Ben-DutkaAs most of you know, L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi has been in dire straits lately.
Amidst accusations of a brutal work environment and the mass exodus of studio employees to a graphics and film company, we've recently heard Team Bondi will be shutting down.
Now, more bad news: according to an Edge report , the L.A. Noire developer owes various creditors and ex-employees around 1.4 million Australian dollars. This includes Team Bondi boss Brendan McNamara, who is apparently owed $102,000, the highest amount listed for an individual on the government documents. The studio also owes Depth Analysis, the firm that created the amazing MotionScan technology that wowed critics and gamers alike; the debt here is $145,000.
Now, one would assume with the millions L.A. Noire sold that none of this should be an issue. But obviously, a whole lot was rotten beneath the surface at Team Bondi, and we can't foresee a pleasant ending. The silver lining in this whole fiasco might just be that MotionScan tech; at least Rockstar can have other teams utilize it for future projects, right?
Karma.
Karma for?
karma. bad people should get what they deserve. This is one the things that has gone RIGHT. so they made a good game? Well, its the sum of the parts, all those people not given credit and worked by a jerk helped make it good.
if you dont give credit to those who deserve it thats really just slimy of you. farewell and good riddance team bondi
Karma? Hey Laguna, I want you to do something for me. Can you please define the phrase "bad people" for me? I am very curious.
Unforunately, the people that won't get what's owed them will include a lot of the good people that got done over in the process of making the game as well. Karma or no, though, hopefully it'll send a message that even a blockbuster game can't cover for bad management and not looking after your staff.
How can you be in debt after having such a successful game. sigh
It's no surprise that the motion tech requires a HUGE budget, but how can they still be in debt when LA Noire was a success?
May be? Nah, stick a fork in 'em, they're done. That's a crazy amount of money though, and I hope that the employees, and DA get the money owed to them. The game may not have been as impressive I was anticipating, but they still managed to go above and beyond for what was a maiden effort. It's a shame to see them close, but with everything that's come out about the studio since it went into receivership, I'm not surprised.
I thought that the papers filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission two days ago, pretty much verified that the studio was shut down. Maybe I'm wrong.
Sony know their business, no wonder why they didn't want to deal with them.
maybe?
what hole have you been living in?
they closed down ages ago!
all the employees either got folded into the happy feet 2 studio, or were offered severment payments.
GG had a documentary on it weeks ago!
I was under the impression that all of the holes were taken long ago by your kind. The rest of us were forced to live above ground.
What a shame. Such a respectable game it is and it's painful to see the team who made it fall apart like this.
Really good things seldom last.
So there's no hope of seeing a sequel, huh?
I think what caused this was it was in production way too long. 1.4 million isn't that much. Maybe another company can buy them. They're a talented team.
And that was due to the bad environment of work, R* was going to buy it but after knew more about them they dropped the idea just like Sony.
??? Didn't this game sell really well?
Say what you will about George Lucas, but when speaking about the practices of the US motion picture industry a few years ago he made a very good point that also applies to the gaming industry. In a nutshell, he said that studios are going to have to find ways to bring the cost of making their movies down or run the risk of their studios closing in higher numbers. If you make a movie that cost $300 million to make and it bombs, something like that can turn out your lights permanently.
Some of the reasons why some movies and games are so expensive have to do solely with production management. 11th hour changes and add-ons, poorly kept production schedules and a lack of understanding of what's involved in the making of the product from the powers that be usually result in chaotic, hostile work environment. Many of the complaints that I read about from ex Team Bondi employees (and even the guys that worked on Red Dead Redemption) seem to confirm this. Unfortunately, despite the number of studios that have shut down over the years due to practices like these doesn't seem make other studios think differently about how they do business.
I think Sucker Punch, Naughty-Dog and Insomniac (whom at one point was listed as one of the Top 25 Best Places to Work in the US) need to get together a write a book on proper production management and budgeting of video games. You NEVER hear about bad working conditions from any of these companies and their games always turn out polished.
Last edited by CheddarClyde on 10/9/2011 1:52:55 PM
I've never played it, but I just really hope Rockstar's team that makes the Midnight Club series is okay. I feel so selfish saying this, but what can I do? They should've thought about this.
Well maybe they should do the $10 pass thing so the developers can get their share…….. (sic)
They kinda already did that with the Rockstar Pass for the DLC.
I should have loved LA Noire but I didn't… I got 10 hours in, got utterly bored and traded it in.
It was sterile.
This shows now in its development. No passion!
Give me a Heavy Rain or a Demons Souls in its place any day…
Sadness for no more Noire series! 🙁