Anyone Remember Working Designs? ((Publisher))

[ChrisRay]

Apparently the company is no more. It doesnt really surprise me that they went out of business. They have been quiet for months now. Apparently Sony wasnt aproving many games for US release. Not sure exactly why. But If the way Victor Ireland handled Sega back in the days is any indication. I doubt it went over well.

http://www.workingdesigns.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118916&page=1&pp=10

 

[Dr. Nick]

Getting in contact with Microsoft to bring help JRPGs over here to the west is a great idea (if there are enough of them.). Working designs did an excellent job with their translations but they took forever to release many of their titles. Maybe it was because of conflict with Sony but I'm not sure if many people are willing to wait several years for them to translate a game like Ziria. They were a great company but man did they take their time..

 

[Shark Sandwich]

This is definitely sad news. To be honest, though, it seems like the last truly AAA RPGs they brought to the US were the Sega CD versions of Lunar 1 & 2. It has been downhill since then. Still, I owe some of my best mid 90s gaming moments to Working Designs. It's sad to see them go just because of nostalgia.

Working Designs brought games to the US that otherwise wouldn't have stood a chance here. They also truly set the bar in terms of packaging, presentation, extras, script translation, etc. I hope they have made an impact in that respect.

I also agree that it sounds like a good idea to start bringing over JRPGs for the 360! There is money to be made. I get the impression that Microsoft is also a lot more easy-going when it comes to allowing games to be published compared to Sony. Maybe Enchant Arm will be the perfect way for Victor Ireland and former WD staff to rise from the ashes?