• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

EA shuts down Visceral, moves Star Wars game to EA Vancouver/others

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
I also hate that so many AAA decisions not to make single-player games is based on sales data from versions of that concept which just plain suck, like Mass Effect Andromeda.

kind of like the decision to cancel ZOE 3 and Darkstalkers because the respective compilation games did poorly
 
It seems like Gaas is such a broad term and people make it to be something evil across the board. So many games have DLC.

If this Star Wars game had releases as a single player game and came with future story DLC, how many people would scream "gaas gaas gaas" and call it a negative. I would think people would be happy.

It has to do more with intent than anything EA really wants their Destiny like they wanted their COD last gen and early this gen. That means they aren't going to stop until even if that means more studio closures and layoffs.
 

JeffZero

Purple Drazi
After just about every notable studio has moved fully onto riding the GAAS train, I wonder how long it will take for that scene to be overcrowded as fuck. If the idea is to have fewer titles that players hold onto longer, how will it look like when each and every game is like that? Gamers won't dedicate themselves to 10 GAAS games simultaneously. My bold prediction is that we'll start to see more "retro" singleplayer games once again after the customer base has been burnt out on all the GAAS games. Maybe in 12 years or so.

All of this sounded great until you made me 42 years old before I get to see it.
 
1313 was cancelled before EA got the SW IP.


"Only the games I don't like count" seems to be a common trend among people who're hysterical about GaaS as a concept.
There is a distinct difference between a developer providing post-launch support for their games and a game being designed as a service.

If you can't or refuse to see the distinction I don't know what to tell you.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Fuck, what a tragedy.

There's no way that SW game will amount to anything good now right, even if they revive it with a different team? What a Frankenstein monster that is going to be. Couldn't they at least keep Hennig as a project leader?
 

Vyrance

Member
It would take quite a lot for me to have any interest in this title now. Was really looking forward to seeing what Hennig and the team were making. From that EA quote, I fully expect the game will now become some multiplayer-first game, with no emphasis on story whatsoever. With micro transactions and loot boxes I'm sure.
 

Stygr

Banned
Well, that's the only company I could see having the capital to do it, but not actually doing so. Ubi is another option, but with Vivendi looming constantly, that's probably too much uncertainty for Disney to handle.

Ubi has a lot of IP that generates a good revenue i don't even think they are interested in the SW license.
 

Aeana

Member
I, for one, am looking forward to the future where every game requires an internet connection and you can't play it any more once the service is shut down.

*Goes back to playing SNES games without issue*
 
It would take quite a lot for me to have any interest in this title now. Was really looking forward to seeing what Hennig and the team were making. From that EA quote, I fully expect the game will now become some multiplayer-first game, with no emphasis on story whatsoever. With micro transactions and loot boxes I'm sure.

We just can’t have nice things.
 

mango drank

Member
They will never sell the IP.
EA killed ORIGIN but the Ultima IP is still in their hands, same for SimCity.

Damn. Dead Space 4 was one of the games I was most looking forward to this gen, even though I knew nothing about it. Was it even confirmed to be in development?
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
It has to do more with intent than anything EA really wants their Destiny like they wanted their COD last gen and early this gen. That means they aren't going to stop until even if that means more studio closures and layoffs.
EA already has their Destiny like:
giphy.gif


There is a distinct difference between a developer providing post-launch support for their games and a game being designed as a service.

If you can't or refuse to see the distinction I don't know what to tell you.
Literally what I just said pages ago was that they're games as a service, but their methods of player retention differ. Either way, they're still GaaS. You can come to terms with that, or you can just attempt to arbitrarily define them and be wrong.
 
By the way, is there any reason why EA never SELLS these companies? Like if they're not going to do anything with these guys anymore I don't really see why they're never up for sale or just let go but EA retains all IP rights (not that they even do much with those anyway) or something to that effect. They always just go straight into the trashcan.

Because the companies don't have an IP or technology that they can bring with them. It's not like Visceral can use Frostbite working for a different company. Why pay for the overhead buying Visceral wholesale when you can just cherry pick key employees that are now out of work?
 

brawly

Member
Disney fucked up so much with this deal. They're probably biting themselves in the ass too. I want this IP far away from EA.

They should be doing what they're doing with the Marvel IPs.
 

shimon

Member
So are we getting 2 Destiny clones from EA ? Or maybe 1 will be a PUBG clone? Either way how original EA...

Damn I'm pissed!
 

Audioboxer

Member
Why is everyone talking Gaas, when the statement seemed to be more about open world vs linear?

Because transforming the game into open world = easier to implement loot boxes, MTs and space currency.

Can you imagine The Last Guardian with loot boxes and microtransactions? Linear games tend to be all about the story, not about trying to get people to pay for F2P shit.
 
Personally I think a space single player focus should move to is digital only smaller priced experiences ala Hellblade.

I think there's a lot of market share you could potentially tap into going that route
 

Mivey

Member
Good choice. A single player game would never get the same return on investment as a multiplayer game with loot boxes.
I should buy some EA stocks.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
I, for one, am looking forward to the future where every game requires an internet connection and you can't play it any more once the service is shut down.

*Goes back to playing SNES games without issue*

MS will have their end game yet
 
What example can you name in the industry currently that is a AAA single player focused title and isn't open world from a 3rd party that was successful.

So is that what you meant to say originally? Because large-scale single-player means large-scale single-player, not AAA single-player focused non-open world, which has a lot of caveats to it.

From just this year, Resident Evil 7 is the first that comes to my mind. The latest South Park game, and I'm about to start Persona 5 but have no idea whether it's open or not. Nioh was published by Sony but is now coming to PC that does will in both areas, similar to Bloodborne/Souls. The Crash 1 - 3 Remake sold like crazy and is as "traditional" as it gets to quote the other poster. Are we excluding platformers from single-player experiences? We probably shouldn't.

I realize many developers prefer open-world (Watch Dogs 2, FFXV), but I'm not sure why that matters? Just seems like developers like to make big worlds since technology supporters it now more than ever.

EDIT: I mean, from that last sentence, if that's the main point you're making, I don't disagree. I do disagree, however, that "traditional gaming" is dying since we'd then have to define it, but again, the post you responded to was in regards to another poster, not you.
 

baberunisei

Member
I think I’m finally getting too old for new videogames. Almost surely the current Gen will be the last one I follow. After that, gonna focus only on retrogaming
 

Boke1879

Member
I also hate that so many AAA decisions not to make single-player games is based on sales data from versions of that concept which just plain suck, like Mass Effect Andromeda.

You think that's where EA is getting their data from and not industry wide trends?
 
EA already has their Destiny like:
giphy.gif



Literally what I just said pages ago was that they're games as a service, but their methods of player retention differ. Either way, they're still GaaS. You can come to terms with that, or you can just attempt to arbitrarily define them and be wrong.

It's not out yet though.
 

labx

Banned
I, for one, am looking forward to the future where every game requires an internet connection and you can't play it any more once the service is shut down.

*Goes back to playing SNES games without issue*

I laughed... Because is true.

Really guys. It's over. The SP games are now a luxury for corporations. I'm guessing that this is going to be the last ten with real SP experience from AAA games. the exceptions are: Nintendo, Sony first party studios and the information developers.

Next gen everything will be a Battleroyale or Destiny kind of game.
 

Boke1879

Member
Personally I think a space single player focus should move to is digital only smaller priced experiences ala Hellblade.

I think there's a lot of market share you could potentially tap into going that route

I'm for games like Uncharted: LL which is clearly smaller in budget and retail price.

But even again. 1st party can take those risks. 3rd party not so much.
 

Shredderi

Member
All of this sounded great until you made me 42 years old before I get to see it.

Yep. I'll be 38. It's just sad for me. This is something (the death of traditional singleplayer games) that has been talked about for a LONG time already, but this is actually the first time that it actually looks to be that way for real and not some distant horror scenario. I'm not adapting well to this new GAAS landscape. Some of my friends are and admit that they like more endless multiplayer games than story focused linear games. Those guys will have nothing to fear. But to be a bit dramatic, it seems like the end is near for me. Gaming isn't my only hobby so even if the industry alienates me I have other passions but still :(
 

jonaa

Neo Member
Game development is tricky...

We have no insight into the project that for all we know could’ve been missmanaged in one way or another or just not working out as they envisioned it.

Closing studios is never an easy decision for any company and I’m sure there was more behind it than what is being conveyed in the comms. Regardless, EA ran out of patience and Visceral lost their trust.

Shame for everyone involved, I hope they land on their feet.
 

JeffZero

Purple Drazi
I don't care about Anthem because Destiny-esques don't appeal to me at all. What I fear is Dragon Age 4 is now a Destiny-esque and Mike Laidlaw walked out because of it.

...I guess I also technically care about Anthem because I don't want BioWare dead. Bleh. Still though.
 
Top Bottom