Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Hippo on March 07, 2009, 11:15:59 pm
-
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12393&Itemid=55
Volition confirms 86 let go
THQ announced that 86 employees out of 102 in the developer Volition’s Quality Assurance Department were notified that they will be laid off. The announcement comes as little surprise, since the company is looking for ways to reduce cost and overhead in a difficult economy.
Volition, which is most well known for the Saints Row franchise, will have its titles tested by THQ’s centralized Quality Assurance Department. A small number of Quality Assurance employees will be retained at Volition to work with the THQ Quality Assurance teams at THQ corporate.
What is a bit of a surprise is that THQ has gone to great lengths to let it be known that these cuts are not part of the staff reductions that the company recently spoke about in their last earnings call. THQ said that employees affected by the layoff will receive outplacement assistance and also have the chance to find work at other openings within the company.
Currently, Volition is working on the sequel to Red Faction called Red Faction: Guerrilla as well as the FreeSpace and Summoner franchises. The company also is working on the development of a game-based The Punisher comic book series.
THQ continues to deny suggestions that the company could face a fate similar to Midway as losses continue to mount. The company, however, has reduced its employee count by 24 percent, which equals almost 600 members of its total workforce.
tl;dr?:
Volition is working on the sequel to Red Faction called Red Faction: Guerrilla as well as the FreeSpace and Summoner franchises
-
I thought FS2 didn't make enough money to continue the series. :wtf:
-
PR stunt?
-
The layoffs are part of normal development cycles, I think.
-
I sincerely hope they don't make another Freespace, not unless they make it backwards compatible
-
Sequel to FS2?
..Wow?
-
Any other sites posted similar info? Could be a misprint or an assumption
-
The layoffs were in the Quality Assurance (testing) department, which was being consolidated with the rest of THQ. The dev team is still there.
-
The layoffs were in the Quality Assurance (testing) department
I feel like EA laid off their QA department long before any economic crisis :nervous:
-
This brings up mixed feelings in me.
On the one hand, it would finally be nice to have some chuffing closure on the whole mystery of the Shivans thing. Volition has stated that the Shivans are part of a "bigger problem". I'd sure like to know what "problem" that is.
But...on the other hand, given that the average game these days is influenced by corporate analyst groups and subcommittees who "forecast" what would be good to put into a game, rather than what actual gamers want, the end result tends to be at the best tepid, and at the worst just boring and stupidly easy (I'm looking at you, FEAR 2).
Then again, this IS Volition we're talking about here, and I personally thought that Saints Row 2 was awesome. It was Grand Theft Auto 4 without the smarmy bastard cousin calling you every five minutes and going "NEEEEEEKO MY COUSIN I NEED U DO JOB FOR ME". Hopefully, a new Freespace title will be similarly unrestrained.
I wouldn't put money on V calling it "Freespace 3", though. People are tired enough of sequels and sticking a "3" at the end would probably turn off everyone not familiar with the series.
-
We should get them to just cough up the rest of the storyline and leave it at that.
-
We should get them to just cough up the rest of the storyline and leave it at that.
That's actually a good idea. Then let Blaise Russell decipher and FRED it
-
The pineapple in slope-intercept form.
Pretty cool, especially if it's real.
-
why the damn pineapple?
-
why the damn pineapple?
Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge! Say no more!
-
We should get them to just cough up the rest of the storyline and leave it at that.
Doesn't exist...there wasn't REALLY a grand plan...just some loose notes. We might be able to get them to cough those up :)
-
Or maybe they hid it all from us. Maybe 'it' was created all along!!!!!!!!!!1111oeoneoneoneoene
-
We should get them to just cough up the rest of the storyline and leave it at that.
Doesn't exist...there wasn't REALLY a grand plan...just some loose notes. We might be able to get them to cough those up :)
Bloody hope they do
-
I think this is just a problem of verb tenses. The article also mentions them working on Summoner and Punisher games, which I doubt they're making sequels to, so I think that should be read as a list of games they've worked on not that they are working on.
-
Wait, why do you think that you'd do a better job at making a FS3, than Volition could?
I actually hope that the article is correct.
-
Wait, why do you think that you'd do a better job at making a FS3, than Volition could?
I actually hope that the article is correct.
Who knows if those same people still work at V?
-
Who cares. If they want to make a game then they can and they will, and you can't do a better job than them. This is not Derek Smart that you can stop. Besides, if you think they'd make a crap FS3, why would the storyline be better then? Though I think that it'd be a great game.
-
I could care less how the story is. If it's good, we would consider it canon. If it was ****ty, we wouldn't. What I care about is the moddablity of the thing. And that they release the source at some point. FSO is getting old, guys. I've heard it said so many times before that it's damn near impossible to improve the graphics, and we don't even have shadows. :sigh:
-
Yeah your right
I would absolutely love FS3 made by V
But still, who knows what V would do to it in this day and age. I personally wouldn't mind if they made it into some kind of immersive storyline/plot like Band of Brothers. But that just wouldn't be Freespace, I'd probably treat them differently. FS2 and Band of Brothers: Freespace
-
I haven't seen games like FS in a long time.
If FS3 were ever to be made, it's team would have to be pretty set on it's goals and not suffer the usual BS games get devs get today.
-
Uhh...is it safe to talk about this? :nervous:
-
Talking about FS3 is really in the context. (Don't quote me on on this) It's forbidden because it's usually in the context of someone whining that there isn't a FS3, or that HLP should get together and make it. If a game developer considers making FS3, it's taken seriously and is no longer taboo.
-
Am I the only one who thinks this could just be talk of people who want to avoid getting fired?
Games? Yea we're working on dozens of games! Descent too! Busy busy busy!
-
I'm going to bet this is just some journalist making assumptions after browsing volition's site. Nothing to see here.
-
Again, it's the QA department -- they're laid off as part of regular development cycles fairly often. I'm sure it indicates tighter economic times, but no one from the actual dev team is being let go.
A bunch of the former QA people were posting on Kotaku, and they had very good things to say about Volition. One also suggested that 'inside sources' had told him FS3 would never happen.
-
Hmm.
I used to think that another FS would be a bad idea. Now that the day is coming, I am not so sure.
-
Well, I don't want FS3... I'd like to have the storyline, yeah, but the whole new game? And what about the whole work in here? Just... being left?! That would be a shame.
-
Well, I don't want FS3... I'd like to have the storyline, yeah, but the whole new game? And what about the whole work in here? Just... being left?! That would be a shame.
:yes:
I agree on that point
-
We could just blackmail V into modifying the source code so is just supports the new features, and is still compatible with all our mods...
-
I doubt anything of that sort would ever work.
We can just keep pestering them in to keeping it backwards compatible.
-
Uhh...is it safe to talk about this? :nervous:
In this case yes.
-
Though its the exact same discussion we've had countless times.
-
Is the story guy that did stuff for FS still at :v:? Was it Jason Scott?
-
Yes, (http://www.volition-inc.com/Staff/JasonScott) he still is at Volition. In fact, many of the old Freespace devs are still there.
-
Well, I don't want FS3... I'd like to have the storyline, yeah, but the whole new game? And what about the whole work in here? Just... being left?! That would be a shame.
:yes:
I agree on that point
Actually, I disagree. It would be nice to have a FS3 and STILL continue the work done here at HLP. (My opinion)
Are there any Freespace devs in the HLP forums?
-
Lofl. No one *****es about this:
Were laying off 86 of 112 QA workers, now were working on FS3. Lofl. Setting up for a fail. Could be ****.
But i hope not.
-
Are there any Freespace devs in the HLP forums?
IIRC DaveB used to pop in every now and then to see what was happening with the SCP, but he's it. He's a senior programmer.
-
Not around no more?
-
Lofl. No one *****es about this:
Were laying off 86 of 112 QA workers, now were working on FS3. Lofl. Setting up for a fail. Could be ****.
But i hope not.
Okay, seriously. Here's what [V] has to say about this:
Volition layoffs??? Uh, no.
Perhaps you’ve read some articles about layoffs at Volition. Well, while we are sad that we’ll soon be saying goodbye to a bunch of people we’ve been working with, there are no layoffs at Volition. There are layoffs at THQ’s QA facility in Champaign which, among other things, is testing Red Faction Guerrilla. Shortly after the completion of testing on RFG, the gradual closure of the QA facility here will begin. We’re very sorry to see this happen because they are our friends and they are great testers and they have made a big contribution to our games.
As unfortunate as that is, it won’t have any effect on RFG. And, happily, sixteen of those testers will be moving over to Volition to help us on some unannounced projects and form the core test teams on our future games. All laid-off employees will be given at least sixty days’ notice and we will do what we can to assist them in finding work in the community or elsewhere in THQ.
Fresh from the Volition Website (http://www.volition-inc.com/News/2009/3#VolitionlayoffsUhno).
In short: Noone at [V] is being fired. THQ is downsizing/consolidating their QA-department, nothing more, nothing less. There is no confirmation as to wether or not [V] is currently working on (or has plans to work on) anything even remotely related to FS.
-
I honestly hope that they do not make a FreeSpace 3. I hope they DO make a spiritual successor, though, kind of how Supreme Commander is to Total Annihilation.
-
I honestly hope that they DO make FS3. If you don't like it- don't play it. FS2 won't die anyway. . .
-
I honestly hope that they DO make FS3. If you don't like it- don't play it. FS2 won't die anyway. . .
:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:
-
I reply with my sig......
-
As much as I would like a FS3, we all know it would dissapoint us in some way or another, and possibly piss a bunch of people off. I'd like a conclusion to the storyline, or at least a canon continuation of it, definitely, But in terms of an actual game, I'd like to see Volition avoid a potential mess by making a new universe. At least that way they'd be able to avoid dealing with Interplay.
-
Can we confirm that they are even making FS3? The original gist of the article was wrong, so what about the rest of it?
-
I'm just going to ignore the article and not think about FS3 until Volition officially announces it.
Which will never happen imho.
-
Probably bad reporting. Until we hear anything more I would seriously doubt it.
THQ would have to have gone loony not to order some sort of knockoff game of a movie or Nickelodeon TV show. But if they were I'd give them props.
The one...and perhaps only thing going for a new FreeSpace game would be that the old games have an established fan base that is small but very strong. Of course the easy way to kill it is to announce it for console only with no editor tools or dumbed down gameplay.
-
Based on the quality of Volition PC ports, I doubt they could pull it off IMO.
However, if Kara wins the lottery, he could buy the FS license so HLP could turn it into an indie title. Keep in mind that this scenario has about the same chance to happen as Volition deciding to develop it.
-
I read that from V's site. But there were several sites that said differently.
-
That may be. But, honestly: Is there any credible, confirmed news of FS3 in development? Or, if you are addressing the layoffs: How are those sources more credible than [V] themselves?
-
That may be. But, honestly: Is there any credible, confirmed news of FS3 in development? Or, if you are addressing the layoffs: How are those sources more credible than [V] themselves?
This is why i just reply with my sig....it's got one thing from the old days about derek smart from the old days of talking about fs3. It's uncomfirmed, regurgitated, and good enough.
-
No. There's nothing credible. We have no idea if FS3 is even being considered.
-
Freespace in the layoffs article is bait. Want to know what aromas DS is cooking up (burrito and lots of cabbage)?
-
Well, even if there is no FS3, we still have FS2, and even better, it's a free* community out here.
* - May not include models, backgrounds, music and sounds.
-
And we have eachother.
It sure does get lonely in space... ;7
-
:doubt:
-
Charismatic's right though.
*Slides hand on redsniper's back*
-
Well then..........
-
I was expecting a :wtf: but this works too.
-
Reminds me of the South Park episode:
http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/806/Goobacks.html
Where their final solution is to all join one big gay orgy.
-
Reminds me of the South Park episode:
http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/806/Goobacks.html
Where their final solution is to all join one big gay orgy.
I'll be fine thanks :)
-
Reminds me of the South Park episode:
http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/806/Goobacks.html
The URL reminds me of Goober because of the spelling similarity.
:doubt:
Ever tried multiplayer? ;)
-
Not that kind of multiplayer. I mean, I like the people on HLP well enough, but... yeah.
-
The days that you wish you were blue instead...