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Atari in Trouble?


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LucasArts was hurting for money so they rushed out an unfinished product.

 

Let's pray Atari doesn't do the same.

That's a supposition on your part. It is equally likely that LA were just catching the marketing wave of the latest film, or similar M$ cash deluge. LA would have to be very poor accountants to be hurting for cash so soon after releasing a "Game of the Year" ... :p

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That's a supposition on your part. It is equally likely that LA were just catching the marketing wave of the latest film, or similar M$ cash deluge. LA would have to be very poor accountants to be hurting for cash so soon after releasing a "Game of the Year" ... :p

Really?

 

Perhaps KOTOR didn't sell as well as you thought considering that Battlefront quickly became the highest selling Star Wars game of all time.

 

However, before LucasArts was able to cash in on Battlefront they had released several duds in a row like Gladius, Super Bom-Bad Racing, Bounty Hunter, Clone Wars, Racer's Revenge, Flight of the Phoenix, etc. etc.

 

They also cancelled production on Sam and Max 2, and Full Throttle 2.

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I'm not suggesting you are wrong, just that you are making a pretty large assumption. :p

 

I wonder about the logic of canning Sam & Max; there is obviously a thriving community, so that means (unless they screw it up) there is a ready, guaranteed market for the game, and the marketing and accountants should be able to make a pretty accurate prediction on the return on any investment ... unless LA are smarter than we are giving them credit for, and they have done the numbers and the development cost wouldn't be recouped in the sales ... maybe LA is waiting for a cheaper technology or a better franchise opportunity (making a series of sequels).

 

I don't believe everything in this world is down to incompetence (cynicism, yes). :)

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I think there were two main factors.

 

1. Xmas release ,obviously means more sales.

 

2. Last thing LA wanted was for KOTOR II to clash with the big EPIII push. Given those two things were relatively close, not a lot to lose by going for the biggest sales holiday.

 

It dosnt look like 2005 is anywhere like feasable (or planned) and Xmas 2006 would be over schedule for NwNII anyway.

I have to agree with Volourn.  Bioware is pretty much dead now.  Deals like this kills development studios.

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I wonder about the logic of canning Sam & Max; there is obviously a thriving community, so that means (unless they screw it up) there is a ready, guaranteed market for the game, and the marketing and accountants should be able to make a pretty accurate prediction on the return on any investment ... unless LA are smarter than we are giving them credit for, and they have done the numbers and the development cost wouldn't be recouped in the sales

 

Quite likely. There is a big difference between a "thriving" community and how that would translate into game sales.

 

Trace Memory on the DS is the first "point and click" adventure I've seen in a long while.

 

It's currently top of the pre order charts, but there isnt much else around on the DS schedule so you cant read too much into it.

I have to agree with Volourn.  Bioware is pretty much dead now.  Deals like this kills development studios.

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"Perhaps KOTOR didn't sell as well as you thought considering that Battlefront quickly became the highest selling Star Wars game of all time."

 

KOTOR eaisly broke the million mark, and is likely pushing near 2 million. How well did you expect a RPG to sell? Tsk, tsk.

 

 

As for Atari, as long as they release quality D&D games like NWN, and likely NWN2; I don't care about them monetarily wise.

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I really hope this doesn't mean they'll rush NWN2 out for 2005 holiday release ... it would only add to their downfall. It is never a good thing to try and come back from a 20+ million lose over a two year period ... just curious though what do they all have to rebuild with ... that is coming out soon ?

 

maybe that's why they haven't been able to pump out some advertising for NWN2, you think they could of at least let a screen shot out by now.

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June 14, 2005 - Atari saw full-year profits but a loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, the company reported Tuesday.

 

 

 

For the closing quarter of fiscal 2005, ending March 31, 2005, Atari reports net revenue of $62.7 million compared to $64.8 million in the same period last year. The fourth quarter saw a loss of $9.1 million, compared to a loss of $17.3 million in Q4 2004.

 

The company plans to close its Humungous Entertainment (Backyard Baseball) operations, and reports fiscal 2005 financials both including and excluding the studio's contribution. For the year ended March 31, 2005, and excluding Humungous, Atari reports net revenue of $395.2 million, compared to $447.5 million for fiscal 2004. Including the contribution of Humungous, Atari reports net revenue of $407.8 million compared to $469.0 million in fiscal 2004.

 

For fiscal 2005, Atari reports profits of $5.7 million, up significantly from fiscal 2004, for which the company posted a loss of $38.6 million.

 

As previously announced, the company plans to close its Santa Monica and Beverly, Mass. studios. Reported income includes restructuring charges of $4.9 million.

 

"Fiscal 2006 will be a year of focus at Atari," commented chairman and interim CEO Bruce Bonnell. "We will be releasing fewer SKUs in fiscal 2006 than in fiscal 2005. By improving our business processes in order to release higher quality products on time and on budget and creating comprehensive global market initiatives to support them, we will be taking better advantage of our assets. We will continue to work with leading development studios and capitalize on our third-party distribution business."

 

Atari's schedule for its new financial year includes: Dragon Ball GT: Transformation (GBA), Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi (PS2), Dragonshard (PC), Duel Masters: Shadow Code (GBA), Dungeons & Dragons Online (PC), Indigo Prophecy (PS2, Xbox and PC), Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (PS2, Xbox and PC), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked (PC), The Matrix: Path of Neo (PS2, Xbox and PC), Timeshift (PC, Xbox), and Tycoon City: New York (PC).

I have to agree with Volourn.  Bioware is pretty much dead now.  Deals like this kills development studios.

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