http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/blizzavision-keeps-crash-spyro-ice-age-prototype-loses-bruta/
One of the major outstanding questions surrounding the Activision Blizzard merger was: "What the hell is going to happen to Vivendi's other video game division, Sierra?" The new super-publisher announced it will be keeping five of Sierra's franchises total: Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro, the still-in-development Prototype, and another as-yet-unannounced title. We're currently looking into the fate of Sierra's other publishing arrangements: Tim Schafer's Brütal Legend (oh, Brütal Legend, we're so sorry!), Ghostbusters: The Video Game, WET, and Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.
Activision Blizzard is also reviewing Sierra's other properties that they will not be publishing: think Bourne, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, World in Conflict, et al. Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith says, "We are reviewing our options regarding those titles that we will not be publishing." Those games won't be published by Blizzavision because they're not "a strong fit with [Activision Blizzard's] long-term product strategy." No word on the fate of Sierra's classic adventure games like King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, etc.
As for the status of Sierra's in-house developers, Blizzavision will "realign staffing at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios" – the developers of Prototype and The Bourne Conspiracy respectively – while "exploring options regarding Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios" – the devs behind World in Conflict and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, respectively. Those "options" include "the possibility of divestiture." Also potentially up for sale: Vivendi Games Mobile and Sierra Online, the latter notably responsible for a large amount of XBLA and PSN games. More on this story as it inevitably unfolds.
tl;dr:
Activision keeping:
Crash Bandicoot franchise
Ice Age franchise
Spyro franchise
Prototype
An Unannounced Title
Activision killing:
Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
WET
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
The Bourne license
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
and others
Personal opinion:
NOOO not Blood on the Sand!!!
Posts
If you want to know what games the studios that possibly could be closed down or sold made:
Yeah they can.
But it's still a setback.
I never asked for this!
Nobody can convince me this world is worth living in any more.
Everybody, everywhere should mourn the loss of 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand. That made for a hilarious thread a few months back.
They pretty much admit in the article that they are going to downsize, close, or sell some of the development studios they own.
IT TOOK 20 GODDAMNED YEARS FOR BILL MURRAY TO AGREE TO WORKING WITH THE SERIES AGAIN. YOU DO NOT CANCEL THIS, ACTIVISION.
We should keep optimistic about this. The titles are in limbo (of the lost) right now, but these are pretty big titles...
...right?
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/brutallegend/news.html?sid=6195113
What the heck, Activision? What the heck?
At least prototype seems to be safe (and the only non-shovelware they're keeping) but I've been waiting so long for that WiC expansion! I just hope massive makes it through this intact.
This is just one of the many signs we've had so far.
I think they'll rebound, though. Like EA, they're a good company, with good foundations. They've just strayed from the path a little.
EA will *definitely* pick up Brutal Legend, given the chance. Mark my words.
We'll here from Tim Schaefer about it soon enough, anyways.
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
Brutal Legend, though....
Edit: Actually, Recoil might have the right idea. I could see EA picking up BL. If not them, who else, though? My money's on MTV Games.
I never get enough of Tim Schafer's creative genius...
You and me, man. We'll raise hell.
You and me? Fuck that, Schafer will be in Activision Blizzard's boardroom with a broadaxe. He's been waiting to do BR since, like, Monkey Island.
I can't see EA picking any of the ones developed by the Activision-Blizzard.
well yes besides those
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They had the game playable on the floor. I wonder what will become of the Wii, PS2, and DS versions.
Little do they know that THEY'RE the ones who are canned.
Yea, testers would be the last to know.
Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
will all get picked up.
I think all those game's licenses and in the case of Brutal Legend they are all publishing agreements. You can can game and team and someone will just pick it up somewhere else.
I haven't liked them for a while now. As long as they keep giving money to Vicarious Visions to make games, I'm not going to like them any time soon.
edit: man fuck vicarious visions
edit2: i'm just going to let my rage out now
Vicarious Visions' back catalog consists of licensed handheld games. If it's not that, it's a port to a less powerful system. Let's take a look at what they have coming up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero:_On_Tour_Decades
Yes, they have a sequel to a Guitar Hero game that just came out in the last month coming out this fall. Also on the list are Guitar Hero 4 for the Wii, and 007: Quantum of Solace for the DS. All coming out by the end of this year.
They've been put at the helm of making a GBA version of Jet Set Radio. It was an abomination. Imagine playing JSR on the dreamcast, but an isometric view with tank controls, and you had to make the spraypaint moves with a d-pad.
They also made every iteration of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_3_(video_game)
Fucking goddamnit, it better not be canceled. Those pencil pushers at Activision better release this.
Seriously, who the hell thought it was a good idea to axe the titles that actually had promise. No, wait, WHAT ENTIRE FUCKING ROOM OF PEOPLE APPROVED THIS. Seriously. What the fuck. "Oh hey we're the world's largest publisher now, quality can suck our nuts. Fuck the consumer, let's focus all of our collective efforts on World of Warcraft and FUCKING SHOVELWARE."
God damnit.
On a related note, I hope to god no one picks up the rights to Brutal Legend. I don't care how much I get flamed for this, that shit and it's creator deserve to die.