670°

Until Dawn Studio Supermassive Games [Goes Their Own Way] for The Dark Pictures Anthology

This week on The Trophy Room: A PlayStation Podcast, Hosts Joseph, Kyle and Special Guest Sean Capri talk about the latest news coming from Gamescom! Out of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Devil May Cry 5, and Shenmue 3 which has the gang more excited. Bloodstained Ritual of the Night gets a delay, and Vita version gets canceled, as the final death nail for PlayStation Vita. Spyro Reignited Trilogy gets pushed back to November 13th, and Supermassive Games leaves Sony for Bandai Namco's Dark Anthology Series, should Sony have bought Supermassive Games.

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thepolinetwork.com
ApocalypseShadow2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

As much as I like Supermassive, let's correct this a little with MY words and opinion...

"After tarnishing their image with 3 released games(Hidden Agenda, Bravo Team and The Inpatient-all below 66% on metacritic) that were rushed out the door to profit off of their success of Until Dawn(79%) and Rush of Blood(72%) on Playstation and PSVR, Supermassive games has gone multiplatform to recoup their losses and hopefully their reputation."

"Why would Sony buy a developer that didn't care for QUALITY over QUANTITY?"

Neonridr2071d ago

it's a fair point you bring up since it seems like their games are progressively getting worse in terms of quality. I am not sure if it's their desire to push into the VR market which is affecting their quality. Perhaps they should have just delivered another solid 2D game instead.

ILostMyMind2071d ago

The PSVR's game is not one of those low scored games.

Neonridr2071d ago

@ILostMyMind - go look up Bravo Team.. lol

himdeel2071d ago

Sony never owned them, so how exactly did they leave Sony now?

showtimefolks2071d ago

This isn't news since they came out after until dawn and said after their deal with Sony they want to make games for other platforms

Sony never owned them so its one of those things where the deal ended and both parties decide to part ways. Let's not forget the fact Sony put them on the map so I am sure supermassive appreciate t

gangsta_red2071d ago

@himdeel
They left Sony as a publisher.

@Showtime
"the fact Sony put them on the map"

Don't know if that's actually a fact considering Sony didn't push their games as much as they should have which is probably why they decided to not go with Sony this time and go multiplat.

Elwenil2071d ago

@gangsta_red,

You don't "pick" a publisher. You attempt to sell your idea to a publisher in order to get the game published and/or get more funding for development. If the publisher thinks the idea will sell and be profitable, then they will negotiate a deal. If not, then you move on to less desirable publishers and most likely less and less appealing deals. More than likely, due to the low performance of recent games, Sony declined to publish whatever their newest project is or offered a less appealing deal and they were forced to shop around for another publisher.

gangsta_red2071d ago

@Elwenil

Pretty sure that's not how it exactly works.

Supermassive's deal with Sony as a publisher probably forced them to let Sony own the IP for any game they made.

For their next project they more than likely wanted to keep the IP for themselves and therefore shop around for another publisher.

Considering it's Namco, I don't see how they would be "less desirable", especially when they are a major third party game developer and they are able to bring this game to every major platform.

uth112071d ago

i think they were contracted to do those games by Sony and overpromised what they could deliver in the time frame.

devs who work there have said as much

Razzer2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

This is nothing but speculation. We have no idea what prompted this. As far as we know, Sony simply didn't have any work for them. And that too is just speculation.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 2071d ago
bluefox7552071d ago

I like Hidden Agenda actually, though I would have preferred them sticking to making great full length games rather than bite sized ones.

porkChop2071d ago

If the games were pushed out the door before they were ready that would be Sony's fault, not Supermassive. The publisher decides when games are ready for release.

And you don't "correct" something with an opinion as opinions aren't facts.

JesusBuiltmyHotrod2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

LMAo..no. Supermassive is independant...they had full control over there games. You clearly have no idea how this works. It is never as simple as "The publisher decides". Sony is one of the most open and gives devs freedom.

porkChop2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

You're the one who doesn't understand how game dev works. It doesn't matter if Supermassive was independent. The publisher decides when to release a game and whether to delay. Supermassive had creative control, but they don't control the business side of things.

showtimefolks2071d ago

Pork

It works both ways but if Sony saw that giving extra time wouldn't help than makes no sense but we do have history that shows Sony usually gives a lot of freedom and time

Look at the 3 reboots got dreams and games like heavy rain/detroit which other publishers didn't want to touch

2071d ago
JesusBuiltmyHotrod2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

So you know sony forced to release the game and Supermassive never said it was ready? I await your proof. The Burden of proof is on you. Sony is the most lenient pub out there.

porkChop2071d ago

@Gahl1k

EA regularly releases unfinished games, so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make? Dragon Age 2, BF4, Mass Effect Andromeda, etc. EA literally has a history of releasing unfinished games.

@showtime

No one is denying that Sony usually gives devs plenty of extra time to make great games. But that doesn't mean they do so 100% of the time.

@Jesus

The proof are the Supermassive games that were released unfinished after being tested by Sony's own QA teams. They played the games, they would have seen that they weren't ready for release and needed more polish. Yet the games were greenlit and released anyway.

Don't pretend Sony wouldn't have known the games weren't ready. Every publisher knows. 90% of the time Sony's games are very well polished, but every once in a while they release a rough game. And that's true of every publisher, especially EA and Microsoft though.

sinspirit2071d ago

This goes two ways.

1. If the publisher proposes an idea to be completed in a certain amount of time, and the developer agrees it can make that happen.

2. In this case, SM came to Sony with their idea, given with their expected completion window, which the publisher agrees to. It's not always the publisher that brings up the release date. But, it is their final decision. SM failed to deliver in the window they said they needed.

porkChop2071d ago

@sinspirit

"SM failed to deliver in the window they said they needed."

Absolutely. No argument there. I'm just saying that when Sony was QA testing the games they would have seen that the games weren't ready. A delay should have been made for those games to get the polish they needed. The publisher makes the final call, and they made a mistake in that instance.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 2071d ago
remixx1162071d ago

@red

Gotta agree with you on that last point, I like Sony but damn do they have an issue with marketing their exclusives.

Last year in Q1 Sony had gravity Rush 2, tales of bersia, yakuza 0, nioh, kingdom hearts 1.5 2.5 hd, nier automata and ni no Kuni 2 all releasing in the same period but unless you follow PlayStation heavily you'd think horizon zero Dawn was the only game dropping the first half of the year with how hard Sony pushed it. (Poor poor gravity Rush 2, my goty for last year next to botw and persona and it's servers already got shut down due to lack of sales/marketing)

Mr_Writer852070d ago

@remixx

Other than GR2 and Horizon Sony don't own or publish any of those games, take Yakyza 0 for example, the game is owned by Sega, who could port that game to PC or Xbox.

Why would Sony take money away from marketing from a game they have spent millions on (HZD) to market Yakuza?

remixx1162070d ago (Edited 2070d ago )

@writer

I'm not suggesting exactly that per se, more that if your first party studio develops an exclusive then either A: don't release it in the same window as a bunch of other more established exclusives on your platform or B: at least give it some marketing so it doesn't drown in a crowded window.

Also Sony helped publish a few of those for it's platform so why not market them, they market games like cod and red dead which aren't even exclusive (keep in mind I understand why they do this).

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2070d ago
doggo842071d ago

50°
Until Dawn Studio Supermassive Games Leaves PlayStation for The Dark Pictures Anthology

That's quite an overstatement there considering they were never owned by Sony and Until Dawn IP was always owned by Sony

DaReapa2071d ago

...And not to mention, The Dark Pictures Anthology is still releasing on PS4.

porkChop2071d ago

With the exception of two small games, Supermassive have been a PlayStation-only dev since they were founded in 2008. While they weren't owned by PlayStation they were still primarily a PlayStation developer.

doggo842071d ago

But just because they are making a multiplat game, it doesnt mean they have abandoned Sony and will never make exclusives for them again.

porkChop2071d ago

I didn't say they were abandoning anyone. They're still releasing games on PlayStation. But this sort of partnership they've had is ending, at least temporarily.

gangsta_red2071d ago

I know people like to read headlines only but maybe...

"Supermassive Games leaves Sony for Bandai Namco's Dark Anthology Series, should Sony have bought Supermassive Games."

They left Sony as a publisher to go with Namco.

letsa_go2071d ago

I like how you didn't even quote it right. It clearly says "Leaves Playstation". You see what you want to see, then make it fact.

gangsta_red2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

@letsa_go

Quote it right? Read the summary where I actually pulled the quote...here, let me help..

"Spyro Reignited Trilogy gets pushed back to November 13th, and Supermassive Games leaves Sony for Bandai Namco's Dark Anthology Series, should Sony have bought Supermassive Games."

You know like I said in my reply of not just reading the headline.

"You see what you want to see, then make it fact."

Lmao!!! Yeah, because it was a fact. Or was I being a "contrarian" again?

Razzer2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

What is a fact? That Supermassive "left" Sony? That isn't a fact. It is purely speculation. It could just as well been the case that Sony sent Supermassive elsewhere as they had no work for them. We don't know.

gangsta_red2071d ago (Edited 2071d ago )

@Razzer
"What is a fact? That Supermassive "left" Sony? That isn't a fact."

I agree, cause I never said that was a fact.

It could also be that Supermassive left them as a publisher to go with someone else like Namco, so they could get their game on multiple platforms.

Razzer2071d ago

Sure. Just like Remedy. It happens.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2071d ago
gangsta_red2071d ago

Don't worry, it was easy to mistake. Just only reading the headline it would be easy to think the podcast was implying Supermassive was owned by Sony.

But reading the summery that's right under the title proves a tad bit more information.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2071d ago
2071d ago Replies(1)
2071d ago Replies(1)
ILostMyMind2071d ago

"leaves"? Aren't they going to make games for PlayStation anymore?

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300°

Microsoft Seemingly Closes Bethesda France

As part of its plans to cut 1,900 jobs, Microsoft has reportedly shut down operations at Bethesda France, letting go roughly 15 people

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insider-gaming.com
Hereandthere1d 7h ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1d 4h ago

If they are let go, they can be whatever they want. They ARE 3rd party now... 🤦

Barlos1d 2h ago

Yeah, they're also jobless.

GamerRN19h ago

They can form a company if they want, they are just as jobless as if "Microsoft had left them as 3rd party".

peppeaccardo21h ago

"MIcrosoft leaves Bethesda do what they know how to do best" ... close! Oh the irony ....
(Citation from a week old article)

ChasterMies17h ago

I think Microsoft and other game publishers are letting people go because they think ai will replace them. Doesn’t matter how much profit they make. They were always going to be let go.

PassNextquestion1d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

Bethesda France was made up of roughly 15 people... they couldn't of being doing much

Bethesda France mainly did publishing and marketing within the region

blacktiger1d 4h ago

that's a shame for you to say that, i'm sure Elite loves hearing what you just said.

Mr Logic14h ago

What a stupid thing to say. The elites give 0 fucks what we say on an obscure website in the comments section.

Crows9014h ago

You can always reach out and give them jobs at your company man. Don't wait

Profchaos1d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

Bethesda France focused on publishing and marketing in the region. And 15 people lost their jobs as part of the closure.

I wonder if this is part of Microsoft's strategy to abandoned physical media or possibly gamepass advertising makes their roles redundant you don't need to market a game as hard when the majority of players get the game as part of a sub which already promoted upcoming games

Tacoboto1d 6h ago

It's France too, there's a high likelihood only 1-2 people on the team even had an Xbox.

Profchaos1d 6h ago

Possibly guven all the leaks we know the Xbox brand is really struggling in the region.

Yi-Long1d 3h ago

Well, if your consoles and games are barely found in any stores any more, of course you're gonna struggle finding consumers ...

XiNatsuDragnel1d 5h ago

Tbh Microsoft I think Bethesda being 3rd party same with Activision would probably more competitive than thus scenario imo

Profchaos1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

I think it would have been better for all parties really especially gamers

TheColbertinator1d 4h ago

The recently purchased Activision French offices might take over all the licensing and marketing for Microsoft in France from now on.

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80°

I’m Glad Atlus & SE Changed Dates To Avoid Competing With Shadow Of The Erdtree

Saad from eXputer: "I'm glad I don't have to choose between Square Enix, Atlus, and FromSoftware due to bad release windows and Shadow of the Erdtree."

H92d ago

More intelligent than guerilla games

raWfodog1d 7h ago (Edited 1d 7h ago )

Atlus is releasing their game one week before Erdtree, SE is releasing theirs one week after.

HZD released four days before Zelda, HFW released one week before Elden Ring.

It seems to me like they are still releasing their games too close to Erdtree.

VincentVanBro7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

What a word vomit, rambling, turd of an article that simply states the obvious. Classic exputer.

130°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg1d 8h ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

Profchaos1d 7h ago

Souls games will be like that players struggling make it harder

PassNextquestion1d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

I think if used correctly it could work well

jambola1d 3h ago

cool idea
cool idea for horror games especially
the way it's explained here sounds like it could never be forced hopefully, so that's ok with me

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