Rumor: Ominous tweets from Lightbox Interactive suggest trouble at Starhawk studio

[Blacksite]

There are rumblings that LightBox Interactive, the developer behind the PS3 exclusive Starhawk, will lay off most of its staff by Friday. 3D Realms founder (and previous layoff predictor) George Broussard tweets, "Good luck to my buddies at LightBox in Austin. Layoffs and rumors of near whole studio gone by Friday."

Yesterday LightBox Interactive president Dylan Jobe sent out an ominous tweet, reading, "And yeah, its time for another drink...." LightBox artist Jonathan Lindblom tweeted early this morning, "I feel like my brain has been taken out and passed around, I can't think straight, everything is muddled." Associate producer and community manager Pete MacKay tweeted his thoughts today as well: "And so another chapter closes on my life. Let's see where I go next! (taking suggestions)."

We've contacted LightBox Interactive for clarification.

via Joystiq.

Surprised to hear this, if true. I thought people loved Starhawk.

[DarkVincent07]

It's depressing, Starhawk is a great game.
It just sold really really poorly


Via Tapatalk

[Amnoz]

I just bought the game...

Seems like a lot of us were slow to show up to the show :s

[mankind]

This is what happens when you create a shit game, let this be a lesson to them.

[keefy]

Console game sales are slowing according to analysts.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/analyst-...h-2012-6397910

[Flydude]

They're laying off 24 people. they will stop making console game and start mobile games.

Quote:
Too often in our industry, people are "let-go" with no warning, no severance, no time at all to prepare their portfolios. It's actually quite terrible. That's NOT how we run things here at LightBox Interactive. The whole reason for me informing my team of lay-offs before they happen is so they have time to prepare. Collect stuff for their portfolios, capture screen shots or video -- the stuff that helps people land on their feet. All 24 employees were also given a severance package.

Quote:
Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm that it has amicably ended its working agreement with developer LightBox Interactive. We have had a positive and long-standing working relationship with this talented studio, and wish them the best of success in their next endeavor. Starhawk and Warhawk will continue to be supported by Santa Monica Studio.

[DarkVincent07]

I really don't see this studio suited for digital/mobile games... gross

[billm0066]

This is what happens when you create a shit game, let this be a lesson to them.

There's no need to post such negative things when 24 people are losing their jobs. Starhawk is a great game, and has only been getting better since launch. Lightbox is a company that creates games that are "different", and we need more developers like them.

[LfCpS3]

This is what happens when morons use computers. There's no need to post such negative things when 24 people are losing their jobs. Starhawk is a great game, and has only been getting better since launch. Lightbox is a company that creates games that are "different", and we need more developers like them.

Sadly with the way the gaming industry is and how "gamers" are, with game either having to be COD or being very much like it, we will just keep on seeing companies like lightbox closing up shop or changing the games they make to suit the average gamer ( who plays cod)

[I OU a Beatn]

Sadly with the way the gaming industry is and how "gamers" are, with game either having to be COD or being very much like it, we will just keep on seeing companies like lightbox closing up shop or changing the games they make to suit the average gamer ( who plays cod)

Sad, but true. Killzone 3, Resistance 2&3, Starhawk, Uncharted 3, and SOCOM 4 ALL suffered from the same thing. They were sequels to absolutely amazing online games that were dumbed down in an attempt to appeal to a larger audience.

[Bigdoggy]

It was the competitive multiplayer that makes CoD so great. Look at the multiplayer with Resistance or Killzone. yes, people buy those games for the single player but be sure the multiplayer is where these games are suppose to shine. GG screwed up the multiplayer on Killzone 3, they didn't even make it better, they made it worse as well as the menu navigation and no server lists, etc etc. in terms of esports the games that are supporting esports are starting to shine which are CoD and Battlefield which will obviously lean more towards esports.

people have to remember that starhawk and warhawk while good, a lot of people don't like 3rd person shooters in that way or nearly as much as FPS games. There is still a good ways to go for developers to make FPS games as competitive as they were in 1999 + with UT, Quake, Counter-strike, ETCETC the nagivation isn't even near what PC was doing back then and it's already 2012 in consoles o.O

[gumionday]

I wish the best for them in finding new jobs. that sucks to hear that they are going mobile. Don't they know mobile games suck (IMPO). I picked it up at launch and I am enjoying Starhawk, it does feel like it is missing something from WarHawk, but a great game non-the less. Bummer to see them go.

[LfCpS3]

It was the competitive multiplayer that makes CoD so great. Look at the multiplayer with Resistance or Killzone. yes, people buy those games for the single player but be sure the multiplayer is where these games are suppose to shine. GG screwed up the multiplayer on Killzone 3, they didn't even make it better, they made it worse as well as the menu navigation and no server lists, etc etc. in terms of esports the games that are supporting esports are starting to shine which are CoD and Battlefield which will obviously lean more towards esports.

people have to remember that starhawk and warhawk while good, a lot of people don't like 3rd person shooters in that way or nearly as much as FPS games. There is still a good ways to go for developers to make FPS games as competitive as they were in 1999 + with UT, Quake, Counter-strike, ETCETC the nagivation isn't even near what PC was doing back then and it's already 2012 in consoles o.O

My point is that every game trying to more more like COD has resulted in the sequels becoming even worse. Killzone 2 online was very active, so easy to find games even after a year or two from the release, the MP was fun and a challenge, a good change of pace. It was well made. KZ2 was very competitive too. What was the main complaint: the characters felt too heavy, or people did not like the controls after just playing the game for like 10 minutes...

KZ3 just took a massive step back in pretty much everything and suffered with having a lot less players online and a poor online experience. I know many may like BF3 but i felt it was a step back from BC2 ( lets not even compare it to BF2, that game was near perfect).

U2 MP was also fun and enjoyable, U3 felt like it was catering more to a certain group, thus it failed in comparison to U2. Same with socom 4, does that game even have servers on now? I know many did not like confrontation, but it was still active for a good few years, very competitive and I thought was still a brilliant game. No other game like it on the ps3.

Far cry 3..., I bet without the map making option the MP for that would have been dead after like 5 or so months, it literally looks like every other typical on-line MP shooter ( except on a island...), no originality or anything that makes it stand out. Just the devs saying " here, you like COD so we make our game like COD"

Though i don't blame COD, or the makers, I just dislike gamers who don't give other games a shot cause its too different, or complain because a game is not like COD( which, sadly we see ea lot in reviews)


But you are right, the only real shooters that will attract the big numbers is COD and BF. Meaning that other devs would want a piece of their success, which is mainly done by making an identical game.

[XMW]

Warhawk was an amazing game. I was thinking of picking up this game soon.. too bad for all those guys who lost their job.

[itachi73378]

Its almost every week that some studio has layoffs. I fear for AAA games now. Pretty sure next gen only a handful of AAA devs will remain and the rest will make iOS games

[Soldier 95B]

Starhawk was rubbish. Warhawk was the shiznit.

[mynd]

Its almost every week that some studio has layoffs. I fear for AAA games now. Pretty sure next gen only a handful of AAA devs will remain and the rest will make iOS games

iOS will be the downfall of many so called small companies.

Its about to get a mjor kick in the butt from the relase of Windows 8, not necessarily in terms of phones, but the tablet market is going to be moving rapidly away from Andriod and iOS systems.

How confident am I? So confidet I will say that inside sources have told me most if not all netbook manufacturers plan to completly phase out netbooks by this time next year, it will be tablets only.

Start comparing what these tablets will be able to do compared to iOS and Andriod, and you have a slaughter on your hands waiting to happen.

So the foly of many will be concentrating on iOS.

Want to excell? Right now these ocmpanies should be concentrating on the the traditional PC market with a view touch tablet capabilties.

Lightbox may well end up dead in the water.

[admartian]

Sad to see people lose their jobs. Good on them for giving the employees time to prepare though.

iOS will be the downfall of many so called small companies.

Its about to get a mjor kick in the butt from the relase of Windows 8, not necessarily in terms of phones, but the tablet market is going to be moving rapidly away from Andriod and iOS systems.

How confident am I? So confidet I will say that inside sources have told me most if not all netbook manufacturers plan to completly phase out netbooks by this time next year, it will be tablets only.

Start comparing what these tablets will be able to do compared to iOS and Andriod, and you have a slaughter on your hands waiting to happen.

So the foly of many will be concentrating on iOS.

Want to excell? Right now these ocmpanies should be concentrating on the the traditional PC market with a view touch tablet capabilties.

Lightbox may well end up dead in the water.

Capabilities alone doesn't sell products - just look how iDevices are still strong/strongest despite being outgunned in terms of features by Android devices.

Slaughter - no. Increase in market share? Maybe.

lol

[Bigdoggy]

I think the main problem here is the PS3 and the alien technology. I know people have been using this all the time in arguments surrounding Xbox debates that the PS3 is alien tech so it's harder for developers. But in this case I think it rings true because if a company makes a game that doesn't sell quite as good, that impact this gen is hitting them harder because of development costs. imo

I am pretty sure with the PS4, it will be a heck of a lot better in terms of cost to develope for as well as PC to PS4 and vica versa when it comes to porting. I don't believe it will be as difficult or as expensive as it currently is right now.

The reason I say this is because the length of time it took for starhawk to finish development from Warhawk, this game should have been done A LONG LONG time ago. probably even 2 years ago.

[mynd]

Sad to see people lose their jobs. Good on them for giving the employees time to prepare though.

Capabilities alone doesn't sell products - just look how iDevices are still strong/strongest despite being outgunned in terms of features by Android devices.

Slaughter - no. Increase in market share? Maybe.

lol

Well maybe not a slaughter, but the sort of person who owns an iPad doesn't play core games.
The sort of person owns a PC with windows however does.

[billm0066]

iOS will be the downfall of many so called small companies.

Its about to get a mjor kick in the butt from the relase of Windows 8, not necessarily in terms of phones, but the tablet market is going to be moving rapidly away from Andriod and iOS systems.

How confident am I? So confidet I will say that inside sources have told me most if not all netbook manufacturers plan to completly phase out netbooks by this time next year, it will be tablets only.

Start comparing what these tablets will be able to do compared to iOS and Andriod, and you have a slaughter on your hands waiting to happen.

So the foly of many will be concentrating on iOS.

Want to excell? Right now these ocmpanies should be concentrating on the the traditional PC market with a view touch tablet capabilties.

Lightbox may well end up dead in the water.

Nobody is taking down the ipad. Windows might get a small piece of the pie, but Apple not only created it, but they will dominate it. They're releasing the ipad mini in a week, which will only make them gain even more ground. The netbook market never really took off. It had like a year or two where people bought them, but that was it.

[billm0066]

Well maybe not a slaughter, but the sort of person who owns an iPad doesn't play core games.
The sort of person owns a PC with windows however does.

I own a PC and also own an ipad and an iphone. Windows phone is okay, but nothing is as good as IOS imo. Not even Android.

[admartian]

Well maybe not a slaughter, but the sort of person who owns an iPad doesn't play core games.
The sort of person owns a PC with windows however does.

I agree that that market will be more prone to getting one. Though if Windows slate tablets are anything to go by, I expect the lot of you to criticise MS for making them priced that highly same way the PS3 was.

I don't play portably as much as it is; never got into the PSP while I had one. but a correctly priced Win 8/RT tablet will pique my interest (probably not enough top abandon Android though).

As long as MS doesn't lose the developers or Valve (which is pretty much one in the same) like they have been (as in annoying some of them like Newell RE: win 8 etc), then they should have a good slew of games there.


Anyway, back on topic I suppose.

[AViiONiX]

Sometimes when im alone in my bedroom,i like to pretend im a carrot.

P.S Starhawk sux hence why it didnt sell or appeal to its main target audience (Warhawk players).

[DreDayDetox]

I was reading from far away and I read "Optimus tweets"

as in, another transformers game?!