America's Army Devs Let Go One Day After Launch

[Keane Ng]

America's Army Devs Let Go One Day After Launch

Only a single day after the launch of their newest game, America's Army 3, the America's Army development team was laid off in an effort to "consolidate development."

Launching a game should be an event worth celebrating for any game developer, but for the team behind the U.S. Army's America's Army series, it must have come as a somber occasion. Today - only a day after America's Army 3 was released - the U.S. Army decided to close down the Emeryville, California studio that developed the America's Army games, according to Shacknews [http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59202].

Development of the series will continue, but shift over to the America's Army office in Redstone, Alabama. The decision to shut down the Emeryville studio and move operations closer to the AA headquarters is a "consolidation" that will "allow us to gain efficiencies between our public and government applications," an America's Army representative said. I don't doubt that it is that, but I'm sure it's got plenty to do with tightening the budget as well.

"We appreciate all the hard work that every member of the America's Army team has contributed to the project, and we look forward to delivering future America's Army game releases in the months ahead," the America's Army representative concluded.

Details of the layoffs, including how many people lost their jobs or whether or not they had been given advance notice, weren't explained. I can only hope that the team was given a heads up to start looking for work - to ditch an entire studio the day after they finish putting out your game seems a little bit harsh.


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[Art Axiv]

First word that came to my mind: Owned.

On the serious side. Shit, that seems really unethical to me.

 

[scotth266]

Yeesh. I hope that they weren't suprised there... that seems REALLY sudden. You have to wonder how they feel about that: I'd imagine that several of them are rather pissed off.

 

[Zer_]

That's just total bullshit. Come on. "Thanks for all your hard work, goodbye."

 

[Squiggers]

Jesus, talk about a case of thanks for the help, now feck off.

Man, thats pretty crap.

 

[HT_Black]

Jaysus Chroist! Dat Shi' is bananas!

But seriosuly...tough break, I suppose. To make something that must have taken a fairly large chunk out of your life, and then be thanklessly thrown out the door...

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

I wonder where they'll get a job now...

America's Army...No?
Awww.

 

[LordOmnit]

That's just total bullshit. Come on. "Thanks for all your hard work, goodbye."

This and unless they were given AMPLE (like when the game started development) forewarning then how the hell could they get away with that kinda shit?

 

[I III II X4]

Bad PR there...but this is t3H @rMy we're talkin' about here, like they'd care about PR.

Though logically, they would've let the developers know ahead of time...unless the US Army views the developers and we gamers as not only cannon fodder, but a sub-human species as well...I think I might be onto somethin' here.

 

[Covarr]

That's what they get for releasing such a broken buggy mess of a game.

P.S. Thanks

 

[zoozilla]

Erm WTF you guys realise that once a brickie finishes building a house they get laid off right ?

Theyve released the game so why would they keep staff who makes games around after theyve finished making the game ? Im sure theyll keep the guys that can patch and map around but everyone else is now expendable.

None of you guys run a business do yah

American's Army is very much focused on online play, which means constant updates are pretty much necessary. And it's not as though this version appeared out of nowhere; version 1 first came out in 2002, and this is (if I recall correctly) is version 3.

I guess this means no version 4?

 

[Jimmyjames]

Such is the life of the game developer. Happens all the time.

 

[centaur]

I can only hope that the team was given a heads up to start looking for work

Sure weren't.

to ditch an entire studio the day after they finish putting out your game seems a little bit harsh.

No joke.

 

[ElephantGuts]

Wow, that sucks. Then again, I've still yet to be able to play their game online, though I don't know that it's their fault.

 

[Slayer_2]

It's the American Military. Not to be anti-American, but it's not the worst thing they've done. Although AA is such a blatant propoganda machine I refuse to play it (even though I'm Canadian).

 

[JoshV]

As others have said, this is not wholly surprising--developers getting laid off after a new release happens all the time in the industry.

The only reason this may have come as a surprise to the developers is that the AA devs are rather notorious for always updating the game. By the sound of it, they've still got that covered at the Redstone studio, so you can't really fault them. Especially when AA doesn't make any money and is funded by tax dollars.

 

[IxionIndustries]

Well of course your gonna get laid off, the gov'ment and the military don't care about squishy little geeklings like you!

Now perhaps they should start working on something better than a propoganda device? I played that game once.. Buggy as shit, the multiplayer downright sucks, and all the servers were dead. Deader than the fucking Sahara. Also, no singleplayer campaigns at all to compensate, other than the "training" missions.