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Breaking: Xbox is closing down Hellblade creator Ninja Theory
PeteBull
Member
U think rainbowforum is a bubble? Most of those western devstudios, top to bottom are similar if not worse, just there if u got different opinion u not just get banned, u lose ur job...
ChuckeRearmed
Member
Should start making games for men. Who wants to play as a woman with mental issues?
Esquie
Member
Wow, 200k is brutal. They really need to cut the fat.the final straw
I think the first Hellblade made a decent profit. Hellblade 2 was a monumental flop.
Judge Magister
Member
CentralScrutinizer
Member
I'll say the same thing I said in the Compulsion thread. You can't spend 6-7 years on the game they did and get the results they got and expect to survive another development cycle. Microsoft gave them their chance with a big budget and as much time as they needed and they fumbled. It is what it is.
ElFenomeno
Gold Member
Agree, they had all the time and money in the world since 2018 Xbox acquisition.
They released Hellblade 2 and Bleeding Edge.
It's like asking for the studio to be closed.
They released Hellblade 2 and Bleeding Edge.
It's like asking for the studio to be closed.
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Hideous Snake
Gold Member
Ffs. Hellblade was supposed to be an awareness game about psychosis and schizophrenia and it was very well made. Why did it turn into a series? It was unnecessary. Too much wasted talent and you don't know who to blame them or Microsoft
The corporate world is a circus, and yes, Sony is no different.
On the one hand, these companies keep getting funded for years while their output remains slow and low-quality. Without their parent company's money, they would have gone bankrupt much earlier. On the other hand, they might have had a stronger motivation to succeed if they had stayed independent, without corporate involvement pushing them toward live-service games and DEI initiatives.
On the one hand, these companies keep getting funded for years while their output remains slow and low-quality. Without their parent company's money, they would have gone bankrupt much earlier. On the other hand, they might have had a stronger motivation to succeed if they had stayed independent, without corporate involvement pushing them toward live-service games and DEI initiatives.
ElFenomeno
Gold Member
Phil needed to announce some heavy hitters for the Series X launch.
We all thought with Xbox's budget, the game will be more epic, some God of War version of the first game, expanded combat, exploration, traversal, puzzles, gameplay mechanics.
Then they took 5 years to release the game, 1 year of dev time per 1 hour of "gameplay."
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llLeonhart
Member
I'm feeling pretty vindicated right now.
Sad news, for sure.
Where are the folks saying it's a small studio that doesn't cost much and brings in status?
again, I'm sorry for the folks impacted by the layoffs, but Microsoft will Microsoft. Asha is a product of Microsoft, she's not your friend, she will lie and present "new and exciting projects" that she already knows will not see the light of day. She'll promise exclusives just for a show knowing full well the Xbox brand has no means to maintain an exclusive. She'll claim Gamepass is super profitable, when all evidence points to the contrary.
TonberrysKnife
Member
The irony of XBOX and their showcase. Showing games and promises and the FUTURE OF XBOX....while chopping down the studios that got them there. Sad.
FUBARx89
Member
Halo CE has the luxury of releasing on a console where people have to pay for it. Rather than a sub on PC and Xbox. It will do better than Gears IMO. Plus. Banking on the nostalgia factor with CE.
I do think the new Halo studios campaign will be dogshit though. Cause Halo studios sucks.
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GriffinCorp
Member
No one even cared about those games and they just announced another one LMAO - "Read the room" class was missed by management. I can't believe they were not shutdown years ago.
Embearded
Member
If they ever make a video game bible, the second paragraph should be in there.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe Sony and Nintendo are saints, but this is an MS thread and to be honest, MS has been feeding us lies for so long, it really is part of who they are now.
SomeNorseGuy
Gold Member
Hellblade 1 had a lightning in a bottle moment when it released. It was the height of women=bestest and applauded by the "press" for shining a light on mental disorders. It probably did good numbers coasting on both the reviews and people being curious.
That NT took that as proof that the IP had the pull to become a franchise is on them. This more gameplay focused sequel might've redeemed them, but too little too late I guess.
That NT took that as proof that the IP had the pull to become a franchise is on them. This more gameplay focused sequel might've redeemed them, but too little too late I guess.
The Inventor
Member
I'm starting to get a little bit mad as a long, long time Xbox fan/supporter.
fall1n1-9956
Neo Member
They keep pumping money on i343/Halo Studios but they keep closing the studios making any games I'm interested in...
Whatever excitement I had since the showcase is completely gone now...
Whatever excitement I had since the showcase is completely gone now...
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
Giallo Corsa
Gold Member
SkylineRKR
Member
HS is legit fun. Played it on PS+, picked up a used ps3 copy and finished it again. I like its crazy production values.Does this mean we can get Heavenly Sword 2 if Sony buys them?
I didnt care for the rest of NT's portfolio.
fall1n1-9956
Neo Member
Not everyone is a gun & ball gamer.
Gonzito
Gold Member
I am not a gun and ball gamer. Whatever that means
I can understand these people making one game with this type of story and character but making 3 and taking almost a decade to produce them? C'mon now
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Toots
Member
"The thing about Asha, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When it comes at a studio it doesn't seem to be livin'... until he closes it, and those black eyes roll over white."
This one is a good choice tho, Ninja theory dug its own grave by going full reeee mode with both hellblade games.
This one is a good choice tho, Ninja theory dug its own grave by going full reeee mode with both hellblade games.
LordCBH
Member
They like seeing themselves in the games they make.
BlackTron
Member
Imagine defending missteps after missteps - Bungie & Marathon, closing Bluepoint, Laufey and ND drought and not even needing to mention the previous disastrous GaaS strategy.
But of course mckmass8808, the protector of papa Sony will show up with "record high" profits,
Sony has made some bungling moves, but they're a universe away from Microsoft. It's not the whole story, but literal record profits vs CEO of MS saying we aren't making money with Xbox is a very stark contrast.
That's profit, not revenue mind you. Playstation actually made more money to put in the bank than ever before. You cannot handwave that away to a more convenient goalpost while Xbox is destitute and pretend they're in equal trouble or are equally impacted by their missteps.
crackajack
Member
Their games probably cost too much to make for the potential they have. Owning Ninja Theory, Double Fine, Compulsion makes sense to me though, if you understand that they make games that only broaden the catalogue, which should attract some gamers and lead to sales further down the line, but not necessarily provide many sales themselves. Kinda like keeping Team Ico alive, where SotC probably was their only actual success but its fans love everything they made. The money "lost" on such studios has probably more positive effect than trying to sell mediocre stuff via bloated marketing budgets.
Within reason. They have to be tasked with working on a rather limited budget and don't aspire towards AAA. Hellblade should never have been this Unreal showpiece, just an experience that is not for everyone but within all of gaming it is obviously special and offering something that CoD, Gears, Fortnite etc aren't.
Within reason. They have to be tasked with working on a rather limited budget and don't aspire towards AAA. Hellblade should never have been this Unreal showpiece, just an experience that is not for everyone but within all of gaming it is obviously special and offering something that CoD, Gears, Fortnite etc aren't.
MALpractice311
Member
Unfortunate. I enjoyed the first Senua game, because I knew what I was buying when I bought it. I knew it was a mostly cinematic game and the combat was pretty limited, but it was priced low enough and the play time was short enough to wear the walking did not have enough time to get too boring and the combat did not have enough time to get too repetitive.
That being said, they made those exact mistakes in the sequel. The game was too expensive and not worth the price and the game was too long and it exposed how one note the combat was and they are paying the price.
That being said, they made those exact mistakes in the sequel. The game was too expensive and not worth the price and the game was too long and it exposed how one note the combat was and they are paying the price.
OmegaSupreme
advanced basic bitch
ArcaneNLSC
Member
That's a typo in the title it was supposed to say Sayonara
Asha 'The Red Wedding' Sharma
Wishmaster92
Member
Sad, I really enjoyed heavenly sword when it came out and dmc. Didn't expect this studio to be the one shutting down. It seems all they were focused on was strictly hellblade
LordCBH
Member
All while still looking good graphically, and being longer than HB2.
Ninja Theory cooked themselves.
Sorcerer
Member
I'm thinking:
A: Microsoft looked at this and thought they know what they are doing and thought these guys could make good games for not a lot of money.
B. Microsoft was so confident in them that they thought if they could achieve this with so little, imagine what will happen if we throw money at the studio.
I guess we will never know if it was Ninja Theory or Microsoft's fault.
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squidilix
Member
I wonder why...
Remember, this is the first Xbox Series X game announced at 2019, with CGI and fanboy claimed "this is real-time, Series X is a beast"
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OLED_Gamer
Member
Seems MS is making plays to cut expenses to build a platform for reduced income due to more exclusives.
In saying that, LOL at murdering the studios you bought. Talk about lighting money on fire.
In saying that, LOL at murdering the studios you bought. Talk about lighting money on fire.
squallbr
Member
Asha hears us......
MayauMiao
Member
After the XBox showcase
Asha: Nice work, so when are you able to release the game?
Ninja Theory: in about 5 years and Millions more in funds.
Asha after 8 days
She learn that from the master.
Agree, they had all the time and money in the world since 2018 Xbox acquisition.
They released Hellblade 2 and Bleeding Edge.
It's like asking for the studio to be closed.
WTF Ninja Theory actually did that? I thought it was from a different developer. Fuck me.
SEGAvangelist
Member
Feels like Matt Booty was just too hands off in general with the entire slate of studios. FIRE MATTHEW VERNON BOOTY!
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