860°

Cliff Bleszinski Departs Epic

"Today we are saying farewell with warm regards to Cliff Bleszinski, who is departing as Epic’s design director to chart the next stage of his career. During the past two decades, Cliff has helped shape many successful games that have captured the imaginations of millions of players around the world. We are grateful for his influence on Epic’s legacy, from the wild adventures 'Jazz Jackrabbit' to the visceral combat of 'Gears of War.'", writes Epic Games.

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epicgames.com
Relientk774215d ago

I wonder if he will work for another game studio now, or open his own

lociefer4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

''’ive been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business, as Mike likes to say. And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break.''

dang looks like he's leaving the industry as a whole :S

Relientk774215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

Maybe he is taking just a break from the industry then will come back to it eventually. Then it would be interesting to see his next move, maybe he will start his own company.

[btw I didn't disagree with you, I agreed with you]

darthv724215d ago

with all the good things he had to say about naughty dog he might just land himself a job there.

After he takes some time to think things through of course.

gaffyh4215d ago

He's probably going to start his own studio, he could easily do it.

-Mika-4215d ago

I hope sony hires him. He an amazing developer.

guitarded774215d ago

I was shocked when I read the headline. Wish him the best of luck wherever he ends up.

EVILDEAD3604215d ago

Wow..that came out of nowhere..reaaly was looking forward to seeing Cliffy ride into the next gen..

I loved how he would rile up all the fan kids with the simplest of quotes..but he easily brought some need energy and personality into the industry.

Hope he comes back in some form after his break..but definately wish him the best

Evil

badz1494215d ago

and just like that, suddenly Epic's front page man quits! what gives? I'm no fan of his but wishing him the best of whatever he's going to do next.

knowyourstuff4215d ago

So he went from loudmouth Cliff who was relevant and making games, to the irrelevant loudmouth Cliff that people can hardly take seriously.

I wonder what will happen to Gears of War now that Cliff has nothing to do with it, we'll see the direction when the next Gears comes out next year, but beyond that lets hope it doesn't go the way of Resident Evil without its original creator, losing all direction and running off the rails.

SilentNegotiator4215d ago

*YAWN*

He's just a posterboy. And even if he was the brainchild behind Gears....the dev team can just continue to do what they've been doing with the series; the same thing.

crxss4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

"One does not simply leave this industry after 20 years"

Gazondaily4215d ago

Sad news but good luck to him on his future endeavours.

I thought he was a nice chap. He seemed really committed and involved in his games and the industry as a whole.

Denethor_II4215d ago

@Evildead "Wow..that came out of nowhere..reaaly was looking forward to seeing Cliffy ride into the next gen.. "

It was Cliffy who said "next gen is here. It's in a high end PC".

Gamer19824215d ago

This is no doubt due to being sick and tired of being forced to make games he doesn't want to. He always said he only wanted to do 3 gears games yet MS threw a ton of money at Mark Rein and Epic and they said yes. That must have hurt him as he wanted it to be a trilogy and leave it locked down. It was his masterpiece. He realises its not about the love of games anymore its all about money..

mewhy324215d ago

Well I hope that he starts his own development company. I'm saddened that the industry is losing such a talented design director. I mean no one can argue that Cliff isn't one of the greats. The numbers tell the tale. Here's to hoping he doesn't just completely fall out of the industry and is never heard from again.

Bloodraid4214d ago

Why is it that the last article about him hoping that the next generation of consoles would move away from discs was plagued with people hating him for whatever reason. Yet, now that he's leaving the industry everyone is pretending to be sad about it.

It's like if Capcom were to go bankrupt next week. Everyone here would act heartbroken and start talking about how great all of their games were.

The hypocrisy on this site just kills me.

Denethor_II4212d ago

No really, he did say that, lol.

+ Show (13) more repliesLast reply 4212d ago
ShinMaster4215d ago

He's taking a break from the gaming industry.

So he won't be doing anything for now.

Muffins12234215d ago

lets hope he dosent turn out like...dare i say hes name here...Peter Molyneux

Bathyj4215d ago

Dude, that the first thing I thought.
I hope he doesnt come back all Peter Molyneux.

Any way, enjoy your holiday Clifford.

Jockamo4215d ago

Cliffy knew how to quit when he was ahead. He's a young guy with a lot of money. Maybe he'll travel or something..

Walker4215d ago

He will join to Naughty Dog .
He always said; I love Naughty Dog and their games .

dubt724215d ago

He can start his own, and gut ND of talent so they can work multi-platform...

WrAiTh Sp3cTr34215d ago

Why would he go from a company like Epic, which is one of the most successful indie companies out there, both critically and financially, all the while being their posterboy--to joining ND, a 2nd party dev company? It just wouldn't make sense, that would be a huge pay cut...

4215d ago
fabod864215d ago

ND is first party dude ;)

ShinMaster4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

2nd? ND is 1st party. Fully owned by Sony.
_

@Walker007

I think 'darthv72' already said the same thing lol.

WrAiTh Sp3cTr34215d ago

My mistake, they are 1st party, but that just makes my point even more significant, because Epic isn't owned by anyone...Sony owns ND.

givemeshelter4215d ago

Naughty Dog is owned by Sony and as such can only make games under Sony's guidelines.
In other words ND cannot make games for another company UNLESS Sony gives them the OK to do so.
EPIC is independent and can make games for any company.
Why would Cliffy B leave EPIC a independent Game Studio that has HUGE resources and licenses out its game engine to most game houses for a 1st party company that is under tight wraps with Sony?
That woul dbe taking a step backwards for him

Legion214215d ago

@dubt72 epic is multiplatform, they're an independent company and can do whatever they like with their ip's.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4215d ago
K-F-C_14215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

@relientk Who disagrees to a fracking question?

Amphion4215d ago

What!!!??? Cliffy B departs Epic? ......Unreal.

LAZL0-Panaflex4215d ago

Good maybe gears trilogy will come to ps3 now,...probably not.

Syntax-Error4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

EPIC owns the IP to that game, but they are working on a multi platform game. Mike Capps said there's a possibility that PS3 could see it in the future. I would love for PS3 only fans to get Gears as well, it truly is a good franchise that draws you in. I feel the XBOX only fans need a taste of Nathan Drake to understand the love of the franchise. Exclusives are never a good thing IMO.

Blasphemy4215d ago

Hardcore gaming industry is dieing!

Kingdom Come4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

Wow, I'm literally in shock. Well, Cliffy's just recently gotten married, so, it would seem he just genuinely wants a break, something he hasn't had since his teenage years when he first began Video Games development as a career aspiration.

I'd just like to say, as someone of who's been playing the Gears of War franchise from day one, thank you. It's not only created the best gaming experiences of my life, but via in-game chat and the forums, has introduced me to some great people. It won't be the same without you Cliff.

Kurt Russell4215d ago

I think it's unlikely he will ever read your post :(

Kingdom Come4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

I never particularly expected him to, although, he does visit N4G and read the comments (He often mocks the community's argumentative nature).

showtimefolks4215d ago

cliff you are one of the better devs in gaming and enjoy your break i hope when you come back you work with your friends over at ND to make awesome games

watch bonus round on GT and you can tell he was getting tired of the way gaming business has been run with making games more casual friendly. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back in few years to create his own studio and make pc exclusive games.

anyway see you soon but enjoy life you only get it once

Syntax-Error4215d ago

So he can actually write his own ticket anywhere. He's made a lot of money for that company and can afford to take a break. If Cliff does go to major developer like ND, Santa Monica, Rockstar, Rocksteady, or Ubisoft...they will be UNTOUCHABLE!! His mind works a mile a minute and is always looking for the next best thing. I saw this coming when he was on the Bonus Round on GameTrailers. He was never at the studio. Seems as if he was on a break from EPIC for some time now, but it's only being mentioned now. Wherever he lands he will be an asset.

Christopher4215d ago

If the rumor is true that he is going to be spending more time with the wife and kid(s), I hope he enjoys it.

He can always come back or work part time as a consultant with various companies. For someone as well known as he is in the industry, there will likely always be an open door waiting for him.

gedapeleda4214d ago

No. He'll be cleaning toilets from now on.

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 4212d ago
Shok4215d ago

Did NOT see this coming.

Moncole4215d ago

I dont think anyone did. But I hope he continues making great games.

HammadTheBeast4215d ago

He probably will. But as for Epic, they're done. A once epic company reduced to making Kinect Shovel ware. Good luck 360 gamers.

nrvalleytime4215d ago

Every professional needs a sabbatical at some point. Here's hoping he eventually comes back stronger than ever.

Kurylo3d4215d ago

no more pictures of cliff holding a gears of war chainsaw like he made the game alone? say it aint so!

torchic4215d ago

ahahaha LOL!

I was thinking about that all the time while reading the comments/article. too funny man

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4215d ago
BigStef714215d ago

Finally he will have the creative freedom to make his own unique game without Epic being on his ass about making gears sequels

ChunkyLover534215d ago

He had a lot of control over what to do at Epic Games, it wasn't about stagnation or anything like that, he was working on a totally new IP (Fortnite).

Cliff just got married, could have a kid on the way, has been part of Epic Games for 20 years, he could just want a small break to enjoy his life for a bit.

I highly doubt he'll stay gone long, might even end up working for Microsoft at some point and time.

BigStef714215d ago

Im just saying you could tell he wanted to do something new rather than keep making new entries in the gears franchise. Fortnite was a start in the right direction for him to make new IP's. There's no doubt in my mind like you said he'll be back making great new games in the industry. I mean it is his job lol. He just wants to take some time off and relax. I figure he would just start his own new studio and make multiplatform games

otherZinc4215d ago (Edited 4215d ago )

@ChunkyLover53,
I agree with you.

I hope he'll be back soon. Also, I'm sure he left Gears in good hands. Epic will still be great but Cliff is huge.

Also, Cliff is a true genius of the industry.

LackTrue4K4215d ago Show
DFresh4215d ago

I really hope Cliffy B doesn't work for Microsoft he'd be destroyed creatively just like Rare Studios and forced to make Kinect games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4215d ago
ChunkyLover534215d ago ShowReplies(2)
Lavalamp4215d ago

Straight outta left field, folks.

Show all comments (196)
100°

New Shark Tank Inspired Wolves’ Den Game Contest With Spatial, Youtube, and Gaming Legends

Rapper/Actor Ice-T, and YouTube, Gaming Legends, Cliff Bleszinski, Welyn, And Barji To Judge First ‘Wolves Den’ Game Jam Series On Spatial Platform

Read Full Story >>
terminalgamer.com
N4GTG40d ago

This could be great for some indie developers

280°

Gears of War Creator CliffyB Offers His Thoughts on Xbox Exclusives Going Multiplatform

During a recent Game Rant interview, Gears of War creator CliffyB comments on Xbox-exclusive games possibly adopting multiplatform models.

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gamerant.com
S2Killinit41d ago

Im sure he would love it. More money for him.

OtterX41d ago

Yea, I remember seeing him and his Lamborghini at one point in history. Lol, I think that kind of gives it away.

rippermcrip40d ago

Doubtful he gets any residuals from anything Gears related.

rippermcrip40d ago

Bunch of clowns down voting without any explanation of how exactly he is getting money off Gears. You think Notch still gets Minecraft money too?

jznrpg39d ago (Edited 39d ago )

Depends on the contract. Some contracts have residuals some don’t

Whitey2k40d ago

Sometimes I don't get what he says half the times. He could of put gears on the playstation from the start but he's fanboyness for xbox got in the way

Notellin40d ago

I imagine this is exactly how fanboys feel how this went down. Microsoft paid for all the development and took all the risk off Epic games for a new IP.

It has nothing to do with anyone being a fanboy. Well other than yourself who oversimplified this entire franchises history.

LoveSpuds40d ago

I agree Notellin, however, once he was in bed with MS he did become pretty 'anti Sony' ans was such a shill for MS.

Hofstaderman40d ago

This. And Sony also does this with titles these days.

shinoff218340d ago

I thought it was said cliffs shopped it around hence rumors of a ps3 demo being out there. If ms took on all the cost, why is there a ps3 demo?

Rude-ro40d ago

Not true at all.
Microsoft had to buy the ip because the contract ran out on keeping it exclusive.
Microsoft took no risk, they just marketed the game and payed for a contract.
Not hard to find out.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 40d ago
Ironmike40d ago (Edited 40d ago )

Your the the fanboy

Sciurus_vulgaris40d ago

No, Epic signed a development and publishing contract with Xbox for Gears of War. After Judgement Microsoft still had the Gears of War publishing rights. Epic then sold the Gears of War IP to Microsoft in 2014. Cliffy B never owned Gears of War, he was just a lead designer of the series.

rippermcrip40d ago

Ya I don't know what people are saying about CliffyB making money of Gears sales nowadays. He was never the owner and Epic no longer owns it either.

ChasterMies40d ago

“He could of put gears on the playstation from the start but he's fanboyness for xbox got in the way”

It has nothing to do with fondness for the Xbox platform. Microsoft paid for exclusivity.

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Travesty40d ago (Edited 40d ago )

Well when you look at the sales perspective of ps5. It has a big audience selling over a 2 to 1 ratio. It makes money sense.
Fanboy era was at its prime during the ps3-360 generation. It’s not as toxic as it once was, thankfully. People grow out of it eventually. I have my preference just as the next person. That being said it’s coming to be more about expanding availability instead of standing behind a brand. Much more Microsoft than Sony. But Sony will probably move up its time of PC release for increase revenue.
We will see, it’s just speculation.

Psychonaut8540d ago

CliffyB is like David Jaffe at this point, always quick with the opinions but haven’t made a successful game in over a decade at this point. Do any of us really care what they think about anything? I certainly don’t.

shinoff218340d ago

I never liked the guy tbh but he's got more relevance in gaming then we do.

Skuletor40d ago

CliffyB, I haven't heard that name since Lawbreakers flopped.

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390°

Sorry, CliffyB, But "Gears of War" Doesn’t Need A "God of War"- Style Reboot

Shaz from GL writes: “In an interview, Cliff Bleszinski says that he’d be interested in helping develop a Gears of War reboot akin to God of War. Unnecessary? I think so.”

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gameluster.com
Jin_Sakai166d ago

Regardless, Gears of War gameplay feels outdated this day and age.

spicelicka164d ago

I completely disagree. Outdated in what way? There is literally no other cover based TPS multiplayer game like it and the core gameplay is so good that people still play Gears 1 today. I can't think of any games that has shotgun battles like Gears. The real issue is that there is simply no new audience for it, because the learning curve is so steep. It just needs to market itself better and the work needs to be done on the campaign side. Better to just split up the single player and multiplayer as two different projects and releases.

Also, this who "reboot" discussion isn't considering the fact that God of war doesn't have multiplayer as a significant portion of the game. Single player only games have a lot more freedom to change. With Gears you have to consider that there's an entire community still playing every day, so you can't just change the core gameplay balance. On top of that they can't dedicate as many resources to single player as God of war, because the budget has to be split with multiplayer.

164d ago
Gamingsince1981164d ago

There is no other one like it because there is no demand for that style of game, kinda obvious really. If there was an interest in gears style games the market would be flooded with them.

lucian229163d ago

Gears of War 1 and 2 were bad combat wise.... Story wise too. I beat both of them because of the hype and gave up after that.

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GamerRN164d ago

I agree. It needs done kind of overhaul, but I don't think a God of War style would suit this game.

I gotta be honest I don't know what it needs, but it needs something ... And 5 wasn't it

terrorofdeath164d ago

Maybe it's a reboot more in the sense of a more emotional storyline or something like God of War, and some small tweaks in terms of gameplay.

anast164d ago

They don't have the talent to do a GoW style reboot.

DOMination-164d ago

Do you have a genuine reason to come to that conclusion, other than it not being a PlayStation studio?

The Coalition probably have the best and most knowledge team on Unreal Engine 5 outside of Epic. I'd have thought if anyone "had the talent", it would be them.

Rude-ro164d ago

Because they did not do a fantastic job when they took over the ip.

In fact, the majority of ips under Microsoft shows complete signs of cheap development with bigger marketing budgets.

More make up on dated engines can work… but can not be mistaken for innovative.
No innovation equals no ability to push a franchise into anything new.
Take the “open world” introduction in the last gears…
Empty vast traveling areas to get to pre determined “random” encounter areas is a cheap developing approach.. not innovation to build any trust into.

kneon164d ago

Even if they were the best in the world at UE5 that would only mean that they might make a great looking game. It takes a lot more than that to make a great game.

anast163d ago

"Do you have a genuine reason to come to that conclusion, other than it not being a PlayStation studio?"

History and current output.

jznrpg99d ago

Look at the last 10 years and you have plenty of evidence

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 99d ago
rgraf77164d ago

God of War is overrated. Those boring boat rides talking and backtracking.

GamingManiac164d ago

Bruh, that made me laugh lol

anast163d ago

I'm not big on the game, but it isn't overrated.

Inverno164d ago

A reimagining that continues the lore, and story of established characters is absolutely a great way to continue a series that needs a refresh. I agree that any long standing franchise that has run it's course definitely needs a "God of War" style reboot, because GOW did it right. I might have my issues with the last two games but they did right by the series regardless.

Ra3030164d ago

There's no helping Gears of Woke. Microsoft killed this franchise when they forced the woke culture into the story.

itBourne164d ago

God of War did the same, just in a more subtle sly way.... They could of probably made a few cuts and bam, PG rated movie right there. God of Rainbows and Daisies.

itBourne164d ago

Dang, so many dislikes lol, willing to elaborate, just didnt want to throw out a bunch of spoilers. If anyone wants to discuss as to why, im always open to discussions. Just shoot me a DM.

343_Guilty_Spark164d ago (Edited 164d ago )

How is it woke? Because the lead is a female?

Is Horizon woke also?

CantThinkOfAUsername164d ago

It is, but not due to the gender of its protagonist.

zeuanimals164d ago

There's no helping you. Anti-woke culture killed your brain when they force fed you the idea that diversity is the worst thing ever.

Ra3030164d ago

Lol....good to see that you agree as do I with the fact Microsoft went woke as Disney with the Gear franchise. Microsoft tried to save the franchise by taking the formula that was working with the strong Bro leads and going to the woke weakass female formula that no one cared about.

Binarycode164d ago

Diversity isn't a strength. Look at the world. That's the reason it's in the state it is.

Gamingsince1981164d ago

Forced diversity is the reason people don't like diversity, you should just hire who is best for what, not have to tick boxes first then worry about talent next.

zeuanimals164d ago (Edited 164d ago )

@ra3030

Every company has gone woke, even successful ones. Those don't fit your narrative though. Yeah no, the only two things Microsoft and Disney have in common is that they're woke /s

Totally not that they're risk averse companies that don't wanna innovate in fear of it being a waste of time. They've got bottomless pockets and limited time. So they spend their time trying to crack codes, find patterns, create money making templates out of whatever property they're working on. It needs to be as mass produceable as possible. Disney and Microsoft, bringing sweat shop factory made quality to gaming storefronts and theaters near you.

zeuanimals164d ago

@binary

Right because the world was so much better segregated... and there's a million other reasons I'd put ahead of diversity as to why the world is the way it is, but way to show how much diversity is on your brain by how dangerous you think it is. It's literally the cause of everything to you.

@gaming

Actually forced diversity is the only reason people like diversity. If you don't force people to do it, they won't do it. The only people who end up liking it due to having met new people with different perspectives only ever got to because they were kind of forced to. That's literally part of the reason diversity is being advocated for, because it promotes innovation. Having dozens of people with too similar of viewpoints can lead them to being too likeminded and unable to think of different solutions, or even different problems that weren't even recognized. There's more than one way to be a useful hire, and having a genuinely unique perspective is one of them.

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+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 164d ago
Crows90164d ago

I thought they were doing a soft reboot with gears4 but then it turned out to be the exact same as all the others.

A more horror oriented and tight corridor renewal would work for that franchise....also...why they got guns? They're alien like...they should have other types of weapons entirely.

OMNlPOTENT164d ago

dang why do most of the different species in god of war use swords, axes, and bows? They should have other types of weapons entirely.

Crows90164d ago (Edited 164d ago )

They don't... Okay you obviously haven't played god of war. What a way of owning yourself man! Lol

The draugr are pretty much the only ones...and besides we're comparing established mythology with made up bug aliens

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