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Telltale Games closing down


Gwendly

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http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/327085/Report_The_Walking_Dead_developer_Telltale_Games_closing_down.php

 

Doesn't seem officially announced yet but it does seem accurate and makes sense given they cut a massive amount of emplyees earlier this year

 

Update:

 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17888162/telltale-games-layoffs-the-walking-dead

 

Different source reporting that they are downsizing instead of shutting down. Supposedly going from 250 employees to 25. IIRC they employed close to 400 before the previous layoff of staff. 

 

Update 2:

Apparently they are closing due to bankruptcy and the 25 staff that remains are just finishing S4 Walking Dead due to contractual obligations...

 

Update 3: via Katt;

 

https://www.brunerhouse.com/blog/2018/9/21/telltale-closure

 

Seems definitive now; not a downsize but actual closure :(

Edited by Gwendly
Added new info/ changed title back to closure based on new link
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Just layoffs, not closing.  

 

Article from The Verge:  https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17888162/telltale-games-layoffs-the-walking-dead

 

 

"The layoffs come a few months after revelations that Telltale was a studio mired in toxic management that included employees subjected to constant overwork. Once an industry darling, working on iconic brands like Game of Thrones and Minecraft, Telltale quickly spiraled. In June, co-founder and former CEO Kevin Bruner sued the company seeking recovery of financial damages. Telltale described the suit as “meritless” and “an apparent means of extracting revenge on a company already under financial strain.”

 

Developing...

Edited by angelgrievous
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That site gives me a Error 520. I looked for another news story and this one says they've been hit with layoffs. 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17888162/telltale-games-layoffs-the-walking-dead

 

This one says it's shutting doors. So I dunno whats going on right now. 

 

https://www.vg247.com/2018/09/21/telltale-games-shutting-down-report/

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Don't know how this could happen really. They released games often and they always sold a decent amount. Sure its not a full 60 dollar game but i can't see how they didn't make a profit.

 

Everyone and their mother plays Telltale games.

 

Hopefully this doesn't effect the quality of the final TWD season.

Now i will never get season 2 of GoT...

 

What will happen to the Stranger Things project TT had with Netflix?

Edited by Quink666
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The twitter source has posted several tweets about this thats interesting; here is a txt summary:

 

"Okay, what I'm hearing from sources I trust is it's a total closure due to bankruptcy. Skeleton crew is finishing off The Walking Dead, and then the whole thing will shut.

Everything else is cancelled. Only The Walking Dead is going ahead now.

According to the same source, Telltale almost didn't get through Spring 2018. The Netflix deal fell apart, which was supposed to save it.

The source also says they believe the publishing arm of Telltale is also done for, too. So the Stranded Deep announcement earlier today won't go ahead now. Not sure about 7 Days to Die yet.

(Which doesn't mean either of those games are cancelled, just no longer published by TT)

Apparently, only Minecraft: Story Mode and 7 Days to Die were making a profit. The rest was investor money and the netflix deal, which dried up.

According to the source, Batman t a n k e d and was one of the worst commercial failures for Telltale.

Basically, only the first season of The Walking Dead made money. Everything between that and Minecraft was a financial failure - Wolf, everything post-Season 1 of TWD, Borderlands, Game of Thrones. All failures.

Source says a big difference between the layoffs last year and these: nobody's getting severance pay this time. Makes sense because it's due to bankruptcy, but... god, I hope everyone there lands on their feet.

Staff were told today. As in, almost the end of the month."

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If this turns out to be true, then it will just turn out to be another story of how little money most people make from working on games.
Just based on the people who I've heard talking about this rumor, the thought that Telltale was never making any money must have never crossed anyone's mind. 
Chalk another one up to the sales culture of the video game industry right now.

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Just now, soultaker655 said:

If this turns out to be true, then it will just turn out to be another story of how little money most people make from working on games.
Just based on the people who I've heard talking about this rumor, the thought that Telltale was never making any money must have never crossed anyone's mind. 
Chalk another one up to the sales culture of the video game industry right now.

I mean, without any details we can't really know for sure.  It could be a case of mishandled funds.  It wouldn't be the first time some high up payed themselves too much or took to many lavish vacations and used what little else the studio had to fund whatever projects they were working on.  

 

I'm just saying it's all speculation at this point. 

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Sad days. I knew this would happen sooner or later. I mean I never bought a TT game at full price, heck I never bought one at under 80% off from PSN sales. I've only ever paid 2$ an episode. No wonder they going bankrupt. Im glad there are others that pay full price for games, if more like me this world wont have games anymore!

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