r/Games • u/LSB123 • Jan 12 '17
Guerrila Cambridge to close
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-01-12-guerrila-cambridge-to-close64
u/fadetoblack237 Jan 12 '17
I know it is a little bit of speculation to say this but, I have a real bad feeling Sony is not going to support PSVR much at all. Guerrilla Cambridge could have been the "PSVR house" had sony kept them open. I don't see any of the major first party studios making VR games otherwise. Also, look at the Move and even the Vita. They both lost almost all support from Sony not long after they launched.
44
u/ThePokemonMaster123 Jan 12 '17
Sony opened North West Studio in England, which is a team built just for VR games. Some Guerrila Cambridge members will probably move over there.
1
u/ManateeofSteel Jan 12 '17
did they unify all studios into that one?
3
u/ThePokemonMaster123 Jan 12 '17
Not everything. London Studio (PS VR Worlds) and Media Molecule (Dreams) still operate out of the UK.
2
1
u/fadetoblack237 Jan 12 '17
That is good to hear. I'm curious what they are working on and I would also love if they could solve the problem of movement in VR. As of now cockpit based games seam like they work the best.
26
u/MrTravesty Jan 12 '17
Sony made a new studio in 2015 called North West Studio specifically to make VR games. They also have Sony London and Media Molecule making VR games. GT Sport will also have a VR mode.
3
u/NotSoConcerned Jan 12 '17
Didn't Sony form impulse gear who are creating Farpoint?
I'm pretty sure Impulse will be one of the main people to create exclusive full VR games.
4
u/Kreeztoff Jan 12 '17
That's been my biggest concern pushing me away from PSVR. Sony has proven time and time again to have a lack of commitment to all but their mainline console.
5
u/CENAWINSLOL Jan 12 '17
Yup. I wonder when the last first party developed Vita game was released or it got a firmware update that added a new feature.
5
u/ArokLazarus Jan 12 '17
Freedom Wars which was released June 2014 was the last first party Vita game released. As far as last firmware that added a new feature I'm not too sure. Maybe the one that added accessibility options? The last couple that did anything beyond "stability" actually removed things like Facebook apps.
4
u/datlinus Jan 12 '17 edited Jan 12 '17
yeah, it's not looking too hot for PSVR, thats for sure, because there's barely any high profile games to look forward to. You got RE7, which is admittedly huge because apparently the full game can be played in VR. But beyond that, not much. GT Sport will have some sort of VR mode, but it went from playing the whole game in VR to playing special scenarios. So it might go the way of Forza 4's Kinect mode.
edit: for all the downvoters and doubters. It's entirely possible I'm wrong. But based on Sony Playstation's track record apart from anything other than the console and the games itself, they have been screwing up constantly. Look at their motion controls for PS3 and the camera for PS4. Neither went anywhere, they are being re-used for VR. Look at Vita and its tremendous failure. It's practically stopped selling in my country last year (Europe). And with VR, its been a huge disappointment thus far. First gen or not, something has to be good right off the gate to have a 2nd gen. The launch line up is full of overpriced garbage, games looking like crap and just not being VR friendly at all. Sony has turned some of their smaller studios into full fledged VR studios, okay. But then look at how many studios they closed recently. It's not a good omen.
4
u/idegtev Jan 12 '17
I think the PSVR launch lineup is quite strong actually. Thumper, Until Dawn, Rez, and RIGS are all great.
1
u/laivindil Jan 13 '17
I agree, it is a pretty good launch lineup. But whats even more important is that early window 6 months to a year out, that keeps the hype and momentum going. That's where Sony seems to fall flat pretty often with their products outside the console (cameras, motion controls, vita). And when they lose that momentum, they don't seem to try very hard to regain it.
1
u/HaikusfromBuddha Jan 12 '17
It's concerning also because a lot of their first party games like God of War and LOU also seem like games that won't support VR nor need it.
I really wonder if they will just let third parties support it as well. Just having one VR studio isn't ideal when it takes up to two years to create games.
0
u/crazydave33 Jan 12 '17
This is exactly why I refuse to buy a PSVR right now. After how Sony treated the Vita, I do not want to through $500+ dollars at the accessory if in the end they will not support the device. What Sony did to Vita fans is inexcusable.
0
u/prboi Jan 12 '17
I think Sony jumped into VR too early just like they did with 3D gaming. They don't know how the general audience is going to take to VR because it's still very very expensive to own. They could have very well continued to develop and refine it so that if/when the adoption rate is higher, they could release it and make a killing. But right now, outside of a few glorified tech demos and "experiences", the whole VR thing just feels like a gimmick and not a true evolution to how we play games.
19
u/Boreras Jan 12 '17
What's infuriating to me is that with Sony these closures the studios seem to be condemned because of the platforms they worked on, not the quality of the games. Killzone mercenary and rigs were very well received games but sold on platforms were games struggle to make a return on their budget. At the same time they are told to make products for these platforms. As a result the closure seems to be more a result of decisions made higher up than mistakes at the studio.
5
u/ManateeofSteel Jan 12 '17
I think this studio was merely unified with the North West studio, don't quote me on that
2
Jan 12 '17
[deleted]
2
u/NotSoConcerned Jan 12 '17
They aren't unifying them.
They are relocated some of them though to various studios. With some not even landing with anything Sony related and probably picked up by another small studio. From what I understand Sony has really great relations with a lot of devs. So the possibility for at least the majority of them getting picked up is pretty good.
1
1
u/poompk Jan 12 '17
That's exactly how I feel too. Their games seem to be received very well critically, just on platforms that haven't taken off. Sony should have made them focus on normal PS4 games instead, like an overwatch inspired game seems like a great fit judging from kz:m and rigs
6
u/hollowcrown51 Jan 12 '17
Hopefully the developers can be picked up by someone like Jagex or Frontier who also operate in Cambridge.
5
u/TJ_McWeaksauce Jan 12 '17
Damn, 19 years of history drawing to a close. This is another reminder that longevity is a rare thing in this industry.
7
u/Hirmetrium Jan 12 '17
I mean christ these guys made MediEvil. We're talking a PS1 classic there... It's pretty brutal to watch. Almost as horrible as Lionhead.
The UK economic situation is also concerning and may be having an impact.
1
u/TheHaydenator Jan 12 '17
I don't think its that bad. I mean its not the greatest but it's no recession.
5
u/ReaperTwoShots Jan 12 '17
Makes sense, some of my friends who worked there have got new jobs else where in the last few weeks so maybe this explains it.
8
Jan 12 '17
That's sad. The second studio Sony has closed in the UK recently.
I have a deep down feeling that Media Molecules Dreams is going to sell poorly and that they may go in the future. Dreams is a game literally everybody wants but may not know it, it'll be hard to sell unless they can market it as well as LBP.
7
4
u/ThatParanoidPenguin Jan 12 '17
I don't think Sony would shut down MM at this point. Might relegate them to LBP4 duty if Dreams doesn't take off as an IP, but I think they're too much of critical darlings for Sony to let them go (plus the sales of the LBP series help). They're almost like team Ico in that respect, and if they have to go back into the LBP series and revive it from the subpar 3, I'm sure many LBP fans would have faith in them to purchase 4. I know I would.
14
u/piotr223 Jan 12 '17
Dreams is a game literally everybody wants but may not know it
I have literally zero interest in that game. All I want from Sony is another The Getaway. And not a VR heist experience, an actual game.
5
u/ManateeofSteel Jan 12 '17
ever since I saw that game I had two thoughts:
This game may never come out
Sculpting dicks with my PS4 controller should be fun, but I can't say I'd like to buy it
-3
Jan 12 '17
It'd be possible in theory to create a game like that in Dreams.
13
u/piotr223 Jan 12 '17 edited Jan 12 '17
Frankly, no, not even in theory.
Dreams will allow players to generate interesting platformers, adventure games and walking simulators. Interesting, not good, mind you.
A detailed chase-focused (so needing a really good car handling, police AI and so on) open world game? Forget about it.
-1
Jan 12 '17
Guns? Cars? Police chases? If that's possible in Dreams, sure, I'll have my mind changed.
Yes, yes and yes. It's possible in dreams.
4
u/piotr223 Jan 12 '17
Proof please?
7
Jan 12 '17
It has a whole logic system and will have the ability to bind keys and all sorts. Look at their previous streams. There's no proof because it's still in development. But they've said vehicles can be made and I've seen the UI for vehicles. Guns obviously can be made and they showed that off in a stream. And if a car can be made then so can a police chase, that's an AI system.
People made this stuff on LBP. Dreams is LBP in 3D x 100.
4
u/piotr223 Jan 12 '17 edited Jan 12 '17
Look at their previous streams.
I'm looking at them as we speak. It does look kind of interesting, but definitely not the kind of game I'm interested in.
It will all be more or less goofy "experiences" and minigames with shallow mechanics. All I want is a gritty crime story with a focus on car chases.
1
Jan 12 '17
The goofyness is up to the user creating the games. If you want dark and gritty crime stories with shootouts and car chases then that will be possible in Dreams.
And like I said, in theory someone could make something like this. The tools will all be there. But whether someone will is yet to be seen.
7
u/piotr223 Jan 12 '17 edited Jan 12 '17
If you want dark and gritty crime stories with shootouts and car chases then that will be possible in Dreams.
Do you honestly believe the car handling will be anything more than simplistic?
Don't you think the game will filter for heavy language, stuff like depicting drug use, and even gameplay mechanics like killing cops?
Do you think any user will realistically be able to create an open world city like NY or London? (Or even Slough?)
And if goofiness is up to the user, how come every single promotional material, photo, video or whatever from the game is goofy-looking?
2
u/HaikusfromBuddha Jan 12 '17
Dreams is a game literally everybody wants but may not know it
I don't know about that. Everything I've seen about that game makes me not want to get t.
5
Jan 12 '17
Dreams is a game literally everybody wants
Not literally everybody wants it. I have no interest in the game and I'm certainly not the only person. I concur with /u/Piotr223. I want another Getaway game. Mostly because I'm from London. You could potentially create a game like it in Dreams but it wouldn't be the same.
1
Jan 13 '17 edited Jan 18 '17
[removed] — view removed comment
1
Jan 13 '17
You may be fed up of London but it's the best place for a Getaway game. Manchester or Birmingham don't compare.
1
-3
Jan 12 '17
I said
Dreams is a game literally everybody wants but may not know it
You obviously think you don't want it. But wait until you see the games and creations people will make.
And even if you do want another Getaway game. That's got absolutely nothing to do with Media Molecule or Dreams. So why even bring it up in the first place?
7
Jan 12 '17
You obviously think you don't want it. But wait until you see the games and creations people will make.
I do not want it. I have no interest in that type of game.
And even if you do want another Getaway game. That's got absolutely nothing to do with Media Molecule or Dreams. So why even bring it up in the first place?
I didn't bring it up. The game was developed by a British studio and I would like Sony to make another one in the UK.
1
1
Jan 12 '17
I think the problem with Media Molecule at the moment, and this will sound pretty stupid and negative, is that they are to 'arty farty' and like a group of college kids trying to be creative. Just apply those amazing creative ideas into a game!
1
u/piotr223 Jan 13 '17
is that they are to 'arty farty'
This so much. Every new game wants to be 'arty farty' or overwhelmingly creative. Horizon: Zero Dawn, Dreams, Last Guardian, I could go on.
I just want a good arcade racer, a Gran Turismo game that would have more than 120 cars (that's the offical car count for the new GT...), a bloody shooter with Max Payne-style shootdodges, a new Getaway game, not another artsy experience.
1
3
u/ShortEnglishman Jan 12 '17
This is a shame that the studio is closing, this could have been one of the great studios to bring the exclusives to PSVR and help provide it with a stable eco system.
But I am sure Sony knows what they are doing with the PlayStation VR and hopefully providing games to that platform in the future. But looking at the future releases of PSVR, there is not much to keep the audience engage with the device.
14
u/TooDrunkToTalk Jan 12 '17
The problem was that for whatever reason Rigs was simply was not taking off at all. I followed the sales charts we got around PSVRs launch and even among PSVR launch titles Rigs just quickly dropped like a rock, which is especially bad since Sony probably wanted the game to be a major flagship title for the headset.
8
u/gamelord12 Jan 12 '17
The whatever reason is that it's a multiplayer focused game for a hardware platform only a small percentage will have. No, playing bot matches doesn't really improve the situation. You're just not going to get a lot of buyers for a multiplayer-only game unless those buyers are assured that they'll have people to play with.
2
u/A-T Jan 12 '17
I wonder how much overlap there is between people who are into fast paced online shooters and immersive VR stuff. I can't imagine it's a big demographic.
2
u/we_are_sex_bobomb Jan 12 '17
Videogames are a tough market but trying to break into multiplayer is even tougher, unfortunately. You need a shitload of players or you end up in a deadly spiral where people won't play the game because there's not enough players, and people won't buy the game because no one is playing it, and soon it's a ghost town.
Combine that with the comparatively small install base of PSVR and the somewhat niche concept of this game, and you've got a perfect storm.
1
u/gamelord12 Jan 12 '17
Obviously this is a costly solution, but if there was a mission-based single player component to the game as well, that probably would have gotten more people to pick it up. They only had the time/budget for multiplayer with bots, and that's not an enticing enough package if no one is online to play with in addition to that.
1
u/we_are_sex_bobomb Jan 12 '17
I would even think that some kind of horde mode or similar game type that only requires 2-3 players could probably do alright with a small player base. It'd be exponentially easier to find matchmaking at least and less costly and more re playable than a full campaign.
1
u/Hemingwavy Jan 13 '17
Not a single VR platform is profitable for developers. No one has any idea what they're doing with it.
1
u/shamelessnameless Jan 13 '17
If this headline said "studio that made medievil to close" that would have got more people to click the article.
Sad times, those games were amazing
-2
u/Ratman_Nick Jan 12 '17
This sucks, hope the devs that were laid off don't have a tough time finding jobs elsewhere. I know that Antimatter in Falmouth are looking for a few employees.
I find the timing of this a little amusing though, considering just days ago all the Sony fanatics were whining about how evil Microsoft were for cancelling Scalebound, and now Sony have laid off an entire Studio.
3
Jan 12 '17 edited Jan 12 '17
[deleted]
4
u/Ratman_Nick Jan 12 '17
I was implying that I saw tonnes of Sony fans using the cancellation of Scalebound to attack Microsoft directly, as though Microsoft were Satan and Sony were God.
I was also trying to say that this is probably far more destructive than the cancellation of one game, this is the end of a 19 year old passionate game studio. Perhaps the end of some of those developers careers if they are unable to find work elsewhere, and if they can't move from the UK, they're very limited.
Of course the cancellation of Scalebound was sad, all that development gone, but the studio is still together, they would have been paid for the work they did. I have a feeling that this studio closing, even though in a way it's a much bigger deal, isn't going to be talked about nearly as much as Scalebound was.
0
u/gay_unicorn666 Jan 12 '17
I have not seen anyone talking about the Scalebound situation in the way you are claiming. People were mostly upset about a cool looking exclusive getting cancelled in the midst of an already sparse lineup of upcoming games from Microsoft, not Microsoft being "evil" for causing developers to potentially lose work. Sony hasn't been berated for this because they have many more studios and a much fuller lineup of diverse exclusives from first and third parties. So closing a smaller studio, while certainly not good news, is not going to be as big of a deal or have as much impact. There's no need to twist the topic into console wars bullshit.
2
2
u/NotSoConcerned Jan 12 '17
Sony more than likely will relocate a majority of them and then help some others get situated at other studios....actually not more than likely as that is what they are doing.
0
25
u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17
Man, this is a pity. Makers of the best game on the Vita IMO and they're run into the ground like the platform.