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[Gaiff]

Those guys have a stellar record over the past 10 years with consistently creative and very good games. Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media in 2021 so I imagine Redfall was around 60% done by that time and it was too late to change its direction.

This studio has been on the verge of greatness for a while but doesn't seem to have the budget to really catch the public eye. Why Zenimax hasn't given them a proper budget for their games is beyond me but this could simply be that they don't have the funding due to their most important titles being Fallout and TES.

After Redfall, I hope Microsoft just gives Arkane Studios a blank cheque to go balls to the walls with a proper AAA game. It's sad to see them stuck at being a AA developer when they have the talent to break into the AAA scene and produce even better games.

Seeing the cartoony styles of Deathloop and Redfall just makes me think: Yep, these are guys who don't have the money for better visuals, production values, and more ambitious projects.

 

[ckaneo]

All their games flop. No chance

 

[adamsapple]

I hope they revisit Prey.

 

[Henry Panic]

That's what they did for Redfall, and they delayed it too.

I don't think money is the issue, Arkane has no one to verify their choices. Many of their games are good but have a limited audience.

They need help going one step further to a broader audience with less freedom.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Deathloop was certainly a game designed around certain budget limitations but I don't really get that same feeling from Redfall, which seems quite ambitious in scope.

Stylized art is not a budgetary concern, I think they just like making worlds that feel strange and unreal.

 

[Hendrick's]

Let's see how Redfall is first.

 

[kicker]

Those guys have a stellar record over the past 10 years with consistently creative and very good games. Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media in 2021 so I imagine Redfall was around 60% done by that time and it was too late to change its direction.

This studio has been on the verge of greatness for a while but doesn't seem to have the budget to really catch the public eye. Why Zenimax hasn't given them a proper budget for their games is beyond me but this could simply be that they don't have the funding due to their most important titles being Fallout and TES.

After Redfall, I hope Microsoft just gives Arkane Studios a blank cheque to go balls to the walls with a proper AAA game. It's sad to see them stuck at being a AA developer when they have the talent to break into the AAA scene and produce even better games.

Seeing the cartoony styles of Deathloop and Redfall just makes me think: Yep, these are guys who don't have the money for better visuals, production values, and more ambitious projects.

I feel like a lot of money only makes better games when there is a clear direction and scale for the game that won't change significantly with the cash injection. A lot of the best games of all time were made under strict limitations in terms of funding, dev time, manpower, engine expertise, and so on.

That said, I would like to see arkane develop something with a bigger budget and more dev time though

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

For that to happen I think both Arkane studios would need to merge and work on one title

 

[Supple]

I hope Arkane returns to single-player games and branches out to third-person adventure games as Guerilla Games did. Multi-player games ruin talented game studios.

 

[Mozzarella]

You can make great games with AA budget (old RE and Souls game for example), i dont think you need mega AAA budget for these games, actually i think the bigger the budget the higher the risks so the result is a safe game probably.
It seems to me Arkane has no core fanbase, they dont listen to their fans and the fanbase isn't big enough to make an impact.
I dont think visuals are budget issue for them, its probably their style for these games, maybe thats what suits the target audience.

 

[simpatico]

You think it had a lower budget than Atomic Heart? Redfall's shortcomings are self inflicted. Who is this studio and what have they done with Arkane?

 

[Astray]

What's the use of more budget when they are forced to develop for a far inferior piece of hardware? What they need is direction to focus on their strengths, and MS just don't have that yet.

For that to happen I think both Arkane studios would need to merge and work on one title

There's an entire atlantic ocean between them

 

[SEGA_2012]

Imho they should be dismantled. Their last games were horrible and Redfall looks terrible so far.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

If Prey released on Gamepass in 2019 it would of found a huge audience. The people who played Prey really enjoyed it. The game was just hard to market. And Arkane doesn't need a massive budget, they need creative freedom. Gamepass gives them that ability. It's just too bad Microsoft didn't just have Arkane scrap Red Fall years ago. It's pretty apparent to me it started out as a GAAS game but that changed once Microsoft purchased them

 

[Sanepar]

Problem is a lot of talented staff left Arkane after aquisition.

 

[AJUMP23]

Limits inspire creativity.

 

[Balducci30]

Imho they should be dismantled. Their last games were horrible and Redfall looks terrible so far.

Huh? How were prey and deathloop “horrible” by any metric?

 

[Rippa]

Hopefully they stop copy/pasting their FPS games and make something interesting in 3rd person.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

There's an entire atlantic ocean between them

Many teams are now global in nature, not relying on a singular studio. Just look at CD and the Initiative as an example

 

[Chukhopops]

Yeah let’s make everything AAA and inflate their budgets so every game is crammed in the same 2-3 genres considered worth the investment.

Don’t you realize the issue with Redfall is that it was probably designed initially as a co-op shooter to chase the trend before being redesigned?

 

[DrFigs]

Huh? How were prey and deathloop “horrible” by any metric?

I checked and he's right.

 

[GymWolf]

Dish3 or dark messiah sequel has to happen.

 

[Zuzu]

I want them to make a dishonored-style cyberpunk ninja game. But no supernatural powers; just give me cool gadgets please.

 

[Robb]

Just give me more singleplayer games with great stealth sections, cool abilities and amazing level design.

Hoping RedFall manages to turn out great, but a multiplayer game was never going to excite me as much as their singleplayer outings, even if you can play it by yourself the design of the world etc. has to take 4 possible players into account.

I don’t think the cartoony style they use has much to do with money though. That’s just their style and it works for them. You can definitely tell when you’re looking at an Arkane game vs. anything else. At least I can. Doubt more money will make them go in a different direction.

 

[Balducci30]

I checked and he's right.

That’s just bad taste then

 

[Balducci30]

Hopefully they stop copy/pasting their FPS games and make something interesting in 3rd person.

What are takes like these. Preposterous. There’s enough 3rd person games

 

[lh032]

I actually love prey and dishonoured, both were great games.
Perhaps redfall will turn out good.

 

[Three]

After Redfall, I hope Microsoft just gives Arkane Studios a blank cheque to go balls to the walls with a proper AAA game. It's sad to see them stuck at being a AA developer when they have the talent to break into the AAA scene and produce even better games.

Seeing the cartoony styles of Deathloop and Redfall just makes me think: Yep, these are guys who don't have the money for better visuals, production values, and more ambitious projects.

I don't think the graphics of Deathloop and Redfall have a budget issue. It's the art style they've willfully chosen.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I don't think that's how it works....arkane has been given all the resources they need and they've pitched and developed the games they've wanted.....

They've delivered awesome games....soooooo, I don't know what else they can do?

 

[Rippa]

What are takes like these. Preposterous. There’s enough 3rd person games

One: It’s my take.

Two: The ratio of FPS to TPS games are 75/25.

Three: Arkane develops nothing but FPS games. Similar to Bethesda and the majority of Microsoft’s studios.

 

[Bragr]

One: It’s my take.

Two: The ratio of FPS to TPS games are 75/25.

Three: Arkane develops nothing but FPS games. Similar to Bethesda and the majority of Microsoft’s studios.

Buddy, what is the deal with the green text?

 

[ungalo]

They should stick to their craft. As for budget i doubt the last games had really less budget than Dishonored 2 and i think Dishonored 2 has enough production value, enough to fully realise what it intended to do (except for the poor optimization at launch). Same for Prey actually.

I mean if they can make a bigger game i'm all for it, but not for their style to be diluted in a generic mix like Redfall.

They could go back to their roots with Arx Fatalis or Might & Magic (not saying they should bring back the IPs themselves), a return to this kind of setting, a certain emphasis on melee action or on a magic system i don't know...plenty of things they could explore. Even a Dishonored 3 would be fine, i don't care if it doesn't sell well.

 

[yurinka]

I want them to make a dishonored-style cyberpunk ninja game. But no supernatural powers; just give me cool gadgets please.

This would be awesome

 

[squarealex]

More GaaS, like the plan.

 

[Fuz]

I want them to make a dishonored-style cyberpunk ninja game. But no supernatural powers; just give me cool gadgets please.

That would be great. But we already have something like that, they're called "Thief".

 

[diffusionx]

I think they're more likely to get shut down than get a blank check, honestly.

 

[Griffon]

Arkane is not long for this world.

 

[Laptop1991]

Dishonored and Prey are really really good games, the first Dishonored didn't flop and has sold 4 to 5 million to date, Dishonored 2 didn't sell as well due to the bad port on PC and bad reputation and sales that come from bad product's that's relevant now with the bad port's that keep getting released and Dishonored 2 is a great game once it worked ok, and Prey also suffered from this as it was released not long after Dishonored 2, only about 6 month's, i loved all 3 of them.

A blank cheque won't work unless they care about the actual product's they release, they don't!, only making money, which sums up the current state of the industry imo, and if as someone has posted, the original Arkane devs arn't there anymore then it won't make a difference.

 

[GHG]

Imho they should be dismantled. Their last games were horrible and Redfall looks terrible so far.

Ah yes, this is just what the acquisitions are for.

 

[Teletraan1]

This studio is more likely to be shuttered under MS than given a larger budget.

 

[Beechos]

Yes please... maybe they can finally ditch the cartoony artstyle in all their games and they will sell better. Alot of people see that artsyle and dont give it a second glance im 100% certain they wouldve sold way better with a realistic artstyle. Deathloop is prob their only game that fits in a cartoony artsyle.

 

[Chukhopops]

I think they're more likely to get shut down than get a blank check, honestly.

Arkane is not long for this world.

This studio is more likely to be shuttered under MS than given a larger budget.

Why close a studio that produce well-reviewed games with a dedicated fan base on a AA budget? Is MS going to close Double Fine too?

Deathloop had 20k peak players at launch on Steam, Prey 25k, Dishonored 19k and Dishonored 2 25k - completely fine numbers and that’s only the PC part.

Such a weird way to cope with the acquisition.

 

[BigbyTheSheriff]

Some really fucking stupid takes in this thread. How predictable.

 

[StereoVsn]

The issue is that Dishonored and Prey didn't sell, which is a damn shame as these games were excellent.

Hence the pivot to Deathloop (meh) and now Redfall (doesnt look good at all). If MS allows them to make a proper SP game I think they can get back at it, but so far anything MP, even async MP doesn't work.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Definitively the most underappreciated studio around. They've consistently put out high quality, interesting and unique games. They aren't ALL life changing experiences, but they are doing things that pretty much no one else is doing and are essentially the only studio in the AAA space keeping the Immersive-Sim genre alive on a world stage even if they're games don't sell as well as they should. I have high hopes for Redfall and look forward to trying to play it with my friends and family.

 

[jm89]

As long as the blank cheque includes them going back to what they are good at, it seems like they are doing a rocksteady and going for that coop GAAS market

 

[It's all in the wrist]

I loved Prey, but the rest of their games are super gimmicky.

They're talented, but they dont make appealing games. Theres always some hook that ruins the experience for me.

 

[damidu]

might not have been blockbusters but their single player stuff have been solid.
they should get back to that.
no more gaas bullshit, redfall looks awful

 

[jm89]

I loved Prey, but the rest of their games are super gimmicky.

They're talented, but they dont make appealing games.

I feel like they are just that one step away from making something really amazing. They've always created games with such good foundations and design.

 

[diffusionx]

Why close a studio that produce well-reviewed games with a dedicated fan base on a AA budget? Is MS going to close Double Fine too?

Deathloop had 20k peak players at launch on Steam, Prey 25k, Dishonored 19k and Dishonored 2 25k - completely fine numbers and that’s only the PC part.

Such a weird way to cope with the acquisition.

Prior leadership but Dishonored 2 was a sales disappointment and I doubt whatever the next game was did any better.

Bethesda and Arkane Studios put Dishonored franchise on hiatus

It seems that Arkane Studios has decided to put the Dishonored franchise to bed. Lead designer Richard Bare told VG24/7 in a recent interview that the series...

www.techspot.com

Deathloop was also a poor game by their standards, I doubt it did very well on any platform, and Redfall... lmao. Look, it has nothing to do with the acquisition, I have a PC that can play any of their games, stop thinking that any criticism or negative comments about any Microsoft game is butthurt PS5 owners. At some point these studios need to be sell units and be held accountable or MS is just pissing money down the drain endlessly.