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IGN: ~50 Layoffs at Sony Santa Monica, Project Canceled [Up2: Was Stig's New IP]
- Thread starter Jonboy
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TheSpaceBetween
Member
Who knows. For all we know Barlog could be one of those who lost their jobs.
DarkLordMalik
Member
I am sure at this point that Barlog might be working on a new God of War instead of new IP.
Depends on the success of DriveClub. If it flops, say good bye to them as well.
shinobi602 again:
What's worse is that it was set to be unveiled at E3. Something massive must have happened.
Sounds like it was far into development.
noooo I guess something must have been real wrong with it.
Yeah, he wasn't fired, he was just put in an office to grow old, he would have still been paid until he retired, or kept on as a 'consultant' that retired early.
famousmortimer
Banned
Murder. She Wrote
Member
Fuck man 
I just want SSM to do anything other than GoW.
I just want SSM to do anything other than GoW.
Ludicrous Speed
Banned
This is the studio that made the God of War games. Holy hell. Those were decent games. Why so many layoffs? Don't these games sell well. I'm bummed. sucks
BlackBuzzard
Banned
The Stig IP? because they started it right after gow 3
Stig has been working on it for four years right? Either way, they pretty much just threw a ton of money away. Those 50 people weren't just sitting on their asses all day.
Neuromancer
Member
Wow that sucks. If they cancelled a new IP and laid off 50 people just to focus on another GoW title, I'm going to be really bummed out.
Raonak
Banned
Wut...We have lots of driveclub footage, trailers and it's been demoed multiple times. new IP hasnt even been leaked, let alone revealed.
Given all the projects they have going on, and that it's such a small team, it wouldn't surprise me if that was a very large majority from the project. But we don't know.
The game had been in development for 4 years of development and still wasn't finished. And the staff size grew 82% in the span of 4 years. There's no way that the studio could have sustained itself. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. It sucks that 50 people lost their job and the project cancelled, but it is the reality of business. They have to stay profitable somehow.
cebri.one
Member
The total lack of marketing support from Sony also helped those games to fail.
Yeah. That comparison is just terrible.
Interfectum
Member
The project probably wasn't looking hot and, as a side benefit, they could use the remaining staff from that team for an all-hands-on-deck in getting the next God of War out for Christmas.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
You guys are talking as if there is a new GoW in development, like it's confirmed. Is this the case or just an assumption?
It is a bummer if that is what we are getting and a new ip has been cancelled.
It is a bummer if that is what we are getting and a new ip has been cancelled.
Bluekaveli
Member
Damnit Sony
funkystudent
Member
Maybe the money they would need to toss at it to make it better outweighted the money already spent.
I mean theoretically if you had to chose between killing a project and writing it off as a loss or doubling the budget and hoping it works out what do you do? Sony has tossed a lot of money at a lot of hope over the years (TLG, GT5). Maybe this is a sign of them being a bit more realistic with how they fund stuff.
Development cycle is not: nothing -> production -> launch, though.
I think those 50 people were sitting on their asses all day, except for the ones with standing desks or the ones walking from meeting to meeting.
The project was probably axed by the studio head when it came to decide what game to actually take into full production by the studio.
We don't even know about what the make up of the 50 affected people are, they could also have been 30 QA people that were made redundant by streamlining in Foster City.
Well there's also no reason to think they were working on this for four years either.
Maybe Stig, an Art Director and a couple of technical staff were working on it for a year or so, and it staffed up slowly. Four years of fifty people is a lot, but it could have been considerably smaller than that. It might have only staffed up once Ascension shipped.
EmptySpace
Banned
what did you expect? hyperbole and ignorance is running rampant in this thread. so many people blaming the next closest game associated with the company.
LilWayneSuckz
Member
No! Seriously? Why would Sony cancel Stig's IP, it surely had to be coming along nicely enough for them to consider going to a new (bigger) facility....I was really looking forward to it
At least they have another one in development.
At least they have another one in development.
Neuromancer
Member
Do we have a press sneak fuck on retainer to find out what this cancelled game was going to be?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Well normally the reason why people cancel IPs is because they're not coming along nicely enough
famousmortimer
Banned
I don't disagree with that at all.
In fact, Starhawk was one of my favorite shooters last gen. It's small player base was a huge bummer. After 2 months there was usually one game going and it wasn't the game type I preferred :/
gundamkyoukai
Member
Sony want SSM to turn into ND with how there are run and i can't blame them .
ND are 250 people now but they also have the ICE team since the PS2 era they have brought out 4 games and 5th one next year over 20 million sales in house .
SSM had 220 people and since the PS2 era they brought out 2 games ( one that did not do great ) and help with many that under perform less that 10 million in sales in house .
People talk about PD but they now only have 140 people and since the PS2 era they have brought out GT PSP , GT5P , GT5 , GT6 with sales near 20 million all done in house .
ND are 250 people now but they also have the ICE team since the PS2 era they have brought out 4 games and 5th one next year over 20 million sales in house .
SSM had 220 people and since the PS2 era they brought out 2 games ( one that did not do great ) and help with many that under perform less that 10 million in sales in house .
People talk about PD but they now only have 140 people and since the PS2 era they have brought out GT PSP , GT5P , GT5 , GT6 with sales near 20 million all done in house .
Ludicrous Speed
Banned
If it was four years that's part of the problem. A game shouldn't take that long to make with a staff that big. These companies need to learn to be more efficient. Implement some six sigma devices up in there
He was rumored to be making this new IP for years now. If sony kicked him out, project must have been going very slowly or going nowhere. Sony has cleared a lot of dead weight in SCEJ, maybe it was time to do the same in SMM.
I'm not particulary mad that the project was canned. A lot of games get canceled, 99% with good reason. Sucks that 50 people lost jobs, but that's nothing new in this [and any other] industry.
I'm not particulary mad that the project was canned. A lot of games get canceled, 99% with good reason. Sucks that 50 people lost jobs, but that's nothing new in this [and any other] industry.
Sorc3r3r
Member
The quality of these games was at least controversial, marketing or not.
Starhawk still is such a total disappointment in my brain, still hurts.
LilWayneSuckz
Member
Well normally the reason why people cancel IPs is because they're not coming along nicely enough
*Sad face* We'll never know what this means, will we:
Seems this hasn't been quoted enough really. It's completely disappointing that apparently it wasn't coming together. Y'all gotta trust them on that one. You don't cancel good games. Though, I've never been a fan of letting sunk cost be sunk cost, but then again, I've never managed a multi-million dollar entity.
I liked those games, but Marketing =/= Sales.
We'll its not like their trying to pump out some standard commodity type products like COD
A few people said the new IP was canceled for another GOW and others picked it up. It's a big problem that needs to be fixed IMO. Making shit up with no sources only creates misconceptions.
famousmortimer
Banned
Christmas this year? Lol. They just rehired Barlog and started creating the team. It's years away.
And stig wasn't fired. What's to say he doesn't lead another project, with different and possibly more talented people?
I mean if we are going to make assumptions can we make some reasonable ones as well?
I never said anything about it being the wrong decision financially, I'm just saying another god of war game is a good bet. And will probably help Sony recover any losses they might have had because of this.
But I guess that's "controversial".
The fact that they never even teased this game suggests a turbulent development cycle.
I mean, look at Agent.
I am bummed when the next project revealed by Santa Monica is another God of War.
I know that even a shitty sci-fi game would have been better for my taste. ;-)
What about it? It's going wonderful. Don't you dare say anything more!
I liked Starhawk alot.
I was honestly heated that it didn't get any marketing what so ever. Ironically that team got shit canned as well
farmerboy
Member
Overall, this is shitty news. Hope Stig still has his job, I think he did a great job with GOW3 and deserves his chance to deliver. However, in saying that something must have been wrong so we have to trust Sony management on this. It's just disappointing that it takes 3 or 4 odd years to make a call on a project, you would have to assume they gave it every chance. Let's spare a thought for Stig and the other guys on the project, this would be very deflating for them - I hope they bounce back, too good a crew to be down for too long, hopefully.
If this means we get another GOW than so be it, a reboot with RPG elements could work magnificently and personally I would love top see a ps4 incarnation some day.
Making games is haarrd, as is anything in life worth doing, sometimes you gotta roll with the punches.
Go SSM!
If this means we get another GOW than so be it, a reboot with RPG elements could work magnificently and personally I would love top see a ps4 incarnation some day.
Making games is haarrd, as is anything in life worth doing, sometimes you gotta roll with the punches.
Go SSM!
I'm a bit hesitant to say that prior to DriveClub's reviews, but yeah, I certainly wouldn't bet on their survival even if I wouldn't bet on their demise.
That's probably for God of War 4.*Sad face* We'll never know what this means, will we:
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
Stig´s project? Oh fuck off Sony.
What makes you assume that? It's quite possible that the game was in development hell. There's no evidence to suggest the project was moving along swimmingly. Hell, the fact that they canceled it after 4 years' worth of resources were already put into it would strongly suggest the opposite.
You don't cancel projects that's moving along well and 4 years' worth of time, money, and resources were already sunk into it.
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