A Weakened Silicon Knights Refocuses On "One Of Its Most Requested Titles"

The Wooster

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Jul 15, 2008
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A Weakened Silicon Knights Refocuses On "One Of Its Most Requested Titles"


The bad news: Silicon Knights has had to cut nearly half its staff. The good news: The Company is still alive, is "returning to its roots" and is "working on one of its most requested titles."

The Canadian developer has laid off a grand total of 43 employees, <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113939-Rumor-Too-Human-Developer-Lays-Off-75-Percent-of-Staff>slightly less than the figure reported earlier this week, after negotiations with the publisher backing the team's current project fell through.

"Last week Silicon Knights experienced layoffs due to extended contract negotiations falling through with a potential partner," the developer told Kotaku. [http://kotaku.com/5855314/silicon-knights-cuts-half-of-staff-refocuses-on-one-of-its-most-requested-titles-for-the-next-generation] "We are currently in discussions with other potential partners. The recent Ontario government funding is tied to future performance targets, spread out over the next 5 years, which we will meet."

Since 2008 Silicon Knights has received around $8 million in funding from the Canadian government, with the proviso that the company use some of the money to hire additional staff. At its peak, the developer employed nearly a hundred workers.

It's unfortunate that Silicon Knights is now known more for its few, admittedly huge, failures, than its successes. The long awaited Too Human ran massively over budget, took nearly a decade to complete, received a less-than-enthusiastic reception when it was finally hit shelves and then went on to spark a legal dispute between the developer and Epic Games over its use of the Unreal Engine. Their latest game, X-Men: Destiny met with poor sales and abysmal reviews, our own Susan Arendt described it as "ugly, stupid, and boring."

Perhaps in response to its poor performance in the last decade, the developer is "currently refocusing and returning to its roots, working on one of its most requested titles for the next generation."

Hands up if you read that last sentence as: "We're making Eternal Darkness 2" and promptly performed an embarrassing little dance.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5855314/silicon-knights-cuts-half-of-staff-refocuses-on-one-of-its-most-requested-titles-for-the-next-generation]


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Cpt Corallis

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Apr 14, 2009
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While I'm sad people got laid off, I'm also feeling guilty that I am still dancing. I missed the first one and have never been able to track down a copy. The news of a possible sequel pleases me.
 

DannyJBeckett

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Jun 29, 2011
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If true, then it took them long enough.

If false, and also is not them announcing another Blood Omen, then this will be Silicon Knights' death knell.
 

therandombear

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Sep 28, 2009
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Grey Carter said:
Hands up if you read that last sentence as: "We're making Eternal Darkness 2" and promptly performed an embarrassing little dance.
*raises hand*

I loved that game, and when the title screen for Eternal Darkness 2 popped up during sanity loss...I was like. :D

Then later I found out it was just a joke with the sanity, made me go all sad. :<

Played through that game so many times, I still take it out and play through it now and then. Doesn't get boring.

Mantorok rune was OP though...just saying.
 

Harker067

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Sep 21, 2010
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I'm actually currently working through Eternal darkness for the first time so this all seems like strange timeing to me :p.
 

TheGuy(wantstobe)

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Dec 8, 2009
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Sweeet ED2 WiiU exclusive thanks to Ninty owning the IP........ At least that's what i'm hoping but in reality it'll be something like Too Human 2
 

Veldel

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Apr 28, 2010
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ABOUT FUCKING TIME sorry quite excited

Eternal Darkness Sanitys Requruim is by far one of the most intrsiting games I ever played
 

coldfrog

Can you feel around inside?
Dec 22, 2008
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You know, I LIKE to see this, but I really hope they've learned something from their experiences and don't drop their next game (guessing eternal darkness) into the bin by making such poor design choices as they did in their other games.
 

Formica Archonis

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Nov 13, 2009
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Because nothing makes a quality product like a desperate studio cranking out a sequel to a successful product. Wake me when there's something more than vapor and press releases to be scrutinized.
 

Ekit

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Oct 19, 2009
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Too Human 2?

Just kidding. But Eternal Darkness 2 will be awesome!
 

emeraldrafael

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Jul 17, 2010
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Its gonna be really funny if they say we're going to make Too Human 2.

But yeah... lets hope its eternal darkness. for the company's sake.
 

Waaghpowa

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Apr 13, 2010
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I will laugh my ass off if it's Too Human 2 they're talking about being "Most requested".
 

Electric Alpaca

What's on the menu?
May 2, 2011
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Pointless.

Eternal Darkness was a fluke - the right people, at the right time, with the right hardware and the right vision.

If they make this sequel they'll destroy the tiny shred of reputation remaining. Horror is dead - the intelligence to make a psychological frightener as opposed to a jump scarer is no longer present in the industry.

Note that I stated 'industry'. Indie developers still have the ability.

I personally hope it is Too Human 2, I enjoyed the first for what it was and can the potential the game has. We can get stuck into a black circle when attempting to create something and I believe that's what happened with this.

A new game, a new start - hopefully they can build on the beginning of a good foundation.
 

ace_of_something

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Sep 19, 2008
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The question remains. Will they manage to finish it before they're bought, pillaged, or otherwise have to put a 'out of business' sign on their front door?

EverythingIncredible said:
I thought they meant a new Legacy of Kain...
This person has provided the true answer to their money woes.