• CTDummy@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      Because these corporations presumably think they’ll buy a talented studio, get it to make something its isn’t used to making, force a bunch of shit into it for monetisation and/or launch early in order to keep schedule. All this to keep investors/management happy. Then when the combination of the aforementioned (repeatedly) blows up in their face; usually by pissing off customers, they lose money. Finally you start layoffs and rehires if needed because you’re running into money problems.

      They couldn’t care less about the talent. It isn’t rare for a lot of the talent to bail when these studio get bought up. Especially since it feels like you’re just going to be crunched the second you get the first job post acquisition. Found this while checking this assumption, a bunch of them left early for Arkane specifically.

      I always viewed it companies like EA take a gamble. Either the investment pulls off the unlikely, convoluted shit you ask and makes you money or you take it out back and try with another studio.

      • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        You would think, right? But HiFi Rush was lauded as one of the best games last year and was highly successful, even being ported to PS5 and Switch at this point, so why close them?

        • CTDummy@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          From what I read it outsold forspoken and got around $6 million in the first month? That’s small change to a billion dollar publisher. Especially when you can close a bunch of studios(probably claim some losses for tax reasons like WB with catwoman) and reshuffle. Doesn’t need the individual studio to do poorly in this instance I’d guess. Just didn’t make the selection for “who do you want to keep going forward”.

    • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      My best guess is that Microsoft/Bethesda hired too many people during the pandemic, because gaming had a boom then. I do not know, if it’s a massive management failure or planned, that all these people would need to be laid off shortly after the pandemic-boom ends.

  • QuadratureSurfer@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Games made by the studios being closed:

    Arkane Austin (Tap for list)

     Blade (Marvel game (not?) in development)
     Redfall
     Deathloop
     Prey
     Prey Digital Deluxe
     Prey Mooncrash
     Dishonered
     Dishonered 2
     Dishonered Death of the Outsider
     Dishonered Dunwall City Trials
     Dishonered The Knife Of Dunwall
     Dishonered The Brigmore Witches
     Dishonered Void Walker’s Arsenal
     Arx Fatalis

    Tango Gameworks

     Hi-Fi Rush
     Ghostwire Tokyo
     The Evil Within
     The Evil Within 2

    Alpha Dog Games

     Wraithborne (iOS, Android)
     MonstroCity: Rampage (iOS, Android)
     Ninja Golf (iOS, Android)
     Mighty DOOM (iOS, Android)

    • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      Does Arkane Austin co-develop Blade? Because in the article, it says that Arkane Lyon is (also) working on that.

  • _ed@sopuli.xyz
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    6 months ago

    Sad. I was thinking the buyout was more about owning ip e.g halo, fallout tv shows than the devs. I guess in ms world any other studio can take over game development.