Auran Developments Closes

[Dec 13, 2007, 11:53 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Auran Developments announces it has retained a Voluntary Administrator and closed its doors, the unfortunate outcome of a recent flurry of news surrounding the Australian developer that began with rumors of staff cuts (story) which were subsequently confirmed (story) followed by the announcement of a new free business model for Fury, accompanied by indications that further bad news was coming (story). Here's word from Auran's Tony Hilliam announcing the closure (though as previously stated a small team will continue to support Fury, their PvP MMOG) and confirming that the free Chosen update for Fury is still going live tomorrow:

Auran: the facts

The Directors of Auran Developments, the company that employs all the Auran staff, have today called in a Voluntary Administrator (like Chapter 11 in the US). All the staff were dismissed today. Despite earlier reports, staff will be paid for all their work to date, their annual leave entitlements, redundancy payments and long service leave.

Whilst this is the end of Auran Developments, it is far from the end of FURY and Trainz.

Trainz is the world’s leading rail simulator and has a community of more than 250,000 registered users around the world. It is published in dozens of countries and there are many products in the market today. The bulk of the Trainz team will continue to work on current projects and these projects will be released next year.

With Fury, we built up a team to make a world beating game and sadly we have not reached our goals – yet. Our performance to date has meant we could no longer fund the 70 strong dev team. However, FURY: Age of the Chosen will be launched as planned Friday 8pm GMT. We have put together a small but committed team to continue developing FURY on an ongoing basis. This core team, as we announced last week, are a passionate group of people committed to making FURY a success. We will be releasing bug fixes, content and feature updates on a regular basis and in fact they will be more frequent with our new agile team.

I believe that once people hear about F:AotC and the new Free to Play business model, we’ll start building up the player numbers and revenues that will make the game successful.

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16.

Re: No subject

Dec 14, 2007, 07:12

Dmitri_M

"Nothing worse than making a game and hearing/seeing the anti game girls in marketing talking about last nights company party while you had to stay at work on a game they advertised. Knowing they make 10X more than you, zero accountability, promising the Sun, Moon and Stars, and you have to do damage control upon release." You just described every marketing department, in every industry.

15.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 21:17

Talisorn

you badmouth the people in the game industry who have fucking ego's but not before you try to brag about how much money you make now. you seem to be a pretty good asshole but i guess the guys at EA are better at it. You fail comprehension. Learn to read more than just every fourth word.

14.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 19:47

Surf you badmouth the people in the game industry who have fucking ego's but not before you try to brag about how much money you make now. you seem to be a pretty good asshole but i guess the guys at EA are better at it.

13.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 19:14

famished

Really cool getting to play some breakthrough games like Ultima Online on a T1 while everyone else was on a modem or just getting DSL in 1999. So you were the bastard that ran around, stole my stuff, laughed in my face and ran off before I had a chance to equip my weapon? It's all starting to make sense now.

12.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 16:44

Talisorn

Fury wasn't fun at a core level. Great graphics, great features, none of it matters if the core mechanics aren't enjoyable. The problem was how it was pitched. It's not a MMORPG in any standard sense. IF they sold it as a kind of Fantasy PvP/Team Fort thing, then expectations would have been a lot different.

11.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 13:46

KillerBee

HAHA Hey Chozo. I am doing great man. How's life in Vegas?




Life is sexually transmitted.

10.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 13:17

The Half Elf

Well just happy to hear you Westwood people landed on your feet, and aren't chained to a desk at EA I'd still love to see another NOX game This comment was edited on Dec 13, 13:17.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 13:07

Chozoman

Ahh, I used to work with KillerBee at Westwood, and what he says is 100% true.

The game industry can be really fun, but being a replacable cog in the machine can truly suck.

How are things going, Bee?

This comment was edited on Dec 13, 13:09.




If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face... forever. 2 + 2 = 5

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 12:54

Surf

I should have mentioned what Killer Bee stated, it was a fun as hell job. Just the people I worked with though, not upper management at all. Really cool getting to play some breakthrough games like Ultima Online on a T1 while everyone else was on a modem or just getting DSL in 1999. Good times, but it broke you physicall, mentally and financially. I really don't see why they did that and continue to do so? What is with the churn and burn mentality? I am sure profits are behind all that equation. Nothing worse than making a game and hearing/seeing the anti game girls in marketing talking about last nights company party while you had to stay at work on a game they advertised. Knowing they make 10X more than you, zero accountability, promising the Sun, Moon and Stars, and you have to do damage control upon release. Plus you never got laid by those girls as they always looked down on you. Sucked ass. Learned alot about the game industry, life, the work place, women at EA. That was priceless. And made me one bitter mother fucker....

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 12:49

SquirrelZero

My entry into the industry was pretty shitty (started at EA, making 40k) but really, that's not bad considering I never graduated college. I'm now 27, make vastly more than that and am at a smaller company, although the crunch hours can wreak havoc on your mind/body. Other than that I don't work more than 45 hours a week. Not everything in the industry sucks ass, you know.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 12:23

KillerBee

Same exact story as you Surf. Spent 4 years in the trenches making shit money and working 90 hours a week minimum. The sad thing, I loved every second of it while I was there. I guess I am a glutton for punishment. Working for Westwood was amazing and when EA slammed our doors shut, I was crushed.

Oh well, like you I am working IT now making 4x the money with a normal work week.




Life is sexually transmitted.

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 12:18

Surf

"....working in the games industry can royally suck" Been there done that. Will never do that again. Still know some idiots that work in the game industry, in their late 30's, making 45-50k a year. I left in 2001 and make over 100k doing half the work in a far more stable and exciting industry, I.T. you work your ass off in the games industry for peanuts. The thing that gets me is the fucking ego's. The assholes at the top coming in with a Dodge Viper or Porsche, usually running the company into the ground. Its rare that you have a company where the owners are there with the grunts like it was at Looking Glass. EA was a nightmare, still is I hear. The ego's there drove me mad, just wanted to punch the guys at the top in the face. Oh well, good riddance. Game industry needs to die for about 5 years and reinvent itself. Too much shit coming out and hardly any of it is innovative. And why EA doesn't take risks or go back to great IP's like Starflight, AutoDuel, Waste Land, System Shock....oh wait, that would require work, risk and someone at the top possibly taking a pay cut. Can't have that!

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 11:34

JohnBirshire

It is sad that they put a team of 70 developers together to make a "world beating game" and all they came up with was Fury. The game caught very little publicity, nobody really noticed it or cared, and the beta event came and went. I don't even think most industry reviewers even reviewed the game. Another studio unfortunately closes, and becomes yet another reason why working in the games industry can royally suck. Even companies that produce great games often go under a few weeks later. I knew a guy in college who was a Computer Gaming major, I bet he's moved ten times and worked for ten different companies by now. Ouch.

No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 11:28

Skoll

but there will be a very positive end to the week Have we heard this part of the news yet? http://www.bandega.com - Never miss a show again

Re: No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 11:27

Tumbler

Earth to Devs:

1. Make the Game fun.

2. Everything else comes second.

Fury wasn't fun at a core level. Great graphics, great features, none of it matters if the core mechanics aren't enjoyable.

Ending Song on Portal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjGfgV7rJHI




VGfive.com - Game Trading site (Steam codes too!) Kickstarter "Game Developer"!

No subject

Dec 13, 2007, 11:01

Slink

I guess this is the "bad news" they were referring to.

- - - - - - - - - -
WoW = Waiting on Warhammer.




My Steam Community link: http://steamcommunity.com/id/slinkfsu

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