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A very, very sad day

James_xeno

By James_xeno
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James_xeno

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Working Designs closes up shop

Victor Ireland confirms niche publisher's demise in message board posting on company Web site.

Almost two decades after it formed as an accounting software company, niche publisher Working Designs is gone, according to company president Victor Ireland.

"There's no easy way to say it, so I just will. Working Designs is gone. All the staff has been laid off and the office is closed and has been for some time," Ireland wrote in a message board post on the company's official forums.

The news comes just over a year after the company's last release, Growlanser Generations, hit shelves.

"We just spent too much time fighting the good fight to even get it out," Ireland wrote of Growlanser, "and other games approved."

One such game the company apparently failed to get approved was the PlayStation 2 action adventure game Goemon.

"Though almost finished and substantially improved from the Japanese release, Goemon is dead for the US, and that was really the final straw," Ireland wrote. "If I can't guarantee that the games I personally choose for us to release in the US can actually get approved and come out, there's no business to be done."

Ireland, who has butted heads with publishers before, seemed to take a parting shot at Sony in his posting.

"Sony has made it clear that they do not want the details of their dealings with any publisher made public," Ireland wrote. "Suffice to say that you would buy what we wanted to sell if we could sell it."

He also noted that Growlanser Generations and Goemon might still see a release in Europe, though details like how, when, and under what publisher were left up in the air.

Working Designs may be done, but Ireland isn't ready to leave the gaming industry entirely. He plans to work with other Working Designs staffers on projects for different publishers for the time being, and he said he would like to help bring Japanese Xbox 360 role-playing games to the US.

Ireland signed off by thanking Working Designs' fan base and warning of potentially dark days ahead.

"It's a tough road ahead for games that aren't of the least-common-denominator variety," Ireland wrote. "The choices you make with your hardware dollars are more important than ever for the generation that is upon us."

By Brendan Sinclair

Posted Dec 13, 2005 12:20 pm PT

From the Working Designs forums.

http://www.workingdesigns.com/

First of all, sorry for being incommunicado for such a long time. It's been a busy time, as you'll see.

There's no easy way to say it, so I just will. Working Designs is gone. All the staff has been laid off and the office is closed and has been for some time. Yes, the website is still here, and I am going to do my best to keep it tucked away somewhere on the 'net so it doesn't become an illicit domain. (Of course, some of the haters may be of the mind that it's been illicit all along, heh!).

The most frustrating part of all of this is that I know that our fanbase is still there. Growlanser Generations sold well, but of course not better than it would have sold as two separate titles. We just spent too much time fighting the good fight to even get it out, and other games approved.

Though almost finished and substantially improved from the Japanese release, Goemon is dead for the US, and that was really the final straw. If I can't guarantee that the games I personally choose for us to release in the US can actually get approved and come out, there's no business to be done. There is a possibility that it may be released in Europe (as well as Growlanser Generations), but nothing is finalized yet.

I know many of you will have lots of questions, and there will be some I can answer, and some I can't. Sony has made it clear that they do not want the details of their dealings with any publisher made public. Suffice to say that you would buy what we wanted to sell if we could sell it.

I want to thank each and every one of you personally for being a fan, buying the games we released, and telling your friends. You HAVE made a difference, because you bought the crazy things we did. Thanks to YOU, there are deluxe packs, pack-in soundtracks, better packaging, great hint guides, and better localizations in general. We said it a lot, but it really was true. We were nothing without you.

For the future, there are still great opportunities. I have been in touch with a number of other publishers and manufacturers and I will be working with some of the WD staff to do games for other publishers for the time being, but not as Working Designs. One thing that holds a ton of promise is XBOX 360 RPGs, and I've contacted Microsoft about getting what's underway in Japan out in the US and helping to get more done worldwide. We'll see what happens on that front, but please let them know that YOU WANT MORE JRPGs here. There's some amazing stuff coming for the '360 in Japan, and I know I want it - I think you will, too.

Thanks for everything. It's a tough road ahead for games that aren't of the least-common-denominator variety. The choices you make with your hardware dollars are more important than ever for the generation that is upon us.

With that, I bid all of us...

...Good night, and Good Luck.

Vic

:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: x 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

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Alundra Post Whore

Alundra

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Alundra really never needed a sequel, it was a good stand-alone game.

But I am sad that they are closing up shop, but it was something everyone saw coming. But what really pisses me off is that I sold my Lunar:SCCC complete set on EBay about 2 months ago for 70$.

But I still have Growlanser Generations.

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Chrono of The Black Howling Hax

Chrono of The Black Howling

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It think it sucks that they went down. They released alot of games that otherwise would not have had a chance in hell of seeing a release in the US. I have played or owned nearly every title they have released. From the Sega CD to PS2. My favorites inculde Lunar the Silver star (Original and the remake) "Vay", "Albert Oddessey Gaiden", "Popful Mail", "Dragonforce", and "Grawlanser Generations."

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Venom112 Hax

Venom112

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The results of this poll are sickening.

I know, how could Silhouette Mirage, easily Working Designs best game, not be numero uno?

And if they do, they are utterly retarded for not understanding a simple sentence.

But, then again, this is Gamefaqs.

Isn't it even more retarded to assume the implications that a gamefaqs poll is going to vastly affect the future role of Working Designs?

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Alundra Post Whore

Alundra

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That poll makes me laugh because I have never even played Silhouette Mirage, yet I was able to identify the game when I glanced over and saw the opening movie (I assume) playing on Cinematech.

But I can believe the poll though, most of Working Designs games (the recieved some type of marketing) were released when alot of the current generation of gamers were only 7 or 8 years old. I remember seeing SSSC when I was about 15 in a EGM, so that gives a measure of how long ago that was.

It's kind of a scary thing to say, but alot of here represent the demographic of gamers that is the least paid attention to: the second wave. The first wave of gamers are now in their 30's, and then there is us, the 18-20 somethings who the console gaming industry doesn't give a shit about. Sure, you can say, "Well, what about M rated games? They are meant for us!", but do you honestly believe we are the target audience?

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James_xeno Nugs

James_xeno

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That poll makes me laugh because I have never even played Silhouette Mirage, yet I was able to identify the game when I glanced over and saw the opening movie (I assume) playing on Cinematech.

But I can believe the poll though, most of Working Designs games (the recieved some type of marketing) were released when alot of the current generation of gamers were only 7 or 8 years old. I remember seeing SSSC when I was about 15 in a EGM, so that gives a measure of how long ago that was.

It's kind of a scary thing to say, but alot of here represent the demographic of gamers that is the least paid attention to: the second wave. The first wave of gamers are now in their 30's, and then there is us, the 18-20 somethings who the console gaming industry doesn't give a shit about. Sure, you can say, "Well, what about M rated games? They are meant for us!", but do you honestly believe we are the target audience?

Well said Alundra.

I still just can't believe though that so many gamers never heard of them. I know too many young 14-16 year olds (from places like 1up!) that have played WD games. The Lunars or Arc the Lad Collection and recently Growlanser Generations. But at the same time, I have to remember that this is Game FAQs we're talking about.... :rolleyes:

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