'We're Excited to Support the Dev of Memorable Experiences': Ex-Xbox Dev Looking for Work

I hope they can get some support work to keep the lights on until they spin up another project of their own. I didn't play South of Midnight and have heard it's a rather middling game, but I thought the setting, art, and general presentation looked amazing. If they can get some new talent to help with game mechanics, I wouldn't be surprised if they could cook up something really special.

@get2sammyb With so many games coming out, it's a tough sell for me, but if it ever comes to PS+ Essential, I'll be happy to try it out. I love the Bayou setting and the almost Claymation look to it.

Compulsion seems to specialize in the smaller, creative games that people are always demanding but never buy

I hope they go on to do great things, and I’ll make sure to pick up South of Midnight soon as it’s on my list (and ever growing one at that!)

@wildcat_kickz tbf the gameplay isn't terrible, it just plays like a game from a previous generation, doesn't feel modern. But everything else in the game is exceptional in my opinion

@get2sammyb be sure to buy the physical version too 🙏🏻

As long as it's on disc - we will buy.

@Batesy125s Totally. I didn't think the gameplay looked bad at all, just not anything special. Kind of similar to Kena in that is looked like it played like a PS2 game, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just personally can't justify the buy with so much competition at the moment.

@wildcat_kickz yeah thats completely fair. If it comes to PS plus, as you said (or even if it's a really good offer, like £15-20 it's worth a try, I personally really enjoyed my time with it

I played their first two games, awesome stories and worlds, gameplay fairly meh. Im still quite interested in what they create next, and glad they have been given a chance at independence.

Most studios are outsourcing supporter to cheaper countries like india, don't think they'll find anything.

@8th_Observer To be fair, I think South of Midnight's reception is what killed the hype for a lot of those types — me included.

Specifically that the action/level design sounded archaic and generic. Everything else about the game looks like a slam dunk, but actual soul isn't always an equatable substitute for remarkable design.

Personally, I still plan on buying it very soon. I just need a slower month so I can actually play it instead of sit on it.

Can’t see many suckers willing to fund their trash games.

@wildcat_kickz I'd put everything i have on it coming to ps+ in some capacity, be it essential or extra. That's just easy money on the table for them whenever they want to take it.

South Of Midnight had a good story and setting but the gameplay was about as good as a PS2 game. If this studio wants to survive they will need to work on making a game first and a story second. Also they will need to keep their budget under control because the cost and time it took to make South Of Midnight is unacceptable.

I beat South of Midnight on Game Pass, the only Compulsion game I felt like playing until the end, and it's a crude one despite its linearity, with rough gameplay and clunky combat, and the final third seems even more rushed and sixth-generation, which is ironic after seven years of development and $100m.

Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are not efficient studios either, but I get why they were grabbed quickly. Ninja Theory is a graphics-obsessed studio and Hellblade III looks to have the gameplay improved after the shallow Hellblade II. State of Decay 3 seems almost finished, eight years after Undead Labs' last game, and it's a very fun and addictive concept judging by State of Decay 2. I'm surprised Xbox didn't keep Undead Labs until State of Decay 3 was out.

I think that Double Fine will be "fine" on its own and I'm glad that Xbox didn't close any of the studios, but Compulsion will struggle.

You can't say you produce "acclaimed original IP" as your studio is being kicked out the door because you can't sell any copies. Sure, if you think journalists get to determine what games get to be considered "acclaimed", but in the real world where it actually matters, you have to earn that by more than just minor internet praise. It just sounds goofy to say we are an acclaimed studio but we also might not be able to even keep the lights on. They might very well be better suited to just be a support studio too.

Shame.

South of Midnight was my GOTY and one of the best games I'd played in yonks.

As usual gamers get exactly what they deserve and vote for.

They cast their monetary votes in favour of the usual suspects - top sellers were the same old trash like BF6, one of the worse Borderlands ever made, a Monster Hunter game that ran like a bungling dog turd on console and of course COD.

Not saying South of Midnight was perfect. It wasn't. The combat sections weren't necessary and could have been removed. Perhaps the boss encounters could have remained but ditch all the talent point nonsense and just use a basic set of skills including the traversal the player had already learned.

Again though, even that meh combat was the fault of gamers. There to appease the "it's not a game" crowd.

@8th_Observer Yup, people just say things without backing them up

Canadian/West Coast U.S.A. game dev ideas hatched around '18-'22 are AAA hot dumpster garbage. Case studies will be taught on Sony's move to Commiefornia in '16 and the collapse of their future.
Naughty Dog's incoming disaster was hatched in '20.
'Dat bayou devil laughs...

South of midnight is a very good game the only problem is it took 100 million about to make!

Yeah good luck with that who is going to invest?

If MS (who has all the money in the world) chooses to no longer invest in you, good luck finding anyone else who won't tolerate or can't afford to waste millions of dollars.

The games just did not have mass market appeal.

It seems that South of Midnight was all the studio had in the works and they seem to have zero future games planned.

Good on them if things work out but I mean hmm. They had nothing else planned?

The best they can say is we had awards, we had 2 games in the past few years, we have talent, skill, creativity and other words we can pull out of hat for a generic wording of things, we have plenty of great services, and a fun place to work. Yeah not the most appealing I'll say. I wouldn't be convinced by this at all.

If Xbox covers them enough until purchase sure.

Or they stand up fine on their own via Kickstarter or just enough of their games keeping them afloat sure but they haven't made much either.

They were going for a particular type of story telling/settings/themes and gameplay but they were far from mass appeal and even to me I respect their games as someone into more creative games, but I haven't bought or played them at all. They aren't really at my 'play them' sort of status. That and also platforms I'm still on and don't care about 9th gen at all still.

So unless investors cared already I don't think they have much to go by. They need to play it smart and I don't know what they plan on doing.

They need a new game idea fast, or a money source that's suitable enough. They need to think about what state they are in and work the best with it. If their current games aren't getting more sales they aren't going to be around long.

But all these studios wanted large budget/security or to be 'creative' yeah how is that working out for you? Sigh.

Like any business hasn't wanted other businesses, or 'money first' not creativity, security. They never cared.

The sooner veterans, Indies or others just people in general get their heads out of their butts and understand business, the sooner they will realise, but no they don't.

Even the organized game studios with Sony I go yep, I see the blandness, but I can see why they cut corners, are focused and more. The games fit trends, copy paste God of War Norso formula again for Lafuey besides it's differences. The Star Wars 4 to 6 with 7 to 9 effect. I can't wait. Sigh.

Nightingale was a fair idea but just didn't work. No Man's Sky did, I was ok with some of it's old ideas but I can respect their modern ones.