190°

BREAKING: Massive lay offs at Prototype developer

Around half the staff at Radical Entertainment have lost their jobs.

The Vancouver Sun reports that Vancouver-based video game developer Radical Entertainment is to lay off around 100 employees, equating to approximately half its work force.

The cut-backs come as a decision by Activision Blizzard to half Radical Entertainment's video game output.

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videogamer.com
RadientFlux5731d ago

All Hail Activision the new EA

Mr_Showtime15731d ago (Edited 5731d ago )

Damn Straight.

Hope this doesn't effect Prototype too badly.

mistertwoturbo5731d ago

If you guys haven't noticed, the U.S. economy isn't exactly booming. Lay offs are happening at multiple companies.

There was already 2 sets of layoffs at my company. Was $400 million in revenue. Now it's down to $250 million a year. Intel, Infineon, Samsung, etc. etc. just aren't buying because they are also suffering from the economy.

So don't be too quick to point fingers at Activision because they have to make tough decisions.

slapsta725731d ago

dont think it will, article made it sound like its the people working on the two canned games that lost their jobs. im guessing the prototype and crash teams remain intact. prototype has potential, hate to think activision / blizzard would jeopradize it

mikeslemonade5731d ago

Prototype is basically a finished project. It was never supposed to be a great game anyway.

legendkilla5731d ago

last time i checked Vancouver was in Canada not the US....

mistertwoturbo5731d ago

lol my bad, missed that one.

Either way, lay offs just don't happen just because they feel like it. There's probably some good reasons for it.

truncheon5731d ago

problems in the us economy have worldwide repercussions. Canadian dollars usta be worth half a US dollar, making it a great outsourcing opportunity for US companies. now the currencies are pretty even.

notice how the last few years Ubi has been opening studios in China and Eastern Europe? keeping those development costs down increases profit. don't get me wrong, i love montreal, but rent and salaries are much lower in Shanghai.

MikeGdaGod5731d ago

they need to layoff the game. looks horrible to me

orakga5731d ago

you're right, but when a studio is part of a much bigger umbrella company like EA/A-B, those employees are far more expendable. if it was your own studio and the economy was truly squeezing your balls, you would try *harder* not to resort to the same kind of "aww fvck it, fire half the people!" kind of decisions. you'd cut at most 30% or so...

then again... the studios are equally responsible for everything that happens. afterall, they took the money when "selling" their studio.

BiggDaddy3115731d ago

Maybe you can explain to me how Activision/Blizzard are on hard times when WoW generates 100 million a month for the company alone, COD4 is the #1 selling game of 2007 and 08, not to mention Guitar Hero sales.

I know that the economy is down, I am blessed to have a great job. But the video game industry is projected to sell 22 billion this year, which is up 5-10% from last year. So Acti/Blizz aren't hurtin for business I can promise you.

My point is that it is obvious Ghostbusters and Brutal Legend are going to move product, so those games probably won't lose money if you publish them, (more so I think than Spyro in my opionion). It is my assumption that they are doing this not because of a down economy, but for a strategy to maximise their profits. I have no problem with that, but just don't make Activision look like they are a poor struggling company on hard times, because I promise you they are not. They have come up with a corporate vision and they are trying to make the company more profitable, bottom line. I don't feel bad for the laid off developers bc if they are smart they will go out and create there own independent studio, that is how studios are created.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 5731d ago
Dmack795731d ago

Oh well, I wonder what the guys over at Sucker Punch think about this. I mean, inFamous could end up dominating Prototype now.

Shane Kim5731d ago

Was thinking the same thing. Anyways, InFamous looks 10 times better than this game.

Pain5731d ago

To be better then the XBOX 2 Hold back by miles.

morganfell5731d ago

inFamous was ALREADY dominating protohype.

Ashta5731d ago

****!!!!

This game had better not get canned. Prototype has been on my gaming radar ever since its announcement and I've been dying for it to be released. I was already pretty well pissed when they delayed the game and talked about "putting multiplayer back in it". Not EVERY game has to have multiplayer damnit!

Either way this had better not mean the game is starting to find a grave to fall in to.

Truplaya5731d ago

they better not cancel PROTOTYPE, its my most anticipated open world game. It makes inFAMOUS look quite boring and makes Mercs2 look tame.

I cant wait for it, but from what i saw it looked nearly finished, so hopefully it still gets released.

Time_Is_On_My_Side5731d ago

lol, I'd like to hold you on that comment because of the fact Infamous is using the full Blu-ray disc. Prototype can't be no bigger than Grand Theft Auto IV due to the XBOX 360 DVD9.

Filet of Children5731d ago

Yeah. And the size of the medium used correlates directly to how good the game is.

You know, obviously.

That's why every single game on the PS3 has been better than, say, Shadow of the Colossus.

*rolls eyes*

Truplaya5731d ago (Edited 5731d ago )

We'll see if INfamous is as fun as this when they are both out. From what ive seen inFAMOUS invovles you having electrical powers PROTOTYPE you are a shape shifter with some crazy alien powers. I know which sounds more fun to me.

Just coz a games uses a whole Bluray doesnt instantly mean it will be good. And the fact a game is on a DVD9 doesnt make it bad either.

SixTwoTwo5731d ago (Edited 5731d ago )

Yeah well Sucker Punch have proven they can make awesome games (Sly Cooper series anyone?). The list of games developed by Radical Entertainment is mediocre at best.

mistertwoturbo5731d ago

Protoype has an excellent concept. But after seeing the super unpolished video it didn't look that good.

Infamous on the other hand looks better every new video that has come out. And they've still got a long way to go before finishing production.

IzKyD13315731d ago

tell me this isnt impressive

dachiefsman5731d ago

not impressed. Crackdown explosions were just as big. Don't get me wrong infamous will probably be fun, but its nothing NEW.

EDIT: on topic: this is one game I have been waiting for. They better not f' it up.

Figboy5731d ago

"truplaya," i work at Vivendi (now Activision, but i can't bring myself to call them that), and i got to see Prototype on a DAILY BASIS.

inFamous walks circles, miles, decades around Prototype in EVERY AREA. from animation, to gameplay, to story and setting. and i've only seen 12 minutes of inFamous, and read a few interviews about it.

there's a big difference in quality between a developer that has ONE slightly above average game under it's belt (ie, the Prototype devs made Hulk: Ultimate Destruction; fun, but not groundbreaking. no pun intended), and a developer with a solid pedigree in terms of level design, character, concept, animation, and gameplay as a whole (ie, Sucker Punch, with the Sly Cooper series).

the fact that Sucker Punch has Sony's millions personally backing the title is a GOOD thing, whereas Prototype is just another game in Activision's roster.

with that said, i'm actually looking forward to Prototype, and i'm hoping that this delay has brought about improvements in the title, because i've been following it since i first heard about it.

just because i think inFamous is better, doesn't mean i want it to be the ONLY mature "superhero" game out there.

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meepmoopmeep5731d ago

oh damn, hope the game is in good shape.

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400°

Six Activision Games I’d Like to See Revived Under Microsoft

As the world reels from the shockwaves of the seismic news that Microsoft is acquiring the proverbial swamp of the video-game landscape, Activision Blizzard King, it only seems natural that our minds should now shift towards what the fallout will be for presumably years if not decades to come.

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halfglassgaming.com
MadLad822d ago

Another Prototype would be awesome.

As for Singularity, I don't necessarily need a sequel, I just want to see Raven be able to flex their creative muscle again; not just be relegated to assisting with CoD. A lot of the old guard is still with the company.

That's part of what I'm hoping to see come from this acquisition. Revive teams like Vicarious Visions and Ravem to actually allow them to work on their own new projects again.

Crows90821d ago

As great as that would be the deal wont finalize until end of fiscal year 2023. Until after that date MS wont really have a say as to where resources will be spent. So we wont realistically see anything until perhaps 2026 or later.

LWOGaming820d ago

I think that’s a point that so many people are missing. Things will not change this year or next year at all. Maybe some changes might be apparent in 2024 but 2025/2026 is a good estimate of when things will really start happening. And I don’t think we will see as big a set of changes as some are suggesting.

TallDarknWavy821d ago

Those teams having not worked on anything, the employees find jobs at other companies, they don't just remain unemployed till someone at the publisher decides to revive the team, they need to eat lol

That said, this list of games makes me unexcited for anything outside of CoD that Activision has to offer. All games are in stale genres, like Guitar Hero, Simpsons Hit and Run, these are long surpassed genres that are going to be difficult to revive.

gamer7804821d ago

I want to see new IPs. Not a bunch of forced renovations of old franchises.

Gamer75821d ago

Why not a combination of both

gamer7804821d ago

@gamer75 if it is a combination it has to have my seal of approval. Such as a new Warcraft game or a new Warcraft mmo, or an action game based off the night elves orcs and humans if it’s a new IP. I’ll let you know after I talk with Microsoft

King_Noctis821d ago

Man I’ve been waiting for Protoype since the last one. Protoype could seriously be MS’ answer to Infamous (freaking loved that game as well, hope Sony make a new one soon).

porkChop821d ago

I'd love to see Raven take another crack at Heretic and Hexen.

MadLad821d ago

That's one I see being tossed around a lot to bring back, even if not from Raven themselves.

Put so many hours into those games over the years.

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Knightofelemia821d ago

I'd like to see Activision get the Transformers license again and continue the War and Fall of Cybertron games. the movie games were crap and the game that combined both movie and Fall and War of Cybertron sucked a new Prototype would also be good as well.

jaymacx821d ago

You deserve a 1000 likes haha 😂. It’s a shame High Moon didn’t get to continue making Transformers. If they got a decent budget i think most of us TF fans would be excited.

wolf581820d ago (Edited 820d ago )

Ms bought Activision and everybody dancing for what? For cod? Ms want to atleast earn some money Back from those 70 billion dollars.... The only thing they count on is more gamepass subscribers via Activision cod, diablo and over watch 2 1st Day free at gamepass. If they decide to make them exclusive to xbox they Will lose profit from ps4 and 5 sales. As For a New ip or an existing ip like over watch 3,diablo 5 or anything else like a New transformers Dont you think that developers need at least 3 years to Do something decent?
Anyway my opinion is that ms want to make videogaming Just a subscription a la netflix and that ps5 will beat xboxsx in sales like ps4 beat xbox and xbox one x..... All the money ms spending It Will defentily make more gamepass subscribers as for games we all must wait at least 3 more years... And thats why ps5 will get ahead in sales they have more AAA in the pipeline already plus lets see their answer for gamepass... P. S i Dont support subscriptions from neither company and i didnt buy switch plus for n64. If they give me the option to buy n64 games then yes i Will buy them but i am not paying for a rental.

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rlow1821d ago (Edited 821d ago )

Re-imagining of River Raid and the original adventurer Pitfall. Oh Zork is also a great game.

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50°

Top 5 games which can have their own Spin-off movies

Movies and games have always had a closer connection. There has been an increasing trend in Hollywood to transform successful games in movies. While most of them have turned out to be disasters lik…

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indiannoob.in
100°

Best 10 Games Where You Play the Bad Guy

Out of all the games in which you play the bad guy which ones are the best? Which games are the most fun to play as the bad guy at its blackhearted fullest?

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thezombiechimp.com
bradleejones2678d ago

No Infamous... First game I thought of. GTA too...

Fist4achin2678d ago

DMC when you play as Virgil?! Maybe, maybe not...