I just heard Rockstar Vancouver closed, it sounds like the employees could at least go to Rockstar Toronto, but god damn Vancouver is getting hit hard...

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/07/r...ncouverclosed/

Yeah just read that Rockstar Toronto just increased their space.

holy fuck

Sorry to all those affected and good luck getting back on your feet. Best wishes to everyone.

Vancouver is spitting to many studios out....

Disappointing to hear I what's with all the larger Studios closing they're doors in vancouver?!

well Matt Toner, who should be well known to the locals, is trying to get the local gov to do something about it, http://www.facebook.com/CanWeDoItHere
he's been in games since the early nineties writing and instructing all over the place and basically (I was pretty drunk last I talked to him) he's going to try and get elected and then get the gov to stop fucking over the tech industry with stupid tax breaks and stuff. or at least get them to acknowledge how bad its getting

...studios chasing the mighty dollar, always a good chance to downsize. shame. Let's hope at least some folks can make it and keep their jobs and move to Toronto. Good luck everyone!

Isn't this the studio that made Max Payne 3?

Good luck to everyone involved, hope you can land another job soon.

apparently everybody has the option of moving to Toronto or another location,
which at least is better than most closer's (assuming moving is an option)
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/09/ro...in-new-facili/

budgets budgets budgets


hope everyone lands on their feet.

Yea Vancouver is getting nailed, do the Montreal tax breaks have anything to do with that? Are studios closing and reopening, or are they shifting people around or is this just more bad news...

Whatever the cause, I hope you guys land jobs quickly!

This is brutal...I'm going to school for game design in Vancouver and I graduate in September. Wish me luck, and god help us all

Such a shame, I hope everyone lands on their feet. They did a great job with Max Payne 3.

aw man! Sorry to hear this happening, I hope everybody lands on their feet alright.

It's understandable from a business point of view to get better tax breaks etc. whatever happened to investing in a team/culture and company ? Seems like a lot of studios are favouring $$$$ over team talent / experience.

Brutal. I'm sure with R* on their CV, they will land on their feet. Hopefully some adventure down to R* North, Edinburgh's a lot of fun

I think only thing surviving in Vancouver now the Film VFX industry.

sad . hope you made it guys and get a new place !

Sad news indeed, hope all land on their feet.
Best of luck ladies and gents!

Well this is lame.
I hope all goes well with moving/job searching, guys :/

Originally Posted by nathdevlin

It's understandable from a business point of view to get better tax breaks etc. whatever happened to investing in a team/culture and company ? Seems like a lot of studios are favouring $$$$ over team talent / experience.

The game industry is a business, thinking any other way than about the dollars just seems a little naive these days. games are an investment on the part of publishers and they want to minimize cost and maximize profit, so tax breaks certainly help that. having a well established team with experience working together is good but really with so many available out of work artists these days they can close shop somewhere extremely costly like Vancouver and open somewhere with big tax breaks and still cherry pick for the best talent in most cases.
CREAM baby, simple as that.

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i would have never believed i could knod my head and feel sad at the same time... sorry to those that were affected by this, best of luck.

but yeah, this industry is just that an industry, Cream get the money, dolla dolla bill yooooooo!

seems a bit of gamble relying so much on government support - is it just too expensive to do business in Vancouver without them? Rockstar has an office in NYC which has to be crazy expensive.

I'm in downtown Vancouver 5 or 6 days a week and I've noticed a lot of places are shutting down (the famous Starbucks across from another Starbucks on Robson is no longer a thing as one shut down. Also, Triple O's, White Spot, McDonalds, some shoe store and some other places.)
This could just be normal though, businesses coming and going.

Originally Posted by Justin_Meisse

seems a bit of gamble relying so much on government support - is it just too expensive to do business in Vancouver without them? Rockstar has an office in NYC which has to be crazy expensive.

the reason they will never shut down the new york studio is because the housers live in new york.

sad to hear rockstar van closing hope everyone lands on there feet or moves to the new toronto studio