This news has been coming for a while now. Team Bondi, makers of L.A. Noire, has been put into administration.
The Sydney based studio achieved success earlier this year with the Rockstar published game but has since been plagued by reports of staff mistreatment. It was only a few weeks ago that we heard rumours of asset sales and reassignment of staff to Kennedy Miller Mitchell, the Australian production house part owned by Mad Max creator, George Miller.
It is unclear what will happen to the studio’s current staff or projects they have outstanding but the future of L.A. Noire should not be affected too harshly as Rockstar holds the rights to that IP.
Best of luck to all involved.
Source: Smartcompany
Origami Killer
That’s a shame, I thought LA Noire was a masterpiece in my opinion (I know it’s split opinion on the game) so unfortunate for the developers to go into administration.
scavenga
I agree. It was a great feat, and I wish all the staff the best of luck in future endeavours!
SpikeyMikey23
yet to finish LA noire. Struggling to find a reason to go back
Origami Killer
There’s more naked lady murders. ;) that sounds creepy…
SpikeyMikey23
I was so quick then to get up and put the disk in my ps3, i slipped and got my man part stuck in the VCR ;) lol.
Origami Killer
Haha!
hazelam
that shocking.
it really is.
seriously, who has a vcr these days?
Sympozium
What?…..VCR?
SpikeyMikey23
wait, thats not the best bit. Its a top loader, plus it has a remote control on a wire. Plus i have Power rangers the movie on VHS! Get IN!!!! ;)
MadBoJangles
VHS??
Bet Max ftw ;P
R4U Eldave0
*sniff* what a cruddy, samey, drawn-out game ;(
In all seriousness, gaming companies going into administration is never a good thing. Hopefully the staff either keep their jobs or move onto better things.
cc_star
Meanwhile R* presumably make millions from the title
G_The_Enemy14
S’what I was thinking. It’s never good to hear of this :(
colmshan1990
Wasn’t the game over-budget though?
I wouldn’t blame Rockstar if they told Bondi that they’d get X amount for the game, only Bondi spent X+Y making it.
I mean, what was the staff turnover again? Plus how many delays?
Still, in general I agree with your point. Developers should get more money from the sale of games they make.
Time for a Fairtrade movement in gaming?
bacon_nuts
I think i heard that, could be rumours though, although i know all the face recognition stuff was super pricey, so wouldn’t be surprised..
hazelam
things didn’t seem to be going well with team bondi, but i didn’t realise things were that bad.
i thought the problems were all about rumoured mistreatment of the staff.
if la noire was as successful as it seams, where did all the money go?
Smallville2106
That’s what I was thinking. Has Rockstar kept all the money etc?
TSBonyman
LA Noire didn’t live up to the hype for me but it’s always bad news hearing another developer shut down. Hopefully those guys will be able to find new employment.
KeRaSh
I have yet to touch L.A. Noire. It’s still laying on my desk, sealed in plastic.
themanlikedave
So im guesing that a)Rockstar will continue to make gazillions from LA Noire and b)they’re pretty much holding on to said gazillions in an almighty f you to the staff that made it?
Good going Rockstar, Im sure whatever theyre doing is perfectley legal, but is it the right thing to do? I suspect im being very naive here.
And on the subject of LA Noire, when i first started playing it i thought it was a classic, but then i went away on holiday, came back and am struggling to find a reason to go back and finish it.
What an odd thing.
e8
Feel sorry for the staff & hope they find a company that treats them better, every cloud…
MayContainEvil
Poor Team Bondi, I think they were just about the last big Aussie developer. If Rockstar announces huge profits from LA Noire then at least we know where all the money went.