denis dyack - Kotaku

posts about #denisdyack more →
Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
E3 Activity Book: Fun With No Purpose
Silicon Knights Hires Bean Counter as VP, Has Him Hand Out Swords
Silicon Knights Exec Leaves Company
What's Working for Denis Dyack Like
Too Human Review: Dyack's Human Too
Microsoft Compares Too Human To Star Wars And Lord of The Rings
Dyack: Canadian Town's Future Riding on Too Human
Epic Has "Defrauded Us, And Major Portion of Industry"
It Finally Happened. Too Human Went Gold.

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ninjaDance
12:06 AM

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
Is this really 'bragging'? I mean. Dyack has said some things before that can be politely called 'trolling', but I don't... really think this is one of them. If the folks at Silicon Knights have managed to keep their jobs while much of the rest of the industry is being fired left and right, shouldn't that be applauded?

Are we all so pissy and bitter now that we're going to rag on people that are proud of keeping their jobs and optimistic about the future?
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ThisCharmingMan
08:05 AM

@ninjaDance: I agree. I think a lot of people's distaste for Dennis Dyack in general are making small comments about layoffs in the game biz seem like some kind of machismo 'look-at-me' self-congratulations. I mean, he IS right, Too Human wasn't a blockbuster, to say the least, so the fact that they've remained a company at this point is something to be proud of themselves for...
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ChicagoRyan
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen was the best in the series in my opinion. I was so bummed out to see the series change direction after Silicon Knights allowed other studios to carry it on.

I was also hooked to Cyber Empires as a kid, it was a really fun mech action type game around the time that Activision was also beginning to publish Battletech and Mechwarrior games.

I haven't really checked out any of their games since Blood Omen, but I wish them the best regardless.
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CustomFirmware
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
Nintendo is the oldest. End of. :D
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DaveKap
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
Dyack Brags "I'm a moron!"
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Bouchart
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
Anyone can be a "potential global leader" in a good economy. In part that's the definition of a good economy.
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Rachel Fogg
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
I'm...a little confused...aren't there other studios like Naughty Dog, Ubisoft, SE etc that are functioning pass or approaching ten years...?

Am I missing something or is this guy just loops?
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Bouchart
11/28/09

@Rachel Fogg: Maybe it's both.
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MooglesInMyFace
11/28/09

@Rachel Fogg:

Silicon Knights is approaching their 20th anniversary. He does have a point though. There are few independent(external as he said) developers around that have lasted that long.

Epic Games has been around since 1991, and are still independent AFAIK. Same with id software.

But look at other veterans like Bioware, Blizzard etc and you'll see that they are all owned by companies.

People are gonna jump on what he said, but he does have a point.
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Rachel Fogg
11/28/09

@MooglesInMyFace:

Oh, I really wasn't sure what he was saying, I wasn't going to go after him or anything...

But what you said makes more sense so he's kinda right...
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mikhailian
11/28/09

@MooglesInMyFace: I'm pretty sure id software is now owned by bethsoft/zenimax.
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Eastwing
11/28/09

@Rachel Fogg: Well he said "external developers". SE and Ubisoft are also publishers, which probably helped them maintain themselves (or at least, that can be used as an excuse).

I think he's pretty much just saying "Ha, all of you are going down and we're not!", which is a bit petty to be honest. I guess anything goes if it gets you another kotaku post!
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Rachel Fogg promoted this comment Edited by Eastwing at 11/28/09 9:51 PM Eastwing was starred Eastwing was unstarred

CrimsonKnight13
11/28/09

@MooglesInMyFace: id is no longer independent as they are now owned by ZenMax
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Rachel Fogg
11/28/09

@Eastwing:

LOL! Corporate bloating again....which is cool, I was just confused with his statement.

But isn't Dyack kinda...like a mini Molyneux?
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Eastwing
11/28/09

@Rachel Fogg: Ergh, don't even mention Molyneux... I'm still getting over Fable 2's hype; that man could make people buy a peice of crap on a stick...
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MooglesInMyFace
11/28/09

@mikhailian:

Oh yeah I forgot about that.
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Toasticus
11/28/09

@MooglesInMyFace: edit: What mikhailian and CrimsonKnight said above.
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Edited by Toasticus at 11/28/09 10:30 PM Toasticus was starred Toasticus was unstarred

Toasticus
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
It's worth pointing out that what he's referring to in the second quote block is Ubisoft opening up a giant new studio next door, not the fact that his studio has survived up until this point. Cutting that info and putting the two quote blocks in a row makes it sound like he's excited about the hard times, which was clearly not the case in the source article. He's excited about more developers moving to Ontario, which will make it easier for his company to recruit talent, which is a perfectly reasonable thing.

I don't understand the "serious business beyond ten years" bit though. One of five what? Independent third party developers? That's the only qualifier that would make the least bit of sense of that statement.
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crabperson
11/28/09

@Toasticus: I agree, he has to be talking about third party devs, because a sane person wouldn't make a general statement like that about all of the studios. Still though, does he expect a couple more studios to collapse or something? Because I can think of more than five.

Or maybe he's talking about Canadian developers. In which case I can't even name five.
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Toasticus
11/28/09

@crabperson: Yeah, I guess he was talking about third party independent developers after all. Maybe there actually aren't very many still around that are as old as SK and still independent. I can only think of Epic and Digital Extremes -- everyone else is owned by some publisher or another.
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GohanGVO
11/28/09

@crabperson: Perhaps Dyack expects even more acquisitions of major third-party studios in the future, and he does not foresee Silicon Knights being sold off to another entity.

How many major third-party developers are there, anyway? Only Insomniac comes to mind. Most other companies are also publishers.
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crabperson
11/28/09

@GohanGVO: Right...
Forgot about that. Thinking about companies that are just developers is harder.
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Edited by crabperson at 11/28/09 10:59 PM crabperson was starred crabperson was unstarred

robpe36
04:36 PM

@GohanGVO: Look up Sony Computer Entertainment wiki. Insomniac is listed as a second party developer for SCE.
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GohanGVO
04:55 PM

@robpe36: Touché.

I did manage to think of a replacement, though!

TOSE.

[en.wikipedia.org]

[www.1up.com]
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astidcrisse
11/28/09

In reply to Dyack Brags that 'Staggering' Layoffs Make His Studio 'Oldest'
I might just have been a side effect not completely related to the economic, just raising a point for discussion here :

It has been said often in the last years that game development cost has risen almost exponentially in the last decade yet games have broken all kind of sales record in the last years but it is imaginable that even with great sales number some if not most of these developpers were not able to break even at all. I am stepping in unknown territory as I haven't made any research before making this claim but relied on memories from post past, to make a holiday bridge here, hehe
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Edited by astidcrisse at 11/28/09 8:23 PM astidcrisse was starred astidcrisse was unstarred

deanbmmv
11/28/09

@astidcrisse: Its the same thing with Movies.
You bank roll big budget stuff, and if it flops you've got the guaranteed money spinners lined up to take their place. So the summer blockbusters, the harry potters, Marvel films etc, will bring in the pennies to bank roll a few Cannes films and the odd mistake.
For example in gaming terms, Assassins Creed 2 will of been funded by Imagine Babiez.
And Avatar will take out several studios and cinema chains.
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astidcrisse promoted this comment Edited by deanbmmv at 11/28/09 8:46 PM deanbmmv was starred deanbmmv was unstarred

Ueziel
11/28/09

@astidcrisse: There have been multiple articles on Kotaku citing that the majority of games (something like over 70%) do not make a profit now.
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astidcrisse
11/28/09

@Ueziel: Thanks for the info
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Boom-Chicka-Ah: Here to Create a Star Commenter Empire
05/31/09

In reply to E3 Activity Book: Fun With No Purpose
shigeru looks like satoru without the glasses
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KainReborn
05/31/09

In reply to E3 Activity Book: Fun With No Purpose
I can't figure out the following "dream game" jumbles:

EWN ZLADE

CATERSAMD 2

OEEEGDNLY KAREME

Any ideas?
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bigman88zz
05/31/09

@KainReborn: CATERSAMD 2 = SCAT DREAM 2!!!!

nah, just kidding. its DREAMCAST 2
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Komrade Kayce
05/31/09

@bigman88zz:

I think you were right the first time.

Scat Dream 1 was one of my all time favourites.
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Unoriginal username is unoriginal
05/31/09

@Komrade Kayce - Soviet Attack Dog: What are you talking about? Scat Dream was a nightmare to play. Get it? Get it? ... Get it?
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bobtheduck in Korea
05/31/09

@I jizzed in my pants like a boss on a boat: I thought the more obvious joke was that Scat Dream was sh**...
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Last Face
05/31/09

@KainReborn: I can't figure out what IDEROMT is an anagram for.
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Taiyz
06/01/09

@Last Face; Use a Green Shell like a man!: It's supposed to be Metroid DS, friend.

Presumably referring to a non-Prime title; almost as silly a mistake as Killer Instinct 2.
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Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.
05/31/09

In reply to E3 Activity Book: Fun With No Purpose
I find it disturbing how accurate those little caricatures are even with their lack of features.

I wish I could do stuff like that...
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Pult|Ost - Fortune Hunter Edition
05/31/09

In reply to E3 Activity Book: Fun With No Purpose
The cartoon Reggie is eerily similar to the real deal.
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Antiterra
05/31/09

@Pult|Ost - Dark Days Are Coming: That's because the real Reggie... IS A MII !!!
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supo
02/09/09

In reply to Silicon Knights Hires Bean Counter as VP, Has Him Hand Out Swords
Hey look! Port Dalhousie!
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jandlecack
02/09/09

In reply to Silicon Knights Hires Bean Counter as VP, Has Him Hand Out Swords
This generation, Silicon Knights has as much influence or prestige as Free Radical and Factor 5.

None.
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Komrade Kayce
02/09/09

@Jandlecack:

Cmon now. They managed to put Too Average out even after it was in development hell for ten years.
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okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
02/09/09

@Jandlecack: I think that's really short-sighted and reactionary. One game... not even a bad game... well that's how gamers are expected to react. Regardless, SK's still in business and has even hired someone... can't really put them on the same plain as those other two developers other than to make the contrast that SK was the only company (of the three) to make a game that bombed and still survive.
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jandlecack
02/09/09

@okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under): Well as you said it still bombed and I don't care if the company shuts doors or not, they're still off the radar for 80% of people, just like Guerilla was before the KZ2 reviews had their say.

To put it in simple terms, if Silicon Knights's next game, or Free Radical's or Factor 5's for that matter, if there is one, has to be a mindblowing killer app. Else it will just be more of a disaster than their previous bomb, because they can't count on any hype or anticipation.
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jandlecack
02/09/09

@Jandlecack: -if
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Madeira
02/09/09

@Jandlecack: I seem to remember a dust-up about the reviews for TH, Kevin Pereira and Adam Sessler even made their own soapbox vids in TH's defense. I don't remember that kind of thing happening for Lair or Haze.

TH is a very cool game, one of the most memorable games of this gen for me when I really think about it.
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jandlecack
02/09/09

@Madeira: laughingelfman.jpg
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Fnor
02/09/09

In reply to Silicon Knights Hires Bean Counter as VP, Has Him Hand Out Swords
Magic is nice, but now Minsc is in charge! SWORDS FOR EVERYONE!
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Komrade Kayce
02/09/09

@Fnor:

Boo?!?!?!? WHERE ARE YOU MY SPACE HAMSTER?!?!?
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