News: Vivendi Layoffs; Vengeance work goes on

In a word,

Hairballs.

Dogs cannot abide a creature that randomly hucks up its own body hair. This is why there can never be peace between the canines and felines.
 
Amadeu5 said:
Let's hope we won't need any more patches than that... :p
Click to expand...
Don't kid yourself. T2 sold something like 800 000 copies (at full price, before the bargain bin times) and they still laid off Dynamix 6 months after it came out. Dynamix had been pushed to put the game out before it was ready, as well, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar thing with T:V. The only big difference here is that they didn't build their own engine.

Hey, maybe budget cuts will require the SWAT and T:V projects to use common components--then we'll have tribesmen carrying MP5's and 9 mm Berettas and hostage rescue teams with jetpacks. :D
 
piotrr said:
Well, I suppose this must be one of those signs that the recession is giving out that stone keeps talking about.
Click to expand...
not to nit pick but if vivendi is a french company then I would highly doubt that the american recession or lack there of is thier only reason for layoffs. Global companys usually think global not loca and act accordingly.
 
Barbarian said:
Dynamix had been pushed to put the game out before it was ready, as well, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar thing with T:V. The only big difference here is that they didn't build their own engine.
Click to expand...

If it was pushed, it had already been delayed several months as it was originally due out the previous fall.

I don't see T:V getting pushed out before October unless there is extreme pressure to help Q3 numbers. On the other hand, I can defenitely see VUG pressuring to get it out before Thanksgiving.
 
In the USA probably. Depends on if they're going for US sales or worldwide sales. Dunno how many people would buy it out of the USA though, so it might be Thanksgiving actually.
 
Thrax Panda said:
Technically, nobody has worked for Sierra for over a year. When you call me here in Bellevue I answer "VUG Northwest". :shrug:. Right now my role is not fully defined other than step 1, which is finish Tribes. After we've shipped Tribes I'll worry about Step 2.
Click to expand...

It's time to alter your custom title to VUG Northwest, just to be accurate.
 
Shoddy said:
Isn't day after Thanksgiving still the biggest shopping day of the year?
Click to expand...

in the U.S. yes.

However, pushing for a world-wide by U.S. Thanksgiving release still makes sense, as if you want to get Christmas sales, generally releasing by mid-late November seems the best.

Games released too close to christmas, generally get lost in the huge christmas scramble (look what happened to Beyond Good and Evil and Prince of Persia. both were incredible games that didn't sell very well because they got lost amid all the other christmas titles).

Now it's more likely the push will be made for a christmas release (if not sooner) but even then the game would probably be out around mid-november.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
 
Barbarian said:
Don't kid yourself. T2 sold something like 800 000 copies (at full price, before the bargain bin times) and they still laid off Dynamix 6 months after it came out. Dynamix had been pushed to put the game out before it was ready, as well, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar thing with T:V. The only big difference here is that they didn't build their own engine.

Hey, maybe budget cuts will require the SWAT and T:V projects to use common components--then we'll have tribesmen carrying MP5's and 9 mm Berettas and hostage rescue teams with jetpacks. :D
Click to expand...
OK. You're total lack of understanding in all issues raised above comes close to setting a new record.

1. T2 sold perhaps 200,000 units at full price, world wide. It sold almost 500,000 units total, over half of which were at $20 or less.

2. As I've said many times before, T2 had nothing to do with the layoffs at Dynamix. Those layoffs occurred due to poor performance throughout all of the Sierra family of companies at the time (Havas then, I believe).

3. Dynamix was not pushed to get the game out before it was ready. They were pushed to come within a year of their original schedule. When you have a multi million dollar budget to make a game in two years, and you run more than a year long, the budget overruns are a very significant percentage of the full project. Like an extra 60%. At that point, if you don't think pressure should be applied, you're just fooling yourself.

4. We're on schedule. Nobody is applying any pressure on me. Once a week I get asked if we're on schedule, and I say "Yep" and they say "good".

5. The engine is not the only big difference. Different producer. Different company making the game. Different design. Different engine. Different plan. Etc... Actually, the only thing that is the same is the first word in the game name.

6. I know you were kidding at the end here, but Swat does use the Vengeance Engine. So yes, we're using common components.




P.S. Thanks Colosus. You will be remembered when the rapture comes.
 
Last edited:
I had thought most of impressions had already been laid off months ago...?

anyways, at least from what i heard the axe came down hard at VUG LA which doesnt affect T:V much
 
Kind of a bummer about Impressions.

I liked Zeus, Pharaoh, and Caesar even when my feeble management skills failed me utterly, half the city was burning, half was dying of plague and all the firemen were being robbed on their way to try and help people.

Wait a moment, I was having fun when that happened. Nevermind.
 
Thrax Panda said:
I'm still working on Vengeance.

And D-Back, isn't it about time you got past this? 1. Sierra didn't lay off anybody. VU did. 2. You only lost your job once, and that was years ago. Apparently nothing else bad has happened to you since then, for which you should be happy, not bitter. Let it go man. ;)
Click to expand...

Nah. Like just about everyone else who has worked for Sierra, we remain angry and embittered :) Hell, you oughta talk to Skeet sometime. Makes me look like a cupcake. Corporate malfeasance will have that effect.

If/when you get pink-slipped, you can come join us. Always room for one more.
 
Thrax Panda said:
Technically, nobody has worked for Sierra for over a year. When you call me here in Bellevue I answer "VUG Northwest". :shrug:. Right now my role is not fully defined other than step 1, which is finish Tribes. After we've shipped Tribes I'll worry about Step 2.
Click to expand...
Step 1: Finish Tribes
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit! :D
 
Thrax Panda said:
VU Games and Universal Music were not part of the NBC Universal Media merger. Basically NBC purchased Universal's TV & Film groups (and maybe the interest in the theme parks, not sure about that).
Click to expand...
Ah ok thanks.
 
Back
Top