Developer Eurocom Closes

[teddymeow]

Ceases trading after 25 years

Sad times for UK games development.

[noobish hat]

Big shame in many ways. They made a bunch of good games in the 90s, and Dead Space Extraction was a solid effort.

[Brad]

Since 2008, there has been a steep decline in the sales of Console and PC games, which has led to a severe contraction in <snip>

No there hasn't has there? It's grown despite being at the tail end of a console generation.

[Dogg Thang]

And just before Christmas. Feeling bad for anyone working there, that really sucks.

[chopemon]

Sales are down across most of the board.

Heart goes out to everyone involved. Worst time of year for it. I've been through four game studio redundancies/closures and the amount of employment is getting smaller.

[Brad]

That's US sales difference from last year. What about global sales between 2008 and now?
Don't mean to detract from the disappointment of another studio closing, it's just that it sounds like they're saying the industry is dying, we're a casualty of that. Trying to ascertain if that's the crux of it or not. I don't know.

Is there anywhere in the UK for these guys to go? What's the general state of things over here?

[Neon Ignition]

I think sales have slowed a bit due to the recession and age of the gen but not in a way that it's the cause. The problem is that the dev had the skill to make decent games but rarely the chance. Instead they were made to rush out half baked efforts to meet promotional deadlines like with 007 Legends. Usually the better efforts were when they'd been given looser reigns. They're more another victim of Activisions p*** poor handling of its studios.

[chopemon]

CTN is bang on. Sales are down but the industry isn't dying, sales aren't that bad. Good games aren't selling how they once would be.

There are a few console places over here but not many. There's 150 people in Derby without a job now and nowhere to go in the immediate area. Everyone but designers can find work in other fields (often with better pay) but us designers always find it tough to get work in Britain.

[FelixofMars]

Not strictly true, depends what area of Design it is. But it is very hard to swap from one role to another. At the moment I am doing technical QA for engine software.

[FelixofMars]

I think the real issue, and I am not saying anything about the quality of the staff at Eurocom more that the budgets on these types of studios only allow time for mid range titles to be developed. There is just no room for this with the market being the way it is they are being squeezed by iOS, the indie developers and the multi million spend of COD and Halo.

People will smack down ?40 for the new COD but not for something which is not to the same standard. Especially when for ?10 you can get a reasonably polished and full indie game.

[teddymeow]

In terms of BIG UK studios who is there left?

Rockstar North
Rare
Criterion
Lionhead
Codemasters

Anymore?

Kind of depressing.

As for CTN's comment about Activision and their handling of small studios; I fully agree. First Bizarre, now this. Stinks.

[Brad]

So hard to know what the world in general thinks but for me, I'm really disillusioned with the majority of mainstream games, big blockbusters. To the point I rarely even bother looking at them. Anything really good will rise to the top and I'll find out about it e.g. Far Cray 3 sounds really good. Instead I trawl the kickstarter projects, indie games, steam etc. and have found loads to keep me entertained this past year. I wonder if those in this unfortunate position might find it worthwhile to see this as an opportunity to try and get a few of them together and use kickstarter to make something they really want to do. Easy for me to say sat at my desk I know...

[JSR]

So hard to know what the world in general thinks but for me, I'm really disillusioned with the majority of mainstream games, big blockbusters. To the point I rarely even bother looking at them. Anything really good will rise to the top and I'll find out about it e.g. Far Cray 3 sounds really good. Instead I trawl the kickstarter projects, indie games, steam etc. and have found loads to keep me entertained this past year. I wonder if those in this unfortunate position might find it worthwhile to see this as an opportunity to try and get a few of them together and use kickstarter to make something they really want to do. Easy for me to say sat at my desk I know...

I think many people do the same, and the problem is with the games in between those two tiers. It's easy to spend 10 to 15 quids on almost any game, and full price for that sure to impress blockbuster game. The full priced games that look merely look good or interesting on the other hand rarely enjoys the early sales needed for it to be a success. At the same time the consensus among many people (even mega hardcore ultra gamers like us) is to wait for such titles to hit the bargain bin, at which point the developers are not seeing much - if anything - from the sales.

[ETC]

James Bond licence is a curse looking at it

[FelixofMars]

This, I said it many times no one wants to pay full price for something that they can get a similar experience from at a lower price and sometimes get more enjoyment from. I find that some of the indie games often have more freedoms to add some more experimental or fun aspects that mid-tier games don't allow. There where a number of times we where not allowed to add Easter Eggs or new features for fear of budget. It's a bit sad because in theory you would hope that you would be able to have freedoms to make the game as good as you can get it this is not always the case.

I think many people do the same, and the problem is with the games in between those two tiers. It's easy to spend 10 to 15 quids on almost any game, and full price for that sure to impress blockbuster game. The full priced games that look merely look good or interesting on the other hand rarely enjoys the early sales needed for it to be a success. At the same time the consensus among many people (even mega hardcore ultra gamers like us) is to wait for such titles to hit the bargain bin, at which point the developers are not seeing much - if anything - from the sales.