Post by keithdone on Jan 8, 2008 13:39:27 GMT 10
If you haven't heard, Auran (one of Australia's best known PC game developers - based in Teneriffe, Brisbane) folded at Christmas. I worked there on d20 games for 2 years and really enjoyed the working environment.
The news on other forums indicates they have cut down from 40+ staff to a core of 6 to keep existing products Trainz and Fury afloat.
Fury seems to have been the product that broke Auran's back. It cost an estimated $15 million in production and was released with a lot of flaws, both from a code and design point of view. For example, its essentially a PvP game but has no safety net for newbies to learn the system in a safe environment. You just get thrown into an arena with a bunch of experienced players who tend to wipe the floor with you.
My condolences go to those staff who were given their notice just before Xmas - I hope you easily translate into new jobs. Having worked at Auran, in the capacity of a writer, my overall experience (as I have said) was very positive. My only criticism was that the senior management were games enthusiasts and sometimes let their own personal gaming likes and dislikes interfere with good business decisions.
I'm sure Auran will rebuild itself over the next few years.
Regards,
Keith
The news on other forums indicates they have cut down from 40+ staff to a core of 6 to keep existing products Trainz and Fury afloat.
Fury seems to have been the product that broke Auran's back. It cost an estimated $15 million in production and was released with a lot of flaws, both from a code and design point of view. For example, its essentially a PvP game but has no safety net for newbies to learn the system in a safe environment. You just get thrown into an arena with a bunch of experienced players who tend to wipe the floor with you.
My condolences go to those staff who were given their notice just before Xmas - I hope you easily translate into new jobs. Having worked at Auran, in the capacity of a writer, my overall experience (as I have said) was very positive. My only criticism was that the senior management were games enthusiasts and sometimes let their own personal gaming likes and dislikes interfere with good business decisions.
I'm sure Auran will rebuild itself over the next few years.
Regards,
Keith