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Ignition ceases internal game development; confirms Austin studio layoffs
Eccentric, unapologetically angelic action game El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron will debut on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next month, and make for a strange conclusion to Ignition Games' internally developed lineup. The company will move forward with a new studio based in Marina Del Rey, California, and shift its focus to publishing games and seeking out more partnerships with independent developers. From an announcement this morning: "In order to facilitate shifting the publishing focus to more effectively work with innovative independent developers and explore new platform possibilities, Ignition Games has taken the strategic decision not to continue with internal development of games." New Business Development Director, Shane Bettenhausen, also confirmed a round of layoffs at Ignition's Austin location, which excised an internal console development team working on a unannounced project. According to a Gamasutra report, "around 15" people are believed to have been let go. We're told the status of the studio's first-person shooter, Reich, remains unchanged from when it was last mentioned (and said to be alive). Ignition's externally sourced range of games -- including an upcoming 3DS version of twin-screen platformer Fractured Soul -- should remain intact while the company slides out of its development jeans.
UTV Ignition consolidates in Austin, Reich FPS 'remains' in development
UTV Ignition confirmed today the closure of its East and West Coast US operations, with all future development and publishing to be handled from its UTV True Games studio out of its offices in Austin, Texas. The company also revealed that its (once considered canceled) sci-fi FPS, Reich, "remains in development" in Austin, where "key personnel along with additional new hires will create a new internal development team." Additionally, UTV's Tokyo-developed title, El Shaddai, will be released in Japan on April 28, with a European and North American release announcement coming "shortly."
More Reich footage surfaces, from TGS '09
We've seen footage of Ignition's canceled FPS Reich before -- remember those videos from back in November? -- but what about the 2009 demo reel, set to erratic German metal, shown at Tokyo Game Show? Thanks to YouTube user "JanusTheChosen" (a reference to the game) the lengthy clip is now available for the world to see, showcasing the canned title's destructible environments and Psi-Ops-style telekinesis gameplay. Additionally, Reich's apparent subtitle, "Downfall," is revealed, positioning the game one step closer to an internet meme. Head past the break to get a look at this most "up-to-date" footage.
Video: Ignition's canceled sci-fi FPS, Reich
It's been a rough quarter for Ignition. Earlier this month, the company was forced to shut down its Flordia branch and had to cancel a game it had in development for five years, WarDevil. Today, that pain is increased five-fold, as some footage of Reich, a first-person shooter in development at the Florida offices and, naturally, a casualty of the recent layoffs, has emerged over at GameVideos. Based on the five different videos we've embedded past the break, we're pretty bummed out. Reich looks like a neat sci-fi shooter with quality physics. What say you all?
