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3DO Files For Bankruptcy

Posted by simoniker on from the three-times-doh dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Reuters report via Yahoo News announcing that game publisher and developer 3DO has filed for bankruptcy. As the article indicates, the former console hardware creator "..has struggled to gain a foothold in the competitive games business and has relied on Chief Executive Trip Hawkins for recent funding." Even a recent attempt to buck their reputation for bad quality games by funding higher-budget titles such as 'Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse' seems to have ended in failure, since industry sources are indicating all except 20 employees have been laid off, effective today, as the company looks to sell its properties.

6 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Did they ever move anything? And shake it? by TwistedKestrel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This sums up everything I remember about 3DO recently. I mean, I do find it rather remarkable that they held on for so long after that console with their name on kind of didn't do so well ... but between then and now, have they done anything interesting? Remarkable? Something that makes this death tragic? This is not a rhetorical question, I really wanna know.

    1. Re:Did they ever move anything? And shake it? by chota · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, you make a very good point.

      I'm reminded of the article a little while ago where the "indy artist" released his album as mp3s on a website and nobody wanted to buy his album (or even download most of the songs)...

      It wasn't because of "the big bad market." It was, quite simply, because they sucked.

      Imagine -- a game company that doesn't make good games... I chalk this one up to good ol' economics. People don't buy games that suck, company that makes games that suck doesn't get money, company goes under.

      Any questions?

    2. Re:Did they ever move anything? And shake it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      People don't buy games that suck, company that makes games that suck doesn't get money, company goes under.

      errmm... that is mostly true, but i wish to add something. people buy anything that is shoved in front of them if it is marketed right. the majority of not just americans (though we are probably more guilty than most) but the rest of the world too are lemmings and will buy anything if it is priced right and enough people (read: ad agencies) tell that it is good.

      britney spears, gta3, matrix 2, and mtv are examples of this. all of them would not have existed if quality were the standard.

      boobs, violence and cultural vacancy are not an excuse for a lousy product.

  2. Re:A mismatch? by Graelin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I find it strange how the last article I read about Trip Hawkins(which was in the newspaper) mentioned his passion for the game business, and I suppose that shows in how he was trying to prop it up with his own cash at the end.

    This is exactly why CEOs make so much money. The good ones truly believe in the company, and in the industry. Some of these people are pure visionaries. Put the right people under them and watch the company explode.

    But did he really just do that bad a job managing it?

    3DO never had the muscle to fight Nintendo, or later Sony in the home console market. They made most of their cash from the arcade scene - which has been falling flat lately. I imagine that would be a fairly difficult market to break out of too.

    I wouldn't blame Trip too much. Lots of companies rode the arcade wave for quite a while, but only the ones who can jump ship fast enough will survive. Sounds like 3DO got pulled down with the ship instead... Funny, I don't remember them being the captian of the arcade market. That'd be Sega IMO.

  3. No Sympathy Whatsoever by Netbrian · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I should try and work up something vaguely resembling sympathy for this company, but quite frankly, I find it impossible. They've had it coming for a long time, with the string of bad Army Men titles, and the implosion of the Might and Magic series, both of which are their own fault. 3DO serves as a perfect study for the case against firing the highly skilled designers and programmers in order to cut costs.

    My heart does go out to those displaced by the meltdown though. I wish the industry was at the point where they could find work at somewhere with better treatment of their employees.

  4. Games agains 3DO! by s0meguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This site is pretty funny, and pretty accurate too. Shame the message board doesn't work anymore, there were some hilarious posts from former employees.