By Jim Rossignol on December 9th, 2011 at 6:50 pm.
LATEST UPDATE: GSC’s twitter this morning announced there will be an official statement on Monday.
1c Ukraine’s Sergey Galenkin has blogged about the closure of GSC. He states: “GSC is closed, a fact confirmed by all. The team is almost completely dissolved, the state has only a few people.” Galenkin blames the cost of developing a PC only shooter for a European audience, and a failed console publishing deal, for the collapse of the developer.
The rest of the story, as it happened, below.
FOURTH UPDATE: GSC’s social media manager announces he is looking for a new job here.
THIRD UPDATE: GSC have got back to me with “Sorry, no comments at this point.” That does not sound promising.
SECOND UPDATE: The denial tweet has now been deleted. Hmm. Still trying to get confirmation on this, but it’s looking like GSC is down. Dmitri Bourkovski (apparently not a GSC employee) has just tweeted “Not PR. GSC closed.”
FIRST UPDATE: GSC deny the report on their twitter here. We’ve contacted them for a comment.
ORIGINAL: According to this report from Ukrainian news site UkraNews, GSC has been shut down by owner Sergei Grigorovich. The closure was apparently announced to the workforce earlier today. The autotranslation is messy, so if anyone can explain the sixth paragraph – which tries to speculate on what was going on – accurately, that would be great.
09/12/2011 at 15:35 CMaster says:
What?!
09/12/2011 at 15:40 MisterT says:
ITS A FAKE
https://twitter.com/gscstalker
Or maybe not the tweet was deleted.
shit
wait
maybe
no
yes
I don’t know
THEY PLAY WITH OUR EMOTIONS LIKE PUPPETS
09/12/2011 at 15:43 Jim Rossignol says:
Or, more accurately, it’s impossible to say what’s going on at the moment. We need a clearer statement than a tweet.
09/12/2011 at 15:44 Jerakal says:
Get back in here, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
09/12/2011 at 15:48 CMaster says:
Said tweet appears to have now been deleted.
“Don’t just stand there, I said come eeeen!”
09/12/2011 at 16:01 Harley Turan says:
Confirmed, GSC is closed.
https://twitter.com/#!/Bourkovski/status/145146724279795712
09/12/2011 at 16:06 CMaster says:
I like how he has to say that news of a studio being closed and everybody involved losing their jobs isn’t PR, after GoG/CDProjekt thought that it would be a good laugh.
09/12/2011 at 16:22 ChromeBallz says:
Punishment for the proposed DRM on Stalker 2?
Or maybe a result of leaning too much on a single franchise, the owner not seeing a future in it.
Or Putin having something to do with it.
09/12/2011 at 16:49 Sergey Galyonkin says:
Bourkovski never worked at GSC.
And yes, GSC is closed. sorry
09/12/2011 at 17:22 bear912 says:
It would be very, very sad if STALKER 2 never saw the light of day.
09/12/2011 at 17:28 Malibu Stacey says:
At a guess you’re American.
GSC Game World are based in Kiev, the capital city of the Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin is the Prime Minister of Russia.
09/12/2011 at 17:50 Maltose says:
New tweet says it’s not closing.
09/12/2011 at 18:07 Teddy Leach says:
OR IS IT.
09/12/2011 at 18:15 AntiCitizenJuan says:
BRB, Killing Myself IRL
09/12/2011 at 19:53 Synesthesia says:
this makes me so very very sad. I’m reinstalling Call of Pripyat, complete mod, and ill cry all my way through it. *sob*
09/12/2011 at 20:13 mjig says:
@Malibu Stacy
I believe he’s referencing the plane crash involving the Polish PM and his staff, with which Russia is often assumed to have been involved.
09/12/2011 at 21:32 lurkalisk says:
@Malibu Stacey
That would be a joke, if I’ve ever read one. Perhaps directly about the odd Polish plane incident, or perhaps about the fact Putin is named in… I don’t know, most conspiracy theories.
10/12/2011 at 01:54 MikoSquiz says:
Putin is such a popular subject for conspiracy theories because of how often he has dissidents and journalists and things killed.
10/12/2011 at 03:24 scatterbrainless says:
It is so obvious that this is definitely, maybe true or not, and everyone who denies it is an idiot
10/12/2011 at 08:55 Echo Black says:
“At a guess you’re American.
GSC Game World are based in Kiev, the capital city of the Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin is the Prime Minister of Russia.”
Now this is funny! Trying to educate him when you’re the one who had the joke pass completely over your head. Guess YOU’RE the American!
09/12/2011 at 15:35 Recidivist says:
Please no. Please.
09/12/2011 at 20:27 Commisar says:
yet another example of the viability of a PC only developer… oh wait, maybe the 5 year dev cycle had something to do with it.
09/12/2011 at 22:28 wu wei says:
Weren’t they also trying to produce a STALKER TV show, with GSC footing the bill for its development?
Something like that would’ve had to have had a huge impact on their resourcing for the games themselves.
10/12/2011 at 10:48 zbeeblebrox says:
Too many of these development studios ride on the razor’s edge, with very little long-distance perspective for their survival. It’s sad, but this sort of thing is completely unsurprising. It also has nothing to do with the PC market they blame it on – AAA devs for consols fold all the time too.
09/12/2011 at 15:36 spcd says:
This cant be happening?
09/12/2011 at 15:37 The Army of None says:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
09/12/2011 at 15:57 fitzroy_doll says:
http://nooooooooooooooo.com/
09/12/2011 at 16:20 Brumisator says:
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
09/12/2011 at 16:39 Ross Angus says:
oooo
09/12/2011 at 17:11 diebroken says:
@ fitzroy_doll : LOL – try pressing the button lots of times quickly…
09/12/2011 at 19:47 Syra says:
nooooooooooo =(
10/12/2011 at 02:08 Bhazor says:
We are in the united states of Nooooooo!.
http://redlettermedia.com/shorts/the-united-states-of-noooo/
09/12/2011 at 15:38 SilverSilence says:
POOR FORM RPS I AM SHAMED
http://twitter.com/#!/gscstalker/status/145156370390454272
09/12/2011 at 15:50 Ross Angus says:
That tweet seems to have gone.
09/12/2011 at 15:38 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. says:
http://twitter.com/#!/gscstalker/status/145156370390454272
It isn’t true
09/12/2011 at 15:56 Unaco says:
Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!
09/12/2011 at 15:38 Freud says:
There is no money in games where you don’t have follow-arrows. Everyone knows that.
09/12/2011 at 20:17 LionsPhil says:
Also PC gaming is dying, natch.
09/12/2011 at 15:38 crawl says:
Fake https://twitter.com/#!/gscstalker/status/145156370390454272
09/12/2011 at 16:20 Ninja Foodstuff says:
Congratulations! Not only are you the fourth person to post that, but also it’s been deleted!
09/12/2011 at 15:38 TomxJ says:
If this is true, i’m gutted,
I thought stalker was doing really well, they had a clothing line and a bunch of novels last time i checked.
09/12/2011 at 15:39 Teronfel says:
Is this a joke?
09/12/2011 at 15:40 Galaxy613 says:
There’s no money in Russia-focused games, they just pirate everything anyways right?… right? :P
09/12/2011 at 15:41 The Pink Ninja says:
I wonder how they feel about Stalker in the Ukraine. Is it a big deal for them to have made such a big, popular, well recieved game?
09/12/2011 at 15:51 SteamTrout says:
Exactly the same as anyone else would feed about a game released somewhere. As in not giving a bigger damn than needed. Of course there are people who make a huge deal about it but in the grand scheme of things it really does not matter.
09/12/2011 at 19:02 The Innocent says:
I don’t know, Poland seemed massively proud of The Witcher 2.
09/12/2011 at 21:40 wabben77 says:
ccp received the exporting company of the year award from the Icelandic government…
09/12/2011 at 15:42 BarerRudeROC says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc
09/12/2011 at 15:44 Baka says:
There’s a krautchan thread that gave that rumour the fuel it needed to burn so fast.
A LOT of up to now unreleased concept art mixed with “GSC closed, all employers fired.” messages.
As typical for a *chan, some of the responses are extremely NSFW and offensive, but if you’re interested in the cool armor concepts etc here you go: http://krautchan.net/int/thread-8618442.html
09/12/2011 at 15:45 DragonTHC says:
Sergei Grigorovich, founder and CEO of the largest developer of computer games in Eastern Europe – Kiev company GSC Game World – decided to close the company.
On this to Ukrainian News reported an informed source.
According to him, today, December 9, Grigorovich announced the closure of the company at a meeting of the workforce.
He explained his decision to personal reasons, without specifying them.
Employees were promised that they owed wages to be paid prior to February 2012. According to sources, the company employs about 40-50 people.
Interlocutor of the agency said that part of the personnel of the company with close ties discontent Grigorovich the progress of development of STALKER 2, and some – with an interest in the company from one of the security forces, which began, according to the interlocutor, for about two months ago.
The source stressed that the above reasons – this is only speculation and version.
The company GSC Game World is working in the computer games industry since 1995. She has released more than a dozen of its own gaming projects, including “The Cossacks”, “STALKER”, “The Conquest of America”, “Heroes of Annihilated Empires.” The first two have become blockbuster, and even places of worship in the Ukrainian community of gamers.
Grigorovich became an entrepreneur in 2010 in Ukraine, according to the company Ernst & Young.
09/12/2011 at 17:26 HisMastersVoice says:
Sounds like he got political. Considering Ukraine’s current state, not that surprising.
09/12/2011 at 20:06 Adventurous Putty says:
Wait a second — am I reading right, or did security forces close down the studio because the game got too close for political comfort?
10/12/2011 at 00:27 Davee says:
Whoa, I didn’t think Ukraine was is that bad a state (if true)… :/
09/12/2011 at 15:47 Valvarexart says:
http://blog.ascian.me/2011/12/leaked-screenshots-concept-art-and.html
lots of leaked images!
09/12/2011 at 15:48 Real Horrorshow says:
It’s a bit harsh but I kind of wish they’d close down so someone competent would snatch up the Stalker IP. Perhaps THQ so the Metro 2033 guys (who were supposedly responsible for SoC, the good Stalker game) can try it.
09/12/2011 at 15:56 simoroth says:
Only a few engine guys from Stalker SOC worked on M2033. Plus, COP was on par with SOC, and in many ways better.
09/12/2011 at 15:59 Metonymy says:
Since this series first appeared, I felt it would be an amazing game if it would just drop the horrible military shooter style gameplay. Each stalker has been crippled by the usual poorly implemented attempts at realism, with realism itself not being desirable in the first place. This is an alternate version of earth, there’s no reason why gameplay can’t come first.
09/12/2011 at 15:59 Pathetic Phallacy says:
Sorry, CoP was the superior game.
09/12/2011 at 16:35 Mistabashi says:
Yeah, give the IP to the Metro 2033 devs so they make it into a linear corridoor shooter with QTEs, sounds like a great plan.
09/12/2011 at 16:53 Real Horrorshow says:
Right, because developers can only make one specific type of game and nothing else, ever.
09/12/2011 at 20:46 The Colonel says:
Stalker’s shooting model is what makes the game for me. No other shooter has come close to that near-perfection.
09/12/2011 at 23:35 bhlaab says:
What is it like to be awful
09/12/2011 at 23:38 Abundant_Suede says:
Liked the shooting. Could have done with about 70% less head bob.
09/12/2011 at 15:49 UnravThreads says:
The tweet mentioned as an updated bit of information has been deleted, so…
09/12/2011 at 15:57 Wooly Wugga Wugga says:
That tweet has been removed…
09/12/2011 at 15:58 Hensler says:
I was under the impression that STALKER and it’s pseudo-sequels were pretty big hits. That makes this news, which appears to be true, even more sad. It’s one thing to see an underperforming studio shut down, but one that really delivers getting killed off isn’t something you hear about it too often.
With it’s troubled development cycle, I’d imagine the first STALKER game wasn’t super profitable, even after selling a lot of copies, but the licensing/merchandising and sequels using the same technology must have helped recoup some costs. *sigh*
09/12/2011 at 16:09 Jumwa says:
The game being a big hit doesn’t mean the makers of the game really benefited from that, and perhaps the worlds middlemen soaked up too much of the profits to make it worth it or viable for them.
But regardless, if this is so, then I’m terribly disappointed. What a great game series. ) :
09/12/2011 at 16:33 Mistabashi says:
Sergei Grigorovich certainly did very well out of it, making it onto Ukraine’s rich list and winning a prize for “entrepreneur of the year” in 2006. The vast majority of people who worked on the game though were apparently payed peanuts even by local standards
09/12/2011 at 16:59 Urthman says:
On the other hand, with the vague hint about attention from some government agency, maybe they were making too much money?
09/12/2011 at 15:59 Harley Turan says:
.
09/12/2011 at 16:08 VelvetFistIronGlove says:
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
09/12/2011 at 16:05 Fwiffo says:
Well, this is turning out to be my biggest gaming related moment of terror since first loading up Brink.
09/12/2011 at 16:06 Teronfel says:
So,what happens now,will we ever play Stalker 2?
09/12/2011 at 16:06 Icarus says:
Wow. That’s pretty damn sudden- I was under the impression that STALKER was a pretty damn big deal. Wasn’t there a TV show/movie deal in the works?
09/12/2011 at 16:06 mr.ioes says:
Uhm that would mean, no Stalker 2, right?
edit: Which would be a terrible terrible happening ;(
09/12/2011 at 16:07 Nemrod says:
If this is true, then I’ll want to die.
I’d rather play a beautiful Stalker 2 with co-op.
I’d rather not kill myself you see.
09/12/2011 at 16:07 Okami says:
sadface
09/12/2011 at 16:09 gimperial says:
6th paragraph says: employees are speculating that the closure is due to either Grigorovich being unhappy with the way the development of STALKER 2 is going, or due to an interest being shown towards the company by a certain (doesn’t say which) law enforcement agency for the past 2 months.
Sounds like par for the course corruption stuff..
09/12/2011 at 16:12 timmyvos says:
The FSB is investigating them? That can’t be good.
09/12/2011 at 16:21 gimperial says:
It won’t be the FSB, who are Russian, as GSC are based in Kiev. But in either country, you can’t be successful without having to pay a whole bunch of bribes.
09/12/2011 at 16:56 zontax says:
got this from 4chan’s /v/
Slavbro here.
Ahh yes, the
>Ukrainian law enforcement
Considering the buttload of money they did, sounds like come fat fish wanted a cut of the cake and sent its cronies to milk or shut down GSC. Officially it will be like anon said, suspicious activity interested in undermining the “legit” government. This is how it always works in those post-soviet republics like Ukraine, Belarus, all the -stans. Such is the life outside of the Zone.
09/12/2011 at 19:44 microcystin says:
That’s the same way it works in western countries they just call it “regulatory fees” or “taxes”.
09/12/2011 at 16:11 lhzr says:
this must be the worst news i’ve heard this year. screw you rps, i’ll never come here again.
09/12/2011 at 20:29 Craig Stern says:
Shooting the messenger?
09/12/2011 at 16:12 Keirley says:
Well, my day is ruined.
I can only hope, assuming all this is true, and once the dust settles, that a good number of the staff manage to come together and form a new studio rather than spread out across the games industry and lose the special vision that made the Stalker series so great.
09/12/2011 at 16:12 googoogjoob says:
how can the ceo of a company singlehandedly shut the whole thing down for personal reasons? does ukraine have different rules about this stuff?
09/12/2011 at 16:19 Unaco says:
Because it’s a Private Company, which Sergei Grigorovich owns and runs? Ultimately, he can do as he wishes with it, within reason.
09/12/2011 at 16:20 googoogjoob says:
man it just seems weird that one person would own a controlling share of the whole company
but then maybe that’s related to the economic situation in ukraine?
09/12/2011 at 16:22 Unaco says:
Not specifically… I think it’s owned and ran by one man, because he founded it, he owns it, and he runs it by himself.
09/12/2011 at 16:25 googoogjoob says:
i dunno i just sort of expected that since stalker has been so successful with all the merchandise and spinoffs etc that they’d have investors interested in the company who’d have bought into it
09/12/2011 at 16:27 Brun says:
No I imagine there are plenty of small to medium-sized businesses in the U.S. that operate on the same principle. Unless your business is publicly traded, or has multiple owners, or you’ve sold shares to private investors, you are the sole owner of the company. As such you’re free to do with it what you will.
Investors would only invest in the company if he allowed them to, and even then if he held the majority share (i.e. enough shares to overrule all of the other investors combined) he could still close the company down.
09/12/2011 at 16:29 Unaco says:
It’s a Privately held company… Not publicly traded.
09/12/2011 at 16:29 googoogjoob says:
you’re probably right i’m just dum
still tragic though i love stalker
09/12/2011 at 16:31 CMaster says:
It’s possible to have investors and the like in a privately held company too. However, if you’re already doing well without investors, there’s no reason to take them on.
09/12/2011 at 16:38 Unaco says:
Shareholders are possible for a Private company, yes. But they are usually limited in how much they can invest, and the number of them permitted for a single company. Don’t know specifics for Ukraine.
09/12/2011 at 17:08 Ross Angus says:
Why can’t he move to the UK? Or Canada, for the huge tax breaks? Please! We need more Stalker.
09/12/2011 at 17:15 zontax says:
It’s just like valve which is also a private company.
09/12/2011 at 16:12 boywithumbrella says:
The sixth paragraph basically says there are two versions as to why the company is closing (both unconfirmed apart from an “inside source”):
v1 – Grigorovich wasn’t satisfied with the progress of development of STALKER 2
v2 – some “power structure” [euphemism for government agencies - bwu] took interest in GSC about two months ago.
[such "interest" is generally detrimental to usual business]
edit: seems like gimperial was faster =)
09/12/2011 at 16:13 Voon says:
It’s just a joke, right guys?
…..Right?
09/12/2011 at 16:16 Teddy Leach says:
Hold me.
09/12/2011 at 16:34 Fierce says:
I’ve seen enoug- ARGH! MY KNEE!
09/12/2011 at 16:14 Valdyr says:
MARKED ONE, WUT DA HEEEEEEEEEEEELL
09/12/2011 at 16:18 Abundant_Suede says:
I used to be a Stalker, but then I took…
eh, my heart’s not in it.
09/12/2011 at 16:19 applecup says:
Oh man. :(
09/12/2011 at 16:21 wodin says:
Russian Mafia…betcha…
09/12/2011 at 17:21 Ross Angus says:
Do you mean the Bandit faction?
09/12/2011 at 17:33 Nim says:
No, clearly the Order faction
09/12/2011 at 16:25 Prime says:
Holy shit. Now I hope the world does sodding end next year: a future without more Stalker games looks as bleak as The Zone. :(
09/12/2011 at 16:33 Fierce says:
You monster.
09/12/2011 at 21:59 Prime says:
You noticed!
09/12/2011 at 16:25 LTK says:
Oh no no no no no, please no.
09/12/2011 at 16:26 Hoaxfish says:
erm… which of those updates is the “current status” of this story?
Blowout soon
09/12/2011 at 17:45 Unaco says:
The top one, the one that says “Latest Update”.
09/12/2011 at 16:29 Nithy says:
Ugh.
09/12/2011 at 16:31 Sigh says:
I find it a sad commentary how many people write definitive statements like “Confirmed”, “Denied”, “True” and then link to a Tweet or some other ephemeral item. Very Bradburyesque.
09/12/2011 at 19:49 Skabooga says:
I found it to be more hilariously absurdist. But don’t get me wrong, the actual news itself is totally sad.
09/12/2011 at 16:41 oceanclub says:
So disappointing if true. I’ve only finished the original game (CoP is on my hard drive, awaiting me) but it had one of the most incredible atmosphere of any game I’ve played. Heck, it’s so tense, you’re _relieved_ when you stumble upon a camp full of fascists.
P.
09/12/2011 at 16:41 tomeoftom says:
I am so, so, sad right now. I can’t believe this is actually making me emotional but Stalker seems like a place games will never go to again, and a lesson no-one else will learn. A beautiful, beautiful game. Assuming this is more than rumour, I feel so bad for the GSC staff right now.
09/12/2011 at 16:42 magnus says:
Please, please , please, don’t let this be true! :(
09/12/2011 at 16:43 Jason Moyer says:
I love all 3 STALKER games (even the ugly middle child), but if all they were going to do is keep making sequels then I can’t say I’ll miss them that much. Of course, I hate to think of all of the talented people who are losing jobs doing what they love.
09/12/2011 at 16:47 fitzroy_doll says:
The middle child has the best mods.
I think I speak for many when I say that sequels would have been just fine thank you. All I really wanted was to go to the Zone, just to be in it. In this way, it was true to the Tarkovskiy/Strugatskiy vision in spirit if not in content.
09/12/2011 at 18:35 the licensee says:
“All I really wanted was to go to the Zone, just to be in it. In this way, it was true to the Tarkovskiy/Strugatskiy vision in spirit if not in content.”
Amen brother.
09/12/2011 at 22:21 John P says:
What the hell man. Activision can excrete 87 iterations of Call of Duty and make billions of dollars, but you’re intolerant of an innovative company making 3 extraordinary, beautiful games, the likes of which we may never see again? I’m sure you’re no big fan of CoD, but Jesus. If anyone deserves to make some cash from sequels, it’s GSC. Whenever I finish a Stalker game, I always think ‘I want to play more Stalker’.
09/12/2011 at 23:03 Jason Moyer says:
The 3 STALKER games are in my top 100 games of all time (which is about the total number of games I keep permanently installed on my PC regardless of what I’m playing). I absolutely love them to death, and barring anything being significantly wrong with STALKER 2 I would have bought that as well (most of what I had heard about it is that it was going to be a console game with all that brings, but now we’ll never know).
Of they had made more STALKER games, would those games add anything to what we already have? Maybe I’m getting old, but my tolerance for “franchises” and neverending sequels is basically nonexistent. I can deal with the odd sequel or a trilogy, but do we need every good idea milked until it turns into CoD or Assassin’s Creed? Would Psychonauts be as memorable if we were on the fourth iteration of it?
I want more games like STALKER, but I’m not sure I want a new STALKER game.
09/12/2011 at 16:45 outoffeelinsobad says:
Merry Christmas.
09/12/2011 at 16:46 Velvetmeds says:
nooooooooo
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
I’m about to kill myself.
If you want to prevent that, assure me this is not true >.<
09/12/2011 at 16:53 Mechorpheus says:
According to this (annoyingly specific free) post on Eurogamer, GSC are confirmed to have gone…..
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-09-gsc-denies-stalker-2-cancelled-rumour
This is a big loss to the industry, although I have to be honest in that I never really got on with STALKER beyond Shadow of Chernobyl, that being the only one I ever came close to finishing. Clear-Sky I never really got into at all, and Call of Prypiat just felt structureless, and too many times I’d get an objective marker telling me to go somewhere only to be totally unable to figure out how the hell to get to it, that is if quests even bothered to give markers at all.
09/12/2011 at 17:03 domowoj says:
Bourkovski doesn’t work for GSC and everybody’s citing the same sources. until Sergey Grigorovich or Oleg Yavorsky themselves come out and say “hey GSC’s closed” everything is rumors.
09/12/2011 at 17:03 westyfield says:
There’s at least one mission in CoP where you’re told to go somewhere, and you’re advised to go and ask someone how to get there. That’s not advice, it’s a command. If you don’t ask, you won’t find out in a hundred hours of playing, because the solution is the last thing you’d think to do.
09/12/2011 at 22:24 John P says:
How is this a bad thing. If you only want to play games that have a arrow hovering on screen telling you where to go, and a blue line railroading you to your next objective, there are plenty of games that cater to you.
GSC was one of the few companies still making shooters for thinking adults.
09/12/2011 at 23:20 Muzman says:
Yes, there are few quest markers aside from the main mission in COP because you have a map and are assumed to have a brain.
09/12/2011 at 16:53 Paul says:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
09/12/2011 at 16:58 earl_nuclear says:
I am genuinely sad about this news. GSC started off as a group of friends making games they wanted to make, and I think this is a bigger loss then some realise.
At this point as much as I would love to see STALKER2, Id rather it not to go anywhere, then seeing a bastard child as, for example, Fallout cough3cough. I honestly do not see another developer who would make a STALKER game.
If anyone from the GSC ever reads the comments on RPS, thank you for the great games you guys made starting with Warcraft 2000 and to the STALKER:COP, its been great.
09/12/2011 at 16:58 ResonanceCascade says:
Well, that news pretty much just killed a whole subgenre. RIP, we hardly knew ye.
09/12/2011 at 17:07 Artist says:
Seems GSC finally got what they deserved for their untrustworthy business practices. (Just ask what THQ went through with those money-greedy gits). Time that somebody competent picks up franchise.
09/12/2011 at 17:20 Mistabashi says:
If I want to hear about greed and shady business practices I won’t be asking a major publisher like THQ.
Also, the franchise is owned by Sergei Grigorovich, it can’t be “picked-up”.
09/12/2011 at 17:27 Ross Angus says:
[citation required]
09/12/2011 at 17:30 HisMastersVoice says:
He can sell it like any other company asset.
09/12/2011 at 17:39 fitzroy_doll says:
Citation required indeed. What’s this about?
09/12/2011 at 17:15 Shooop says:
All tweets about it are either not loading or deleted.
No one knows for sure what the hell’s going on right now. Just stay tuned guys.
09/12/2011 at 17:19 merc-ai says:
Hopefully it was Sergei’s decision and was in no way related to corrupted government of ours. That way other local big companies won’t be influenced much (apart from GSC refugees, that is).
09/12/2011 at 17:26 SirKicksalot says:
I really hope they’re trolling and will reveal the game tomorrow at the VGA.
09/12/2011 at 17:33 Grimm says:
According to Lewis Denby @ Beefjack, Dmitri Bourkovski has nothing to do with Stalker 2. He tweeted a rumour.
http://beefjack.com/news/stalker-2-cancellation-rumours-false-say-gsc-game-studio/
09/12/2011 at 17:52 Ross Angus says:
OK, I’ll clutch at this straw. (pleasepleaseplease)
09/12/2011 at 17:52 From Ukraine with love says:
Come here Stalker, lets have a little chat.
… I lost a few hundred hours or so to the zone. it was a wonderfully bleak, incredibly atmospheric, and deeply immersive experience. Thank you GSC! you will be greatly missed.
09/12/2011 at 17:53 ghazbanbodarr says:
нееееееееееееееееет
09/12/2011 at 18:02 Dowson says:
This must be what its like to lose a close family member.
09/12/2011 at 18:03 VelvetFistIronGlove says:
In Memoriam. A photo set I took just on Monday after revisiting Call of Pripyat. May it now stand as a tribute to GSC’s vision of The Zone.
09/12/2011 at 18:05 Zikron says:
I hate when stories like this are posted. I realize this is the internet and information spreads quickly but I don’t believe that makes it acceptable to post a story based on rumors. This is especially true for a gaming site who you would think wants to support the gaming industry. Lets say GSC isn’t shutting down they are just reorganizing, publishers may see this and now decide not to do business with them which will get them shut down.
This is just awful journalism, the author references a newspaper which he can’t read. If you don’t know what is going on don’t post it.
/endrant
09/12/2011 at 18:08 Jim Rossignol says:
“This is just awful journalism, the author references a newspaper which he can’t read.”
So I should just shrug and walk away? That would be worse “journalism”.
Instead, I tried to find out what was going on. And, for the record, I am so far the *only* person to have posted any statement directly from GSC itself, even if that is “no comment”.
09/12/2011 at 18:22 Inglourious Badger says:
I’m pretty sure passing on rumours to a concerned public is perfectly acceptable, and in fact rather good, journalism when the headline quite clearly states it is, as yet, only a rumour.
09/12/2011 at 18:55 Crimsoneer says:
This is a blog, not a national newspaper. It’s perfectly acceptable to say “This is what we know, we’ll update you as soon as we know more.”. They don’t have to wait for the next print run or anything.
09/12/2011 at 18:06 ZIGS says:
Hopefully this is just another stunt like the one GOG pulled and they’ll officially announce the game at the VGAs. Wouldn’t that be nice?
09/12/2011 at 18:19 Inglourious Badger says:
If true this is very sad news. STALKER is absolutely one of my favourite games series ever, so much ambition and atmosphere. And Call of Pripyat was the best of the bunch, pointing the way to a wonderful open world sequel.
Hope it isn’t true, or if it is someone steps in a saves them.
09/12/2011 at 18:26 Dowson says:
https://twitter.com/#!/joewillburn/status/145189538006966272
GSC PR guy is looking for a new job.
Pretty much fully confirms it.
09/12/2011 at 18:31 Oritxupolite says:
The right guy is the person of the ninth commentary , Sergey Galyonkin , marketing director of 1C Ukranie ;) . http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fgalyonkin.com%2F
“To be honest, I was going to write about it only after a talk with Grigorovich, so keep in mind that all the information below – unofficial, from sources inside and outside the GSC, which I believe, but that may not have all the information.
GSC is closed, a fact confirmed by all. The team is almost completely dissolved, the state has only a few people.
The reason, which I believe – STALKER 2 is obtained only for the PC, an agreement with publishers on the console did not work, and self-publishing the game under the console at the GSC does not have resources. Some say that the GSC demanded incredible condition, others that Western publishers do not want to postapokalipsisa from Eastern Europe. It is clear that the story the game on a PC with a target market in Eastern Europe would be sold in small editions. “
09/12/2011 at 18:41 fitzroy_doll says:
So, because they couldn’t get Stalker 2 on consoles, it wasn’t worth doing at all?
And come to think of it, where is the modding community going to go?
09/12/2011 at 19:10 Brun says:
The target market was Eastern Europe – most publishers assume that Eastern Europe is just a bunch of pirates and that any PC-exclusive or multiplatform (i.e. not console-exclusive) game would not sell well there.
09/12/2011 at 20:10 Headless Monkey Boy says:
one would presume that the target market would also be fans of the prequals and source material. Not to mention the roumered film based on the roadside picnic.
09/12/2011 at 18:33 Jonith says:
Well my christmas period has just gone downhill
09/12/2011 at 18:34 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. says:
If all the rumor is true (and assuming someone gets the rights to it), is there any other dev studio out there you’d trust with finishing STALKER 2 and keeping it within the vision GSC had?
I can’t think of any…
09/12/2011 at 18:47 Dowson says:
4A?
They’re made up of people who worked on SoC.
09/12/2011 at 18:58 earl_nuclear says:
I wouldn’t think so, Grigorovich and 4A aren’t on the best terms.
And its true, sadly.
As far as making Stalker game, I don’t think any other company could do it.
09/12/2011 at 18:49 Buemba says:
Shit. The way things are going soon all FPSs with any semblance of a budget will be CoD copycats.
09/12/2011 at 19:10 The Pink Ninja says:
Well Resistance 3 wasn’t and Serious Sam 3 wasn’t and neither was DNF or Rage. Battlefield kind of got there first and by all account BF3′s multiplayer is great so long as you can get it to work. Metro 2033 wasn’t either and if I’m allowed to reach that far back neither is Left 4 Dead, or it’s bastard child Payday: the Heist.
And I get the general feeling the tide is turning against the Modern Warfare series. MW3 sold like hotcakes but with what I’m hearing from people who played it I can’t help wondering if things will continue like that.
Plus the admittedly brief history of gaming tends to show some new game usually comes along and revolutionises the genre and everyone starts copying that instead.
09/12/2011 at 18:58 Nero says:
This is horrible news.
09/12/2011 at 19:03 Shazbut says:
This is the saddest thing
09/12/2011 at 19:04 Hisui says:
From that blog:
Про официальный твиттер , который все отрицал – его ведет паренек из Южной Африки, его забыли предупредить. Он уже в курсе, твит стер и ищет работу .
Regarding the official twitter, which denied everything; it is led by a guy from South Africa who they forgot to warn in advance. He already understood, deleted the tweet and is looking for a new job.
Confirmed.
09/12/2011 at 19:12 Nameless1 says:
“Galenkin blames the cost of developing a PC only shooter for a European audience, and a failed console publishing deal, for the collapse of the developer.”
What a bunch of bullshit.
This is really sad.
09/12/2011 at 19:20 Velvetmeds says:
i’m gonna go cry in the corner. you’re welcome to join me.
09/12/2011 at 19:23 SiHy_ says:
What a shame. Here’s wishing good luck in the future to all those talented people.
09/12/2011 at 19:29 kud13 says:
well, shit.
I loved GSC, I played “Cossacks” to death, and I lost several wonderful months in the Zone.
You will be missed, guys.
if this actually was political, I’d be really upset.
if it’s because S.T.A.L.K.E.R. wouldn’t go on consoles–guys, it’s okay. we can wait for a ждалкер 2 no matter how long it takes.
if you`re actually truly gone…. you’ll be severely missed. you’ve put UA on the gaming map, and cossacks was the first game I saw that sold in the West.
best of luck guys.
09/12/2011 at 19:29 Jimbo says:
“We sunk too much money into making a console game nobody wanted to pick up. Oopsy.”
Confirmed!!!
09/12/2011 at 19:29 ilurker says:
I’m quite sad to hear this. I had thought STALKER sold a pretty astounding number of copies, especially considering the size of the studio and being released in an overseas market. The team is extremely talented and I hope the franchise finds a new home. SoC and CoP were probably two of my favourite games of all time.
09/12/2011 at 19:32 alundra says:
Ah well, right from the instant I read about it I suspected that was the real reason behind it, and they couldn’t go with dignity but had to defecate a little on the PC platform on the way out.
The question is how does Tripwire flourishes and GSC goes down?
And I’m not going to be pro steam with this, no, they could have used all the digital means available in today’s world, including selling the game themselves and/or an indie bundle.
As Nameless1 said, what a bunch of bullshit.
09/12/2011 at 19:37 Velvetmeds says:
Tripwire’s projects are a lot less ambitious and also more appealing to the US market. Does that answer your question?
09/12/2011 at 19:41 alundra says:
Sure, the WWW, no wait, the whole internet is composed of only the US territory.
They failed to adapt and evolve, that’s all.
09/12/2011 at 19:44 Velvetmeds says:
You’re not making any sense.
09/12/2011 at 19:58 alundra says:
No, you are not making any sense, and they don’t either, their reason is:
“the cost of developing a PC only shooter for a European audience, and a failed console publishing deal.”
Leaving the console part out, they could have developed a PC only shooter for a worldwide audience, which is what self published digital releases cover, more or less, at a minimal cost.
and then your reason is:
“Tripwire’s projects are a lot less ambitious and also more appealing to the US market.”
Tripwire is releasing for the whole world, they have quite the business model set up around steam and killing floor, also, Red Orchestra 2 was anything but “a lot less ambitious”.
Now, who is not making sense in here?? They should have come forward and state that they are just not earning enough with their current business model and instead of changing it prefer to close doors.
Therefore, they failed to adapt and evolve, and went the way of extinction.
And before you get up personal with me, yes, it’s sad to see yet another PC only developer closing down.
09/12/2011 at 19:33 AntiCitizenJuan says:
Let’s drink to them once more! They were good Stalkers!
09/12/2011 at 19:35 bear912 says:
Rest in peace. You will be missed.
09/12/2011 at 19:37 EBass says:
I’m honestly speechless, all the Stalker games were far from perfect but I bought all of them, in this world of uber polished souless titles GSC were one of the last left to produce the flawed gems which have always driven the great things in PC gaming, the Operation Flashpoints, the Boiling Points, the STALKERs.
I know its a long way off but I can’t think of a game I was looking forward to more than Stalker 2, there can’t be very many devs that I’d less like to go under, maybe B.I.S? This is horrific news, horrific.
09/12/2011 at 19:39 MattM says:
No. Don’t Go, we need you.
09/12/2011 at 19:41 The Army of None says:
The drones need you. They look up to you.
09/12/2011 at 19:47 ZIGS says:
Company releases 3 games exclusively on PC, they all sell well and create a large, dedicated cult-following fanbase. Same company closes because their latest game in the series can’t/won’t be published on consoles.
What am I missing?
09/12/2011 at 19:55 Velvetmeds says:
“they all sell well” <- they didn't
09/12/2011 at 19:59 ZIGS says:
As of September 2008, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has sold 2 million copies worldwide. GSC Game World CEO Sergiy Grygorovych has said “We are very pleased that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. became so popular among players from all over the world. Financial success will allow us to develop S.T.A.L.K.E.R. in different directions as a brand.”
09/12/2011 at 21:17 kwyjibo says:
They sell well. I’m sure they were profitable.
Just not profitable enough to fund the next game without any inward investment.
Investors would have taken a look at this and asked, “Yeah, but where’s the facebook integration?” And then walked out to fund the next Farmville.
09/12/2011 at 22:14 gwathdring says:
Yes, investment is a far bigger deal than profits unless you have a top-of-the-list hit. And even then you need to get enough people interested in your product especially for such a small team.
I won’t speculate about GSC’s circumstancs, but it wouldn’t surprise me if investment played a roll. You could be poised to make more than enough profit after the fact … and it won’t matter unless you have the funds to get to release in the first place. And investors (here I am speculating) probably like the sound of the console market, of following profitable franchises, of social media integration, and so forth. That would make a lot of sense to me, even if I vehemently disagree with that mindset as a gamer who talks with gamers and actually purchases the damn things.
Back away from speculation, investment means making it to release. More releases
from investment worthy properties means more sales for those properties over others simply because they crowd out the market and gamers want to play *something* and petty soon you have the statistical evidence that more well funded, more well advertised, more commonly produced styles and genres of game sell better. Well, now what looks good for investment?
Back to speculation. Like any other industry that has a heavy up-front cost, the games market is pushed along primarily by what people with no connection to the industry think gamers will buy. The fate of our favorite developers in is the hands of people who know nothing about games who are essentially betting on what we want to play–and their guessing fulfill themselves until the industry gets far enough off the mark that we aren’t interested anymore and too much money is poured into poor-selling products. Then the industry crashes and we start all over again. Developers care about their games and care about their gamers. Publishers are in a strange middle ground that varies from year to year and company to company. But someone who knows nothing about gaming culture is going to look at the bloated D&D franchise and say … make it more like this then we’ll talk rather than investing in your FATE system project. Or look at the success of BF3 and MW3 and ask why your game has no multiplayer and why it’s set in a weird alternate history with whale oil and stilt-police.
The take away point here is not to blame console gamers. These problems aren’t about gamers not buying better games. It’s not as though people are destroying the industry by enjoying MW3 or BF3 or by not being sure if Frozen Synapse is their kind of thing. The mistake made so often by investors and publishers is just this same mistake made by sour PC gamers–we assume the customer knows what the customer wants despite having repeatedly told that customer what he or she SHOULD want through advertisements and in-game conditioning and so forth. But again, it’s the self-fulfilling market speculation that causes gamers to want to buy and ultimately purchase many of the most popular games. And even if we started looking more critically at the way we analyze profitability of a product before investing in it, and even if we had in depth, nearly psychic analysis of why gamers bought a certain game and what would make them do it in the future …
But you know what’s more profitable than making a game that appeals to a particular part of the market for being the perfect encapsulation of a certain gameplay genre or that firmly establishes a new gameplay paradigm? A game that does a little of everything well enough that it ends up somewhere in everyone’s top-20 games to buy this year. Even if it’s in slot 20. Because it might go on sale, or a relative might pick it up as a gift or other circumstances might prevent someone from buying that #1 game, or advertisements and peer pressure might get just enough people to artificially boot it higher up the list. That’s all it takes, and you’ve got a mega hit. Games don’t have to be GOOD at anything to sell well. They just need to be OK at enough things. And there’s really not much to be done about that except getting investors and publishers to care as much about the advancement of the medium as they do about making money. And that’s just not going to happen in a large company.
I suppose we could make some progress on that front with with a gaming Oscars or some such.
09/12/2011 at 19:49 nyarlathotep-88 says:
Well, now my day is ruined. Another one of my all time favorite game series gone. Hopefully another company will pick it up.
09/12/2011 at 19:54 Persus-9 says:
I think this by far the most gutted I’ve ever felt at a studio closing. Good luck to all the staff, I hope they all find good jobs and at least some of them keep making awesome games. Thanks for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games and for once I’ll even write it with all the dots.
09/12/2011 at 20:27 Synesthesia says:
yep, hadnt felt like this since the capcom douches closed clover.
09/12/2011 at 20:40 Lytinwheedle says:
Feels like the day Sir-Tech closed, killing off Jagged Alliance 3 in the process.
09/12/2011 at 23:10 DigitalSignalX says:
When Bungie went to MS I thought it was a profound mistake for PC gaming. GSC closing is also a step back.
09/12/2011 at 20:03 JackDandy says:
I haven’t played STALKER- yet.
However, I feel really bad for it’s fans, since they were a cool bunch.
Sorry, bros
09/12/2011 at 20:03 Brise Bonbons says:
This all seems very fishy to me still. Shitty news to get, definitely – but I’m not sure yet if I should be angry or sad or just frustrated…
I’ll be very curious to see what details emerge from this over time. Maybe the honchos can reform the company with one coder and an artist and make Stalker 2 as a farmville-clone for iOS, if they’re so worried about how they’ll make money. Or maybe intellectually lazy people should stop scapegoating the PC platform, when so many companies have no problem thriving on it.
Ugh, what a bummer. Ah well, we have lots of Stalker to play, you can’t say they didn’t have plenty of chances to get their vision out there, which is more than most developers have. Hopefully all the workers at GSC can pull down new jobs with such great experience on their resumes… Though I dunno how many other game dev jobs there are in the Ukraine.
09/12/2011 at 20:12 Halkyon says:
Aw, shit.
09/12/2011 at 20:13 bS says:
I made this video earlier this year, but I think it’s appropriate to post it now.
Such was life in the zone..
http://vimeo.com/18630581
09/12/2011 at 20:13 foda500orama says:
Why don’t I just shoot myself?
09/12/2011 at 20:35 gonzAllex says:
A4Games are the only ones that can save this franchise.If it gets bought up by anyone else it’s gonna be a disaster.FUCK!!! Rip GSC…
09/12/2011 at 20:41 Craig Stern says:
This is sad news. I hope the developers find new jobs elsewhere making interesting games.
09/12/2011 at 20:50 buzzmong says:
Sad times.
HOWEVER.
The silver lining is that while the sub genre (fps adventure/shooter + theme) has lost its leader, it will allow someone else to pick up the torch and perhaps do the things GSC couldn’t/wouldn’t.
09/12/2011 at 21:04 rebb says:
What does it say about an industry where the umpteenth Modern War Gun-Nut Masturbation Games in silly Hollywood Settings sell millions, while atmospheric games with a twist like this don’t get a console publisher ?
09/12/2011 at 21:12 FunkyBadger3 says:
Know your audience, and know your cashflow.
09/12/2011 at 21:16 Pathetic Phallacy says:
It says that the industry gives gamers what they want and what the average gamer wants is the ability to point on things that are brown in a brown environment and make those things not be on the screen anymore.
The average gamer, if the sales of Call of Duty are to determine the average, do not give a fuck about story or immersion. They want instant satisfaction and kill-streaks.
09/12/2011 at 21:26 Brun says:
It says two things:
1) The blockbuster business model held by most publishers does not support highly innovative or risky products. It is based on sticking with what is known to work, milking franchises for every penny and generates sales primarily by brand loyalty, high marketing budgets, hype, and selling bad games to people who don’t know any better.
2) Their target audience was Eastern Europe. Most publishers consider Eastern Europe and Russia to be havens for pirates, hackers, and identity thieves – which means that a game geared toward those regions won’t sell well. Combine that with the fact that it was PC-only, or PC-primary (so ports to consoles would be substandard) and it’s a recipe to spend a lot of money for few returns.
Item 2 is really just a stereotype that is held by several industries, not just the gaming industry. It needs to change but I don’t think it’s a problem exclusive to this industry.
Item 1, on the other hand, is indicative of much larger problems that are really quite specific to the gaming industry. The biggest problem it reveals is that AAA games are too expensive to produce. If deviating even moderately from the established industry working formulas is too much of a risk then there is a problem with your process, or your audience. I will admit that some of the problem is likely that the average “gamer” (across all platforms) probably doesn’t appreciate what a truly good game is, and will get upset if the publisher messes with their CoD formula. Nevertheless, publishers need to work with their development studios to figure out how to make these “formulaic” games more cheaply, so that more money can be spent on exploration and creating interesting games.
What the industry really needs now (and has needed for several years) is a crash like those that happened in the 80′s. The publishers need harsh lessons (i.e. lots of lost money) to force them out of stagnation.
10/12/2011 at 06:57 KenTWOu says:
@Brun
Their target audience was Eastern Europe… a game geared toward those regions won’t sell well.
I guess, even 4A-Games (Metro 2033) developers think so, one of them said here that console gamers save company from bankruptcy and that PC sales in Russia was incredibly low:
http://www.gameru.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=32056&st=180
This and GSC closure proves that piracy harms PC market.
09/12/2011 at 21:05 Baka says:
But I don’t get it. Weren’t all the STALKERs sold by the millions? I just can’t accept the official statement.
09/12/2011 at 21:09 Zenicetus says:
There was always the possibility that a Stalker 2 designed for both consoles and PC might not have been the game we all wanted anyway, due to graphics limitations, a console-ized UI, or limited user modding to preserve DLC options. We have the existing trilogy. The next game could have been the equivalent of the Star Wars movie cycle, for all we know.
That’s what I’m telling myself anyway, as consolation over the sad news. At least we still have the existing games as a reference point, when someone asks what can be done to make shooters more interesting.
09/12/2011 at 21:12 DocSeuss says:
Is there any chance some enterprising game devs/students from around the world could gather together and get cracking on a game heavily influenced by STALKER?
10/12/2011 at 06:57 Corbeau says:
Highly likely, given time.
09/12/2011 at 21:15 Pathetic Phallacy says:
Damn!
09/12/2011 at 21:19 kwyjibo says:
How much money did they need? Were they that far off? They could raise several hundred thousand through a kickstarter – I’m sure there’s enough good will on the internet to make it happen.
I don’t even like the STALKER games, and I’d have funded this.
10/12/2011 at 01:43 Shuck says:
“How much money did they need? Were they that far off? They could raise several hundred thousand through a kickstarter”
There are, what, 40 to 50 developers in the company? In an American dev studio, that kind of money wouldn’t keep a company that size going for even a month. Even taking into account the (very much) lower Ukrainian salaries, they’d need a couple million dollars, minimum.
You begin to see why not a lot of companies do AAA PC-only titles.
09/12/2011 at 21:23 Tuor says:
So, they turned away from the Light Side of PC-Only releases, and tried to turn to the Dark Side of Consolized (oh, I’m sorry, *multi-platform*) games. They spent time and capital trying to make it happen but in the end couldn’t come up with any publishers so it was all lost, and that loss was fatal to keeping GNC as an ongoing concern. Is that about right?
And if they *had* gotten a publisher, what would we have seen? A consolfied STALKER? Perhaps it is for the best that they head off into the night now.
Farewell, Stalker.
09/12/2011 at 21:24 coldvvvave says:
Sadly, I can’t feel anything, Sure, it’s too bad, but both sequels did nothing for me and original was only good because of coutless mods and brilliant map design. All people who achieved tech things left and level design quality dropped significantly in sequels. Sure, GSC will be missed but I’m not crying here.
09/12/2011 at 21:37 Unaco says:
I guess you could say Sergei Grigorovich chose the Nuclear Option.
09/12/2011 at 21:38 anduin1 says:
Ukraine is game to you? How about I take your little game and smash it!
10/12/2011 at 00:34 Giftmacher says:
Ah, that made me laugh.
09/12/2011 at 21:41 oceanclub says:
My copy of the Stalker collector’s edition – the longest game I ever had on pre-order (ordered April 2005, got it March 2007!)
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7098/photojql.jpg
P.
09/12/2011 at 22:19 nyarlathotep-88 says:
That I like.
09/12/2011 at 23:27 Creeping Death says:
Ah I have that. Was actually considering selling it with a bunch of other old boxed pc games I have since acquired digitally, but now this has happened I might hang onto it as a memento…
10/12/2011 at 01:10 Lukasz says:
hehe. which shop did you use that they acknowledge your preorder?
wonder whether anyone who preordered DNF in 99/2001 used their recepit…
anyhow
i also got this version and it fucking rox. 100 AUD well spent.
09/12/2011 at 22:11 Commissar says:
To say I’m a little upset over this would be an understatement, there’s really nothing except STALKER 2 that I was looking forward to.
09/12/2011 at 22:48 Rattlepiece says:
This is sad news, although there are so many rumours flying atm I don’t know what to believe.
09/12/2011 at 22:53 vodka and cookies says:
Very sad news especially for all those who’ve suddenly lost their jobs.
Not surprising though, developing a AAA single player game is sheer suicide particularly if their console deal fell through.
09/12/2011 at 23:08 kud13 says:
erm what?
Stalker always had MP. I’ve never played it, mind, but I doubt they were gonna cut it for the sequel.
09/12/2011 at 23:03 Angryinternetman says:
Rumour spreading time! Its the Ukranian mafia!
09/12/2011 at 23:09 Kleppy says:
Yep, definitely no more reason to upgrade a PC. Seriously, is there a PC exclusive video game coming up in the next few years? I can only think of Diablo 3 and that will probably run on a calculator.
09/12/2011 at 23:42 Zenicetus says:
PC-based civilian and combat flight sims are still pushing the hardware requirements, but that’s probably the last bastion of gamers who have to constantly be thinking about hardware upgrades. At least until there’s a new console cycle.
09/12/2011 at 23:12 iARDAs says:
WELL
SCREW PEOPLE WHO PIRATE PC GAMES..
Honestly.
SCREW THEM TO HELL.
Because of cheap pigs, the PC community is barely standing up.
Sorry. I am just mad.
10/12/2011 at 00:07 DrGonzo says:
Well screw you too! Although I did buy all if the Stalker games. Bought the first one twice in fact.
10/12/2011 at 00:09 DocSeuss says:
It had nothing to do with piracy, yo. This is a franchise that sold four million copies. It sounds like it was an issue of either the boss throwing a total hissy fit at where STALKER 2 was headed or external pressures from shady individuals demanding things.
10/12/2011 at 00:10 LTK says:
No, it is the image you’re presenting that makes publishers disregard the PC as a viable and profitable platform to develop for. I’d like to think this could have been avoided if there was more faith in us paying PC gamers to bring a worthwhile product the profit it deserves.
10/12/2011 at 01:13 MichaelPalin says:
I pirate games, I own like 8 copies total combining the three games and I was this close to buy them again just because they sell them in square boxes in Germany. Pirating doesn’t mean necessarily that you don’t spend money on games and the 4 million copies of the games sold, surely many of them bought out of initially pirated copies, shows that you cannot blame piracy for nothing here.
10/12/2011 at 01:53 Ricotta says:
I pirated STALKER… Then proceeded to buy all three games. What say you!
10/12/2011 at 03:11 Rattlepiece says:
This game sold like 4 million copies.. more than enough usually.
09/12/2011 at 23:13 Dcode says:
Ah shit, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was a favourite franchise of mine. It had that ‘old-skool’ PC game feel to it.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 multiplatform and failed console publishing deal says it all to me really.
09/12/2011 at 23:20 TheGameSquid says:
*Sob*
09/12/2011 at 23:43 Sergey Galyonkin says:
Hi
I’ve translated my original post to English, so you don’t have to guess through Google Translate :)
http://galyonkin.com/2011/12/09/pro-zakryitie-gsc/
—
As this blog post was picked up by some English-speaking outlets, I thought I should add an English translation, because Google Translate does a really poor job here.
So, I wasn’t going to write about this before I could talk to Grigorovich, but he isn’t picking up phone and there is a lot of rumors around, so I’ve decided to clarify some things. I don’t work at GSC, but I know a lot of people there and here is what I got after talking to them. This is purely unofficial of course.
GSC is no more. Almost everyone is let go, only few people left and still employed. STALKER 2 project is closed.
My friends in GSC believe that the reason for that is failed console publishing deal. GSC couldn’t sign any publisher for STALKER 2 on consoles, and GSC wasn’t strong enough to do it all by itself. STALKER 2 was going to become PC exlcusive, which isn’t a great future for story-driven game.
Some say that Grigorovich demanded a lot from publishers and his terms were unacceptable, some say that publishers didn’t like setting – Eastern European postapocalypse is not that popular outside Europe. I don’t know which is true, but guess it is a bit of both.
Also, some people at GSC say that Grigorovich wasn’t happy with quality of STALKER 2, but others say it was going to be a great game and huge improvement over first one. One guy said that Grigorovich was tired of game development and no longer interested in STALKER at all, but I don’t believe it, knowing Sergey for last ten years. He might be tired, yes, but he loved STALKER.
I’ve read on Ukranews about «goverment agencies trying to take over GSC». None of my friends confirms it. It is just not possible: only thing that valuable in GSC is it’s IP and it is registered outside Ukraine. Also, I’ve heard numerous people saying that Grigorovich talked to them about closing GSC for a year now.
I don’t know what will happen to STALKER next. Grigorovich might sell or lease it to other companies: there was at some point browser-based STALKER game in production. But there is only one studio in Ukraine that can handle this – 4A Games, creators of original STALKER. And they’re not exactly friends with Grigorovich. As for other Eastern European developers (from Poland or Bulgaria) – I don’t believe they can do STALKER 2 justice. Some are just too good to work for IP that is not their own and some don’t have enough experience.
—-
Also, my surname is Galyonkin, not Galenkin :)
10/12/2011 at 00:05 LTK says:
Thanks for clearing things up. If anything, it spares us from even more depressing rumours. This is still a devastating loss to the PC gaming community, and I hope the people at GSC are going to turn out all right.
10/12/2011 at 00:40 Voon says:
Thanks for clearing things up, man. It’s just depressing when I first heard about the rumour GSC is closing down and I can’t sleep that night. Must have been a lot of pressure, trying to develop it. Let’s just hope that STALKER 2 IP would be sold to someone who could actually capable of developing this game.
10/12/2011 at 08:31 Paul says:
Thanks for the translation. I do not understand though. Stalker 2 was pretty far in development, no? And they sold 4 or 5 million copies of Stalker on PC alone? The fanbase is pretty huge, yes even outside europe…I really do not understand why would they not finish it.
As for other studios making stalker…what will happen to people let go from GSC? Could not they form their own company, or get hired by..for example CDProjekt (my dream, honestly) to finish it up ?
:( dammit this is such a bad news.
10/12/2011 at 08:58 Sergey Galyonkin says:
Paul, yes, it was more than a year into development including pre-production.
About 4 millions – that’s for 3 games combined. Judging by The Witcher 2 sales STALKER 2 would sell around 1-1,5 millions, and most of that in Eastern Europe at reduced price. It is still good money, but probably not enough to finance STALKER 2 development.
09/12/2011 at 23:51 Captain Hijinx says:
This is devastating :(
10/12/2011 at 00:11 Shooop says:
Damn.
10/12/2011 at 00:17 Suff says:
@Jaks. Wrong. Correct translation performed by me.
Edit; wrong paragraph, link is provided.
10/12/2011 at 00:26 Davee says:
Well, this just awful.
They will be missed – few games have been as atmospheric and mystic as the STALKER series. :’(
10/12/2011 at 00:26 Gira says:
Right, one of the greatest videogame series of the past ten years, and a solid victory for people who think shooters constitute more than linear Cinematic corridors, is now dead, and the company with it.
Done with videogames, I think.
10/12/2011 at 00:43 Oritxupolite says:
Grigorovich was rich since the launch of Cossaks in 2001 with a cost of $100.000
5.5 millons sales the complete serie …. $200 millons gross income in some interviews
Or $100 in other
http://www.my-b.ru/mb/m050207.htm
Or $100 millons with and $300 with STALKER – exageration to me
http://nogaems.ru/posts/43223/grigorovich-zarabotal-na-c2abkazakakhc2bb-i-c2abstalkerec2bb-300-mln-dol.aspx
“Founder of the legendary Ukrainian studio GSC Game World Sergey Grigorovich has earned the game “Cossacks” and «STALKER» approximately $ 300 million. 100 on the “Cossacks” and 200 “Stalker.”
Of the total earned by the family and life, according to Grigorovich, leaving a small portion, about $ 1 million per year.
“300-500 thousand a year on expensive purchases: the car, improving housing and repairs. And the same – just the cost, “- said the creator of« STALKER ”
A young millionaire and entrepreneur of year in 2010 in Ukranie
http://www.vidigroup.com/en/press/releases/29210/
“Sergiy Grygorovych, General Manager of «GSC Game World», was declared as the winner of «Entrepreneur of the 2010 Year» awards in Ukraine. ”
http://focus.ua/dossier/112161
Participant rating of the 200 richest people of Ukraine in 2010
Place in the ranking: 150
“Age: 31 years
Occupation: owner of GSC Game World
Net Worth: $ 32.8 million
Marital status: Married, two sons
Detail: the cult owns a racing car Ferrari F430 Spider”
The “famous” Ferrari of Grigorovich
http://markevych-studio.com/reportage/17
http://www.businessclass.kiev.ua/magazine/217.html
http://www.businessclass.kiev.ua/data/@user_images/13/0236.jpg
10/12/2011 at 01:02 felisc says:
… noOoOooOoo. argh.
10/12/2011 at 01:41 fupjack says:
Man, I just feel bad. I was really looking forward to Stalker 2.
What happens to the games on Steam? Do they continue to be sold? Will my copy still be there? I have Call of Pripyat as a physical copy, but the others are Steam versions.
I’ve gone somewhere north of 200 hours of gameplay in Shadow of Chernobyl, because of mods and so on. Possibly the best gaming value ever for me. I never thought about it becoming unavailable.
10/12/2011 at 01:48 dragonhunter21 says:
Wow, this… wow. No STALKER 2.
Well, there’s still Hitman 5 to look forward to. I guess.
10/12/2011 at 02:19 jezcentral says:
Damn, it’s a complete and utter shame. And not just in a Real Time Worlds, people-losing-their-jobs, way. These people left their mark on the history of PC gaming.
GSC, you will be missed.
10/12/2011 at 04:01 BobbleHat says:
Yeah, this is really sad news. Even if someone picks up the STALKER IP I doubt they’ll ‘get’ what made the original games so special. A completely unique game in a sea of generic FPSs and it’s a tragedy to say goodbye to them.
10/12/2011 at 04:21 jaheira says:
What’s particularly depressing about this is that GSC didn’t think it was commercially viable to make Stalker 2 on a PC only basis. Very sad.
10/12/2011 at 10:00 Max.I.Candy says:
yeah i agree that is troubling, but he did add “…PC only shooter for a European audience”..
tho i’m not sure i understand excactly what that means and how much difference it makes?
10/12/2011 at 07:35 edit says:
This is a shame (I’d take one rough-around-the-edges Stalker game over an uber-polished COD game any day), but the modding community of the Stalker games has, it seems to me, been amazingly dedicated and productive over the last few years. The community itself could probably make rather a rad game in the style of. OpenStalker, anyone?
That said, it’d be cool if we could manage to stretch our imaginations enough to come up with explorative open-world games which let you do a wide array of things other than kill stuff, though. I’m loving Skyrim for instance but jeez, it’s kill kill kill, like everything else.
10/12/2011 at 08:59 MultiVaC says:
God damn it. It’s probably just the shock of the moment, but I’m incredibly disillusioned with gaming right now. When I look back at my favorite games of all time, I realize that the developers have almost always been killed by them. Looking Glass studios is the most obvious example here. The greatest games either lead to financial ruin (like VtmB) or have to have their successors turned into a dumbed-down shell of their former greatness to be commercially viable (like System Shock). With the loss STALKER and GSC, I’m seeing an industry that has no room for the kind of games that I want to play most. They were the best thing to happen to this industry in a decade, and I’m really going to miss them.
10/12/2011 at 10:11 Hoschimensch says:
THIS IS THE MOST SHITTY THING SINCE YEARS!
I’m down.
10/12/2011 at 10:30 Yosharian says:
In case any of the devs are reading this, it’s a really big shame to see you guys go down. Best of luck for the future.
10/12/2011 at 10:52 Navagon says:
This is not the fate that people who defined what a genre should be deserved. They should be riding high right now. I just hope that the core people stick together and stay in the industry pushing the bar higher like they did with the Stalker games.
Maybe whoever buys up the Stalker IP will rehire them, as was the case with the DNF staff.
10/12/2011 at 11:06 sonofsanta says:
Tragic story is a tragedy, and now I am all sadface :(
Seriously, this is a true apocalypse. I’m playing through Fallout 3 at the moment, almost forcing myself through out of habit, and all I can think is how much better Stalker was at everything Fallout tries to be. I never stopped being scared in Stalker, it never stopped being a struggle, and that was the greatest achievement.
I hope that no-one else picks this up and ruins the memory though, tbh.
10/12/2011 at 14:26 lijenstina says:
I wish that 4A Games would do the game visuals if the IP gets sold. Many of the devs were responsible for the atmosphere of the first Stalker. They are very competent at creating it.
10/12/2011 at 17:52 oceanclub says:
Woke up today thinking this was all a bad dream. I guess not. Excuse me while I go back to bed.
P.
10/12/2011 at 18:03 Dreamhacker says:
Quick! Hand over the the Stalker license 4A Games!
10/12/2011 at 19:23 Zarunil says:
This is terribly sad news. I loved the Stalker games (except the first, which I could never get into). If this is the end, I sincerely hope a decent game studio picks up the franchise.
As Heavy would have said: “OH, THIS IS BAD!”
12/12/2011 at 17:01 Eukatheude says:
This is horrible, horrible news.
Can i hope for Valve buying the ip?
12/12/2011 at 20:36 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Southern Comfort says:
http://gsc-fan.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=480
“On Friday, December 9, gaming community information shocked – the largest developer of games in the CIS, GSC G ame W orld, self-liquidating. Reliable information that, as well as denials, and not at the moment. The news immediately caused a strong reaction among fans of games from the studio, someone said it was the end of everything, someone just did not believe, but someone talked over the possibility that this news is just a PR-literate way. Many once had an idea (which obviously originated on the basis of the political situation in Russia) – all to protest the building of the office. In fact, such a procession of disaffected could bring benefits – Sergei Grigorovich can do with his company that he wants. In the end it was decided to organize a rally to support GSC, which was a peaceful gathering of concerned fans under the walls of the office, to raise the morale of the team disbanded possible, and to receive the promised data on the situation.
I have to say, everything was organized very quickly, in just a half day. Organization engaged in by two people – Denis Polishchuk (which for some reason unable to attend the shares) and, in fact, I am. Sketched out a plan of action, we set about creating an event in VKontakte, then it was necessary to convey information about it. My first thought – “YaStalker.” But advertising there could not bring specific results, therefore, appealed to the fan site of the company – GSC-Fan.Com. From the first minute of placing information on the portal in the group fell messages and new subscribers. As was pointed out me, most of the fans were from Russia, many people simply do not physically able to support us with their presence.
All complicated by the fact that the event was held on Monday morning – in many studies, work, service, etc. (even though the military have supported us:)).
Many share in the perceived hostility, it was a lot of messages like “ololo, shkolota angry,” etc. In fact, the so-called shkolota was not there, came mostly students, old friends, for whom “pomitingovat” at the office was one more reason to meet. From history to go by the events of the action. Make an appointment with Yevtushenko, Ivan aka White_Nizarit to meet at the subway station platform Beresteyskaya, I hit the road, since I live close by. After meeting there, we and several friends went to the office, of course, on foot (where the same stalkers use public transport, there controllers!). On the way to discuss different topics, from a multiplayer game, “Clear Sky”, “Call of Pripyat” and Call of Duty to airsoft and STALKER RealPlayer. When they reached the intended point (bus stop right under the entrance to the office), we comfortably and continued communication. Literally we came two more fans STALKER, with an official forum of GSC, the second simply decided to join. From the very beginning of the action I was a correspondence with Oleg Yavorsky, he was interested in, how many us, and gave recommendations do not miss the bus Grigorovich, who was planning to visit soon, etc. Perhaps the most memorable moment was the following SMS: “Trust and gives hope to others that the project will live on. Internet – our weapons.”
Then we moved up to Andrei “AnarH” Skrypnyk – the organizer of many championships in STALKER, and after a couple of minutes the soldier unknown to me, was very pleasant and intelligent man. Deciding that standing on the street and wait for someone else does not make sense (the clock is already 10:20), we went into the building – there with the April 2011 nothing has changed, still warm, cozy and smells good. They stood a little below, near the restaurant “Le Figaro”, were photographed with a sign GSC (yes, she’s still there!) And climbed to the fourth floor. In the office itself, we did not go (do not let there be a dozen people, plus there was no need as such – if something clearer, we will inform Oleg). All the time here and there flashed employees, if my memory serves me, it was mainly because of their clothes. Then came Alexander Plichko, greeted all … And he ran away. In general, we whiled away the time socializing. After a couple of minutes called Oleg, said that comment today will be nothing but happy to come say hello to all of us.
A few minutes later, as promised, we were visited by Oleg Yavorsky and Ruslan Didenko. All at once pounced with questions – “What’s next?”
Sadly, the answers were short and simple – yet without comment, to say all Grigorovich at the time. Of these, we were able to pull is not very much information, but watching their reaction, it was possible to understand many things. For example – all that happens is not a PR-action. The mood among the staff is really bad, so to speak. Yavorsky, I usually see in a cheerful mood. Employees doing their best to do everything that the company has not closed, such an outcome no one wants. Many were interested in support and maintenance of the company’s server – it will continue, that is, resources such as “YaStalker” or game servers for online play will run. Stalker-Shop store will work as long as end products.
To the question “What are the reasons?” – Response from Ruslan and Oleg little different (I want to add that he spoke mostly Oleg). Ruslan said that it was known only to himself Grigorovich, Oleg same again replied – “Top Secret”. In short, the information in the course of conversation, we were really little, but also at least something. By the way, the answers Oleg AnarH oharakteriziroval as “News, Channel 5″ – this is their style: say something, and then answer in one sentence – no comments.
In the end, everything went very well, Oleg suggested that hope for the best. At the end, we have continued to pay out as usual jokes, and went downstairs. They all had their own affairs.
When we were in the street, we began to share experiences and discuss the situation. I was very memorable phrases soldier, whose name I unfortunately do not know.
At this event actually ended.
Attention! Further there are only reflections of the author of the article! They have no relation to official information from the GSC, and built only on hunches, observations and conclusions of the author. Anyone can take them into account, and can be considered complete nonsense.
The soldier is really very well-reasoned and logical. Next, I’ll just give him and his reasoning:
A) The rumors about the alleged pressure on the company security forces are groundless. If you think about – what structures are in Ukraine? SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) makes no sense to run into Grigorovich and the company, they are not to find fault. Have something to say about the involvement of Grigorovich to politics and the attitude towards the accused Tymoshenko and ex-presidents Yushchenko and Kuchma, which in itself is absurd. All intellectual property protected by the company’s values (which I 100% sure), so this side is also not prikopat.
We also have AIM (aka police). They are, in principle, also did the company do not. Perhaps someone involved in criminal cases, which also seems nonsense (I’m sure that none of the staff to unlawful acts is not involved) about corruption in the I can not speak.
This is the only law enforcement agencies, which may put pressure on the GSC.
B) The second opinion of the people – the marriage of money. Personally, I can not judge the financial situation of the company, but any reasonable person would understand that the likelihood of financial problems is extremely low. GSC has a fixed income from the sale of related products. This is unlikely. Many now try to say about the post by Dmitry Yasneva in FaceBook on investors, but about that later.
B) on this version, I think most of all, turning over in my mind I knew all employees – conflict in the team. Indeed, if we think – to close the company because of a trifle silly, but if, for example, differences occurred in the top of the company (say, Grigorovich’s not like any of the wards), it would produce a turbulent discontent of the Trust and defending their point of view. The conflict could be a long time, but not so strong. As they say, December 9, was the presentation of STALKER 2 within the company. Maybe that’s when the conflict reached a boiling point, and someone could not stand it, that might well not like Grigorovich and the other part of the team. Because of this, Sergei could terminate funding for the project STALKER 2, thus “closing up shop.” What prevents him based on GSC create a new company with new people and take up the same “Cossacks”? That’s right – nothing. Hence the problem comes up with investors.
It is a pity that I can not give you all the arguments of the military – just not all fit in my head.
I repeat: all of the above – just my guess, and thoughts. They can be partly confirmed by an official statement from the GSC, and may not be true, but do not share them I could not. Talk about moving companies are not unfounded. According to developers, they passed the E-Sports team Na’Vi only part of an unoccupied room. “