Codemasters picks up Driveclub developer Evolution Studios goes multi-platform

[Clukos]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-11-codemasters-picks-up-driveclub-dev-evo
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ins-codemasters-hocking-becomes-vp-of-product

Huuuge news! So glad Evo found a home so fast

 

[DJ12]

Maybe they can teach the rest of the codemasters dev team that cars turn using the wheels, not some imaginary central pivot point.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Now, Codemasters, maker of the Dirt and Grid series of games, has rescued Evo, maker of Driveclub and MotorStorm. Codemasters said the acquisition makes it the world's largest racing-focused games company.

Seems a gamble in a genre that's in decline. However, if they can consolidate tech across titles, they could diversify with lower costs. Just need a very capable engine that'll support different game styles.

 

[London Geezer]

Is that gem of an engine Evolution's property or Sony's?

 

[Globalisateur]

I think Evo is a very good fit at Codemaster. Evo is bringing arcade + online aspect to codemasters and they even bring their limited Driveclub VR experience. Considering VR coming very soon, I wouldn't be surprised to see Codemaster doing driving VR compatible titles from now on and directly competing against Sony's own titles, well single title because now Sony has only one driving team around.

I mean Codemaster just bought a whole ex-Sony team that just finally released a very well reviewed product: Bikes, with a modern, complex and stable online aspect thanks to Sony's generosity funding the team for 2 whole years in order to rebuild the online game...

@Shifty Geezer It's not a gamble because I think after the release of the very well reviewed and sold game Dirt they were going to hire people in order to diversify (arcade + probably VR-compatible). Buying Evo's team was on the contrary a bargain for them as they just hired each person individually.

We've made a job offer to all employees and I'm happy to say that most of them have accepted and are joining us. We're only hiring employees, we are not taking any of the IP or the technology. It's purely the people we are after

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Wow, that's amazing. I'm very happy for the Evolution guys.

Driveclub is a great game and they deserve their games being made available to more people.

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[Shifty Geezer]

It's not a gamble...

You don't think a game publisher producing nothing but racing titles is a gamble?

 

[DieH@rd]

Hopefully they will develop engine that is a bit more ambitious than EGO.

 

[Globalisateur]

You don't think a game publisher producing nothing but racing titles is a gamble?

I was more talking specifically about Evo's acquisition which I don't see at all as risky, quite the contrary.

Overall I dunno. We'll see how it evolves.

 

[London Geezer]

Imagine if MS now buy Codemasters and get Driveclub and Motorstorm as exclusives.

Ooh the drama.


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[Shifty Geezer]

Driveclub and Motorstorm are Sony IPs (which incidentally doesn't work when abbreviated - DC and MS are definitely not Sony IPs!).

 

[Billy Idol]

I hoped they take the engine as well...one of the best looking racer imo, achieved with the first iteration of the engine

 

[Michellstar]

Imagine if MS now buy Codemasters and get Driveclub and Motorstorm as exclusives.

Ooh the drama.


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They work with Playground games which also have many ex codemasters, bizarre and even Sony liverpool.
This move would be bizarre* at best


*How i miss a proper PGRX

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I remember when all this was fields and Codemasters were known for making mostly crappy £1.99 games for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

 

[Shortbread]

I hoped they take the engine as well

I really don't see a company owned by Sony, closed by Sony, allowing ex-employees to walk off with proprietary property made on Sony's own dime.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The engine is platform exclusive though. The know-how will go with them and be worked into Codemasters engines as best it can. Perhaps even a long term objective to create a new engine. I would. I'd create something that can adapt to any vehicle based game, from Micro Machines to DriveClub to Motorstorm to WipeOut.

 

[Egmon83]

This is better for everyone!
I think everybody had this planned, I don't want to believe Sony was going to throw them under the bus like that.

I hope they create a similar visual style for the next game. GRID had excellent damage modelling..
If they put their heads together, they can come up with a Gran Turismo/Forza killer.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I think everybody had this planned...

Unlikely, otherwise they'd have been sold/transferred rather than closed.
Oh, proof if we go to the source...

Sagnier, who took over from Rod Cousens in April last year, is predictably pleased with the result, assuring us that there was "no financial element" to deal whatsoever, meaning he's significantly bolstered his team with proven talent in a deal which has cost his company nothing at all.

"We've known each other for a while," he says. "It's always the same thing when you're in the same business, we talk regularly. Mick found out a couple of months ago that there was a decision from Sony to move forward, and at that point we thought 'that's a match made in heaven.'

I don't want to believe Sony was going to throw them under the bus like that.

It's not 'throwing them under a bus.'

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Wooo, that's good news for the developers. I look forward to seeing what they can accomplish with a multiplatform game.

Regards,
SB

 

[Niebotskick]

I hoped they take the engine as well...one of the best looking racer imo, achieved with the first iteration of the engine

We've made a job offer to all employees and I'm happy to say that most of them have accepted and are joining us. We're only hiring employees, we are not taking any of the IP or the technology. It's purely the people we are after

To me that doesn't sound like they'll be taking the engine.