SomeNorseGuy
Gold Member
Oh no, not "white male gamers were a mistake" Compulsion. What a devastating loss for the industry.
Ah well, I'll do my best to get over it.
Ah well, I'll do my best to get over it.
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Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Kotaku: Xbox Compulsion Games reportedly shutting down, Arkane Studios could be the second studio
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Arkane Austin did RedFall on their own.
Phil Spencer only saw it during the acquisition......he should have cancelled it then and there.
They were toast either way.
Arkane Lyon lets hope it aint so.
I was looking forward to what they were gonna do with Blade.
Damn, better just to announce games when they are within a pregnancy of release so I dont get my hopes up.
Same thing happened with the Black Panther game from Cliffhanger.
InXile right now:
Laptop1991
Gold Member
Dishonored 2 sales were low, Dishonored 1 sold quite well, that's what a bad port and poor reputation will get you, but some of the levels in Dishonored 2 were the best i have ever played.
Hudo
Member
Arkane is a great fucking studio. Their first fucking game, Arx Fatalis, was a worthy spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld. Dark Messiah is one of my favorite games of all time. Dishonored 1 and 2 were good. Prey 2017 was phenomenal (albeit badly named because Bethesda are retards). Deathloop was okayish, I just don't like Roguelike concepts in my shooters. And yes, Redfall was garbage.
That's a pretty good track record. A far better one than some other Microsoft studios. This is Westwood all over again. Fuck Asha, fuck Satellite Nutella and fuck Microsoft.
That's a pretty good track record. A far better one than some other Microsoft studios. This is Westwood all over again. Fuck Asha, fuck Satellite Nutella and fuck Microsoft.
ChuckeRearmed
Member
Because due to "infinite money" studios started to make games for themselves and journos instead of consumers.Yup . . .
Compulsion Games Community Manager Katie Robinson recently claimed, "I hate gamers." , "White Male Gamers Were A Mistake"
Compulsion Games Community Manager Katie Robinson Claims "I Hate Gamers" After Previously Claiming "White Male Gamers Were A Mistake"
Compulsion Games Community Manager Katie Robinson recently claimed, "I hate gamers."thatparkplace.com
man i dont understand how can you create a product for the masses and talk like that , does this bitch really expect someone to buy their game after this , are white male gamers really that dumb to buy it ?
I wonder if some game director would say "black gamers were a mistake " what would happen to that company ?
"This post resurfaced after Kern shared information he allegedly received from a former Compulsion Games developer...
Roman Empire
Member
This is can be said to have been a lost generation for both Sony and Microsoft. Besides a few good releases here and there, this is the worst console generation by far. What the hell has gaming become? (rhetorical quesiton)
ExtendEmbraceExtinguish
Member
Expected. Could have done a black guy with an armada of guns/weapons and made bank. Instead they chose a niche of mother/daughter plot in the south with folklore.
Shootball crowd would have told you this.
Shootball crowd would have told you this.
ByWatterson
Member
The dumbest part of the Spencer era is his explicit promise to studios to subsidize whatever anyone wanted to do, into perpetuity. No deadlines to meet, no restrictions on ideas, no synergy, no plan.
Just Office365 and Azure money paying for games where a lighthouse goes on an adventure and vampires ransack New England.
kpopSuperstar
Member
Dishonored was big for them, it sold great, but everything after that struggled. On top of that, budgets got higher on those later games as well.
They haven't been able to scale and be economically sound. Quality of games means nothing if people don't buy them.
diffusionx
Gold Member
Ok but their last game came out in 2021, didn't sell that well (and wasn't that good), and apparently their new one is nowhere in sight.
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digoutyoursoul
Member
The dumbest part of the Spencer era is his explicit promise to studios to subsidize whatever anyone wanted to do, into perpetuity. No deadlines to meet, no restrictions on ideas, no synergy, no plan.
Just Office365 and Azure money paying for games where a lighthouse goes on an adventure and vampires ransack New England.
He actually turned down a deal with Marvel for Soider-Man as well
Laptop1991
Gold Member
you can't blame anyone for not buying the 2nd Dishonored on PC, it was terrible for 3 to 4 months, i got it on release and wasn't happy, and once it was finally in a playable state after the 3rd patch, Prey came out 2 months later and sales were low aswell, i stopped pre ordering because of Dishonored 2, so it's their own fault, don't release games in that state and expect sales to go up.
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
I agree with all of this - but even as you pointed out their last good game was Prey and that released almost 10 years ago. And let's be honest, the game was good, but it didn't exactly tear up the charts. I think they finally hit 1.5m units sold, respectable but that's spread out over almost 10 years. It was also made by Arkane Austin that's already been shut down.
I think for the Lyons studio specifically, their last game before Deathloop was Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, also released in 2017 and also got pretty mid sales. That's a pace of one game every five years that have underperformed for the last ten years. Blade seems to be nowhere near ready to even feature in their showcase, so even if it's a 2027 title (doubtful) then that'll be 6 years from Deathloop's release. Paying 100+ people's salaries for six years and having little to show for it? Seems Microsoft is making the right call here.
It's a shame, I agree that their earlier games were incredible.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
Massive Mircroagression from Microsoft to Compulsion
Instant_Classic
Junior Member
This
squallbr
Member
So she must the gamepass
Boss Mog
Member
I guess fake awards mean less than real sales. Who knew?
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Artistic
Member
Will do.
Zacfoldor
Gold Member
Nobody asked for South of Midnight.
This is a business not an art project.
How long did the average player on gamepass play South of Midnight.
I bet it's like 5 minutes.
Why would they waste 7 years on a game nobody wanted and they knew nobody was going to play.
This is a business not an art project.
How long did the average player on gamepass play South of Midnight.
I bet it's like 5 minutes.
Why would they waste 7 years on a game nobody wanted and they knew nobody was going to play.
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spookyfish
Gold Member
MiguelItUp
Member
Compulsion Games unfortunately isn't a shocker, but Arkane? Come on man... I hope not.
A story as old as time.
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Two legendary films, and one that gave us Jessica Biel at the height of her hotness
Instant_Classic
Junior Member
Blade may be under development troubles.
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MiguelItUp
Member
Could certainly be a situation where MS just isn't happy with where they currently are in development. We'll never fully know until it happens, if it does, and if those details come to light. Too many variables.
begotten
Member
Colt is the master of lying to himself and pretending everything Xbox related is great.
Zacfoldor
Gold Member
I've just been reading about Compulsion games and everything I've read has been terrible.
I'm not sure I like Compulsion games at all.
Guys, I think it may be a good thing to separate Xbox and Compulsion Games. They came out for the trigger warning on the tomb raider remasters, hired sweet baby inc, hired a community manager who sounds just like leigh alexander, and made a game that was for no one that nobody played and it took them 7 years.
I'm not sure I like Compulsion games at all.
Guys, I think it may be a good thing to separate Xbox and Compulsion Games. They came out for the trigger warning on the tomb raider remasters, hired sweet baby inc, hired a community manager who sounds just like leigh alexander, and made a game that was for no one that nobody played and it took them 7 years.
kaizenkko
My predictions age like milk
My only conclusion is that Microsoft is paying those guys, or that they feel the need to act like that to maintain engagement on YouTube and social media. If they're doing all of that by choice, then God bless them.
Esquie
Member
Arkane hasn't had a hit since Dishonored 1 and that wasn't even a big hit. They've been given chance after chance. Eventually you've gotta cut bait. Compulsion and South of Midnight are a joke. Five plus years of development in a high cost of living area to sell peanuts. That should've never been greenlit, most obvious bomb ever.
Mortisfacio
Member
Would be a shame to see Arkane go, but I guess they haven't made a good game since Prey so there's that. Even then, Prey wasn't a commercial success. I'm not going to pretend to like Deathloop and Redfall was awful.
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Critical Hit
Member
I don't care about the Compulsion studio as a whole, but Microsoft need to keep their artists. With decent gameplay and a solid story, they'll come out with a masterpiece, or something close to it.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Trying to see how many employees can shift to other studios. The rest are cut.
Magic Carpet
Gold Member
I started Dealthloop and quit somewhere along the way. Did not bother installing Redfall.
I've also not played Prey. Though I have it in Epic or Steam library, hear good things about it.
Dishonored was an old XB360 game that should never have been on the 360, played horribly on the 360.
I don't know what this studio does to be honest. I don't think they have been doing much of anything really.
Some talk here and there about some Marvel Blade game that I don't think will ever see the light of day.
I've also not played Prey. Though I have it in Epic or Steam library, hear good things about it.
Dishonored was an old XB360 game that should never have been on the 360, played horribly on the 360.
I don't know what this studio does to be honest. I don't think they have been doing much of anything really.
Some talk here and there about some Marvel Blade game that I don't think will ever see the light of day.
Braag
Member
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StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
I get mixed myself with Arkane. had to google it. But it looks like Arkane Austin is dead (Redfall). but Arkane Lyon is alive (Dishonored and Deathloop).
This studio is odd too. Lyon makes critically good games, but I dont think their games sell much at all.
This studio is odd too. Lyon makes critically good games, but I dont think their games sell much at all.
R6Rider
Gold Member
Arkane Austin was already closed.
Arkane Austin made the amazing Prey and the horrible Redfall.
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Hudo
Member
You both have a valid point and in isolation, I would agree. However, if we look at the whole of Microsoft, there are studios that "deserve" being closed more than Arkane. Take 343 Industries. They might have a denser release schedule but most of their games were mid at best. Look at Bethesda Game Studios. Their last well-reviewed game was Fallout 4, which released in 2015. Starfield was a big failure. And their next game is nowhere close to release. What about Obsidian? Their last two projects were duds.
I just don't get why Arkane are at risk here.
YeulEmeralda
Linux User
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Whow knows how profitable their games are, but probably not much since I dont think they are ever blockbusters.
I'd say the biggest thing going against Arkane Lyon is the games they make have a historical trend of not being great sellers. Critically reviewed well, but gamers dont resonate with their game IPs. I dont think there are too many people begging for more Dishonored, Prey and Deathloop.
Most gamers probably dont even think about this studio at all.
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kaizenkko
My predictions age like milk
Arkane should never have been assigned to develop a Blade game. Why would they? They're a studio known for making immersive sims, not third-person action games. Very few studios can completely change genres like that and still be successful.
RafterXL
Gold Member
Was a great studio, like many others. They haven't a win in just under a decade, which is forever in game development. Add to that they've been in limbo with Blade and you have a money sink of a development house on your hands.
Obsidian is probably also in danger, but Bethesda prints money. Bethesda is literally one of Microsofts top performers, and even when Arkane was making good games they didn't sell.
Isolation, or not, Arkane is low hanging fruit for cuts because they didn't make money when they were on top of their game, and they haven't made anything worth playing in almost a decade.
Hawkeye2890
Member
But did they own the chuds?
