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Amy Hennig has started indie studio, staying indie, aiming for 6-15 staff, thinking about VR games

Nirolak

Nirolak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,660
The other thread was mostly about the Star Wars game, so I thought one about Amy Hennig's new studio would be appropriate.

Eurogamer said:
"I'm working independently and staying independent. I just started my own small little independent studio and am consulting with some people. I'm hoping to bring some people on board, I would love to have a little company of about six to eight people, 15 at the most, and do some more projects, do some VR stuff - I'm consulting with some VR companies and doing a ton of research because I haven't played a lot to immerse myself in it.
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Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...hennig-has-departed-ea-to-set-up-indie-studio
 

Deleted member 32563

User requested account closure
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Nov 11, 2017
1,336
Doesn't mean Sony can't publish!

Especially with VR being involved.

The prodigal daughter returns!

Get on the phone Sony!
 
DomsPlaying

DomsPlaying

Member
Oct 25, 2017
285
NJ & NYC
Wishing her and the new team all the best.

I'd prefer to see them try something more traditional than going to a VR platform, but interested all the same to see where it goes.
 
CrichtonKicks

CrichtonKicks

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,169
Love to be wrong but this feels like it will end up in a whole lot of nothing. Especially given the comments on VR.

I would guess that, at best, it may end up like the stuff that Chris Avellone's doing where it's a lot of consulting and/ore writing assists but no significant lead roles (though it seems maybe that will be different for Dying Light 2). Or Joseph Staten where he evidently consults on a lot of MS output yet there is no sense that the world building and/or story stuff in MS projects has materially benefited.

Ken Levine still hasn't shown footage of his game with a similarly sized (or even slightly bigger) studio and he has a major publisher funding that.

I don't know- just sounds like a holding pattern destined to end in a whimper until a few years from now Amy either joins a major studio and/or exits the industry and shows up on the writing staff of a TV show somewhere.
 
aisback

aisback

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,738
I'm glad to see she's back on her own feet.

I can't wait to see what she can do with full creative freedom.

Question - are VR games cheaper and faster to make compared to standard games?
 
Memento

Memento

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,129
Welp. With a team that small I doubt she would make something as ambitious as her past games... but I guess she was burned out with AAA development...

Wish her luck!
 
RoboPlato

RoboPlato

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,804
I wish Amy nothing but the best. She's had a rough patch lately but she's a key figure in some of the best games ever made and anything she does from here on out, I'm keeping an eye on. I miss her voice in games.
 
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Stealthy Cockatrice

Stealthy Cockatrice

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
1,202
Congrats to her but I dont think her decision to go VR as an indie will pay off unless ofc she doesnt care about income and wants to just do what she loves in which case thats nice.
 
CrichtonKicks

CrichtonKicks

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,169
aisback said:
I'm glad to see she's back on her own feet.

I can't wait to see what she can do with full creative freedom.

Question - are VR games cheaper and faster to make compared to standard games?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

A lot of the VR "experiences" have been far shorter, yes. So presumably therefore cheaper and quicker. Doesn't seem like they are a particularly ROI though.
 
Aokiji

Aokiji

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,265
Los Angeles
oh she's starting simple and staying small? she can def be brought in as a contractor for the new uncharted then.
hashtag believe
 
Loakum

Loakum

Member
Oct 27, 2017
472
I will support her studio, because I feel the industry has treated Amy so grossly unfairly.
 
dude

dude

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Oct 25, 2017
4,634
Tel Aviv
Great news and I hope they do supper well. Much more excited about that than if she worked on another triple A.
 
Netherscourge

Netherscourge

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Oct 25, 2017
18,899
Seems like a good idea.

Stay independent. Make indies. Self-publish. Cover all platforms.

Can't really go wrong there.
 
tyfon

tyfon

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Nov 2, 2017
3,680
Norway
Cool, the more games for VR the merrier :)
After playing one of them, "flat" games feel very shallow for a while.
 
LifeLine

LifeLine

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,779
Considering she's know for AAA big budget action adventures and has pretty much defined that genre, going independent sounds like a bad fit.
 
aubreyk309

aubreyk309

Member
Jun 25, 2018
22
I actually think she can pull this off. We know she's a fantastic writer, and a lot of times Indies end up being a great place for great writers to show that talent off.
 
NameUser

NameUser

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,976
I feel like Amy got a raw deal. In my head, TLOU blew up, and ND wanted to give her game to the TLOU guys (which was wrong). Idk, I feel bad for her.
 
thediamondage

thediamondage

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,226
Makes sense, I imagine she must be super burned out after what sounded like a really, really challenging 2 years dealing with stuff thats more on the business / management side of things rather than creative. Its a real bummer that things didn't come together because I think a SP Star Wars game with her behind the creative wheel but someone else running the business side could have been amazing, but alas it is not to be.
 
Okii

Okii

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,189
Amy Henning writing characters in a VR game is some next level shit, imagine the immersion of interacting with actual genuine feeling characters.
 
Netherscourge

Netherscourge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,899
Looking over her game-writing/directing resume:

ElectroCop 1989 artist Atari Corporation
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf 1992 artist Electronic Arts
Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City 1994 designer, artist Electronic Arts
3D Baseball 1996 artist[21] Crystal Dynamics
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain 1996 design manager Crystal Dynamics
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1999 director, producer, writer Eidos Interactive
Soul Reaver 2 2001 director, writer Eidos Interactive
Legacy of Kain: Defiance 2003 director, writer Eidos Interactive
Jak 3 2004 director[22] Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 2007 director, writer Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 2009 director, writer Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception 2011 director, writer Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Golden Abyss 2011 story consultant Sony Computer Entertainment
Battlefield Hardline 2015 writer Electronic Arts

-Yea, she'll do just fine. Looking forward to her new, original games. LOVE those Soul Reaver games.
 
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