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Ruffian Games expands team by 15, 'itching' to reveal first project
While many other development studios are withering beneath the sweltering heat of the recession, it seems at least one studio is blossoming -- Ruffian Games, founded earlier this year by a number of former Fable II, Crackdown and GTA devs, recently announced that it had bolstered its staff with 15 new recruits. This is great news for the unorthodoxly expanding studio (and for the recently employed developers), but we still don't know what Ruffian is working on. Apparently, this fact bothers them as much as it bothers us -- studio head Gaz Liddon said, "Now we're in full production, we're itching to share the fantastic work these guys have been producing," adding that he hoped said sharing "won't be too far away." We hope so too, as our attention span is pretty limited as far as -- Hey, a butterfly! Neat!
Wheelman, Crackdown designers join Ruffian Games
It's fully a month on and we're still no closer to discovering just what newly founded Ruffian Games is up to than we were when it first broke ground. The fledgling company was first announced in January, formed by team members having worked on such titles and franchises as Fable 2, Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown. Now a pair of new faces have joined the Scotland-based studio's eclectic cast, including Steve Iannetta, former lead world designer on Wheelman for Midway Newcastle. Iannetta was also a designer on Crackdown alongside Ed Campbell, who also joined the company. With so much former Crackdown talent on Ruffian Games' payroll (most everyone at the company had at least some part in the game's development), the smell of open worlds and explosions coming out of the Ruffian's kitchen is unmistakable.
Former GTA, Fable 2 and Crackdown devs for Ruffian Games
Recently mentioned alongside rumors of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games has officially been formed. Develop reports that several former developers on projects such as Fable II, Grand Theft Auto, Crackdown and MotoGP have gathered to form the studio, which is based in Dundee, Scotland. Heading the studio is Gaz Liddon, who most recently worked on titles including Fable II, Crackdown, Project Gotham Racing and Too Human. The studio aims to create "the best in action gaming" on the current crop on consoles. Creative director Billy Thompson -- formerly the lead designer of Crackdown -- stated that Ruffian's "highest priority is gameplay" and that the company aims for "tight intuitive controls, well-balanced goals, game changing rewards, and player progression that will make you feel like a god!" Sounds like a good set of priorities to us. Thompson also stressed Ruffians committment to online "co-operative and competitive multiplayer gaming," and said that it is "the future of gaming." According to the company's website, the team is already signed with "one of the world's biggest and most successful publishers" for its first game. Is Ruffian working on Crackdown 2 after all? You'll know when we do.Source - Develop: Ruffian officially opens its doorsSource - Ruffian Games Website
Realtime Worlds in 'discussions' with Microsoft about Crackdown 2
Realtime Worlds honcho Colin MacDonald confirmed the studio is in "ongoing discussions" with Microsoft about the possibility of Crackdown 2. In a statement sent to VG247, MacDonald responded to rumors that a sequel is currently in development by Ruffian games, a new studio that allegedly employs several former Realtime Worlds staffers from the Crackdown development team.The statement from MacDonald relays that about "five or six" ex-Realtime Worlds staff are employed by Ruffian, noting that he doubts whether Microsoft would harm its "otherwise fruitful existing development relationship" by funding a Crackdown sequel with a start-up on RTW's doorstep. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but if Ruffian does develop a potential Crackdown 2, it sounds like Realtime Worlds wouldn't be too happy.[Thanks John. P]
Rumor: Whispers of Crackdown 2 surround new studio
We're not exactly sure how "A leads to B" in this case, but Edge claims a new Crackdown could be in development following the creation of Ruffian Games. The new studio, which has not been officially announced, is allegedly comprised of several members of the Crackdown development team, including "key members" and the game's lead designer. Realtime Worlds, the original developer of Crackdown, is currently working on APB. Of course, all this sequel talk falls snugly in the realm of rumor and speculation. We've contacted Microsoft, which owns the rights to Crackdown, to ask if Crackdown 2 is currently in development. It's a Friday, might as well take one good shot in the dark before the weekend starts. Update: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation."
