It’s been quite the summer for video game companies – both good
and bad. Let’s start with the bad so that we can end on a better note.
Big Huge Games and 38 Studios both closed their doors
permanently this summer, displacing every last employee. The games in
development at both studios have been scrapped (as far as I know, there has
been no move to sell the intellectual property to another party). Very sad
times for gamers and employees alike. Rumor had it that these companies were
having money issues and that a high up employee exacerbated things.
Bioware, developer of Star Wars: The Old Republic, has had
two rounds of layoffs under parent company Electronic Arts. Round one happened
in May and took an estimated 100 – 150 employees out of their Austin office.
Round two in July further reduced the employee base, but I have yet to see any
number estimates on that. EA has stated that this is all part of a
restructuring plan, but there are signs that SWTOR is struggling. They have had
quite a few promotions to try to lure in new players and are reportedly going
free to play pretty soon.
Now that we’ve gotten the sad stuff out of the way, here’s
what’s great in the gaming industry.
This summer has seen the release of TERA, Diablo III, and
The Secret World. Though these games have varying popularity levels, they seem
to be doing pretty well. Coming out in less than a month is Guild Wars 2, and
this one should be a game changer (quite literally) as it bends the way MMOs
handle leveling, professions, and all kinds of other issues.
Then there’s the far off games. MMORPGs take an absurd
amount of time to make, and this is especially the case if the developer wants
to do a thorough job and make a state of the art game. The Elder Scrolls is
reportedly making an MMO to add to their successful franchise, and gamers
everywhere were over the moon with this news.
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