Former 2K Developer Blames the Publisher for Several Failures, Says Mafia III Would Need to Sell 8M to Recoup Costs
Former 2K Developer Blames the Publisher for Several Failures, Says Mafia III Would Need to Sell 8M to Recoup Costs
A one-time programmer of studio Irrational Games took to Hacker Noon in order to rant against publisher 2K Games. As nosotros all know, all but fifteen developers at Irrational Games were laid off. Co-ordinate to this programmer, information technology was by and large due to Ken Levine wanting to go dorsum and create smaller games, but 2K could accept handled the situation amend.
Basically what had happened was that Ken had been pushed by his limits with the stress of running BioShock Infinite — the team was so huge and unwieldy that he wanted to go dorsum to basics and build a game with a skeleton crew like in the quondam days. He basically tried to quit, but 2K said "no, don't become, yous can practise whatsoever you desire — merely stay with us."
2K should accept managed that situation better. If y'all accept a big team who piece of work well together in Boston, why not put a new studio head at the top and go along the team together? It could withal exist called Irrational — it would yet have the bulk of the original staff. Then Ken could go and exercise his matter, and everyone else could continue to do theirs — you know — making successful games for 2K…
But the bluster goes much deeper. The developer states that 2K HQ interfered with the development of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, which was the biggest failure amongst titles adult by 2K Boston, Marin and Australia.
He added that the very same might have happened with Evolve and Mafia III (which, co-ordinate to him, would have to sell viii millions to recoup costs but it didn't even to get ane one thousand thousand so far), concluding that the simply reason 2K is yet standing is because of "golden goose" studios like Visual Concepts (NBA 2K) and Firaxis (Civilisation, XCOM).
At that place is no doubt that in this list, "The Bureau: XCOM Declassified" is the black sheep — it did poorly and lost coin. With that said, there are iv games here that were hugely profitable — and every single studio responsible for these games no longer exists.
Instead the studios were dismantled, one way or some other, by 2K. Is this really how a studio acquisition is supposed to go? Pay millions for a talented independent studio, let the people make you lot behemothic profits for a decade, and so shut all those people out of jobs before they get the chance to make you lot more money? Sounds like grave management incompetence to me.
By the way, does anyone know why XCOM tanked? I know — I was there: It is because out of the above titles, information technology is the only title where 2K HQ felt obliged to get their hands muddied with the evolution. They turned the production effectually several times for reboots, and completely took creative control out of the easily of the developers, even going so far as to change the name of the pb studio to "2K Marin, Australia" — merely and then the Australian studio knew they were no longer in charge.
Mayhap this is why Mafia III and Evolve also lost then much money. 2K HQ doesn't seem to be afraid to endeavour out their artistic streak — even if it costs the shareholders hundreds of millions of dollars, costs the jobs of hundreds of developers, and costs the reputation of 2K as an employer.
The only reason why 2K tin can exist so incompetent and beget to make all of these mistakes is considering they take studios like Firaxis (Civilization 6) and Visual Concepts (NBA 2K17) churning out gold for them year after twelvemonth — without HQ interference. If 2K headquarters decided to stick their fingers into those pies, the publisher would be at serious chance of going entirely out of commission.
Of course, we take to take bearding reports like this 1 with a grain of table salt. We'll go along you updated should there be whatsoever developments on this story.
Source: https://wccftech.com/former-2k-developer-blames-publisher-several-failures-says-mafia-iii-need-8-million-recoup-costs/
Posted by: edwardshimpat.blogspot.com
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