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Now confirmed Telltale Studios closing down

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    #31
    Yep, for now at least. They have a team of 25 apparently finishing some Minecraft Netflix-related project.

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      #32
      Originally posted by fishbowlhead View Post
      I thought they were going bankrupt by the initial announcement, hence my comments about redundancy.

      However they are actually just scaling right back is that right?
      I think this is where employment laws basically offer far less protection in the US, and hence people can be released with effectively no pay.

      The details are vague and it sounds like they are trying to meet the one contractual commitment they have before shutting the studio. Although this would surely negate the benefits of chapter 11 protection and opens them up to claims from customers who aren't going to get their TWD S4 games they have paid for (although maybe it sold so little that's just not a concern, or they will just argue they met their commitments).

      This is where I don't know the US laws equivalents but obviously you couldn't trade as insolvent under UK law.

      Bit naughty but the latest TWD is still on sale.

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        #33
        Originally posted by Digfox View Post
        I think this is where employment laws basically offer far less protection in the US, and hence people can be released with effectively no pay.

        The details are vague and it sounds like they are trying to meet the one contractual commitment they have before shutting the studio. Although this would surely negate the benefits of chapter 11 protection and opens them up to claims from customers who aren't going to get their TWD S4 games they have paid for (although maybe it sold so little that's just not a concern, or they will just argue they met their commitments).

        This is where I don't know the US laws equivalents but obviously you couldn't trade as insolvent under UK law.

        Bit naughty but the latest TWD is still on sale.
        I’m pretty sure in the US is that if your at the bottom of the chain your screwed, if your at the top you have money anyway so they would just pay out than risk you suing.

        Sounds like TellTale got far too big for the income their games was providing. At which point they should of scaled back long ago.

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          #34
          Originally posted by fishbowlhead View Post
          I’m pretty sure in the US is that if your at the bottom of the chain your screwed, if your at the top you have money anyway so they would just pay out than risk you suing.
          It's similar in the UK. Look at how OpCapita secured all their debts when Comet went bust.

          If TG are in bankruptcy/protection then people will accept that. But if the studio is downsizing, that doesn't give them the right to walk away from their debts or commitments. Personally if I had purchased the full latest TWD I would be doing everything in my power to get a refund.

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            #35
            This is a prime example of why your should NEVER EVER pre order.

            If it’s not a released product then don’t put money down.

            Or buy expansions in advance.

            Or season passes.

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              #36
              Originally posted by fishbowlhead View Post
              This is a prime example of why your should NEVER EVER pre order.

              If it’s not a released product then don’t put money down.

              Or buy expansions in advance.

              Or season passes.
              Absolutely, although there are more reasons for the episodic model to exist here.

              But it's a key point being missed. The statements are probably intentionally vague to try and appease people submitting refunds.

              EDIT: When you start looking there are all kind of things being reported. A lot of the initial news stories stated they were filling for bankruptcy but I cannot see any confirmation of this. Other stories such as this more recent one (https://www.windowscentral.com/tellt...s-25-employees) are saying they are on the 'verge' of bankruptcy.
              Last edited by Digfox; 25-09-2018, 10:30.

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                #37
                The CEO himself confirmed that they are not shutting down.

                It is odd (and seems wrong) that they haven't pulled the Walking Dead final season from sale when they can't deliver on it.

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                  #38
                  Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
                  The CEO himself confirmed that they are not shutting down.
                  Scummy.

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                    #39
                    Presumably TWD is still on sale as they'd have to withhold Episode 2 that launches today and are still working to the idea they'll eventually be able to finish the season. If they continue past their current commitments I'd be curious as to how they'll approach that, it's like them being back where they were when they did Monkey Island.

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                      #40
                      Yep. And while I totally get that people who have paid for the final season of Walking Dead should get what they paid for, especially when the company is still up and running, to announce that they could have partners stepping in to possibly finish it also feels wrong given they have just let 250 people go with no severance pay and we know the Walking Dead team were included in those. They have failed in their obligations both to staff and to customers.

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                        #41
                        And now there’s a class-action law suit...

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                          #42
                          Early prediction - it'll fail

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                            #43
                            It might well fail but just getting into the system could force a full shutdown of Telltale because they won't be able to fight it. I don't think it will get far enough to fail because it has enough merit to start, as does a similar suit from Walking Dead customers unless they make some surprise announcement in the next few days. That's all it needs. And a solution to the Walking Dead gives this staff class action suit more merit. I think whatever the outcome is here, Telltale will lose. No idea how they think they can continue operating under these conditions.

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                              #44
                              The gi.biz news story on the class action law suit alludes to the fact that the company is still trading. So something is amiss here.

                              In an interview with GameDaily, attorney Richard Hoeg of Hoeg Law said that while Telltale may be able to exempt itself at the federal level due to the "unforeseen business circumstances" clause, the state level would prove trickier to avoid.

                              "By keeping the Company open in some capacity, it would appear that Telltale has foreclosed itself from using the most obvious exception to the WARN Acts," Hoeg said.
                              I can't help but think the owners (via the board of directors) are simply aiming to complete the Netflix project, which must be attached to financial payment and then close the company down, whether by bankruptcy or normal channels.

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                                #45
                                They should just finish WD so that the whole lot can be sold as a package. Bizarre that this isn't an option.

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