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Pandemic Announces New Mercenaries Sequel
by Leigh Alexander [PC, Console/PC]
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November 24, 2009
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Following a massive staff reduction and the integration of its core team into Electronic Arts' Los Angeles studio, Pandemic Studios has announced that it's developing a new Mercenaries game.
The project has the working title of Mercs Inc., though the studio didn't reveal platforms, stating only that it's "in the early stages of development" at EALA. It'll be a new entry in one of the studio's flagship franchises, which began in 2005 with Mercenaries and was followed up by Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.
It marks the first title to be begun by Pandemic following EA's recent reorganization. On December 8, the studio will release The Saboteur, the project it's been developing since EA acquired the studio late in 2007.
"We are very excited to announce a new installment in the popular Mercenaries series because it demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic's rich catalogue of intellectual properties," said EA senior VP and group general manager Nick Earl in a statement.
"From the studio at EALA, a core creative team is forging new ground and conceptualizing new ideas for this exciting franchise."
Electronic Arts recently announced it would cut 1,500 jobs company-wide, as its second fiscal quarter net losses widened to $391 million.
Shortly thereafter, the company confirmed it had closed down Pandemic's physical studio and transferred a "core IP team" to be integrated with EALA. At the time, Earl said in an internal memo that "the Pandemic brand and franchises will live on."
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Palming off licenses to other developers often results in a substantial drop in quality of the title.
Keeping teams together should be more of a focus for large developers/publishers, as thats where the true value lies, building a working group of developers who know how to function together to make a game.
Aim for well scoped projects which can be developed in half the time allocated, and aim for low turnover rates. Make sure the team is in charge of hiring its new members, that includes upwards and downwards in the heirarchy.
If you can build and retain a team which has the experience of several shipped titles you will find they can really achieve high development velocities and can probably make a successful product out of a wide variety of IPs or game concepts. For example, how often is a teams 'investment in tools knowledge' a factor considered by a publisher or large developer in the decision making process? Also often times, if the same team gets the chance to iterate on their own toolset which they used on the previous title, their advantage in tool maturity and the ability to use those tools effectively will be amplified for the second title.
This apparent move to the hollywood style contractual model of game development (ie: hire everyone, make a game, disband everyone) is understandably to save costs for enormous team sizes, however i think an equal or greater value product or franchise can be made by fewer people with a smaller scoped idea. Smaller scope does not mean smaller success...
just a thought....
No details on who or how many Pandemic developers are apart of the "core IP team"
No detail on game platform, release target, or general theme/setting of the "new" game
This is why public companies are bad in my opinion. Salary and bonuses are tied to stock options, which is tied to stock valuation, which is tied to forecast of future company valuation. So how do you artificially raise future company valuation and at the same time justify shutting down an asset that was purchased at a cost that was not exactly in the shareholders best interests? Announce a new title. How you can announce something that doesn't even exist is beyond me. It is like telling your friends you're "pregnant" when you aren't even having sex with anyone. Here is the press release for that:
"We are very excited to announce the latest addition to the successful Bob family line of children. Based upon my birth and the birth of my father we expect another successful entry into our family’s series of children and want to extend our commitment to the Bob family line. The working title of the child is "Bill Bob" and we are at the very early stages of development, and as soon I find a mate we will begin R&D in earnest."