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[Men_in_Boxes]

TLoU - 2013
Dying Light - 2015
7 Days to Die - 2016
RE7 - 2017
DayZ - 2018
Days Gone - 2019

Is this a joke? It released after all these hits you speak of. Or do you think highly anticipated remakes/sequels of blockbuster hits like Resident Evil 2 (2019) are judged by the same metrics as new IPs

So we're supposed to throw out the rising popularity of 7 Days to Die and DayZ in 2019. We're supposed to ignore the success of Dying Light 2 and The Last of Us 2. Then we're supposed to act like zombie fatigue doesn't impact Resident Evil because it's an already established zombie franchise?

Or, could the more simple explanation be that zombie fatigue isn't real and it's only used to hide the poor performance of a game certain people liked?

Make it make sense!

 

[Fake]

Saying that investing in live service games is a bad idea isn't anything special.

So we're done here. Nothing to do with GAF at all.

So yes: the opinions on this forum don't reflect reality. What we have here is the very specific opinion of a bubble.

Yes they do. If you agree or not is not my concern.

But please, who am I? Feel free to leave this bubble and to live in another one.

 

[Xtib81]

A fucking DG2 would sell well, that's a guarantee. Sony is just clueless this gen.

 

[kaizenkko]

So we're done here. Nothing to do with GAF at all.



Yes they do. If you agree or not is not my concern.

But please, who am I? Feel free to leave this bubble and to live in another one.

Games that people on this forum think are terrible:

GOW Ragnarok: 87% approval on Steam, Metacritic 94.
Horizon Forbidden West: 88% approval on Steam, Metacritic 88.
Spider-Man 2: 77% approval on Steam (most of the complaints are about technical issues with the port), Metacritic 90.
The Last of Us Part II: 90% approval on Steam, Metacritic 94.

Keep fooling yourself.

 

[simpatico]

Herman really put the DG2 on Decima and threw away the fucking nuanced perfection that was their UE4 fork?

 

[NeverYouMind]

So we're supposed to throw out the rising popularity of 7 Days to Die and DayZ in 2019. We're supposed to ignore the success of Dying Light 2 and The Last of Us 2. Then we're supposed to act like zombie fatigue doesn't impact Resident Evil because it's an already established zombie franchise?

Or, could the more simple explanation be that zombie fatigue isn't real and it's only used to hide the poor performance of a game certain people liked?

Make it make sense!

Are you familiar with the term oversaturation? When multiple products catering to the same tastes are available new products have way less demand. Brand loyalty is also a known phenomenon that is tied to IPs in the videogame space. At the time of Days Gone release (04/2019) zombie games were a dime a dozen and it was an unknown.

DayZ had already grown a following as the biggest mod of Arma 2 before it released as a standalone. Dying Light 2 (2022) did poorly relative to the first and player reception of The Last of Us II (06/2020) could not be more mixed so those failed to fully capture the enthusiasm of those that splurged on the original releases despite great anticipation reflected by front loaded sales. They were also released in a relative lull period for this genre.

P.S. Nearly every new release in mainline Resident Evil series sells more than the previous despite a notable decline in direction and gameplay design since RE4. It is like the Fast and the Furious movie franchise in that people just want the next blockbuster experience and it is known for delivering.

 

[Fake]

Herman really put the DG2 on Decima and threw away the fucking nuanced perfection that was their UE4 fork?

From Bend pespective, was a smart decision taking into to account the trash state of Days Gone on base PS4.

They had shit experience using UE4. In fact, the remastered had the same if not even worst problems than the game when launch. Is kinda bizarre.

Decima Engine in the other hand was well optmized for base PS4, so would run better on PS5.

 

[Sanepar]

The studio will be closed in 1-2 years. Ps studios future looks really bad. Few studios that worth something(nd, guerrilla, ssm, insomniac, polyphony and sucker punch), media molecule and bend probably will be closed soon and bungie is pure trash.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Are you familiar with the term oversaturation? When multiple products catering to the same tastes are available new products have way less demand. Brand loyalty is also a known phenomenon that is tied to IPs in the videogame space. At the time of Days Gone release (04/2019) zombie games were a dime a dozen and it was an unknown.

DayZ had already grown a following as the biggest mod of Arma 2 before it released as a standalone. Dying Light 2 (2022) did poorly relative to the first and player reception of The Last of Us II (06/2020) could not be more mixed so those failed to fully capture the enthusiasm of those that splurged on the original releases despite great anticipation reflected by front loaded sales. They were also released in a relative lull period for this genre.

P.S. Nearly every new release in mainline Resident Evil series sells more than the previous despite a notable decline in direction and gameplay design since RE4. It is like the Fast and the Furious movie franchise in that people just want the next blockbuster experience and it is known for delivering.

"Yes, we hit massive zombie fatigue by 2019 if we ignore all the successful zombie games around that time."

 

[StreetsofBeige]

The studio will be closed in 1-2 years. Ps studios future looks really bad. Few studios that worth something(nd, guerrilla, ssm, insomniac, polyphony and sucker punch), media molecule and bend probably will be closed soon and bungie is pure trash.

I'm always surprised how MM survives. Their games barely sell and Dreams is the last thing they've made in a decade. Looking at their wiki pages, the last game before Dreams was a Tearaway game in 2015.

Whatever they've got in the hopper now is likely years away since there's been zero news about it.

I think Sony just uses them as a hype machine studio for community made games in hopes the PC crowd comes over. Their games sell poorly, there's no way this studio is profitable, but the studio is in a unique spot as a console specific community creation game studio. So might as well keep them around.

 

[simpatico]

From Bend pespective, was a smart decision taking into to account the trash state of Days Gone on base PS4.

They had shit experience using UE4. In fact, the remastered had the same if not even worst problems than the game when launch. Is kinda bizarre.

Decima Engine in the other hand was well optmized for base PS4, so would run better on PS5.

I really liked the PC port. It has a clarity and sharpness lost in a lot of modern games drenched in blur and scaling mitigation. I loved it. I understand that my appreciation of it isn't going to find a huge audience, just in terms of WHY I appreciated it. Still sad to see it go and be seen as something to be fixed rather than aspired to. I'll always hold up that PC port and the engine therein as a perfect practical execution of tech management. Just so crispy and responsive.

 

[SHAKEZ]

Sony really likes wasting money it seems. At this point you just better hope for a good next-gen if you like Sony somehow still.

 

[bitbydeath]

Yet even that didn't reach anywhere near GTA.

It didn't but the opportunity was there.

 

[Fake]

I really liked the PC port. It has a clarity and sharpness lost in a lot of modern games drenched in blur and scaling mitigation. I loved it. I understand that my appreciation of it isn't going to find a huge audience, just in terms of WHY I appreciated it. Still sad to see it go and be seen as something to be fixed rather than aspired to. I'll always hold up that PC port and the engine therein as a perfect practical execution of tech management. Just so crispy and responsive.

I got Days Gone day one on base PS4. That was bad.

Much much better now, but in the start was really something. Thats why I have empathy for them to trade UE for Decima. If they did nothing good with UE4 I quite sure nothing would change if they trade for UE5.

 

[simpatico]

I got Days Gone day one on base PS4. That was bad.

Much much better now, but in the start was really something. Thats why I have empathy for them to trade UE for Decima. If they did nothing good with UE4 I quite sure nothing would change if they trade for UE5.

Yeah with that in mind I can totally see it. Rearview look at it still sucks though. I'd love to see what that very same UE4 framework could do with a PS5 target spec. But I'm someone who will take crips definition over nook and cranny lighting. Many times more so when we talking about an open world project. A lot of things about Days Gone earned themselves high level mentions in various chapters of the gaming "What If?" book.

Makes me wonder what other Decima projects are brewing. It's a fine engine for sure and is not an offender when it comes to the things I don't like in modern engines. (UE5 slop). At least in the games I've played (no DS2 or HZD2 yet). Thinking nice things about Decima just makes me more frustrated with Sony's "course correction" after their PS4 legendary hot streak. Especially with the Steam ports flowing freely.

 

[blue velvet]

NuSony will literally spend almost half a billion dollars on some shitty online slop than invest on a game that has an actual following and a huge potential to be a long running franchise. People say games get cancelled all the time, sure but Snoy are aware that Days Gone has a huge cult following, sold really well, and fans have been craving for a sequel. It doesn't make sense for them to not to invest on it, unless they don't want to fund a game that isn't a "woke" slop. Fuck nusony

 

[Perrott]

'Unannounced Title B' could also be Horizon Online: uses Decima and is a GaaS so would release in PS+PC. This would mean 'Unannounced title C' would be Bend's new IP, which wouldn't have been cancelled at least when he updated this Linkedin portion.

It wouldn't be Horizon Online since that project hasn't been cancelled.

Given that Days Gone 2 was already set to be powered by Decima according to this LinkedIn profile, it wouldn't be weird to see "Unannounced Title B" -- aka, their cancelled new IP -- also running under that same engine (as reported by David Jaffe literally four years ago during one of his streams back when the Garvin/Ross/Bend drama was hot news) too.

Then "Unannounced Title C" would be whatever they're working on now.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

But guys, the Sony Bean Counters and Corporate Shills will just pull pie charts out their ass and tell me how PlayStation's generating more revenue than EVARRRR!!, so it's totally completely fine!

You know, as the years go on the more I'm realizing SIE this gen isn't that much different from Microsoft the past 10 years. SIE just had the wherewithal to actually build up PS4 so that bled into early PS5 and early PS5's still benefiting the platform today. It's an effect of momentum.

Sonys portfolio/studio management is genuinely making Microsoft look good this gen....which is something I never thought id say. An absolute fucking circus, went all in on Gaas with little to no strategy or thought process, putting all of their studios on that shit even when they have no real experience or talent for it just because big money baby and don't worry, Gaas master Bungie who they got fleeced for will guide and lead all of their studios to the Gaas promised land!

Throwing away their status of top tier technical powerhouse single-player releases in place of lazy, unimpressive cross-gen releases, which have been eclipsed and overshadowed by studios with one-third of the budget and manpower, the very thing that gave them their strong position and saved their asses for basically nothing of note. They have been able to push out barely any real first party exclusives, most of the projects have been cancelled and the only success they have for their massive focus on Gaas this gen is basically helldivers 2 and gt7 i guess. I mean honestly, this is the closest I have been from moving fully to PC. If they move any more of their exclusives to PC and only push out cross-gen mediocre releases next-gen, I'm out... and I have owned every single Sony console.

FWIW Microsoft only looks good because they bought two massive 3P publishers to call their own and look good. Oh and they also purchased Mojang (which saved their ass during XBO gen).

Had they never purchased Zenimax and ABK, MS would not only be looking much worst than SIE; they'd be dead as a platform holder and games publisher today. And I mean that literally. Spin-off or division shutdown, IP selling to the highest bidder type of stuff. That's how awful MS have managed virtually every single one of their internal non-Zenimax/ABK studios aside Playground, Double Fine, and arguably Obsidian & Rare.

 

[yurinka]

It wouldn't be Horizon Online since that project hasn't been cancelled.

Given that Days Gone 2 was already set to be powered by Decima according to this LinkedIn profile, it wouldn't be weird to see "Unannounced Title B" -- aka, their cancelled new IP -- also running under that same engine (as reported by David Jaffe literally four years ago during one of his streams back when the Garvin/Ross/Bend drama was hot news) too.

Then "Unannounced Title C" would be whatever they're working on now.

Sounds right. They almost didn't work in Days Gone 2, but maybe one of the few prototypes could be a test to migrate part of its base to Decima. We have to remember that Bend did work in Horizon Forbidden West as support team.

Regarding their new IP with live service game elements, we saw job offers mentioning it was Unreal Engine 5. But again, they could have also made tests with Decima.

NuSony will literally spend almost half a billion dollars on some shitty online slop than invest on a game that has an actual following and a huge potential to be a long running franchise. People say games get cancelled all the time, sure but Snoy are aware that Days Gone has a huge cult following, sold really well, and fans have been craving for a sequel. It doesn't make sense for them to not to invest on it, unless they don't want to fund a game that isn't a "woke" slop. Fuck nusony

The Bend Studio internal boss was the one who decided to don't pitch Sony Days Gone 2, and to pitch them instead the new IP. Sony greenlighted it, which was the first thing Bend sent them after releasing Days Gone 1.

Sony also greenlighted them Days Gone DLC, PC port, movie adaptation and remaster. In addition to this they included it in the PS Plus Collection that PS5 had in its launch window, and was like a 'best of PS4' collection. Sony wouldn't have done these things if they wouldn't have been happy with it.

And yes, there are games cancelled all the time, and also games that -like Days Gone 2- never get greenlighted to start their development and end being just a powerpoint, a few design docs and a handful prototypes.

Now that their new IP with MP elements got cancelled, pretty likely the next Bend game will be a SP only sequel to play it safe. So I'd say pretty likely they'll work on either Days Gone 2, an Uncharted game codeveloped with, or supported & overviewed by ND.

I'm always surprised how MM survives.

They survive because all their games have been profitable and won many awards with all of them. Plus got extra money from externally developed LBP games and content.

They are a relatively small studio and a huge portion of their workers were hired as their first gamedev job, as juniors straight from university or from the community. So it's a very studio to mantain and achieve profitability from their games compared to most of the other Sony teams.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

FWIW Microsoft only looks good because they bought two massive 3P publishers to call their own and look good. Oh and they also purchased Mojang (which saved their ass during XBO gen).

Had they never purchased Zenimax and ABK, MS would not only be looking much worst than SIE; they'd be dead as a platform holder and games publisher today. And I mean that literally. Spin-off or division shutdown, IP selling to the highest bidder type of stuff. That's how awful MS have managed virtually every single one of their internal non-Zenimax/ABK studios aside Playground, Double Fine, and arguably Obsidian & Rare.

Mojang was a long time ago.

To be fair, all of Sony's heavy hitters come from bought out studios too except for the studios that make GOW, GT, MLB.

Insomniac, GG, MM, Sucker Punch, ND, Housemarque, Bungie, Bluepoint etc... are all acquisitions too.

Even related to this thread, Bend Studios was even acquired by Sony.

 

[Roman Empire]

Crazy to think Sony made Bend spend a whole generation working on projects just to cancel each one of them midway through development (aside from Days Gone 2).

Talk about bad management of good assets. Imagine how much work Bend could have done as a support studio or some other stuff like tech development? Anything is better than what they got.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Mojang was a long time ago.

To be fair, all of Sony's heavy hitters come from bought out studios too except for the studios that make GOW, GT, MLB.

Insomniac, GG, MM, Sucker Punch, ND, Housemarque, Bungie, Bluepoint etc... are all acquisitions too.

Even related to this thread, Bend Studios was even acquired by Sony.

Yes but the difference there is, usually SIE's acquisitions were with individual studios, not giant publishers (outside of Psygnosis in '93, and "arguably" Bungie in 2022 tho I don't really consider Bungie a publisher in that sense). They've also usually been with studios with long-standing working relationships to them over periods of many years, in some cases decades, where those studios either made games exclusively for their platform or primarily for their platform.

I'll admit that MS does have that type of dynamic in a sense with Bethesda and iD Software, if you wanna go back to the DOS days or even when they helped partly fund what'd become Zenimax, for example. But they don't have anything like that dynamic with most of the other Zenimax studios, and sure as hell don't with ABK. They never even had that type of dynamic with Mojang. Those were just acquisitions of valued assets they saw on the market but doing so as a relative outsider to the culture of the publishers/studios which were being acquired.

And I think, the leaked "acquisition list" MS had written of various 3P they wanted to acquire, where most of the names were just devs/pubs who had strong working partnerships with PlayStation, backs up what I just outlined.

 

[splattered]

None of those were officially announced genius

And?

Does it really matter if the games were announced or not?

It's all wasted resources and games we don't get to play at the end of the day.

 

[CircleOfFire]

Every single time I see something about Days Gone being killed as a franchise it makes me want to fucking weep. The first game absolutely sits pretty in my personal top 5.

 

[dgrdsv]

Crazy to think Sony made Bend spend a whole generation working on projects just to cancel each one of them midway through development (aside from Days Gone 2).

Talk about bad management of good assets. Imagine how much work Bend could have done as a support studio or some other stuff like tech development? Anything is better than what they got.

This is always a bit more nuanced than "Sony made them do it" cause usually studios pitch something to the publisher/owner and while this something has to fall into the current expectations of said publisher/owner to be green lit (i.e. Sony made it clear that they want a crap load of MP GAAS titles from everyone for some bizarre reason) there's still always the part where the studio decides on what they pitch, what they want to produce and whether they want to fight the overarching publisher strategy with an odd title which they see as the best fit for them and a good opportunity to make something which others won't.

In other words the bad management here is as much on Bend's management as on Sony's.

 

[Hypereides]

If Hulst actually had some hand in this cancellation, and Bend's management, then the cretins needed to get the boot since like yesterday. The PS talent stable has turned into a clusterfuck under Hulst's watch. The godfather persona he tries to channel and parade around on the web is cringey af. He is not qualified to oversee these studios. It was a mistake to acquire Guerrila and get him as part of the package in retrospect.

 

[Msamy]

They canceled project c called" mirror pond" and was in development for 3 year's passed on other LinkedIn profile of ex bend developer

 

[Msamy]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-morrison-animator?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app