More on Looking Glass' closure
bel...@my-deja.com
Well, gee, I guess not all of us can be as hugely
successful as some people around here.
And, I'm happy to know we have such industry luminaries
who know so much about the inner workings and
sales numbers of LG writing our epitaph.
To make things clear:
0) Underworld 1/2, System Shock, Flight Unlimited 1
all sold very well, and were not money losers. Terra
Nova, BOCG, and FUIII sold poorly, and were. Viacom
killed the torturous hell of ST:V. FUII was break-even. BOCG
and TN left the company with a pretty big hole.
1) Thief sold *much, much* better than has been portrayed
in this thread, and at a very high average per-copy price. The
average retail price didn't drop below $30 until nine months
after we shipped. Including OEM deals it made millions
for LG.
2) SS2 didn't sell as well as hoped, but it was produced for
only a small margin over advances. It didn't sink us.
3) [The wood] One project was grossly undersold to publisher A,
and we mismanaged it to make the effect even worse. This
incurred unexpected costs.
4) [The coffin] After the team signed up to do a game signed
with publisher B bailed (unexpectedly and uncooly), publisher
B had grounds to pull out, did, and subtracted millions from
the LG FY2000/2001 budget. This was a disaster.
5) [The nails] Publisher C had stock, cash, other product
schedule slips, and banking issues that killed the acquisition
of LG that had been under LOI.
So there we were. Plenty of long-term income potential in
the briskly selling Thief 2, and signed deals. No short term
operating capital. Can't pay the bills, can't pay salaries?
Can't keep the doors open.
-Anonymous Ex-LG
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
bel...@my-deja.com
http://www.evilavatar.com/EA/News/M9491/default.htm
Also:
> 3) [The wood] One project was grossly undersold to publisher A,
> and we mismanaged it to make the effect even worse. This
> incurred unexpected costs.
we can guess this must be Jane's Attack Squadron. I remember Tim
Stellmarch in an interview with gamespy stated that the delay in JAS is
due to the publisher (EA) requesting in a last minute change of design.
So, can we say EA is to blame for JAS?
> 4) [The coffin] After the team signed up to do a game signed
> with publisher B bailed (unexpectedly and uncooly), publisher
> B had grounds to pull out, did, and subtracted millions from
> the LG FY2000/2001 budget. This was a disaster.
(Also according to the said interview) The so called team that was
signed up to do this game, which is supposed to be an action/espionage
game, is Irrational Games. Yeap... the co-developer for Shock 2 bailed
out, causing the publisher (Microsoft) to pull out the millions.. Is
Irrational to blame too???
> 5) [The nails] Publisher C had stock, cash, other product
> schedule slips, and banking issues that killed the acquisition
> of LG that had been under LOI.
We know who this is: Eidos. Looking at this 3, who dare say it is LGS'
fault?