JohnTC02 Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Thirty-eight people were laid off today from Red Storm Entertainment, the Ubisoft-owned studio co-founded by Tom Clancy and best known for the Ghost Recon franchise. The publisher confirmed the layoffs at the North Carolina-based stdio with Kotaku. A spokesperson for the company said the cuts were due to "a realignment of production priorities" and noted that "these team members have the opportunity to consider positions in other Ubisoft studios," a company spokesperson said in an e-mail. Read the full story. Check here for more articles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Really sorry to hear about that, the NC RSE studio was kind of like the Last Hope for the next big worthy Ghost Recon for us old timers. I haven't heard any specific names yet, I'm really hoping the guys who have dropped in here from time to time and shared conversations with us have not been affected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMF Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Very sad, but also very predictable. Ubi has been rapidly shifting its development work to where labor costs are cheaper - China, India, Eastern Europe, Brazil, and parts of Canada where they've been getting generous tax breaks. Hopefully the people who are losing their jobs will be able to land somewhere else quickly. I know there are a bunch of other studios in the Research Triangle area and maybe they're hiring. I think if they stay with the company they'd have to leave the country - are there any other Ubisoft studios in the US? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimi Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Red Storm is the only Ubisoft studio in the US. There are a bunch of other game studios in the area but like most studios times are tough and hiring is minimal if any. I don't believe that anyone who drops in here from time to time was affected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS PALADIN Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Personally I find it staggering to believe that Ubisoft would limit the capabilities of a studio that time and time again has produced quality products. All this is, is a decision by Ubisoft to further remove any hint of realism or tactical awareness from their brands. Its to hit the mainstream. Personally I think this is a ( typical ) move from Ubisoft that will further reduce their brand loyalty and hit their profit margins. Once they were a company renowned for quality, now you think Ubisoft you think delays and bugs. Anyway I feel sorry for all the RSE guys that have been laid off. You guys have made some of my favourite games over the years. Games that still can't be beaten today by the pretenders in China, France and Canada. So I want to say a big thankyou on behalf of all the true R6 and GR fans out there. I hope you guys can get work at a company that lets you fulfill the creative spirit once abundant RSE. Good luck and thanks for all the great gaming experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS PALADIN Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 (edited) Red Storm is the only Ubisoft studio in the US. There are a bunch of other game studios in the area but like most studios times are tough and hiring is minimal if any. I don't believe that anyone who drops in here from time to time was affected. Not affected as lost their jobs but scaled back on the project they were working on ( which its obvious is cancelled ) and now are there for multiplayer only for other Ubi titles. That is not a nice pill to swallow. RSE employees should restart their company under a different name and get back to making kick ass Game of the Year entertainment. And yes I know that not easy in the current climate. Edited August 27, 2010 by BS PALADIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thales100 Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Bad news for all GR fans, specially PC gamers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightspeed Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 the NC RSE studio was kind of like the Last Hope for the next big worthy Ghost Recon for us old timers. this old timer lost hope for another GR remake about 5 years ago - let it go, move on. i actually think its potentially better for games to send it to where its cheaper to produce - so they can spend more time producing quality games without having to stress about development costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS PALADIN Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 This might be a sweeping generalisation but I belive that American and Northern European companies make the best games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRP 56 Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 (edited) Must have been 38 of the RSE guys that told UBI we what to work on something that's going to be worth playing!!! Edited August 28, 2010 by KRP 56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS PALADIN Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 The Escapist Editor-in-Chief Russ Pitts revealed that as recently as his latest visit to Red Storm, in November of 2009, the studio also "had an entire team working on a secret, internally developed new IP that they were very excited about and were expecting to release in 2010 or 2011." How that project will be affected by the layoffs is currently unknown. Found this on http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.228411-Red-Storm-Entertainment-Hit-By-Layoffs Wonder if it will be cancelled or not. From the sounds of Ubi it will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101459 Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 That Company... Has so much Developer talent -- but soooo much corporate fail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiles4 Posted August 30, 2010 Share Posted August 30, 2010 To be honest, I don't think we'll ever see anything again that can be classified as a tactical shooter. If the core gameplay can't be boiled down to a game that can be played on a smart phone, I don't think it will be developed. Look at the latest mega-successful military combat games out now. You watch the vids on Youtube and there's absolutely nothing new or novel about their core gameplay. If we do see another tactical shooter, I doubt it very much that it'll come from Ubisoft. From a fellow programmer, good luck with your careers RSE guys and gals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMike Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 RSE employees should restart their company under a different name and get back to making kick ass Game of the Year entertainment. And yes I know that not easy in the current climate. Even better. The RSE people should join up with the former Infinity Ward people AND Mr. Sonedecker. Would that be the best constallation ever in the history of gaming Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMF Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Here's some evidence that at least one of the people who was laid off was working on GRFS (or possibly another GR title?). That seems like strange timing though... http://www.micah3d.com/resume/MicahSHelm.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pave Low Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Environment Artist: November 2007 - August 2010 : Red Storm Entertainment, Cary NC *Worked for 2.5 years on an unreleased Ghost Recon Franchise tile Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat50 Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Maybe between jobs he could help mod GR or GRAW. Read his resume and was impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[SFP]FUNKILL Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 RSE employees should restart their company under a different name and get back to making kick ass Game of the Year entertainment. And yes I know that not easy in the current climate. Even better. The RSE people should join up with the former Infinity Ward people AND Mr. Sonedecker. Would that be the best constallation ever in the history of gaming Mike I like your thinking man. That would be fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishStout Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 It has been some time since I have been in this neck of the woods..first off, a shoutout to all the old vets like myself. I hope this email finds you and your families in good health and wealth No althought I am not a nahsayer.. I have a feeling the reason the RSE staff have been let go, is because they had debates with UBI on what kind of a game we would truely love. Knowing UBI enjoys dissappointing us all, UBI could not stand for supporting this community. Again, just doing some old School GR thinking... Cheers, Irish Stout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkblue Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Sorry to hear this, hope they all find new positions soon. PC gaming is in a dark place at the moment - can only hope that things change for the better - sooner rather than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aragorn777 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 ... Personally I think this is a ( typical ) move from Ubisoft that will further reduce their brand loyalty and hit their profit margins. Once they were a company renowned for quality, now you think Ubisoft you think delays and bugs. ... hear hear Paladin. This was an uber stupid move. I simply can't believe it but does ubi listen to their faithful fans? Nooo. However, since the RS guys have been producing great games for quite a while, i look forward to the day they put out another GR like game and reclaim their fame. This time around, I do not believe they will allow themselves to be bought out by a bigger company. They've learned the hard way about loyalty - of the fans and of corporate execs. I hope the RS guys band together next year, for a new company and blow Ubi out of the water! Yes, ubi was renowned for quality and loyalty to their fans. Not any more, especially w/ the release of GRFs on Wii. I just don't get that release. Guns.... aren't for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.