Top 5 Studios that are No Longer With Us @ The Armchair Empire

[Dhruin]

The Armchair Empire has a short feature called The Top 5 Studios that are No Longer with Us (http://www.armchairempire.com/Features/Weekly-Top-10/top-5-studios-no-longer-here.htm). Black Isle and Looking Glass both find positions:
Of all the developers to focus on RPGs over the years, few have reached the level of quality that Black Isle did in terms of narrative. Having been responsible for the first two Fallout games, the Icewind Dale series, and what some consider to be THE best example of storytelling in an RPG, Planescape: Torment, Black Isle has a very impressive list of games under its belt.

All three series are considered to be top ten material for the all-time best PC RPGs, and arguably the top 10 best RPGs overall. It’s not only impressive that one studio made all of these series, but also that they put them out in a surprisingly short time what with the company existing for only about seven years.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=12390)

[guenthar]

Compile and Clover shouldn't be on that list since there are far better developers that should be on that list then them. Better examples would be Origin, Westwood, New World Computing, Sir-Tech, and Sierra.

[Grumpi]

Troika (R.I.P.) is missing

[Vorpal]

Troika :( ?

<3 Vampire: The Masquerade (especially Bloodlines)

[Hümmelgümpf]

Both Clover and Black Isle are still with us, as Platinum and Obsidian. Different name, same people.

[hishadow]

LucasArts.

[kalniel]

Both Clover and Black Isle are still with us, as Platinum and Obsidian. Different name, same people.

Exactly. It's the people that count, not whatever they happen to call themselves - names, and companies, come and go.

[GothicGothicness]

Origin ???

[Lucas]

Origin ???

Yeah, sigh: Origin was not only about the Ultima Saga (and the first really successful MMOG, Ultima Online), but also Wing Commander, Crusader, Bioforge, Strike Commander...

[rune_74]

Origin was one of the big ones back in the day, how could you miss them and have clover on there and I nevefr even heard of compile.

[shaf]

What about Psygnosis, bitmap Brothers and Team 17 from the 80's. I know Psygnosis use bought by Sony but very little was ever done.

Shaf

ps. There's still a rumor that Alien Breed will get done for the PC.

[Guhndahb]

I'm a crazy big Troika fan, but I don't know if they were prolific enough to make a top 5 of all time. Origin, though, would have to be my #1 of all time for this list. No studio closure affected me as much (and that's no disrespect to LG and BI both of whom I loved and lamented their loss).

[Polyester]

What about Psygnosis, bitmap Brothers and Team 17 from the 80's. I know Psygnosis use bought by Sony but very little was ever done.

Shaf

ps. There's still a rumor that Alien Breed will get done for the PC.

PS Team 17 at least are still developing, a Worms 2 Armageddon I hear would be soon upon us ....

[Michael Dean]

There are so many great ex-studios, some have reformed under other names and other teams have broken apart.
Not having Origin or Sierra on here, though, is a major oversight. They were so dominant for so long. There are many who deserve to be on the list, but these two were truly instrumental in the formation of accessible, quality PC entertainment software. True powerhouses.
Knowing several people at these studios, I also knew them to be people who really were all about creating great games, and not completely focused upon one or two key franchises, though their franchises certainly played major roles in their successes. They were more willing to take chances with new ideas, and most of those ideas were original and fun, and not just more design-by-numbers titles. This level of independent creativity is really what's missing in today's design market. Sure, some great stuff still comes out, but most titles just aren't pushing the idea envelope anymore. Furthermore, the most creative studios are usually the ones to die the most violent, turbulent deaths...publishers just don't like taking chances on medium-to-large budget titles that aren't the next sequel in the GTA franchise, and they'll kill a small, creative studio like that much faster than a studio like Rockstar. It's just business, but it's sad business that takes a lot of the creativity out of the industry as a whole.
Honorable mentions are also Virgin and Interplay...they did a lot on the development side as well...and what became Feargus' part of Interplay is really the foundation of Black Isle.

[Dhruin]

Since you posted, Michael, I'll tip a hat to Ion Storm. I couldn't fit them on such a list but despite all the drama, Deus Ex and Anachronox are great games.

[Zloth]

Looking Glass is rightfully listed as number 1 on the list so I'm happy with it. With all the mergers, take-overs, splits, and mass defections it's pretty hard to say what really counts as a loss. I remember 25 years ago, just about any game coming out of Electronic Arts was in the "buy on sight" category for me. That company is long gone. Sorta.

[Dusk]

It's just business, but it's sad business that takes a lot of the creativity out of the industry as a whole.
The feeling is mutual from the side of end-users. In these days, if I continued to play games, it would make me more of a consumer than a gamer. It's sad but I find I'd rather spend my spare time on other hobbies of mine nowadays. There are a few unfinished games in my shelf, on which I don't even care to waste my time anymore even years after the purchase.

[Badesumofu]

Arcanum and Bloodlines alone are enough to get Troika into my top 5 studios of all time, extant or otherwise.

[Grandor Dragon]

By the time Origin ceased to exist in 2004, I hardly cared anymore. Ultima IX, released in 1999, was the last attempt to catch some of the greatness of their golden era.

The name should still be on that list. It's a very subjective list, when you think about it, driven by what is popular today. Black Isle and Looking Glass are on there because many of today's games are inpired by their titles. If space-action-sims were more popular these days, I am sure that Origin would have appeared on the list.

[guenthar]

Orgin was pretty much killed off before Ultima IX since everyone was replaced on the project and made into a different game then what it was supposed to be. A company is the people that work there not the name which like said above means Black Isle shouldn't be on the list since it lives on as Obsidian.

PS. It isn't that space action sims are not popular but are not being made anymore and the most of the last ones that came out were crap.

[Maylander]

Black Isle is certainly the one I miss the most, though quite a few of the developers and designers now work at Obsidian. Maybe they will develop a "new PS:T" at Obsidian, but I doubt it - the market has changed too much.

Still, the people are obviously very skilled, so we will certainly get many good RPGs from them in the future (whether at Obsidian or other, new companies).

[Lucky Day]

broderbund

epyx

Microprose

I think technically Black Isle still exists because so does Intperplay

this would make a great poll. its certainly a great discussion topic.

What was the name of that Atari development group that made all their hit games?

[Bedwyr]

Wow, broderbund and epyx. There's a memory. Microzine from Scholastic. Semi-educational titles on the ol' Apple IIe. Great old fun.

[Guhndahb]

Aye, I'd forgotten about Sierra. Shame on me. Like Origin, they were major factors in the evolution of gaming. Judging Origin based on Ultima IX is fairly ludicrous. And let's not forget they did much more than Ultima alone. They were in no way a one trick pony.

LucasArts still exists, but has been but a shadow of its former self (yes, there is some rekindled hope on that front recently).

Ion Storm is a tricky one. While they'd be in a top 5 favorite list for me (Deus Ex may be my all time favorite game), like Troika, I don't know if I'd put them in my top 5 dead studios. I guess it depends on how you define the meaning of this list. I was defining it on how the company impacted gaming. While I adore Ion Storm and Troika, I don't feel they made the same impact as Origin or Looking Glass or Sierra. But perhaps that's unfair. Those older companies existed in a more formative time in gaming history, so I suppose it was inevitable they'd be changing the landscape of gaming. There WERE the landscape of gaming.

(Woah, got a whole nostagic wave when Lucky and Bedwyr mentioned Microzine and broderbund. Must...resist...temptation...to...break...out...][e emulator.)

Anyways, fun topic indeed. :)

Edit: SSI is worthy of mention as well.

[Oxlar]

This list is bunk. You could do a top ten and 3 of those on this list shouldn't be on it.

[donjn]

I hate lists...lame.

Troika and Origin not here makes this list null and void.

[rune_74]

Wow, to say that origin would be there if space operahs were popular....it looks like you got on late to the origin bandwagon....the last ultima was released by ea after they had bought origin....hence alot of the problems with the game(alot of the original team was no longer there)

bioforge, wing commander, renegade, strike force....I think origin was one of my favs back in the day...every release by them was a solid title.