now. after apocolypse they where knocking on deaths door...so to speak.
He must have clout.
Sony Exec: Ok, Neil, you can have Uncharted 4. Team 2 will continue work on a Jak reboot, seeing as you won't make TLOU 2, and are unwilling to make a new IP.
Mr. Druckmann: Right, I want more money.
Sony Exec: But Neil, we already gave you all of Amy's salary, how much money does one guy need?
Mr. Druckmann: As much as I want. I'm Neil Druckmann.
Sony Exec: Neil, please, those people have families...
Mr. Druckmann: Yeah, and I have a 95 on metacritic. You have until Monday.
He must be stopped.
boredandlazy
Member
Still room for Shenmue 3 as well...
If this is about DriveClub... don't you regard that as a bit of a bait-and-switch? We've gone from "You'll get (some reduced version of) this game free with Playstation Plus at launch!" - a reason to purchase a launch console - to now some nebulous idea that something might be appearing in the future on some unknown terms.
Dire straits? Nintendo has more money in their war chest from last generation than the other guys.
Let's not pretend that one flopped console means Nintendo is doomed.
They've not announced the closure of a studio or the canning of a project. A lot of the time these things happen simply comes down to looking at if they've got the right structure in place in order to deliver what they need while keeping their profit margins up.
Restructuring like this allows you to look at where your overheads are, target the positions that aren't actually necessary given your current projects and company direction and take action to remedy it. A lot of the time your business grows but at the same time changes which makes some positions ultimately unnecessary.
Revenue is all good and well, but if you're not making money, you need to sort that out as well. Restructures are a good way of giving your profit margin a slight boost but also a way of making your team more productive as a result. While its unfortunate for those facing redundancy, these decisions are hard for everyone involved but they are required as without them, we would very likely lose these studios entirely.
Restructures often lead to job creation as well. As an example, you may lose 2 of 4 producers on a project, but with their salary, you could 4 developers who bring in different skill sets that cross multiple projects and still be saving money.
Restructuring like this allows you to look at where your overheads are, target the positions that aren't actually necessary given your current projects and company direction and take action to remedy it. A lot of the time your business grows but at the same time changes which makes some positions ultimately unnecessary.
Revenue is all good and well, but if you're not making money, you need to sort that out as well. Restructures are a good way of giving your profit margin a slight boost but also a way of making your team more productive as a result. While its unfortunate for those facing redundancy, these decisions are hard for everyone involved but they are required as without them, we would very likely lose these studios entirely.
Restructures often lead to job creation as well. As an example, you may lose 2 of 4 producers on a project, but with their salary, you could 4 developers who bring in different skill sets that cross multiple projects and still be saving money.
What happens if that 'reduced version of' the game was utter dogshit though?
Hydrargyrus
Member
Sony should put the Guerrilla Cambridge directors leading Guerrilla Games...
I don't know why is Sony wasting so much money with GG and ICO Team getting games like Sadow Fall and... nothing from both, while is cutting off employees from a team that has made the best Killzone except for KZ2
I don't know why is Sony wasting so much money with GG and ICO Team getting games like Sadow Fall and... nothing from both, while is cutting off employees from a team that has made the best Killzone except for KZ2
Astro Monster
Banned
"Thanks for all the hard work, guys. But we are successful now. We don't need you" *Shoots*
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
There could actually be some truth to this. At least we know that the industry is embracing indie games since end of last gen. AAA development is slowly dying but for the most successful teams.
Nightengale
Member
Eh, Sony hasn't done the most drastic thing possible to Evolution yet.
Turn it into a GT-spinoff farm.
DerZuhälter
Member
Not really surprising. Axe fell hard on SCEA just a few weeks ago, now it's SCEE turn. SCEJ will be a bloodbath in a month or two.
EDIT:
Oh apparently they had it already?
How did that fly under, at least my, radar completely.
EDIT:
Oh apparently they had it already?
How did that fly under, at least my, radar completely.
Yep!
And "The Getaway" + "8 Days" got canceled.
"LA Noir" went from Sony to Take2. "Rememeber Me" went from Sony to Capcom.
A spy game got canceled at SCEE (some artworks can be found), etc.
The list goes on and on.
But somehow, this is something totally new now
Something about black holes could probably do the trick.
Either way, I'd find it hard to believe that at this stage in development, the game wouldn't be referred to as - internally - "Ratchet & Clank PS4". That might not be the released title, but it'd probably be the title that appears on such a list at this stage.
dragonbane
Member
If DC bombs probably :-(
I don't think you can call Tearaway a big flop, considering only 10-15 people have worked on it and tearaway is made with the aim to sell the vitas.
And about Evolution lay offs, the people laid off doesn't seemed to be involved with Driveclub.
Restructures, people leaving, revolving door hires etc. are good for revenue but are usually bad for the actual creative end of their work. It doesn't exactly make for a good atmosphere when the Sword of Damocles has already been swung and yet still hangs overhead.
Aquamarine
Member
Never mind.
Well, yes. I'm not going to claim it was the wrong decision, as such; just that if I were in the position to make such decisions, I'd feel a bit uncomfortable about touting something as a selling point at one stage, allowing it to have an effect on preorders, and then switching it out. It's promising more than you're delivering. Much like Dark Souls 2 and Watch Dogs, actually, albeit in a somewhat different form.
I get why it happens, and I'm not going to condemn people for having to make that tough decision (in all three cases!), but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the fact that it does.
If you haven't already imagined this scenario given the game's vaporware status then I'm sorry.
Giant Panda
Member
To me it appears Sony is taking the MS route from last gen. Fewer first party games and just relying on the best multiplatform games. Sony thinks will boost profits.
DC will born to bomb at retail.
It's a PS+ game, in his "short" version.
Kenshin001
Member
Yep!
And "The Getaway" + "8 Days" got canceled.
"LA Noir" went from Sony to Take2. "Rememeber Me" went from Sony to Capcom.
A spy game got canceled at SCEE (some artworks can be found), etc.
The list goes on and on.
But somehow, this is something totally new now
Neither LA Noir or Remember Me were 1st party games so their fate isn't the same as 2 SCEE projects being cancelled. We still got those games. Lots of people lamented the cancellation of The Getaway and 8 Days.
Nice edit.DerZuhälter;105694826 said:
They already had a studio reboot.
We were talking about canceled Sony games.
This was a Sony game. Developed by an indy studio,
but it still nearly got canceled.
Can Crusher
Banned
I wish we were in such a state of human mind, that these people at these studios would simply be rearranged for the most part.
Got 20 people over what you need for a project? Are they hacks? No? Then build a small team around them to make small games with very high returns. Look, an extra revenue source...
Got 20 people over what you need for a project? Are they hacks? No? Then build a small team around them to make small games with very high returns. Look, an extra revenue source...
Yeah I agree - I was pretty excited for DC as a PS+ launch title. That said, we could get something great because of the delay, and I'd be more than happy with that. I still have a bunch of stuff on my PS4 I haven't even finished yet...
digoutyoursoul
Member
They should at least clarify, especially if another E3 goes by without a word said about it. Lack of clarity for this and Agenf is getting ridiculous.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Hmmmm... Doesn't seem like any of their studios are safe... They probably will not touch Naughty Dog though.
i'm not sure how they're even going to guage that, especially since a good portion of people will simply stick to the free PS+ version.
Who knows people though SSM was untouchable.
But ND output has been damn good so I don't see it.
I see this as a good thing. Studios have been spending huge sums of money and then hoping they'll sell millions of copies just to break even. That can't continue much longer without a crash, so maybe this will set an example for others.
Omnii-chan
Member
"The development of DriveClub "will not be affected" by today's layoffs at Evolution Studios, SCEE has confirmed to VideoGamer.com."
Given the constant delays and now "going back to the drawing board", I don't know if this is true.
Given the constant delays and now "going back to the drawing board", I don't know if this is true.
reptilescorpio
Member
Depends entirely on the quality of their current productions/pre-productions as well as how lean they are in terms of every other part of the team.
If some management can be cut without having a huge diminishing effect on the team Sony could very well swing the hammer.
If a project isn't hitting milestones and isn't looking promising after giving it plenty of time to retool it could get the axe, as seen with SSM.
Sony's gonna acquire From Software.
Neogaf's server explodes in a fire.
/dead
So it's probably my long-dreamt fullfledged R&C remake called Drek's Demise: Ratchet and Clank
Never going to happen
Hydrargyrus
Member
Can I pm a mod so I can get clearance
Don't you worry. I cover you!
It'll be a "good thing" for consumers eventually as this will separate the wheat from the chaff. Less diluted development environments could mean a tighter, leaner product across the board. Maybe it won't mean anything in the end. No way to know for sure since the layoffs are fresh.
The unfortunate thing is that human beings are at the center of this. Hopefully they can find jobs again soon.
I guess there is no room for small teams anymore.
They had "over 30 games" in production last they talked about it. They cancelled one game at SSM recently and now 2-3 from SCEE. They could still have "over 30" games in production or at the very least almost 30. That's still a lot of games, nothing like what MS did last gen. There was probably just some redundancy with their own games.
Isn't the list first party? Insomniac is not first party.
Two unannounced games after 'U', could one of them be Wipeout?!?! Please...