Through the investigative research conducted by editor in chief, Tim Colwill, for the Games On Net feature on the excessive work hours and crunch periods at Gameloft Auckland, some additional bit of interesting news was also uncovered in the process.
Speaking to an unnamed recruiter, Tim was able to reveal that Gameloft is looking to set up an Australian-based satellite studio in Brisbane...
From Games On Net...
The (Gameloft) Auckland studio (and the nearby Gameloft Korea studio) currently has a freeze in place on any new recruitment (with the exception of programmers), and with the recruiter also confirming to us that the company is actively working to set up a new studio in Brisbane, the imminent collapse of Gameloft in Auckland may be closer than many of its employees fear.
Brisbane has certainly seen some big studio closures over the years, from Auran, Pandemic Studios, to the well publicised end of Krome Studios. And while new games studios opening up in the sunshine state would usually be cause for much celebration, a studio opened by Gameloft may bring mixed feelings for Brisbane games developers starved for work considering the reports of the uncompromising and exploitive workplace conditions written uprecently about Gameloft Auckland.
I was already aware of this,
I was already aware of this, but it will be interesting to see how others respond in light of recent revelations.
They should open up a studio
They should open up a studio in Adelaide, I hear there are guys there looking for a studio.
There are guys everywhere
There are guys everywhere looking for a studio. I do agree Adelaide has its advantages, but Brisbane might beat it with a more graduates and, I would hazard, more ex-developers looking for work.
There are already a few games
There are already a few games studios to choose from in Brisbane.
Adelaide has no similar studios, but has veterans from Ratbag / Krome Adelaide. Those guys are the cream of the crop.
You want the cream of the
You want the cream of the crop to go work for a company that doesn't innovate, doesn’t respect its workers and simply clones others ideas in full putting its staff through a deathmarch to even get that finished....... way to further the Australian gaming industry.
F**K Gameloft, I don’t care how successful they are $$$ wise, that's not a business model we want nor need.
If this ends up happening, it
If this ends up happening, it will be the best news for the local industry this year.
If you don’t like their work practices, don’t work there. But it gives everyone else an option they might chose and appreciate.
I have my fingers grossed for all of us.
And you type of people are
And you type of people are the reason stories of massive crunch, low wages and poor working conditions continue to appear. Why would studios change their ways? You're all still bashind their "revolving doors" down happy to accept it!
But go ahead... accept it, go work there and I'll gladly read about it in a years time when your leaving the industry burnt out, jaded and screaming that Aussie game dev is dead!
I have to agree with you,
I have to agree with you, reading that post just made me sick. Honestly, this industry seems to have the collective long-term memory of a goldfish!
Once upon a time, this would be a huge talking point, now, everyone just seems to not care or think that this is a "good" thing to happen. Even the so called "indies" out there.
Hopefully whoever wrote it is just some ignorant wannabe who wants to get into the industry or one of those that came in relatively early having done an iPhone app or two -- clueless. Though from the impression I get here, probably not ;).
I'm sorry my words made you
I'm sorry my words made you sick then.
And I'm also sorry to say I'm not some ignorant wannabe either. I'm far from an industry veteran, but I am currently employed and have three years experience at multiple companies, all of which are gone now (bar the one I'm at now, obviously).
I don't know if you've been paying attention recently, but the industry is approaching 0 here. Something very big and very bad is going down right now at our largest company. It's not like we have the luxury of weeding out the baddies anymore.
If gameloft open their doors here, then it will be some sign of green shoots while the ashes are still burning. If you don’t like it, then stay away. I'm just sick of the suicidal bitching and juvenile vendettas the local industry shows on this forum.
Which company?
"Something very big and very bad is going down right now at our largest company."
Which company is that these days? Way I see it we don't really have a large developer anymore, just a bunch of medium sized studios (50-100 people).
a "big" studio in trouble
If there is a "big" studio in trouble, then quite frankly, I would not be sorry to see it go. Whichever studio that might be -- the last "big" studio that we had that fell over, was Krome, and I think that needed to happen.
Honestly, I think YOU need to take a closer look at the industry. We have lots of studios now, perhaps too much, but it's all leading in one direction. If a bit studio was to fail, then they failed for very good reasons whether they, you, or anyone else wishes to admit it ;).
Nailed it.
Yes, perhaps the Australian industry has too many studios.
I honestly don't know how we get by with so many studios.
I feel for the graduates who have to wade through all the studios in order to find a Job.
It’s no wonder they can’t with such a terrible burden.
taking a very limited view
Geez, thanks for (not) seeing it my way and justifying your own point of view by taking a very limited view of what I said.
knew you would, have come to expect nothing less ;)
Please explain.
Why is this post constantly being deleted Souri?
I'm pretty much the only person in here which is expressing this viewpoint, so censoring me is hardly conducive to discussion.
I do not believe I am simply flaming, I am genuinely adding to conversation. So it would be helpful to have an explanation as to why my response to this post is constantly being deemed unworthy.
(removed)
(removed)
Souri, here's one final post
Souri, here's one final post for you to delete then.
There was nothing wrong with what I was trying to post. It sums up my opinion. I'm sorry you couldn't handle that. And I'm even sorrier that you couldn't explain why.
I'm not coming back here ever again. I'll take my discussion elsewhere, and you can stick to keeping the perpetual flame war in peace.
It's obvious that whoever you
It's obvious that whoever you were arguing with is just trolling you. You've both made your points, but I've removed the discussion from the point where it resorted to name calling.
It's true there too many
It's true there too many small studios that aren't really studios but just some guy with a website making out to be the next big thing. They're also getting money from the film corporations and then burning it on projects that fail to ever see the light of day.
What film corporations? Are
What film corporations? Are they foolishly handing out money? Please do tell...
Film Vic for starters. The
Film Vic for starters. The reason why they cut back on funding to their games program as well as making it mandatory for developers to match the investment themselves was due to the poor success rate of the projects they've had in the past.
You can browse all the funding approvals from Australian Film Corp, Screen Australia, Film Vic, etc on their websites.
Yeah, but they're not film
Yeah, but they're not film corporations exactly. Or at least how I'd describe it in that they're funding bodies not publishers investing in projects.
I guess there is a reason why Film Vic got their funding halved for interactive projects -- if I recall correctly -- but I also think that had to do with larger studios abusing the funding and using it as some kind of welfare program to keep themselves running under the false premise that the funding was being used to develop original IP. Instead, it at least looks on the surface that the funding was being used so as to attract publisher investment for work-for-hire projects.
Still, I think that there has possibly been an unsustainable grow with the small-sized studios -- and no, that is not some statement that I want to see them die off ;).
I disagree, but certainly
I disagree, but certainly Adelaide has its merits and I wouldn't resent them getting a studio in the slightest.
There's quite a few devs in
There's quite a few devs in brissy who are hanging around doing odd jobs who I'm sure would welcome a new studio in the area.