Bodycount Studio Could Close Next Month

[MitchyD]

Bodycount Studio Could Close Next Month

With racing domination in its sights, Codemasters looks to close the UK studio responsible for its latest shooter.

Codemasters Studio Guildford's first game could officially be its last. The 66-person Bodycount developer will officially close its doors in October depending on the result of a 30-day bankruptcy consultation.

The troubled first-person shooter had seen more than its fair share of development problems since the start, not the least of which was its jumping ship [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105052-Codemasters-Confirms-Bodycount-Delay] last year.

The pending closure comes just two weeks after the game's August 30th release date, as well as the negative reviews accompanying it. Officially, though, axing the studio is part of a newly proposed creative direction for Codemasters proper, which would shift development focus toward its real bread and butter: the racing genre. The terrific Grid [http://www.amazon.com/F1-2011-Xbox-360/dp/B0056WJA7Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316027262&sr=8-2] series comprise the dev/publisher's current successes.

"The output from the studios on the Warwickshire campus and in Birmingham is on the increase with multiple continuing game series, brand extensions and new racing IPs in production," Codemasters said. The Guildford closure will ideally lead to stronger sequels to existing series, and the Guildford employees are encouraged to apply for employment at these studios. Chances are pretty high it'll have cars in it.



Source: Shacknews [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-14-codemasters-closing-bodycount-dev]

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[PoweD]

I thought that the same studio that made "Black" made "Bodycount".
Seems like they were trying to disguise the fact that it was somebody else, with usually it just says "Codemasters" when asked for a developer.

 

[Studs MacKenzie]

I missed out on the cult Black hype that came around the last console cycle, so it's sad to hear that Bodycount didn't live up to its predecessor. It is really heartbreaking to hear of another development studio closure, as well. This industry needs an overhaul...

Side note: It's strange that every article I read about pertaining to Bodycount has that same damn picture. Nothing even remotely interesting seems to be happening.

 

[duchaked]

ouch...tho when you really look at it, how could they think the game would really stand out at all?

well it'd make sense if Black was supposed to be a predecessor but...no it doesn't seem like a fit :/

 

[DjinnFor]

I thought that the same studio that made "Black" made "Bodycount".

I thought so too, but then I tried the Bodycount demo.

Is it safe to say that Bodycount is worse than Black on all counts?

 

[Laser Priest]

Well, from what I played, that game barely functions as a shooter, let alone the revolution to destructability it claimed to be.

I'm sorry for the employees, but if that was what their work was producing, then they were not doing a very good job.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I honestly don't care about this. They are lazy developers that didn't make a game worth the full price in a long time.

What I want to know is where is B.L.A.C.K. 2? Whoever played the first one knows there needs to be a sequel. I'm a PC gamer and I think that was one of the best FPS games I've ever played.

 

[MitchyD]

It's always sad to see a dev house die, though, isn't it? We like games and we want talented people to make more of 'em.

 

[F-I-D-O]

I thought that the same studio that made "Black" made "Bodycount".

I thought so too, but then I tried the Bodycount demo.

Is it safe to say that Bodycount is worse than Black on all counts?

Yes. Yes it is. That game was horrid.
Have press the left trigger to zoom and move? Press if fully to stand completely motion less but lean?
No.

What I want to know is where is B.L.A.C.K. 2? Whoever played the first one knows there needs to be a sequel.

I was hoping bodycount might be a disguised black sequel. I was wrong.
And there DESPERATELY needs to be a sequel.
Just release the first one as an HD download release, then make a sequel with co-op and multiplayer. I'd have bought both day one. But if those devs made this?
Honestly? I'm not sad to see the studio die. I'm sad the people lost their jobs, but the studio was a poor move and the game was just bad. Good luck to the devs in the future.
And to other developers/publishers thinking of making a new studio? Make sure it's a good fit and has a good crew lined up before you open it.

 

[genericusername64]

I don't like when I have to say this, but it was a shitty game, and it didn't deserve to sell

 

[Iwata]

I just said this in another thread, so I suppose I might as well repeat myself here and necro this thread to chip in with my own two cents:

I liked it. I picked it up for ?20 and have been playing it for a while. I liked "Black" when it was released on the PS2 way back when, and this certainly has the same vibe, an "alternative" shooter that is all but complicated. You shoot, stuff dies and explodes, with a nice soundtrack to keep you going. In this era where FPS games get more and more reliant on bells and whistles, it felt good to play an FPS that didn't feel as if it was trying to prove itself to the CoD crowd (of which I am a part of). I suppose if I had picked it up at its full release price of ?60 or ?70 I might've been upset, but for a third of that price, I am quite pleased.

That said, this was a fate that was all but foretold. In the FPS market these days, "good enough" is simply not enough.