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[Draugoth]

The community manager for Bend Studio has thanked players in the wake of news that its latest game has been cancelled.

Last week it was reported that Sony had cancelled a live service game being worked on by Bend, as well as another in development at Bluepoint Games.

Speaking on behalf of the Oregon-based developer, Bend’s community manager Kevin McAllister took to X to write a short message of appreciation to those who shared their commiserations.

“I’ll keep this short,”

McAllister wrote.

“Thanks for the love and support everyone, especially to those that have reached out.

“P.S. We still plan on creating cool shit.”

Bend’s last release was Days Gone, which was met with mixed reviews when it was released on the PS4 in 2019, resulting in a Metacritic score of 71, but developed a cult following.

Back in 2021, Sony confirmed that Bend was working on a new IP, which was “building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone”.

Then, in March last year, the studio posted a job listing for a project management role, confirming that it was working on a AAA live service game.

Source

 

[Xtib81]

Yeah, well see you in 5 years then..

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Bring the old gang back and make Days Gone 2.

 

[BlackTron]

I mean, mentioning that they still intend to make anything is noteworthy. These days your game can be a success and your studio is closed anyway, so...

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Idiots.

Agree with the shit part, though.

 

[Saber]

I'm still happy for them for keep in touch with fans but damn... Sony did them fucking dirty. What a colossal waste of time and resources this generation was. I guess we should be thankfull they didn't get axed.

 

[DonF]

could they be shut down?

 

[jonnyp]

Days Gone is Sony's best open world game IMHO. I really loved it even though it took a long time to really get going and become fun.

Hermen is a complete tool for not letting them work on the sequel.

 

[Games of Today]

Great. Sony had the foundation of Days Gone and now they've just made Bend jerk off for 4 years.

 

[CLW]

12-15 years between releases who do they think they are Naughty Dog?

 

[Ribi]

If you're going to make a live service game with Days Gone as the theme, just make what the Day Before was with a large number of zombies and base building mechanics and a dynamic world. It isn't that hard, dudes.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

rip

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Bend Studios should really be thanking management counting their lucky ass stars.

- On the payroll since DG
- Wastes everyone's time and money making a game that gets cancelled
- Will need another 4-5 years to make a new game (which would be PS6 territory)
- So by the time the game comes out, they missed then entire PS5 era releasing no products

Great place to work. Cash & Coast. Where do I sign up?

 

[GHG]

"plan"?

This fucking sucks. We could have easily had Days Gone 2 by now, and it could have been spectacular.

Bend Studios should really be thanking management counting their lucky ass stars.

- On the payroll since DG
- Wastes everyone's time and money making a game that gets cancelled
- Will need another 4-5 years to make a new game (which would be PS6 territory)
- So by the time the game comes out, they missed then entire PS5 era releasing no products

Great place to work. Cash & Coast. Where do I sign up?

What gives you the impression they've been "coasting"? Wtf.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

could they be shut down?

I'm pretty sure they will. Another 5 years of nothingness? They won't survive that. I guess in the meantime they will be forced to make a Days Gone remaster to get some cash, but I'd be surprised if they are still around by 2027.

 

[adamsapple]

Good luck with the PS6 game, Bend.

 

[GHG]

I'm pretty sure they will. Another 5 years of nothingness? They won't survive that. I guess in the meantime they will be forced to make a Days Gone remaster to get some cash, but I'd be surprised if they are still around by 2027.

Yeh, this is the real reason why days gone remastered is happening. It's not because they are actually in the midst of making days gone 2 and it's to wet the appetite.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Good luck with the PS6 game, Bend.

If you look at Sony's closed down studios in the past, some get canned fast.... Evolution, Zipper come to mind. But some seem to stick around forever no matter what... MM, Bend.

 

[GymWolf]

Cool, now we only have to wait another 5 years or 2-3 if they rush and make a "gamepass" tier game.

We could have been playing days gone 2 by now.

 

[viveks86]

I wouldn't be surprised if they have a game out before end of this generation. Highly doubt the GaaS was all they had in the works. Makes no sense for a traditionally single player studio to have gone all in like that. Having said that, a lot of what is happening in the industry lately makes no sense. So....

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Cool, now we only have to wait another 5 years or 2-3 if they rush and make a "gamepass" tier game.

We could have been playing days gone 2 by now.

If the DG Remaster is true, they were working on that. You never know, maybe going forward Bend will focus on remasters as it looks like Bluepoint wasnt lately.

 

[GymWolf]

If the DG Remaster is true, they were working on that. You never know, maybe going forward Bend will focus on remasters as it looks like Bluepoint wasnt lately.

Umm...ok??!

Not sure how do you want me to react to this news

 

[Thief1987]

I wouldn't be surprised if they have a game out before end of this generation. Highly doubt the GaaS was all they had in the works. Makes no sense for a traditionally single player studio to have gone all in like that. Having said that, a lot of what is happening in the industry lately makes no sense. So....

I doubt that, they aren't that big to have multiple projects in the work, especially since GAAS requires significant resources to maintain.

 

[SlimySnake]

Yes. Cool shit = The New Logo they revealed after 3 years of dev time. Still the only thing they've created.

It's been almost 6 years since Days Gone released. They havent made anything. Let alone anything cool. I am sorry if you cant get a working trailer or demo ready after 6 years of dev time, you can get fucked. Go flip burgers, you shouldnt be making video games.

Shut this studio down. Save some money. Give that money to insomniac who have made 3 games during that time. Get Neil a team bigger than just 250 devs to make Intergallactic. maybe he can make it faster than 6 years with more people. Invest in talent that actually works instead of jerking off everyday.

 

[Kvally]

They are going to remaster a game that garnered a 72 on OpenCritic, and supposedly didn't make any money for Sony and didn't sell well?

 

[viveks86]

I doubt that, they aren't that big to have multiple projects in the work, especially since GAAS requires significant resources to maintain.

That depends on how far along that project was. Also, Bend has more than 200 employees. They aren't that small either.

 

[SJRB]

Bend Studios should really be thanking management counting their lucky ass stars.

- On the payroll since DG
- Wastes everyone's time and money making a game that gets cancelled
- Will need another 4-5 years to make a new game (which would be PS6 territory)
- So by the time the game comes out, they missed then entire PS5 era releasing no products

Great place to work. Cash & Coast. Where do I sign up?

This is a weird way of looking at things. Chances are high that Sony mandated the now-cancelled game themselves. Bend has been actively working on it since, which is just regular work with deadlines etc. It's not like the entire studio was sitting on their ass playing gacha games on their phones or something.

Seeing years of work getting thrown in the dumpster does not feel good at all.

 

[Wolves hunt in packs]

Yes. Cool shit = The New Logo they revealed after 3 years of dev time. Still the only thing they've created.

It's been almost 6 years since Days Gone released. They havent made anything. Let alone anything cool. I am sorry if you cant get a working trailer or demo ready after 6 years of dev time, you can get fucked. Go flip burgers, you shouldnt be making video games.

Shut this studio down. Save some money. Give that money to insomniac who have made 3 games during that time. Get Neil a team bigger than just 250 devs to make Intergallactic. maybe he can make it faster than 6 years with more people. Invest in talent that actually works instead of jerking off everyday.

The question is were they forced to make that online game? doesn't the previous Days Gone director said something like they wanted to make DG2 but Sony wasn't satisfied with sales/scores?

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Half of this generation was lost in chasing something Sony then realized it wasn't such a big deal after all...incredible

 

[viveks86]

This is a weird way of looking at things. Chances are high that Sony mandated the now-cancelled game themselves. Bend has been actively working on it since, which is just regular work with deadlines etc. It's not like the entire studio was sitting on their ass playing gacha games on their phones or something.

Seeing years of work getting thrown in the dumpster does not feel good at all.

That rarely ever happens at Sony. They would certainly greenlight projects that suit the brand and vision and cancel others, but mandating games? I doubt it. But I do agree with the rest of your post.

 

[Judge Magister]

This studio is a one-hit wonder. Former studio made Syphon Filter which is a cool series and that's it.

 

[GHG]

They are going to remaster a game that garnered a 72 on OpenCritic, and supposedly didn't make any money for Sony and didn't sell well?

Also, the game sold 8 million on Playstation, plus an additional >1 million on PC. How much more does it need to sell?

 

[SlimySnake]

The question is were they forced to make that online game? doesn't the previous Days Gone director said something like they wanted to make DG2 but Sony wasn't satisfied with sales/scores?

They were given 6 months to pitch Days Gone 2. Whatever they pitched was rejected by studio heads (or maybe Herman).

Then they were given Hollywood writers and other talent to make Uncharted. They got sick of ND's meddling and left that project after 1.5 years. Likely the studio heads that made this decision.

Then they chose a new project themselves. Announced it as a new IP. Herman and Jimbo likely had something to do with it, but literally every single studio at Sony was working on GaaS games, and still managed to release or make something in the last 6 years.

 

[viveks86]

Also, the game sold 8 million on Playstation, plus an additional >1 million on PC. How much more does it need to sell?

May be the issue wasn't sales related at all. We actually have no idea why it was rejected. From what I understand, the pitch for the second game didn't even get past the higher execs at Bend, let alone Sony.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

They were given 6 months to pitch Days Gone 2. Whatever they pitched was rejected by studio heads (or maybe Herman).

Then they were given Hollywood writers and other talent to make Uncharted. They got sick of ND's meddling and left that project after 1.5 years. Likely the studio heads that made this decision.

Then they chose a new project themselves. Announced it as a new IP. Herman and Jimbo likely had something to do with it, but literally every single studio at Sony was working on GaaS games, and still managed to release or make something in the last 6 years.

Whatever Bend had in the works was so preliminary, there wasnt even a mention or hint what they were making. Every other studio seems to tell or hint or it's leaked what they are working on. I wouldnt be surprised if whatever Bend was working on since DG was barely anything past concept stage.

 

[Bert Big Balls]

Kevin McAllister?

 

[Imtjnotu]

Holy hell did sony fumble this whole gen with games

 

[GymWolf]

Yes. Cool shit = The New Logo they revealed after 3 years of dev time. Still the only thing they've created.

It's been almost 6 years since Days Gone released. They havent made anything. Let alone anything cool. I am sorry if you cant get a working trailer or demo ready after 6 years of dev time, you can get fucked. Go flip burgers, you shouldnt be making video games.

Shut this studio down. Save some money. Give that money to insomniac who have made 3 games during that time. Get Neil a team bigger than just 250 devs to make Intergallactic. maybe he can make it faster than 6 years with more people. Invest in talent that actually works instead of jerking off everyday.

Give money to insomniac so they can make another 3 safe, super woke 7\10 games?

Fuck that dude.

If you have to close bend, give the money to corey for his new project or to nd for tlou3

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

Days Gone is Sony's best open world game IMHO. I really loved it even though it took a long time to really get going and become fun.

Hermen is a complete tool for not letting them work on the sequel.

It's really a shame. The only open world game from them in the last 5+ years that I actually enjoyed. Can't help but think that Deacon being a straight white biker dude didn't do them any favors with critics.

 

[Pandawan]

So did I get this right? Sony red-lighted a Days Gone sequel, forced Bend Studios to make some stupid live service game instead, and now (6 years later) they're canceling that live service game?

Are Sony executives completely insane or something?

How can the people making decisions at any company be so incompetent?

They invested hundreds of millions into Concord.
Prevented Bend from starting development on a Days Gone sequel, that would have shipped around now, if it had been in development.
And now they're canceling the game they killed DG2 to make. That's just insane.

The people who made those decisions literally threw a billion dollars in the trash. Because after 6 years of development probably hundreds of millions were wasted on a cancelled GAAS, and DG2 was lost, which could have made them hundreds of millions right now, if it had been green-lit.

 

[Kvally]

Also, the game sold 8 million on Playstation, plus an additional >1 million on PC. How much more does it need to sell?

Did they say that it went on to sell that well because they went with bargain bin pricing after the release?

 

[GymWolf]

They were given 6 months to pitch Days Gone 2. Whatever they pitched was rejected by studio heads (or maybe Herman).

Then they were given Hollywood writers and other talent to make Uncharted. They got sick of ND's meddling and left that project after 1.5 years. Likely the studio heads that made this decision.

Then they chose a new project themselves. Announced it as a new IP. Herman and Jimbo likely had something to do with it, but literally every single studio at Sony was working on GaaS games, and still managed to release or make something in the last 6 years.

To be refused by helmet it must have been one hell of a story, probably too much machismo and libido from deacon and boozer.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Chances are high that Sony mandated the now-cancelled game themselves.

Doubt it, that’s not how Sony operates

 

[GHG]

Did they say that it went on to sell that well because they went with bargain bin pricing after the release?

The game wasn't available at bargain bin prices within it's first year and 7 months while only being available on Playstation.

 

[LordCBH]

PlayStations about-face on live service titles is great to see.

 

[Fake]

Bend:

We still plan on creating cool sh*t

Also Bend:

 

[GHG]

Doubt it, that’s not how Sony operates

Well they do now. And in this case it's right.

Nobody wants the market to be flooded with more examples like Concord.

 

[viveks86]

If you have to close bend, give the money to corey for his new project or to nd for tlou3

They probably have all the money they need already. Lol.

 

[JayK47]

It's definitely going to be steamy with nuts in it.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Well they do now. And in this case it's right.

Nobody wants the market to be flooded with more examples like Concord.

Good point.

I hope Bend goes back to making a new Uncharted game. It’s a shame to see that IP not being used