WipEout HD Devs To Lose Their Jobs Today?
(Update 2) Sony Liverpool for the chop? Say it isn't so.Published 29/01/2010 at 8:24.
By Alex C [nofi].
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According to WipEoutZone.com, SCEE is poised to announce “sweeping redundancies” at Studio Liverpool today, with the WipEout HD team rumoured to be affected. This is the first we’ve heard of this and hopefully it isn’t true, the amazing PS3 game was a poster child for 60fps, 1080p (or thereabouts) gaming and recently hit the news again with its 3D capabilities.
This would be a real shame if it happens, I’m a big fan of Studio Liverpool and although their output had slowed since the PSP WipEout games, Fury was brilliant and as far as I knew was selling reasonably well. We’ll comment further once we hear more, but if you’re affected please let us know in the comments and we’ll try to get to the bottom of this.
If it’s true, TheSixthAxis wishes the team all the luck in finding new positions.
Update: we’ve been told that apparently it is true.
Update 2: public notice: “It has been decided that production on a number of projects within Studio Liverpool will cease immediately due to project prioritisation. Our North West Studio Group has been and will continue to be a vital cog in the WWS family, with a history of producing genre defining games such as MotorStorm, WipEout, Formula 1 and WRC and this decision will have no impact of the role that the North West Studio Group will play in the future of all PlayStation platforms.”
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52pickup | 29/01/2010 08:27
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363 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
shame, wipeout is a quality series, considering a lot of the european studios seem to make original and great content, it would be a bit of a loss, if one of them would find themselves in this position.
cc_star | 29/01/2010 08:34
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Bad news for the world of gaming.
Are Evolution based near them, they seem to be getting all the SCE attention recently. Also what happened to Sony Cambridge?
Funny how nearly all UK devs are closing down as production moves abroad, whilst the useless government are stalling looking at offering tax breaks like nearly all other countries do.
superjag86 | 29/01/2010 08:42
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I think Sony Cambridge are still working on projects. Their last game was the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet.
cc_star | 29/01/2010 09:13
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I wish they’d remake Primal for the PS3, slightly flawed but great game
Carl | 29/01/2010 09:16
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Evolution were sort of merged into Liverpool sometime last year if i remember right
cam the man | 29/01/2010 13:58
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Does that mean no more Evolution Studios then?
If so it’s a pity as I have enjoyed a lot of there games.
seedaripper1973 | 29/01/2010 08:36
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NOOOOOoooo…. Studio Liverpool (or Psygnosis as i used to know them) cant close down, it’s one of Sony’s oldest and second largest development house…these guys are talented Sony!! cut some deadwood from elsewhere please!
p.s slighlty off topic, how does one go around advising on news tips??
cc_star | 29/01/2010 08:37
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contact button at the bottom of the page
seedaripper1973 | 29/01/2010 08:46
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ahh cheers CC..(i never noticed that)…anyway NOOOOoooo…! (have you seen how many games classic games these buggers have churned out over the years?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCE_Studio_Liverpool
:(
cc_star | 29/01/2010 09:37
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Jeez, some great games and franchises there. A few could do with a re-boot as well
Destruction Derby is just crying out for a HD update with online modes
seedaripper1973 | 29/01/2010 10:17
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I did the beta testing for sony with regrads to the ps2 online (lots of freebies) and Destruction Derby Arenas was one of them…it was shite! (god knows how but they ruined DD)
shields_t | 29/01/2010 11:36
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2241 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
I was on that ps2 online beta program too, agreed on dd online, though the first socom was ace.
seedaripper1973 | 29/01/2010 12:37
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Yeah socom was good as was Hardware : online arena (shame they never re-made that) the nuclear missile level was cool…GET TO THE BUNKER!!
minerwilly | 29/01/2010 15:07
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1197 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Totally agree mate terribel news, I live about a mile away and used to walk through their carpark on the way to work in boring Barclays Call centre for many years . I used to try and get a peek through the darkened glass to see what new games they where conjuring up in there .
My Neighbour 2 doors up has worked there since the Pysgnosis days and I really hope hers and as many people as possible survive the dreaded bullet .
Jumping Monks | 29/01/2010 08:38
Legend
1318 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
No way… this is just devostating. WipEout HD, and all the others are like one of my favourite games.
This sucks. Good luck to them finding new jobs, they’re certainly talented enough.
superjag86 | 29/01/2010 08:40
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820 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
This would be terrible news. Studio Liverpool have given Sony nothing but the best over the many years they’ve been making games. They did an amazing job with WipEout HD?Fury and the WipEout PSP games. I still play their F1 game on the PS3 it was that good.
If they do lose their jobs and don’t get reintergrated within Sony it will be a terrible shame and like nofi I wish them all the best in finding something new.
aerobes | 29/01/2010 12:49
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2020 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
This is pretty devastating as WipEout HD and Fury are my most played PSN games and play their F1 title still too, I hope upon hearing this news other Devs are chomping at the bit to sign up their talents or they club together and form a new indie company.
jonny_bolton | 29/01/2010 08:45
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Sad, sad times indeed.
Tuffcub | 29/01/2010 08:47
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Terrible news if true, Psygnosis were the dogs.
Aitrus | 29/01/2010 08:48
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Damn it! I really hoped they would keep releasing packs for Wipeout HD with more tracks as it’s a superb game with some of the slickest graphics around. And I thought it sold pretty well – I bought both packs day one like many other and the recent bundle at reduced price must have sold a fair bit.
seedaripper1973 | 29/01/2010 08:56
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‘Update: we’ve been told that apparently it is true.’
That is just fucking wrong (excuse my french-saying that, ironically they’ll probably goto ubisoft ;) )
Anyhow, i dont like news like this on a friday, and as i stated above, why cant they cut some deadwood from elsewhere?
evilneal | 29/01/2010 09:15
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For f###s sake! What the hell are sony playing letting such a talented team go. Is the whole site being closed? I used to work next door and be extremely proud that such a great studio was in my home town (and be extremely jealous of the cars parked there!) I’ve been playing their games since the Amiga days and they’ve all been fantastic. Gutted for you guys, good look getting new jobs.
minerwilly | 29/01/2010 15:09
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Where you in Barclays too mate or Marconis ? I used to love looking at the cars and fondly remember someone had an extremely rusty but very very cool black Ford Capri .
evilneal | 30/01/2010 14:31
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135 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
It was Natwest right next door to Sony but it was about 10 years ago! Our building looked like an old peoples home compared to their shiny glass place, needless to say I dreamed about working at Sony instead of number crunching for a bank!
minerwilly | 30/01/2010 17:05
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1197 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Ah ok I know it well , I used to sneak in through that gate on Rathbone road behind the Natwest staff with those key cards so I didnt have to take the long journey through tech park .