That's too bad.. this guy's blog screams of covering his own ass so I'm inclined to think it's true. Hopefully Sony/someone else acquires them under the condition of becoming a 2nd party or whatever. I remember getting a lot of hours out of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron back in the N64 days. Good game. I haven't gotten around to Lair but I'll have to try it sometime.
There's no need to pile on, it's not like they're releasing 15 expansion packs *cough*EA*cough*.
@Jandlecack: It's sad to see a developer take the chance and get burned like they did. Lair seemed like something they approached as a tech demo for Sony and I don't know how much of that idea was Sony's but devs need to start hedging their bets somehow. I think they had two many hands in one basket. If this was a 2nd Party title, you think Sony would have taken most of the brunt of that disaster but it seems like what ever flak that Factor 5 caught was just enough to be fatal. Sad.
Now...this is why Xbox's fee based online service trumps Sony's. If Sony wasn't running the servers for Lair, then there would be no more Lair online after only one year.
While I don't own the game, I hope for those that do own and like it, that Sony does actually run the servers. (Since they published the game, I assume they do)
That sucks. I'm still hoping for a Lair sequel, I don't think the game deserved the backlash it got. Plus it's a good team, we've already lost too many good ones. I hope someone absorbs them if this is true. Microsoft could certainly use some first party support right now imo. And they're probably the ones who can afford it.
I've always wondered how bad games were made. Whenever I make a game or something (obviously it's not on this scale) I do something then test not only to see that it works but that it is fun. Every time anything sucks balls it's kicked out, simple as that.
Perhaps game developers need dude's who job it is to test parts of a game as they are made and give them a rating on a awesome scale, 0 being Dude huge and 10 being Mr.Awesomerific Certified (I'm WAYYY more awesome then that dude...huge as we all know.)
(Yes I realize the people in the company themselves can test the game, but it's way more unbiased and useful if you just have normal gamers who will tell you this suck donkey nuts)
@Mr.Awesomerific: I think thats what betas and game testers are for. Plus I don't think it would be at all easy for them to get a fair assessment of their work if its all just wire-frames ect. It really is a high risk high/low reward industry..
Shame that a developer is going under. At the same time it's refreshing to see that developers can't just pump out movie tie-ins and whatnot and expect to survive. Especially now in our casual-market-crazy fad.
Not saying I'm happy to see them close. They might not even had the choice on what games they wanted to work on...
I do agree though that I doubt that they'll be missed.
12/09/08
Guys, we need you to start paying back all the money we've given you over the past year. Guys? Hello? Where did everybody go?
12/08/08
There's no need to pile on, it's not like they're releasing 15 expansion packs *cough*EA*cough*.
12/08/08
Rogue Squadron was in my Top 5 games on the N64, and also my 2nd favourite game on the Cube (partly due to the Cube sucking in the games department).
But I don't even want to look at you now, Factor 5. See what you have become. Stop breaking my heart. I am crying already. Please, just leave!
12/08/08
12/08/08
12/08/08
While I don't own the game, I hope for those that do own and like it, that Sony does actually run the servers. (Since they published the game, I assume they do)
12/08/08
12/08/08
12/08/08
Perhaps game developers need dude's who job it is to test parts of a game as they are made and give them a rating on a awesome scale, 0 being Dude huge and 10 being Mr.Awesomerific Certified (I'm WAYYY more awesome then that dude...huge as we all know.)
(Yes I realize the people in the company themselves can test the game, but it's way more unbiased and useful if you just have normal gamers who will tell you this suck donkey nuts)
12/08/08
12/08/08
12/08/08
12/09/08
12/08/08
12/08/08
I'd rather Nintendo buy them up. Look at all the cash they have!
12/08/08
What and force them to make Diddy Kong Racing?
No thank you.
12/08/08
LOL, so true.
11/13/08
I hardly know 'er!
11/13/08
Not saying I'm happy to see them close. They might not even had the choice on what games they wanted to work on...
I do agree though that I doubt that they'll be missed.
11/14/08
11/14/08
=D