Ion Storm Shuts Down

[TazmanianDevil]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/10/news_6118364.html

 

Well, I guess that answers the question about them releasing a TDS editor. It's all up to DarkMod now :-).

[Subjective Effect]

Let's not jump the gun re T3Ed.

[Dram]

New Horizon said this on one of the Dev forums:

This was posted on somethingawful.com by one of the employess at Ion Storm.

 

Well, we knew it was coming, but we just weren't sure when. We received a "company meeting" e-mail for 10 am today, so we knew what to expect.

 

Eidos is "consolidating" and this was most likely a result of their inability to sell the company as-is. The really sucky part is that we were working on something pretty damn revolutionary, and had learned a lot of lessons from the DX2/Thief 3 reactions. And many of the people who had made bad decisions in the past were either in different positions or no longer with us.

 

A big part of our closing was due to the fact that the game we were designing probably wasn't going to sell "enough", despite having a broader appeal and stronger focus.

 

At any rate, another intellectual/nerd/niche developer dropped out today.

 

This therefore means that Ion Storm IS closing down. It all so means 2 other things (possibly):

1: No Thief 3 Editor

2: and now it's up to us to keep the spirit of Thief going.

 

I personally would've liked to see a Thief3 Editor too, but it looks like that's impossible now.

 

--Dram

[Renzatic]

Just because they've shut down the studio doesn't mean they won't have someone finishing up the editor. One guy that used to work for ISD kept putting out Anachronox patches long after they closed the doors.

[Dram]

I hope you're right Renz, I hope you're right .

[oDDity]

I don't.

[TazmanianDevil]

I don't.

I kind of agree with oDDity actually. From what I see in Dark Mod, I don't really care about a TDS editor given that the Dark Mod tools on top of the Doom 3 engine would be significantly better in terms of gameplay potential and engine performance. I can't know that for a fact, but I am willing to believe. Of course, we are going to have to wait a long time for Dark Mod to finish and a TDS editor could probably be released sooner, but I'm a patient person.

[Guest Guest]

I kind of agree with oDDity actually. From what I see in Dark Mod, I don't really care about a TDS editor given that the Dark Mod tools on top of the Doom 3 engine would be significantly better in terms of gameplay potential and engine performance. I can't know that for a fact, but I am willing to believe. Of course, we are going to have to wait a long time for Dark Mod to finish and a TDS editor could probably be released sooner, but I'm a patient person.

There's always a chance that Ion Storm will still look after their fans, I mean look at legend entertainment (makers of Unreal II). Those guys were shutdown by Atari but then they themselves joined a mod team that took one of their multiplayer gametypes to the Unreal Engine (UTXMP).

 

No offence meant to you guys, judging by the shots you do have skillz, but I'd rather have those guys working on it (afterall they knew how the engine worked and could get the best out of it, and you guys are just using an engine made by someone else - thus you have less experience)

[oDDity]

They were also using an engine made by someone else, and only managed to make a half decent game with it - and that's being generous.

I seriously doubt Eidos will waste any man hours on a TDS editor, they've more important fish to fry.

[New Horizon]

They were also using an engine made by someone else

I was going to mention that myself. Tis true, tis true. I think we're on pretty even ground, if not better off since the Doom engine already has a Thiefy feel.

[sparhawk]

No offence meant to you guys, judging by the shots you do have skillz, but I'd rather have those guys working on it (afterall they knew how the engine worked and could get the best out of it, and you guys are just using an engine made by someone else - thus you have less experience)

 

I don't know why always this appeal for authority is presented as if it were an argument. The are devs we are devs. Just because we don't get paid for it doesn't mean ANYTHING. I can tell you that I met programmers on my job who have "skills" on their resume and grads and whatnot, and still they don't know shit and come to me asking me. I am project leader for various software projects and I have team members which have grads while I have none. This doesn't really mean anything.

 

They are working with compilers, we are working with compilers. Their modelers work with exactly the same applications as ours do and the same is true for our texturers and other team members. And to be honest. When I compare the quality of the animations or textures against the one from TDS then I would know who to bet my money on regardless of them being "professionals". I cant speak for the sound because a driver bug seemed to prevent me from hearing most of the sounds in TDS, but judging what our guys deliver I don't see any problem either.

[Guest FFM fan]

Screw Eidos!

 

Thank you to all of the wounderfull TDM moders out there, with the Doom 3 tools at your hand you can create a better Thief DS version!

 

I look forward to your work.

 

PS: You would all rock if you make a MP version, but one thing at a time. We're all waiting.

[Dram]

No offence meant to you guys, judging by the shots you do have skillz, but I'd rather have those guys working on it (afterall they knew how the engine worked and could get the best out of it, and you guys are just using an engine made by someone else - thus you have less experience)

Just a note.

If they "knew" what they were doing, how come they could'nt release the editor already?

If they "knew" what they were doing, how come there were so many bugs (ie: saving bug, etc)?

If they "knew" what they were doing, how come it turned out the way it is (ie: FPS Thief. In all difficulties you can kill)?

and if they "knew" what they were doing, how come the game sold so little?

 

The answer?

They did'nt know what they were doing. They are relatively new and have some experience(but nowhere near as much as ID for example), but I would bet that many of the Dark Mod members have much more experience (Corth, our new member, has a grad in graphical design, etc) and so how come IS's models look like something I'd see in anime.

 

I'm not trying to be condescending, I just hate when someone goes and says that because we are not a company, we have:

1: NO experience, and

2: Don't know what we're doing.

 

I'm not pointing at you, I just hate that idea in general . Tell me truly, do you think that oDDity's and Corth's models are'nt as good/better then the ISA one's?

 

Not only that, but TYROT HAS experience in industry. So just keep an open mind ('cos Ion Storm are'nt another race, they ARE humans, just like us).

 

Sorry if you take that personally .

 

--Dram

[Macsen]

To be fair to Thief: Deadly Shadows, I think the anti-fans are responsible for much of the negative opinion of the game. I played it again today for inspiration, and found it to be a good game.

 

But the fact is that the Dark Mod makes any potential T3Ed obsolete from the get go, so I'm not fussed if they release it or not. I was fussed before I joined the Dark Mod, because I hadn't seen how good a Thief-like experience they were creating.

[saxmeister]

Hey guys-

 

Here's something that we all wish we would have seen over at the Ion Storm Forums.....

 

First of all, a semi-tribute....

Edited February 12, 2005 by saxmeister

[saxmeister]

And this.... *evil grin*

[Ishtvan]

Let's not spend too much time blowing our own horn. Back to work!

[saxmeister]

SIR, YES SIR!!!!!!!!!

[oDDity]

There's noting wrong with letting people know we have a horn though.

[sparhawk]

... or blowing it.

[Springheel]

There's noting wrong with letting people know we have a horn though.

 

I think you did that quite well in the other thread....

[NeonsStyle]

I'm not trying to be condescending, I just hate when someone goes and says that because we are not a company, we have:

1: NO experience, and

2: Don't know what we're doing.

 

I have to agree with you there. I've seen some company stuff that is terrible. Thief 1 was perfect example and thief 2, Great games... love em... but model n texture quality, and mapping quality just isn't as good as alot of the amateur designers I've seen.

 

Given the screens I've seen, the models in particular look extremely professional.. in fact better than professional... they look like they have the attention to detail only love can do...

 

Companies never have the time to do that.

 

Venus

[Vadrosaul]

Developers can have their end product hugely impacted by the publishers whims. I don't know how far EIDOS pushed their ideas on Ion Storm, but I believe they were the ones to push hard for console games and keep PC as an afterthought.

 

Sometimes a publisher can be a blessing, just look at Bethesda letting HEadfirst Productions take their sweet time on Call Of Cthulhu, meanwhile ignoring all the whiners who want games to release on their time.

[Dram]

The reason that Eidos and the rest would want the game on console and "maybe" on pc is because for the consoles like XBox, etc, it's much harder to burn, nowadays very common, and makes people have to buy a frickin useless console JUST so they can play a game. Of course, there are console emulators for pc which solve just that problem

[Subjective Effect]

There is one area in which T3Ed could be far, far superior to TDM - The City.

 

The City could be expanded upon (see the Map Project over at TTLG Thief Gen forums) and new missions could be plugged into it. I've talked all about this over at thiefpetition.com.

 

And I think it is early to knock T3Ed - you have no idea what it will be like. I know the D3 engine is next-gen in comparison but still, you don't know.