Gaming Signal: 5 PC Game Companies and Their Demise...

5 PC Game Companies and Their Demise...

Next Generation has an article up that discusses five game companies that I think most folks will recognize that are now gone. I find this article interesting mainly from the perspective that most of these companies built games I really liked. The list, in no specific order, is as follows:

Black Isle Studios

Atari Games

Sierra On-Line

Origin

Looking Glass Studios

The article itself delves into some of the history of these companies and where they were successful, but also where they failed. It really is a sobering list of accomplishments for these companies, and in many ways the fact that many of these places have spawned some great developers. Obsidian exists partially from the demise of Black Isle Studios and you have talent from other companies forming thier own studios and helping to mold the next generation of games.

For a great in-depth history of Origin, check out this article in The Escapist (a 'zine I am finding to be quite awesome.)

Surprise - mundane business related items like cash flow (and the inability to get short-term loans in Texas' S&L crisis) and just being able to make payroll played a huge part in Origin's demise. Huh, you'd think that in order to have a successful company you'd have to know something about business - and not just games.

Making games is far more like the film industry than other software companies.

Posted by Scott on Saturday July 08, 2006 at 11:06 AM