whiteguy Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 A Haze scriptwriter says Crytek purchased Free Radical, Free Radical's Rob Yescombe just confirmed to 1UP that the recently troubled developer has been bought for an undisclosed sum by Germany-based Crytek (best known for the games Far Cry and Crysis). This ends weeks of uncertainty about the future of the company, which many had guessed might be forced to shut its doors. When Free Radical employees arrived at work at the company's four Nottingham, UK offices on December 18, they found that they were locked out, with a sign asking them to attend a meeting at a nearby hotel. There it was confirmed that the company had gone into administration, a process in the UK whereby companies can continue to trade while their financial woes are tackled, hopefully meaning that the company can be saved from complete closure. On December 31, administrator Cameron Gunn of ReSolve Partners announced that although the developer would continue to operate, it would be shedding 140 staff. The remaining 40 employees stayed on at the company working out of one office. Gunn stated at the time that there had been "strong interest" from a number of parties worldwide for the developer. Speaking from his local pub, Yescombe told us, "After seven long weeks of uncertainty, I can confirm that Free Radical is now out of the woods. We've been bought by a really, really good company." He added, in what was possibly a first for the outspoken writer, "I'm so excited I'm lost for words." Then he found some and continued: "It's the smoothest deal we've ever done. It all went through quickly, efficiently, fantastically..." Yescombe said that he was unsure what the deal would mean for those made redundant on New Year's Eve, but that he hoped the company could ramp back up to its former size. Asked about what the team will be working on -- and specifically if this means we will one day see TimeSplitters 4 -- he said, "We don't know yet. We'll find out over the coming weeks." http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172598 :o Is this good or bad? I think it's good, Crytek is a very capable company imo,.. Could this mean... Timesplitters 4 on CryEngine2? My Last.fm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadril Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Great news. I think we'd all like to just forget Haze, it was just a bad mistake for the company (even greats have dud games now and then). Crytek seems like a great fit for the guy's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilya Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 They're already working on CryEngine2 it'll be released in late 2010 or early 2011. But that's good about Free Radical, I hope Crytek does good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiteguy Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 They're already working on CryEngine2 it'll be released in late 2010 or early 2011. But that's good about Free Radical, I hope Crytek does good. CryEngine 2 was realeased with Crysis on 2007 : My Last.fm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Awesome. I like hearing about crappy game companies shutting down, but Free Radical made some awesome games, so I was pretty bummed out when I heard they were closing down. Vienna Raszyn Warsaw Klushino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilya Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 My apologies, I misunderstood what the Author said about Timesplitters, I thought he was reffering to future CryEngine3 (thanks for the correction whiteguy (WHITE PRIDE!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevepole Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Awesome. I like hearing about crappy game companies shutting down, but Free Radical made some awesome games, so I was pretty bummed out when I heard they were closing down. A lot of companies aren't going to be shutting done but merging into bigger parent companies in the coming future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Awesome. I like hearing about crappy game companies shutting down, but Free Radical made some awesome games, so I was pretty bummed out when I heard they were closing down. A lot of companies aren't going to be shutting done but merging into bigger parent companies in the coming future. EAs shut down quite a few studios recently. Also there was Brash Entertainment, Ensemble Studios, ACES Game Studio, Microsoft Flight Sim Studio, Eidos selling their studio, Sony cutting some jobs in their gaming department, etc, etc. Vienna Raszyn Warsaw Klushino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodredsword Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 This makes me happy....hopefully we'll get TS4 now :D Listen to the mighty words of Bloodredsword. Tip it MGC Xbox live leader board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevepole Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Awesome. I like hearing about crappy game companies shutting down, but Free Radical made some awesome games, so I was pretty bummed out when I heard they were closing down. A lot of companies aren't going to be shutting done but merging into bigger parent companies in the coming future. EAs shut down quite a few studios recently. Also there was Brash Entertainment, Ensemble Studios, ACES Game Studio, Microsoft Flight Sim Studio, Eidos selling their studio, Sony cutting some jobs in their gaming department, etc, etc. It doesn't entirely mean that the employee's of those companies are out of the game, many will go on to other developers and others will go on to create new studios its how the business works. Bash Entertainment is a company that founded in 2007 and it didn't even develop anything good enough for it to be missed. ACES Game Studio isn't that the same as Microsoft Flight Sim Studio? I don't see why they would have two studios making flight sim games but it is a great lose but mircosoft has said it wouldn't stop working on flight sims. Eidos is not closing a studio, they just opened one in september and I don't think Eidos is going to be in trouble for a while because WB bought 10 million worth of shares in the company mid December and from what I found, they are in better shape then you make them out to be. Job cuts are to be expected in this current economy but the look at the companies that are making them, the ones that can afford to lay of all these employees and still come out with products that sell. Sony gaming department isn't going to go under, EA isn't going to disappear any time soon. What companies are going to be doing is closing down studios that aren't making the bottom line and buying companies that will help their bottom lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyPandy Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Yay for TS4! Hope it wil be as plain aweseome as number three. So don't let anyone tell you you're not worth the earth, These streets are your streets, this turf is your turf, Don't let anyone tell you that you've got to give in, Cos you can make a difference, you can change everything, Just let your dreams be your pilot, your imagination your fuel, Tear up the book and write your own damn rules, Use all that heart, hope and soul that you've got, And the love and the rage that you feel in your gut, And realise that the other world that you're always looking for, Lies right here in front of us, just outside this door, And it's up to you to go out there and paint the canvas, After all, you were put on the earth to do this, So shine your light so bright that all can see, Take pride in being whoever the [bleep] you want to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboo2 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I was really down when i heard in December that FRD closed. A world without Timesplitters is not a world I like. But this is great news. So long as they get some of the old FRD guys back working on it it'll be amazing. and i doubt it will be on the Crytek 2 Engine because TS4 has been in production for over a year and a half now (if not more), on the new Timesplitters Engine (not sure what it is... but its not the Haze engine) so they wouldn't revert all the hard work of the partially complete project just to use this new engine. Yeah...Some people just go out of their way to ruin other peoples fun.Sounds like Jagex to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Weren't they making Star Wars Battlefront 3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboo2 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Weren't they making Star Wars Battlefront 3? Yes but when they closed, Star Wars BF3 got transferred to Rebellion Developments , whno made a Star Wars PSP game once. They are hardly as qualified as Free Radical but i guess it could turn out OK. Yeah...Some people just go out of their way to ruin other peoples fun.Sounds like Jagex to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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