Update: Crytek Forms Studio From Darksiders Studio's Ashes

[E-Hybrid]

Good news, everyone! You'll be happy to know that I have recently purchased the Darksiders IP rights for $21.50 USD.

Damn it! Outbid by $1.

 

[Pyrian]

Its not unknown for there to be in conditions of contracts terms stipulating that you can't work for a rival company for a set period of time.

I'd be surprised if an enforceable non-compete clause existed in a case like this. (For most of the employees, it probably doesn't exist at all.) The laid off employees could hardly be regarded as competing with the defunct studio, and any claim to their specialized knowledge could be presumed released upon their bulk removal from service.

"A covenant not to compete is enforceable only if it is necessary to protect a legitimate business interest, reasonably limited in time and space, and consonant with the public interest."

'Course, it's Texas, so that makes things a bit more dicey. In California, you can't have a non-compete clause for anybody short of a partner or similar co-owner.

 

[zerragonoss]

I for one am actually kinda happy they are getting a fresh start. I enjoyed darksiders 2, and saw my brother play one. Their was defiantly vast improvement between the games. This makes me think they will be much better off making a fresh ip instead of dealing with the tangled mess that story was becoming.

 

[Ticonderoga117]

*Raises hand and waves it around* Uhm! Uhm! Darksiders is cool and all... but what about Dark Millenium?!

 

[Baresark]

I'm glad all the employees were picked up by Crytek, even if they will most likely go to making yet another FPS since that is what Crytek is, an FPS studio. I just hope someone picks up Darksiders, they were fantastic games. I personally find it a bit annoying that if a series didn't sell 20 Million units it's not worth anyone's time. At the same time, I would rather see the property die than have the game transform into something unrecognizable.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well I'm glad the people at Vigil got picked up but why has somebody still not bought the Darksiders IP? The first was really enjoyable, and while I haven't picked up the second yet, I've heard that's just as good if not better.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Well it's great that they hired all of Virgil, like really great, thoroughly enjoyed Darksiders 1 and 2, but it's a shame they won't be making another one (haven't finished DS2 yet so dunno how the ending is), hopefully Crytek will buy the rights to it one day. IN fact who owns the rights now? They just floating about or what?

I'm just starting the second game too, from what I have been told, it ties up Deaths plot well. That said, I don't know.

Just glad to hear they will still have jobs. Shame there may not be anther Darksiders game, but who knows what the future can bring.

Well, it's possible another Darksiders game could be made if the IP is bought. It just won't be made by the same team ...

Very true, but a random studio can take an old IP and make something amazing with it, it's happened before, like Retro Studios and the Metroid franchise. They blew mine and many others minds with Metroid Prime. I'm hoping something similar happens here with Darksiders.

By the way, Mr Tito, did you like the Darksiders games? Just curious.

 

[Terminate421]

I knew it. Crytek are good people.

There is nothing bad you can say about this story.

 

[mechalynx]

Crytek, for this you will always have my money. You are nothing short of awesome.

Shame about Darksiders, I really liked the games, but I was mosly upset at the thought of all those talented people having the rug pulled from under them.

Again, Crytek, there are not enough kudos in the world.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Good news, everyone! You'll be happy to know that I have recently purchased the Darksiders IP rights for $21.50 USD.

You do know what they say, 'A fool and his money are quickly parted.'

 

[Keldrif]

Wow I love the Crysis games and I had fun with Darksiders for a while, it might be fun to see what comes out of this and I'm only a few hours away from Austin and have been dreaming of a job in game development since I was 13 and I was inputting the pages of code to get snake running on my TRS 80 and the strange sentences started to make a weird kinda sense. I should find out how to get in touch with these people...

 

[Keldrif]

Wow I love the Crysis games and I had fun with Darksiders for a while, it might be fun to see what comes out of this and I'm only a few hours away from Austin and have been dreaming of a job in game development since I was 13 and I was inputting the pages of code to get snake running on my TRS 80 and the strange sentences started to make a weird kinda sense. I should find out how to get in touch with these people...

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

It could be nice to see something come out of Crytek other than another FPS. Some kind of action adventure game using the cry engine perhaps?

 

[Vrach]

If I'm reading that right, they didn't resurrect the studio, they just hired all the laid off employees. Vigil didn't own people and I don't think there's a law against hiring someone who's unemployed.

Its not unknown for there to be in conditions of contracts terms stipulating that you can't work for a rival company for a set period of time. The wrangle becomes, if Vigil has gone and its parent company is being liquidated, are those terms still valid. What happens if someone buys the right to the THQ name, does the choice of enforcing those terms go to the new owner, or did those rights die.

Yeah, but the workers were LAID OFF. You can't punish someone for hiring unemployed people, no matter the circumstances. If they were under contract, that contract would have been severed by Vigil when they fired them, you can't keep previous employees held to a contract when you've let them go.

 

[MonkeyPunch]

Great news that the Vigil guys found a new job! Crytek is a decent company too so looking forward as to what they can come up with.

I can't believe that Darksiders is so shunned! When I first played Darksiders I can remember being super positively surprised and I really loved the art style. The second game was great too. Played it all the way through and again the art was stunning. I personally will never understand why this game can't find acclaim and love

 

[ksn0va]

Crytek, for this you will always have my money. You are nothing short of awesome.

Shame about Darksiders, I really liked the games, but I was mosly upset at the thought of all those talented people having the rug pulled from under them.

Again, Crytek, there are not enough kudos in the world.

I'm happy for them but Crytek is slowly becoming bigger and bigger every year. I can only hope they don't turn into EA.