The Black Panel writes: For a new kid on the scene, RPG school can be a daunting place. At a time when hit after hit continues to graduate, it's a difficult place to find yourself, especially when you're arriving with a history to your name and a level of expectation heaped on you by your predecessors.
A gray cloud loomed over this year's big summer game showcases: Over 16,000 game developers have lost their jobs since 2023, many of whom were casualties of success at companies that reported huge profits this year. One of the largest cost cutters has been Xbox, which in January cut 1,900 jobs at Activision Blizzard and in May shut down four studios: Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Games. The closure of Tango was taken especially hard, as the studio was still basking in the light of Hi-Fi Rush, a critical and commercial success by all of Microsoft's metrics.
I mean, you should be. Because we now know and understand that even if Avowed is a hit it doesn't mean the studio is safe.
I hope that they're able to buy out their own Studio, like Toys for Bob's did, maybe some of their IPs as well, and go the Larian Studios route instead. We still need a sequel to Alpha Protocol after all. So here's hoping for the best.
Listen to your leaders, rather, good luck!
Ok, fair enough.
As much as we all want another Alpha Protocol only Sega can make that happen.
Honestly, it would be pretty cheap to get the IP rights from Sega. They've done nothing with it and weren't interested in a sequel. But I'd be fine with just a spiritual successor that builds on what they were trying to do with AP.
@Einhander19721h
It's all good.
But to be fair, while SEGA does own the IP and Published the game, it was Obsidian who created the IP and helped bring it back from the dead. So it's only fitting that they should be the ones to work on a proper sequel. And hopefully with a proper budget this time around.
My point is that I want them to stick around for this to happen. But on the current position they're in, things are bleak is all I'm saying.
"As much as we all want another Alpha Protocol only Sega can make that happen."
Not really. If Xbox really want Alpha Protocol, all they have to do is to pay SEGA for its licence and give it to Obsidian or any other Xbox first party or third party to do it, just like Nintendo did with Bayonetta.
na this team tossed out the outer worlds grounded that both made money and they have outer worlds 2 on the back burner sense 2021
https://www.pcgamer.com/the...
I really just want a third Pillars of Eternity game. Not impossible under ms, but seems more and more unlikely with MS's new focus on high impact titles.
Of course they're gonna feign confidence. They're about to release a game so they wanna look strong as possible. I know for a fact they're deathly afraid, I would be to and they absolutely should be.
I'm afraid for them right now. MS can't be trusted.
How come no one is interviewing PlayStation studios with the same questions? They had a significant amount of closures as well.
Strange 🤔
Keep supporting MS people and Xbox, they clearly do not care as you can see with all these closures. You want to hurt Xbox and MS just boycott their next console.
Sony has closed down more game studios this generation than the number of new IPs they've created
If we boycott everyone that closed down studios we wouldn't own a PS or Xbox, and would only play indies on Steam.
If we boycott and let them know the reason why they would have to listen. Stop closing game studios they should have never been closed to begin with. I keep saying this but MS is worth 3 trillion!! They do not have to close anything. They will make money no matter what even without closures.
'' You want to hurt Xbox and MS just boycott their next console.''
100%!! But to be fair, most gamers around the planet can see right through MS's BS and most don't care about xbox so no need to tell them what it's obvious. We can safely say that they've been ''boycotting'' the green brand for a long, long time. The proof is in front of everyone's eyes every time their hardware sales figures are published.
If you just push that thought further...most of the world already passively boycotts Xbox
Glad someone gets it. What is doom and gloom going to accomplish for the studio? Nothing. That's why he said what he said.
This is a spiritual or philosophical statement from the developer. Being worried is in itself a negative feeling that isn’t healthy. Live fully in the present moment and accept what comes. Reality is all about impermanence and the law of nature (transient).
Personally, it’s an industry I’m slowly backing out. When it comes to wholesome practices and quality life, video games fit into the “I can live without this”. Given how employees life is (generally), how they are treated, and contributions to personal health .. it’s nice to have video games in the right moderation but I equate it to other industries how the ethics of the operation is lacking at the expense of “at all costs”. The extremity of that idea is demonstrated from top of the hierarchy down. Maybe some of us care, many of us don’t, and some feel it’s pointless due to the insignificance at the microscopic level (what is the value of a singular action against millions). Only we can choose and control our own action.
I'm not worried at all. Obsidian are are awesome devs and I'm looking foward to Avowed.
After its latest games didn't meet sales targets, Square Enix is going multiplatform but the company's track record isn't convincing.
Square Enix been multiplatform for decades, a few exclusively-deals doesn't make them any less multiplatform.
Nor is selling their games on a console with only 25 million install base going to bring their sales to where they hope they will be... Unless they somehow manage to dumb down FF7 trilogy to work on switch, they aren't going to have much luck. They already released it on PC, after all.
It kind of does, giving preference to a certain platform by timed exclusivity. Console ports generally feel superior. Legend of mana PC port extremely broken
Sega
It doesn’t when square themselves didn’t want to fund the development of remake. It’s only after the success of the 1st they realized their mistake but now contract is signed. If it wasn’t for Sony there would be no FF7 remakes. Same goes for silent hill 2 with Konami. They don’t want to fund AAA budget. Companies like PlayStation and Nintendo get blamed when in reality they are saving some of these franchises
Remember sega didn’t want to fund bayonetta and epic games didn’t want to fund another gears of war. It’s easy to blame console makers but they are the ones taking the risk and paying huge upfront costs without seeing the final product. FF7 remake trilogy won’t be coming to Xbox now or in the future. PlayStation and PC is what square signed up for. Sony paid them more than they would make from Xbox sales.
I just wonder when everyone is going to demand that the Square Enix exclusives with Nintendo come to PS and Xbox. Or it's just the PS exclusives that matter lol
I'd love for the nintendo exclusives to come to pc or ps5. They'd actually be playable then.
Raven
Exactly and that’s where square enix does more exclusive than any other platform. Gaming is square has always been very unrealistic with their sales expectations. Remember when tomb raider reboot sold 7.5 million and square said it wasn’t enough. They need to spend less on development and have more realistic expectations from sales.
And those thinking games being not on Xbox makes a difference don’t understand we have a decade plus of data showing square enix games having less than 20% of their multiplatform sales on Xbox (final fantasy series) and Nintendo consoles aren’t strong enough to run any current games. Nintendo switch should be as strong as Xbox one x atleast but we all know that’s most likely won’t happen
@raven
thing is, as neutral said in their comm, the switch isn't strong enough to run flagship SE games
i think what SE does is, it makes unique games for switch only so that it has something for that console too. Thats where all the "underlined sans" rpgs go to mostly
maybe things will change when Swtich 2 drops cuz that's gonna be as strong as ps4 afaik from the rumors flying around
@Scissorman
Your point is valid enough but when the icon of this company is limited to one console in timed-exclusivity, it means the company has crossed the line. By some degree at least
All things aside, Square itself stated "aggressive multiplatform strategies" so we all know what it's talking about
Then the headline should read "Square To Drop Exclusively Deals in Pursuit of A Sweeping Multiplatform Strategy". I don't recall this argument when Square Enix released Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, and Triangle Strategy on one platform. And even if FF is the icon, not all of its titles have gone to one platform. We're talking about three games, one of which is already on PC. Did Square suddenly go 'multiplatform' after it released subsequent Tomb Raider sequels on more than just the Xbox? It's just a silly way of putting it.
SE needs to go all in optimization. Broken PC ports won't help its case, especially with big releases like mainline Final Fantasy
It's actually simple. What doesn't inspire confidence is Square allocating their budgets on the wrong projects such as Forspoken, Avengers, Babylons Fall and Foamstars.
Square has always been multiplatform since PS3/360 days which 80 % of their games are. People kick up a fuss over PS exclusivity but not Nintendo which has more exclusive projects console exclusive from Square.
FF16 has done ok but not enough to fix the blunders that the past mistakes Square has made with some of their projects. FF7 Rebirth is unclear we'll see a PC release for sure so it's hard to say so far not as good as they would of liked.
Then again unrealistic expectations. If it weren't for Sony these games would at least had another 2 years development time. So some people need to be realistic in that regard.
It's the blunders that set those expectations so high. If you remove those from the equation, I bet the sales numbers would be more than stellar. Square believes it's okay to release a pile of risky, middling, garbage because the big boys will ultimately subsidize the cost. Don't worry if Forspoken sells poorly, FF16 will surely sell 10 million copies to balance that right out. Oh wait, it only sold like 4 million. Well that's a disaster. Meanwhile games that sell 2 million units with comparable budgets are deemed successful.
I would also add that FFXVI, which I loved has a hint to one of their biggest problems: the number 16.
It's a great franchise, but that's all they've become known for. Dragon Quest is my favorite all time series but it's like they don't know what to do outside of those two IPs.
Valve never makes trilogies. The idea is that they don't want to become stagnant. Gabe Newell hates the number 3.
I can't imagine their talent wouldn't want to try a new RPG.
Square Enix just really need to revise its expectations. Maybe consider a change in strategy on dev end as well. Multiplat will help for sure but only good games that are marketed well will sell
In a town hall that took place on Monday, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu reportedly confirmed imminent layoffs in the U.S. and Europe.
@Outside_ofthe_Box,
So that Microsoft can close down the studio after doing nothing with them? Right...
Sad but true. It's the consequence of a shift in player habits, massive overhead, and out of control budgets across the industry.
What did NA and EU did anyways? Just translate or something? I would say it might help them get back to there roots but DK.
Actually, you are correct they play a hand in localization especially in Europe with the many languages. That and marketing.
