Too Human Developer Given $4 Million Grant

[bleh002]

Why didn't they give it to Bioware or something?

Bioware won't get any funding from the government since it's in Edmonton. Same goes for Ubisoft with it's Montreal headquarters. It's Toronto outpost is getting some government funding ($260 million, which is 65 times more than SK is getting) at the provincial (i.e Ontario) levels, as long as the job they create stay around for some specific period of time, but that funding is a separate type of funding, and is based on employment.

I need to make a disclosure - I'm from St. Catharines and way back when SK was releasing Legacy of Kain, and Too Human was a demented twinkle in Dyack's eye, I had a lot of friends (who have all since been fired and replaced by people who've been fired and replaced by other people who were fired) who worked there as artists, designers and administrative staff. So I am a little biased, in that I'm glad my home town is receiving some funding, since it's an economic sinkhole. I'm also glad to see it going to a video game company, instead of the traditional tourist industry that everyone seems to associate with the Niagara Region.

 

[UberNoodle]

There going to need a hell of a lot more then 4 million to make a AAA game if its part 2 of Too human...

Heyyyyy .. I played through that game twice. After a while it really gelled and I had a ball! The combos and finishing moves were great fun, and upgrading and getting full sets of armour and weaponry was addictive.

I know it wasn't a very well liked game, but it wasn't as bad as people say. In fact, it was good ... but also 'bad' at the same time. I think it was a missed chance that will be properly caught in the future.

 

[Quadtrix]

What a waste of $4 million.

 

[Craftybonds]

Wasn't "Too Human" a big epic failure? Well I seriously hope they have a sufficient amount of "Return of investment" here. But then again, I can't remain a pessimist 24/7 and seriously hope they will crank out something sufficient.

Not really, it received a lot of poor reception, but they sold almost 700k copies of the game. upper 60's on metacritic.

it's debatable if they'll continue the trilogy, but the game is far from an epic failure.

 

[H0ncho]

Thanks, Matt. I think it's actually a good use of taxpayer money because otherwise art and culture wouldn't exist, or at least it would be much harder.

Uhm wait, what? Videogames won't be made unless given subsidies?

That was new for me, anyways. I wonder how much Valve gets - must be alot, they are among the leading gaming companies after all.

 

[Outamyhead]

Sounds like a waste of money to me.

 

[Brad Shepard]

There going to need a hell of a lot more then 4 million to make a AAA game if its part 2 of Too human...

Heyyyyy .. I played through that game twice. After a while it really gelled and I had a ball! The combos and finishing moves were great fun, and upgrading and getting full sets of armour and weaponry was addictive.

I know it wasn't a very well liked game, but it wasn't as bad as people say. In fact, it was good ... but also 'bad' at the same time. I think it was a missed chance that will be properly caught in the future.

look at my gamertag on xbox live, i played and beat it too, i still think it sucked, way too short and needed a lot of improvements.

 

[UberNoodle]

There going to need a hell of a lot more then 4 million to make a AAA game if its part 2 of Too human...

Heyyyyy .. I played through that game twice. After a while it really gelled and I had a ball! The combos and finishing moves were great fun, and upgrading and getting full sets of armour and weaponry was addictive.

I know it wasn't a very well liked game, but it wasn't as bad as people say. In fact, it was good ... but also 'bad' at the same time. I think it was a missed chance that will be properly caught in the future.

look at my gamertag on xbox live, i played and beat it too, i still think it sucked, way too short and needed a lot of improvements.

I agree. It needed a lot of polish. The animation in the cutscenes were embarrassing. I just wouldn't (and very rarely) use the word 'sucked' for anything, unless it really deserved it. I guess I am a Glass Half Full kinda guy.

 

[Lonan]

Do politicians in Ontario just like giving out money? 4 million $ divided by 65 is 61 538.46$.
I hope they enjoy becoming employed in the public sector. First the auto companies, and now this. They spent insane amounts of money bailing out crappy American auto companies, and now their spending millions helping a company that made a bad game and tanked. This is just not how Canada is supposed to work. Sure, it's a mixed economy, but it's never been this mixed. Back in the day the government needed to create companies like Air Canada because the private sector wouldn't. Huge public funds towards companies are no longer necessary. This is madness. This better hit the news.

 

[Lonan]

Why didn't they give it to Bioware or something?

Bioware is owned by a foreign company, Electronic Arts. Of course, so is Crysler Canada and GM Canada, but apparently that's completely different.

 

[bleh002]

Why didn't they give it to Bioware or something?

Bioware is owned by a foreign company, Electronic Arts. Of course, so is Crysler Canada and GM Canada, but apparently that's completely different.

Ubisoft is also a foreign company, and it's getting $260 to open up shop in Toronto and creat 800 jobs.

$4 million for 65 jobs in St. Catharines - so $61k per job, $260 million for 800 jobs in Toronto which is $325k per job.

Bioware's problem is that it is in Edmonton. Stick it in Ontario or Quebec, and the federal government will throw all the money it can at it.

 

[Lonan]

Why didn't they give it to Bioware or something?

Bioware is owned by a foreign company, Electronic Arts. Of course, so is Crysler Canada and GM Canada, but apparently that's completely different.

Ubisoft is also a foreign company, and it's getting $260 to open up shop in Toronto and creat 800 jobs.

$4 million for 65 jobs in St. Catharines - so $61k per job, $260 million for 800 jobs in Toronto which is $325k per job.

Bioware's problem is that it is in Edmonton. Stick it in Ontario or Quebec, and the federal government will throw all the money it can at it.

$260 million is a breathtaking amount of money, and for 800 jobs. I wish they would encourage better education in the technology industry rather than giving it too well established companies like this. I really want to be a politician so I can reduce the numbers of screw-ups, but I also really want to be a start-up game developer. Unfortunately, because of simple economics, education involves a teacher talking you to death and expecting you to take notes. My school had a Chinese Proverb engraved onto wood which said "Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I might remember. But involve me and I'll understand." We usually don't get past the forgetting part, and I have ADD, so it's even worse for me. If the government funded involvement based education strategies at ALL levels, they could stop choosing a few hundred people to live like kings while the millions go into trades.

 

[Varewulf]

Huzzah! Eternal Darkness 2!
Confirmed, you heard it here first.

I sincerely hope that's the case.

 

[lijenstina]

Hah! Proof subsidies doesn't work. The next time a politician talks about how you need to "invest in America/Canada/Europe" or "support our companies" or shit like that, remember this incident. And keep in mind that politicians are no better at picking the bests car/bank/manufacturing-company than they are at picking the best gaming company.

/politics

Hah! Straw Man arguments do not work too.

With that reasoning there is no human endeavor that can not be refuted.

/logic

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Why didn't they give it to Bioware or something?

They were afraid it would be too good, and they would get too much money from sales.

OT: hopefully it'll be better than the first one. Who knows? Maybe it will be the defining game of our generation.

...Doubtful, but whatever.

 

[Aurora219]

I'm moving to Ontario and claiming to be a AAA title producer. And then claiming the government is attempting to support a monopoly. And then demand compensation. And then come back to England.

I'll come home rich! I can think of no other possible outcome.

 

[GodKlown]

Biggest game capital in Canada? Doesn't EA and Rockstar both have studios in Canada? Ah, Canada... America's spunky little brother!