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Originally posted by Case
Hasn't it gone broke in the past?
Hasn't it gone broke in the past?
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At least twice. Once in the 80's during the great videogame crash when it almost dragged the Warner concern with it. Atari was split up in an arcade company (Tengen) and Atari computers. Which was bought by Jack Tramiel. Both of them went bust in the early 90's.Skeptics should forego any thought of convincing the unconvinced that we hold the torch of truth illuminating the darkness. A more modest, realistic, and achievable goal is to encourage the idea that one may be mistaken. Doubt is humbling and constructive; it leads to rational thought in weighing alternatives and fully reexamining options, and it opens unlimited vistas.
Elie A. Shneour Skeptical Inquirer -
That was a trademark case over Call to Power (CtP). Initially Activision wanted to call it : "Civilization : Call to Power". Hasbro was not amused back then.Originally posted by Case
Incidently, wasn't a fight over the rights to the Civ franchise one of the main factors that delayed Civ3? I vaugely recall that one of the reasons Civ 2: TOT did poorly was that it was released in direct competition with another Civ-style game.Skeptics should forego any thought of convincing the unconvinced that we hold the torch of truth illuminating the darkness. A more modest, realistic, and achievable goal is to encourage the idea that one may be mistaken. Doubt is humbling and constructive; it leads to rational thought in weighing alternatives and fully reexamining options, and it opens unlimited vistas.
Elie A. Shneour Skeptical InquirerComment
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The lesson here is not to start a software games company!
These companies always end up under pressure financially...
I have been employed in the software industry before, and can testify to this!
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There was a good article in the New York Times a few days ago about working conditions at Electronic Arts. Aparently, high-pressure 60-80 hour weeks are the norm, and the pay and benefits aren't very good.
...As this isn't unusual in the software industry, I'm glad I changed out of my IT degree after one year!'Arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be - or to be indistinguishable from - self-righteous sixteen year olds possessing infinite amounts of free time.'
- Neal Stephenson, CryptonomiconComment
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If these companies go belly-up, then enforcement disappears, doesn't it? At that point, if the source code somehow gets "out" who is going to object? Bring suit?
Nobody.
Might make it easier to procure.
And despite all my yearnings, Fir-crap-sis staggers onward, somehow immune to the disasters that appear to have laid low the parent/associated companies.
Damn.Lost in America.
"a freaking mastermind." --Stefu
"or a very good liar." --Stefu
"Jesus" avatars created by Mercator and Laszlo.Comment
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Not really, if bankrupcy occurs and the games library (plus trademarks) isn't taken over by a company software titles will get into the hands of creditors "real creditors" (aka "I need collateral on my loans"). To them it is perceived to have some sort of value. It isn't simply thrown away.Originally posted by Exile
If these companies go belly-up, then enforcement disappears, doesn't it? At that point, if the source code somehow gets "out" who is going to object? Bring suit?
There's only one case I recall were software got out and that was with the Falcon 4.0 source.Skeptics should forego any thought of convincing the unconvinced that we hold the torch of truth illuminating the darkness. A more modest, realistic, and achievable goal is to encourage the idea that one may be mistaken. Doubt is humbling and constructive; it leads to rational thought in weighing alternatives and fully reexamining options, and it opens unlimited vistas.
Elie A. Shneour Skeptical InquirerComment
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This is sadly true...Games companies are just as demanding as the firms in any other industry.Originally posted by Case
There was a good article in the New York Times a few days ago about working conditions at Electronic Arts. Aparently, high-pressure 60-80 hour weeks are the norm, and the pay and benefits aren't very good.
...As this isn't unusual in the software industry, I'm glad I changed out of my IT degree after one year!
Great empires are always built on the backs of enslaved creative staff!
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Yes I can understand those conditions. A very good friend of mine was until recently a story writer at Rockstar North, the developers of the Grand Theft Auto series and such. Micro-managment, unpaid overtime, obscene deadlines and overall indesisive managment took what was originally his dream job and turned it into a job he had to walk away from.Comment
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