Indie game company bites the dust ... yep, another one :-(

[Vroomfunkel]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3950977.stm

Always sad to hear this sort of news.

Vroomfunkel

[postulio]

they wont be missed, those games blew chunks

[Jibbajaba]

It really sucks. These smaller companies have trouble getting by these days because they average American game consumer places more value on graphics than good gameplay, and these smaller companies cant afford to put the millions of dollars into games that it takes to make most consumers happy. What we are seeing now is the exact opposite of the circumstances that cased the video game crash, and ther end result is that most games that come out these days have really good graphics but shitty gameplay. It isnt that often that a game comes out that I consider a "must-buy" title (certainly less than 10 a year, andf actually more like 5). Back in the days of the NES, that number was higher.

Chris

[postulio]

i have no simpathy for a company that turns out shit. and thats exactly what those harry potter games were.

Rockstar started out small and indy, their games had some of the worst graphics ever, but the gameplay was spectacular (GTA1), that is why they are where they are now.

[Ed Oscuro]

"Indie" is a bit of a misnomer here, don't you think? Sure, they're British, but they formerly employed 200 people or so. They didn't do their own publishing, either, so the use of the word has me mystified.

[chaoticjelly]

Hmm i was going to apply to them for my placement year in industry next year.. better cross them off the list..

lol

[Cmosfm]

i have no simpathy for a company that turns out shit. and thats exactly what those harry potter games were.

Rockstar started out small and indy, their games had some of the worst graphics ever, but the gameplay was spectacular (GTA1), that is why they are where they are now.

Do you ever post anything that ISN'T negative? I mean seriously dude, you got a bad chip on your shoulder and it's rubbing me the wrong way.

:/

[Flack]

How the hell does the creator of Harry Potter games file for bankruptcy? I thought those games were like crack for kids.

[postulio]

im not negative, i say it like it is. dont like chips? eat a cookie.


seriously though. what am i supposed to say? "aw shucks that awesome harry potter producing company bit the dust... awww i thought they were good"

wanna talk about true disappointments? how about Interplay closing its doors. they had some of the best games i remember (granted from 8 years back). im just glad that the fallout license didnt go to some braindead publisher like EA. (fyi - Bethesda got it, makers of TES)

[AFGiant]

im not negative, i say it like it is. dont like chips? eat a cookie.


seriously though. what am i supposed to say? "aw shucks that awesome harry potter producing company bit the dust... awww i thought they were good"

wanna talk about true disappointments? how about Interplay closing its doors. they had some of the best games i remember (granted from 8 years back). im just glad that the fallout license didnt go to some braindead publisher like EA. (fyi - Bethesda got it, makers of TES)

This guy has the attitude of a true Invader Zim fan. A little more comedy would be nice in his posts to make him a h4rdc0re one though.

[postulio]

im not negative, i say it like it is. dont like chips? eat a cookie.


seriously though. what am i supposed to say? "aw shucks that awesome harry potter producing company bit the dust... awww i thought they were good"

wanna talk about true disappointments? how about Interplay closing its doors. they had some of the best games i remember (granted from 8 years back). im just glad that the fallout license didnt go to some braindead publisher like EA. (fyi - Bethesda got it, makers of TES)

This guy has the attitude of a true Invader Zim fan. A little more comedy would be nice in his posts to make him a h4rdc0re one though.



thanks, when i rule the world your death will be quick and painless, i really do love invader zim, lack of humor in last post was cause i was PO'd. its all good though. game on

[RCM]

"Indie" is a bit of a misnomer here, don't you think? Sure, they're British, but they formerly employed 200 people or so. They didn't do their own publishing, either, so the use of the word has me mystified.

you can be independant and still have big companies distribute your work. It doesn't matter how many employees a company has.

Anytime a developer falls on hard times it is bad for us gamers!

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Berserker]

You want to know why they went under?

I'll tell you why they went under.


Because they didn't include this as a peripheral:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/natev/broom.jpg

bzZzZzZzZZzZz.

That is all.

[Half Japanese]

For all the nay-sayers:

NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE TO COPY AND PASTE THIS..
http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&SQL=CIB||||||112

There's their library of work.

I've got quite a few of their games and enjoy all the ones that I've played (Red Dog, I-Ninja, etc.). It's a shame that they're going under.

[Griking]

I see two titles in that list that stood out

Starfox for the SNES - the only decent recognizable name on the list for me

and

Malice for the PS2 / Xbox - I wonder if this was the final nail in the coffin.

[zmweasel]

i have no simpathy for a company that turns out shit. and thats exactly what those harry potter games were.

Rockstar started out small and indy, their games had some of the worst graphics ever, but the gameplay was spectacular (GTA1), that is why they are where they are now.

Rockstar didn't develop the first Grand Theft Auto. That was DMA Design, a British developer which had previously worked with Psygnosis. Lemmings was DMA's biggest hit before the GTA phenomenon. After GTA3, publisher Rockstar purchased developer DMA and renamed it "Rockstar North" so that people would think the developer and publisher were one and the same. Apparently, it worked.

Also, "Rockstar Games" is just one publishing division of a larger company called Take-Two, which used to put out such winners as "Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller."

-- Z.

[EDITS: I somehow keep screwing up the most basic .sig in existence.]

[TheRedEye]

thanks, when i rule the world your death will be quick and painless

shut up.

[SoulBlazer]

How did you ever become a mod with such usefull posts? :roll:

And I agree with the feeling that any time a company goes under, it's bad for all of us. Even Acclaim going. :D

[Sotenga]

And I agree with the feeling that any time a company goes under, it's bad for all of us. Even Acclaim going. :D

True, no matter how much a company sucks, they're bound to have at least one gem among the crap. Acclaim did have kickass ports of Double Dragon 2 and 3 for the NES that were better than the arcade versions, IMO, so Acclaim's passing does affect me somehow.

On the other hand, I have not played any of Argonaut's games, so I can't assume that they rule or suck. I will guess, however, based on my theory, that they had at least ONE decent game to their name, so their passing is a shame indeed. Damn.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, they were the main people behind Starfox for the SNES.....

Please tell me you've at least played THAT game. :)

EVERYONE has played THAT game. :D

[zmweasel]

On the other hand, I have not played any of Argonaut's games, so I can't assume that they rule or suck. I will guess, however, based on my theory, that they had at least ONE decent game to their name, so their passing is a shame indeed. Damn.

StarFox was Argonaut's finest hour, although that was mostly them supplying the technology and Miyamoto supplying the gameplay.

I-Ninja was a huge and unjust flop, and I'm sure the Malice debacle (from Xbox killer app to Mud Duck budget crap) did irreparable damage.

-- Z.

[Cmosfm]

im not negative, i say it like it is. dont like chips? eat a cookie.


seriously though. what am i supposed to say? "aw shucks that awesome harry potter producing company bit the dust... awww i thought they were good"

Just because YOU don't like Harry Potter (a game aimed at kids) doesn't mean that KIDS don't like it. I've played 'em, and to be honest, they are some of the better kid-oriented games on the market. I guess you never watched childrens based programming when you were growing up? Never got the Sesame Street games for NES? Must have grown up watching Scarface and other various R rated movies....maybe it explains your attitude malfunction.

And look at the list, they didn't JUST produce Harry Potter games. I'm sure every company out there has their fare share of childrens games on the market or previously available. AND just because it's a NOT a childrens game, doesnt mean it's a good game, you seem to just have an overall bias toward the Harry Potter franchise and/or children's games in general.

The loss of any small company is another small nail in the coffin for our lifeblood....video games....and this one deeply hurts me knowing that I will never see a sequel to the excellent I-Ninja.

In conclusion, you're an ignorant ass that doesn't understand that children's games are meant for children, so go back to killing some shit in Vice City and shut your damn mouth.

:angry:

[Ninja Blacksox]

i have no simpathy for a company that turns out shit. and thats exactly what those harry potter games were.

I have no sympathy for people who cannot correctly spell "sympathy."

Yikes.

-A Boy

[postulio]

i understand that children games are made for children, but frankly i dont care. Starfox SNES was MERELY ok (imho) and I-Ninja was so-so. everything else is pure garbage and they deserve to be going out of business. its companies like that, that turn out hordes of shovelware that in takes up place on store shelves. for every one one of these companies going under, if at least ONE HALF DECENT game is released, we're all winners.

Acclaim i agree was a huge disappointment when i heard their news. but then again if im right Acclaim was a publisher not developer, so no wasted talent there.


and no i never had sesame street games, i was young - not retarded.

[Cmosfm]

and no i never had sesame street games, i was young - not retarded.

And you grew up to be an asshole.

[postulio]

i have no simpathy for a company that turns out shit. and thats exactly what those harry potter games were.

I have no sympathy for people who cannot correctly spell "sympathy."

Yikes.

-A Boy



yeah my bad, sleep deprivation has taken its tole


and why is everyone flaming me anyway, the company sucks, it hasnt made one single good game. starfox was ok, but it wasnt even their creation.

[Kamino]

EDIT
the company in question did not suck. There's hardly a company out there who has released only OMG TEH AWESOME!! titles. Everyone screws up. Even majesco has had a bright spot.

[SoulBlazer]

Really, what? ;)

[Kamino]

Really, what? ;)
well bloodrayne isn't all that bad....stay the hell away from HSX though.

[postulio]

so according to your logic, this company did not suck, cause other companies suck as well? if a company does not produce good games, it simply is worthless and when it goes out of business why must we even blink twice?

sure lots of companies make crap, but a company that constantly makes crap? throughout almost a decade? thanks but no thanks.

and why are we even comparing this to other companies, this is the company that went bye bye, and looking back at it, it wont be missed. thats it, nothing less nothing more.

now chill and stop flaming.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Can we stop, like, all the flaming going on in this thread?

Attacking the argument - i.e. pointing out your beef with what someone's saying - is OK. Attacking the person - i.e. insulting whoever is saying that with which you had the aforementioned beef - is not cool.

Mmmmmm. Beef.

[eightbitonline]

aside from all the flaming, i have to disagree where some people are saying that any company going under is a sign of weakness (or future collapse, what have you) of the games industry.

companies that produce more garbage than quality fare should be out of business. if they're able to sell enough copies to keep afloat, then that means they're selling a ton of garbage and disenchanting casual gamers. there was a period of time in gaming history when a lot of companies were producing mostly crap, and gamers were buying it, and the companies weren't going under. that time was 1980-1983.

the audience buying poorly made titles and keeping bad developers in business caused the crash. the current trend of companies not being able to move bad titles and then folding is a sure sign of strength in the games industry- not the other way around.

now i'm not saying that the developer in question makes bad games, in fact it may well have more to do with any developer/publisher's ability to market their games to the right demographic that is the problem, and not the games themselves (but that's neither here nor there). i'm also not saying that postulio or anyone else is/isn't being an asshat. i'm just saying that acclaim, interplay, and everyone else who's going out of business is a sign that we, the gamers have set tough standards for developers to live up to, and we're not going to buy games from developers who are only meeting the status quo. this is a sign, a good sign, that the games industry is going to continue healthily doing what we want it to do- make games that we don't feel stupid for wasting our money on.

uh... hope that all made sense.

[esquire]

Bickering and namecalling aside, IMO this company will not be missed. In all honesty, most of us will not even remember their name 5 or 10 years from now. In fact, I'd bet that many people didn't realize who they were until someone posted a link to their releases. I for one did not care for the original Starfox. The only game I semi-enjoyed on that list was the original "Croc"

[Iron Draggon]

OK y'all, it's agreed that Postulio has a hard edge to most of his posts, but he's from Brooklyn, so what do you expect? Alot of what he speaks is the truth, he just doesn't sugarcoat it, trying to make it sound any nicer than what it says: developers/publishers who consistently crank out shovelware for the masses are just taking up valuable shelf space needlessly, and they might as well go the way of Acclaim and their ilk to make room for alot more quality titles that are actually worth playing. Yes I do feel bad about Acclaim too, because they did turn out a small handful of worthwhile games, but for the most part they just churned out shovelware for the masses and that's why they went broke too. So why miss those kinds of developers/publishers?

BTW, I can vouch for Postulio as a trader on these forums. There's nothing the least bit assinine in dealing with him in that situation, so don't let his style of telling it like it is on the boards give you a false impression of him. I found him to be very pleasant to deal with, and he paid me very promptly for what he bought from me, so as far as I'm concerned the attitude of most of his posts is just that, an attitude. He simply cuts to the chase and he makes no apologies for it, that's just his style, I don't think it's meant to be hostile. He kinda rubbed me the wrong way a bit at first too, but now that I've seen his other side, I can take his posts for what they're worth and appreciate all his harshness for what it is, just another gamer who happens to be rather jaded!