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Friday, June 21, 2013

Hitman studio lays off almost half of staff

Hitman studio lays off almost half of staff | GamesRadar @font-face { font-family: 'BebasNeueRegular'; src: url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.eot'); src: url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.woff') format('woff'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.svg#BebasNeueRegular') format('svg'); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; } @font-face {font-family: 'FontAwesome';src: url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.eot');src: url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.woff') format('woff'), url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.ttf') format('truetype');font-weight: normal;font-style: normal;} Google+ Trending: Announced PS4 Games | Xbox One games Login | Join Future Publishing

A Future Site ? GamesRadar Xbox One Xbox 360 PS4 PS3 PC Wii U 3DS Mobile Games Features News Reviews Videos MMO Cheats & Guides More Feedback Submit News » Video Games» News» Hitman studio lays off almost half of staff Hitman: Absolution Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Summary Review Articles Walkthroughs & Guides Cheats Screenshots Videos Discussion Hitman studio lays off almost half of staff Square Enix focuses IO Interactive solely on new Hitman Words: Connor Sheridan 19 hours, 51 minutes ago 9 Comments Email Share / Save Share / Save this Article

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Hitman developer IO Interactive will lose almost half its staff and all projects aside from a new game in the assassination series, Square Enix Europe announced today. The publisher laid off employees to "align [its] business against a changing and challenging market," GamesIndustry International reports.

"The studio will focus resolutely on the future vision for the Hitman franchise and is in pre-production on a new AAA Hitman project. However we have taken the difficult decision to cancel other studio projects and initiatives at IO and reduce the workforce in this studio, which will impact almost half of the employees currently at IO, as we make internal adjustments to face the challenges of today's market."

Most recent title Hitman: Absolution did not meet Square Enix's sales expectations, but it seems the publisher and developer will double down on the future of the 13-year-old franchise.

Square Enix says it will attempt to relocate staff to other open positions within the company where it is able, and former production director Hannes Seifert will take over as IO's new studio head.

Related Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Topics:

IO Interactive, layoffs, Square enix, Square Enix

9 comments View as: Newest first Oldest first

chad-munn - 2 hours, 24 minutes ago

"Kiddies", THIS is the... 8th or 9th studio to close or lay out large chunks of it's staff in the past year. It's a developer and a publisher. Wasn't there some hardware company out there that's decided to help developers and publishers with some sort of protection against loosing their life blood? How many used copies of Tomb Raider/Hitman/Deus Ex have you seen floating around Gamestop's? Yeah... There's a reason companies have to lay off half their staff or worse- close all together. And the nerve of you to say "What a shame, it's a sad day in gaming" and then praise second hand sales while ripping into the idea of protecting these people so they can keep making games.F*#kin# hypocrites. Absolue f&#ki#g hypocrites.But... that's typical. Rage against what you've been told to rage against, feel sorry for what you've been told to feel sorry for. Ignore the utter lack of comprehension of what it means to be throwing rocks at yourself from both sides of the fence. Good stuff, stuff. Reply Report

Bloodstorm - 1 hour, 9 minutes ago

While I ultimately share the same sentiment, in this case, these studios are suffering not because they sold poorly (well, not sure how Hitman did, but Deus Ex and tomb Raider did quite well), they are suffering because of Square Enix's inability to manage it's money (with several huge flops of its own in the last several years). Unfortunately, Square is making it's foreign studios into their scapegoat, while not reflecting on their own critical failures. Reply Report

MayorOfAmerica - 1 hour, 8 minutes ago

Exactly my thoughts! Just remember though, it's ALWAYS someone else at fault! (sarcasm) Reply Report

bass88 - 58 minutes ago

Hitman: Absolution sold near 3.5 million copies. Square-Enix still called it a disappointment. Go figure. Reply Report

Nines - 7 hours, 48 minutes ago

Good for them. Kane and Lynch was a mistake. I was expecting something like "Hitman with coop", but got just a bad TPS with ugly graphics and animation without any original ideas.However, if they'll continue to keep Hitman franchise in the "dumbed down" way, I don't need that either. Reply Report

bass88 - 56 minutes ago

What is it with gamers' mentality? "Ha! I'm glad they're jobless because I didn't like their game!" Reply Report

SirManguydude - 14 hours, 50 minutes ago

So basically what they are saying is they cancelled the new Kane and Lynch game, and fired all of that side of the studio. Reply Report

Redeater - 17 hours, 23 minutes ago

What a coincidence. Hitman didn't meet my expectations either."pre-production on a new AAA Hitman project"See, here is the problem. Hitman should never be AAA. The last Hitman game was ridiculously over the top with Hollywood voice actors and moments more along the line of Uncharted rather than the pinnacle of the franchise Bloodmoney.Bloodmoney was great because it was a giant sandbox allowing you to choose exactly how you wanted to play the game. They seemed to have forgotten about that. Reply Report

Swedish_Chef - 18 hours, 49 minutes ago

Rare footage of Square Enix causing layoffs....Wait a second that's not rare at all... DAMNIT SQUARE ENIX!!! >:(Jokes aside it's a very sad situation and I hope that all those that have been affected by this are able to recover from this. Reply Report

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Dota 2 gets full release this summer

Start trading away all those Dota 2 invites now--Valve's free-to-play MOBA will release this summer. PC Gamer reports that the invitation-only (in the same way that Sam's Club is an exclusive establishment) beta project will open up before the International tournament begins in August.

The only ways to get into Steam's most-played game at the moment are to buy an early-access pack, which come with a bunch of exclusive vanity items, or receive one of the plentiful beta invites which Valve gifts to current players. We can't imagine this announcement will be great for their market value.

PC Gamer says new heroes Abaddon and Legion Commander should hit the game around the same time as its release--bringing the sequel to just a half-dozen heroes short of the original DotA Allstars mod.

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Thursday, June 20, 2013

CD Projekt RED expands with new studio

CD Projekt RED is opening a second development studio in Krakow, Poland. The Warsaw based company, which is currently making The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, will use the studio to build one of two new planned projects. managing director Adam Badowski's confirmed in a statement sent to Gamasutra.

He said: “This July we are opening an office in Krakow. As we informed in our strategy outlook some time ago, aside from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, the studio aims to develop two smaller (approximately 20h of gameplay) premium quality titles. Consisting of 20 people, the core team in Krakow will be responsible for developing one of these games.”

Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, announced last October and in February 2013 respectively, will both make use of new proprietary engine REDengine 3, which CD Projekt Red hopes will "make RPGs comparable to top-shelf shooters, both in terms of game world presentation and the epic proportions of events that the player is drawn into". The Witcher 3 is slated for release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC in 2014, while Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to launch at a later date on the same platforms.

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FFX/X-2 HD Remaster sales could spur FFXII remake

FFX/X-2 HD Remaster sales could spur FFXII remake | GamesRadar @font-face { font-family: 'BebasNeueRegular'; src: url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.eot'); src: url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.woff') format('woff'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'), url('/static/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.svg#BebasNeueRegular') format('svg'); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; } @font-face {font-family: 'FontAwesome';src: url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.eot');src: url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.woff') format('woff'), url('/static/Font-Awesome/font/fontawesome-webfont.ttf') format('truetype');font-weight: normal;font-style: normal;} Google+ Trending: Announced PS4 Games | Xbox One games Login | Join Future Publishing

A Future Site ? GamesRadar Xbox One Xbox 360 PS4 PS3 PC Wii U 3DS Mobile Games Features News Reviews Videos MMO Cheats & Guides More Feedback Submit News » Video Games» News» FFX/X-2 HD Remaster sales could spur FFXII remake Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster Available on: PS Vita, PS3 Summary Articles Walkthroughs & Guides Cheats Screenshots Videos Discussion FFX/X-2 HD Remaster sales could spur FFXII remake Producer Yoshinori Kitase says good sales would "pave the way" for more Words: Connor Sheridan 17 hours, 36 minutes ago 17 Comments Email Share / Save Share / Save this Article

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If Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is successful, a spruced-up version of Final Fantasy XII may be the next step. Yoshinori Kitase, who produced both the original games and their remakes, spoke to RPG Site about the future of Final Fantasy's past.

"If they do well, I think this will pave the way for more of the previous games to remade in an HD sort of quality," Kitase said. "I mean, if we had to single out one of the vast number of Final Fantasy titles which we could make in HD, it would have to be Final Fantasy XII."

Series fans may grumble that Final Fantasy VII wasn't mentioned as a candidate. But converting the PlayStation original to modern standards of graphics and control would be more like making a new game than retexturing and smoothing out another PlayStation 2 title.

Kitase pointed out that he was not involved with FFXII, so he doesn't want to say too much. But good sales figures for FFX/X-2 HD Remaster certainly wouldn't hurt its chances.

"We'll have to wait and see if these Remasters are going to be successful, first," he said.

Related Platforms:

PS Vita, PS3

Topics:

hd remake, Square Enix, Square enix, Yoshinori Kitase

17 comments View as: Newest first Oldest first