It seems that any decent game studio is always being shut down. Why is this? Just when a game series is getting good and the folks are really learning the ins and outs of good game/story development, they shut down! Are the OT developers too expensive to keep on? Do the games only appeal to a niche market and not make enough money? What exactly destroys these shops? I can guess, but I certainly don't know for sure. You would think that tried and true concepts would be jumped on! Instead, all you get are endless "console" 3D graphics type games with no story. Whats the deal? Is quality too expensive to invest in?

<font color=skyblue>The impression left on my ind is "politics". Besides that, contentions from the various chains of departments on what is acceptable and what is not.

I do not know if this impression is correct, but it is what I have been convinced by the media that it is.</font>

There are a whole host of reasons. Piracy is one, the cost of programmers (rememder this is more than direct wages), cost of marketing and finally the user interest. I'm sure many of you can add more reasons. Frankly the quality of the lastest games have been very poor. Who want to pay $50 for the fortyseventh rehash of the same tired story.

I do, if we are talking about Fallout, Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale.
Money is the reason on Black Isle. They sucked up alot of money while making Fallout and Baldur 3, and they didn't earn anything because Lionheart and Dark Alliance dodn't prove to be as seccessfull as teye were thought to be. Interplay had cutoffs because their profits in 2003 wasn't big enough. I can't understand why they didn't just give them 10 more million dollars and let them work in peace, but strange are the ways of Interplay.
P.S.
Did you notice that the Black Isle site still doesn't say anything about Black Isle being shut down. I think someone should tell them they are dead. [img]smile.gif[/img] :(

You also must remember the problems associated with R&D, and why so many software companies are going over to Playstation and X-box type systems.
Compatiblity issues are pure hell-o in pc gaming, and it costs a small fortune, to try and make pc games compatible with all the various hardware and peripherals and their associated drivers, etc.. The "box" games can be easily and cheaply designed to play on those systems without all the compatibility issues.

[ 01-26-2004, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: The.Relic ]