Sierra Gets Shutdown

[Glamdring]

Or so the title goes...

http://www.gigex.com/general/article/?id=6956&game_id=&source=00001

I have to say that the only reason this even bothers me is because of all of the old franchises.

More depressing news for the industry, Vivendi Universal Games has cut 350 staff and shut down Seattle-based Sierra.

This shouldn't have any effect on the new Tribes or HL2 although I'm sure some conspiracy theorists might argue otherwise where HL2 is concerned.

[Rodent]

Shit, did Vivendi just effectivly cancel the upcomming Learuire Suit Larry game

[Liquidator]

Damn, that's sad news.  Sierra was my favorite game company back when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s - when adventure games ruled.  Truly an end to an era.

-Liquidator

[schild]

Shit, did Vivendi just effectivly cancel the upcomming Learuire Suit Larry game

EGAD. FUCK. I didn't even think about this. Holy crap. Now I'm a pile of anger.

[Sky]

Vivendi: We Can Beat EA At Their Own Game.

[Mi_Tes]

Shit, did Vivendi just effectivly cancel the upcomming Learuire Suit Larry game

EGAD. FUCK. I didn't even think about this. Holy crap. Now I'm a pile of anger.

Looks like that one is safe.  Vivendi Link

With a global and more focused organization in place, VU Games is looking ahead to the second half of the year with several major releases scheduled for launch. VU Games plans to release World of Warcraft from Blizzard Entertainment, marking the Company's entry into the massively multi-player online role-playing games category. Other current and upcoming releases for 2004 include Crash Twinsanity, Leisure Suit Larry, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Van Helsing, Ground Control II, Fight Club and Spyro: A Hero's Tail.

[schild]

Thanks. That just made my day a whole lot better. Looks like someone is smarter than Interplay and the Fallout 3 debacle.

[Mi_Tes]

Doesn't this sound a little like David Bowman on Horizons though?

Restructuring the organization and reducing our cost base are necessary to improve our operating effectiveness and profitability," said VU Games CEO Bruce Hack. "This constitutes another important step in our turnaround plan aimed to better position the Company for growth.

[schild]

Doesn't this sound a little like David Bowman on Horizons though?

Restructuring the organization and reducing our cost base are necessary to improve our operating effectiveness and profitability," said VU Games CEO Bruce Hack. "This constitutes another important step in our turnaround plan aimed to better position the Company for growth.

No, if only because Vivendi, as a company, has boatloads of money. David Bowman did not, and he wasn't bringing in much - if any - profit.

[Delf]

[...] Vivendi, as a company, has boatloads of money.

Uh, not as such. According to the local newspaper they've been losing money steadily for years. Couple of choice quotes from now-ex employees in there, too.

I'm bummed. I contracted there for a while (on the Sierra Home stuff, not the games) back in the late '90's. It's a shame to think of the friends I made there being out on the job market here. I'm managing to keep employed, but  only just barely. Game developers are more specialized, and so bound to have a harder time finding a position.

[SurfD]

This saddens me greatly.  Sure, the golden years of Sierra had come and gone quite a while ago, but fuck, that company was probably single handedly responsable for getting me hooked on PC games as a whole.  I even remember when I subscribed to their print magazine just to hear about all the new stuff they were working on.

I now feel the urge to give them a final salute by diging up my old 386 and firing up Spacequest, Kingsquest, or HeroesQuest (thats right I actually have a copy of the origional game, from BEFORE they renamed it to Quest for Glory).

Truely, a part of my childhood has died this day.

[HaemishM]

Fuck Sierra in its tiny little ass. They were one of the first of the big-name PC game publishers to start the EA cycle of destroying development houses just to absorb the talent in-house. Dynamix anyone? Sierra created its own pile of shit and deserves much hatred for killing or almost killing some great franchises like Tribes, Starsiege, Red Baron, etc.

I do feel bad for the people now out of a job, as 99% of them probably had nothing to do with the shit I'm talking about.

[WayAbvPar]

I could hit the Sierra offices with a well thrown rock (if I was Brett Favre). I have mixed feelings about this- I was never a big fan of most of their games, but seeing any dev house (especially a local one) go away is a bit depressing.

On the other hand, they didn't hire me when I applied for a job there about 10 years ago, so fuck 'em in the ear. Maybe it will cut down on traffic around here =P

[Anonymous]

I'm probably exposing a great deal of ignorance, but what's happening with Half Life 2?  Is Valve self publishing?  I could have sworn Sierra was their publisher.

[Alluvian]

I have not seen anything directly about HL2 yet, but a game like that won't have an ounce of problems finding a new publisher in a heartbeat.  Assuming they ever actually want to release it.  Right now I think they are just torturing me.  Well, the delay means my new system will be well in place by the time HL2 comes out.  Then again I don't really have anything to put it through it's paces.  I guess farcry will have to do.

This talk about sierra just made me remember Cyberstorm (the first one).  That was a really kick ass game.  I think I will dig out that cd one of these days and see if it still runs.

[Sky]

Hammy, that's a good point. I guess it's fitting when you look at it that way.

[Rodent]

Looks like that one is safe.  Vivendi Link

With a global and more focused organization in place, VU Games is looking ahead to the second half of the year with several major releases scheduled for launch. VU Games plans to release World of Warcraft from Blizzard Entertainment, marking the Company's entry into the massively multi-player online role-playing games category. Other current and upcoming releases for 2004 include Crash Twinsanity, Leisure Suit Larry, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Van Helsing, Ground Control II, Fight Club and Spyro: A Hero's Tail.

Damn good news, the Larry series got me into learning english. While other kids were playing soccer I was pondering the meaning of the cryptic phrase "Open window, remove condom, climb out of the dumpster".

[Arcadian Del Sol]

hate to be quoting myself but its a funny observation:

The brand name "Papyrus Games" now exists on paper only.