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Vanpool, developers of Dillon and multiple Kirby spin-offs, are closing down today
- Thread starter --R
- Start date
Yup, did most of the heavy lifting on Dream Land Deluxe as recently as this year. They're all over Nintendo credits -- also worked on Paper Mario.
A shame as they've long been a steady development partner for Nintendo, particularly with HAL. It's only speculation on my part, but I wonder if like AlphaDream, they had a big project lined up that got scuttled and basically took the whole team down with it that Nintendo contracts just couldn't cover the immediate need for funding and just had to call it. In any event, I'm hopeful that both Nintendo and HAL are looking to pick the devs up for anyone interested in sticking with them, as they have a ton of experience.
Hard to say given there's not much in the way of details.
The thing is though, Vanpool seemed to be a strong support studio for Kirby games over the life of the Switch, whereas alphadream were struggling horribly because they had no 3D modelling staff whatsoever, and Spritework is a more difficult sell with every generation. Combined with their later games not selling well, the writing was on the wall for alphadream well before they shut. This is out of nowhere.
Really hoping in some way those laid off were able to find work at HAL, and if not they find work elsewhere.
Seriously though, I know it's not their responsibility and business is business, but Nintendo allowing almost all 3DS-era developers to go MIA or close down kind of stinks.
Was just thinking the other day how we had so many cool eShop titles on the 3DS from Nintendo and how on Switch we've had so few, all of which coming from HAL as well.
Really miss all the cool, unique IP that time brought.
Seriously though, I know it's not their responsibility and business is business, but Nintendo allowing almost all 3DS-era developers to go MIA or close down kind of stinks.
Was just thinking the other day how we had so many cool eShop titles on the 3DS from Nintendo and how on Switch we've had so few, all of which coming from HAL as well.
Really miss all the cool, unique IP that time brought.
I don't think there's much call to pin the struggles of these smaller studios on Nintendo, especially when we already know that studios like Cing and AlphaDream collapsed due to project-related issues outside of Nintendo's purview. All Nintendo can realistically do is offer spots for anyone impacted by the closures.
What a surprise -- unlike AlphaDream, it's not like their outsourced/supported titles were repeated bombs. I wonder what the story here is.
Hopefully those affected can land on their feet and that this won't have serious consequences for Kirby's future. The series is on fire right now -- I'd hate for Vanpool's untimely end to impede HAL's momentum!
Hopefully those affected can land on their feet and that this won't have serious consequences for Kirby's future. The series is on fire right now -- I'd hate for Vanpool's untimely end to impede HAL's momentum!
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Wow, that really sucks. I hope the developers land on their feet.
I do wonder what happened there. Was HAL keeping them afloat with Kirby projects?
Too bad about Dillon. That and Pushmo need a Switch-flavored comeback.
I do wonder what happened there. Was HAL keeping them afloat with Kirby projects?
Too bad about Dillon. That and Pushmo need a Switch-flavored comeback.
Looking at their wikipedia page I assume that's what happened too. Lots of support work for years so I feel like a project that got canned is what did them in.
Glad I've got all of the Dillon games on my 3ds... Hope everyone in the company is able to get snapped up quickly, they're a talented bunch.
Considering they've basically just been a Kirby support studio for the past 5 years I wonder if their staff is getting absorbed into HAL proper. They are both in Tokyo, so relocation shouldn't be necessary for most staff either.
Being a small independent studio is tough in any case, especial when you are only doing support work for a single client. If HAL currently doesn't need Vanpool then there's just no income for them.
Always sad to see one of the Love-de-lic successor studios go. Here's hoping Onion Games will stay strong.
Being a small independent studio is tough in any case, especial when you are only doing support work for a single client. If HAL currently doesn't need Vanpool then there's just no income for them.
Always sad to see one of the Love-de-lic successor studios go. Here's hoping Onion Games will stay strong.
This really sucks. Dillon is so much fun, was really hoping for another one on Switch.
This would soften the blow at least. They're obviously very skilled, so having them move into HAL proper would be good
This would soften the blow at least. They're obviously very skilled, so having them move into HAL proper would be good
Really surprised to learn this as the last few games they were involved in were actually hits.
Hopefully Hal will absorb most of the affected developers.
Hopefully Hal will absorb most of the affected developers.
Damn, RIP
Wonder if we'll ever know what caused this. Doesn't look like they've done anything other than support work on Kirby the last few years so wonder if there's a cancelled project (or two) in there, Nintendo or otherwise.
Wonder if we'll ever know what caused this. Doesn't look like they've done anything other than support work on Kirby the last few years so wonder if there's a cancelled project (or two) in there, Nintendo or otherwise.
This truly hurts.
Love-de-Lic and associated studios were truly one of the bright spots in gaming for me. And now it's pretty much all gone.
Almost nothing left. Gaming got worse for me, even if it's largely symbolic at this point.
Vanpool hasn't done anything truly left-field since Dillon, though, so I guess I was more comforted by the fact they were still in the game world.
Hold on to Onion Games for all they're worth, folks.
Still making pretty cool games, if not greatly reduced in scope and decidedly more indie than fully fledged dev studio.
I think the Vanpool lead personnel and Onion games should join forces once again and make some really far-out games to end their career.
That was the only remaining Love-de-Lic development studio left - unless you count Onion Games.
All of them are now defunct. skip, ltd. has never been confirmed, but it's almost certainly gone.
Skip was always my favorite (as my avatar clearly shows).
Love-de-Lic and associated studios were truly one of the bright spots in gaming for me. And now it's pretty much all gone.
Almost nothing left. Gaming got worse for me, even if it's largely symbolic at this point.
Vanpool hasn't done anything truly left-field since Dillon, though, so I guess I was more comforted by the fact they were still in the game world.
Hold on to Onion Games for all they're worth, folks.
Still making pretty cool games, if not greatly reduced in scope and decidedly more indie than fully fledged dev studio.
I think the Vanpool lead personnel and Onion games should join forces once again and make some really far-out games to end their career.
That was the only remaining Love-de-Lic development studio left - unless you count Onion Games.
All of them are now defunct. skip, ltd. has never been confirmed, but it's almost certainly gone.
Skip was always my favorite (as my avatar clearly shows).
All these significant layoffs and studio closures. If I didn't know any better I'd assume we were hitting the edge of some kind of industry bubble or something.
Did Nintendo own them? I thought they just contracted them
People say stuff like this when it's likely Nintendo projects are the only reason these studios even lasted as long as they did
I don't know if that's quite right for a company that they've had a working relationship with for 20 years. It's unfortunate, and maybe Nintendo could have taken action to prop them up so that they didn't have to close, but it's not like Nintendo stepped in suddenly out of nowhere and killed the studio.
Yeah it's heartbreaking that the last bastion of the OG Love-de-Lic descendants are now gone, with Skip having vanished a couple years ago or so without a trace.
Onion Games at least keeps the spirit alive, plus we have Oink Games with some of Skip's Art Style and bit generations team making some nifty stuff here and there, and we just got the Switch port of Vivid Knight by Chibi-Robo co-director's Asobism not long ago.
What I want is for Nintendo to work with Onion Games to make something super creative and special like Chibi-Robo and Captain Rainbow. Onion's making some sort of RPG but I assume that's entirely on their own, but Nintendo could help elevate it with a bit of a budget and assistance to give it any guidance they could need IMO. Chibi-Robo may never have been as good without Nintendo picking it up in the day.
Onion Games at least keeps the spirit alive, plus we have Oink Games with some of Skip's Art Style and bit generations team making some nifty stuff here and there, and we just got the Switch port of Vivid Knight by Chibi-Robo co-director's Asobism not long ago.
What I want is for Nintendo to work with Onion Games to make something super creative and special like Chibi-Robo and Captain Rainbow. Onion's making some sort of RPG but I assume that's entirely on their own, but Nintendo could help elevate it with a bit of a budget and assistance to give it any guidance they could need IMO. Chibi-Robo may never have been as good without Nintendo picking it up in the day.
What other studios that Nintendo didn't own did Nintendo close?
The Mario and luigi rpg studio that Nintendo dastardly killed by (check notes)... letting them choose by themselves to do a remake of a ds game on 3ds after the Switch came out, and not forcing them to stop doing that bad choice.
What on earth was going through their minds when they decided to do a mediocre remake of a DS game?
To be fair, the 3DS M&L remakes were probably the only thing that was keeping AlphaDream afloat in their final years. They waited far, far too long to modernize their development floor past low resolution Nintendo platforms, and then getting their multiplatform project that was supposed to kick off a new era for the company killed put the proverbial stake in their heart. "Why didn't Nintendo have them do literally anything else" is a decent question to ask, but it's becoming clear over time that all AlphaDream really knew how to do after a certain point were M&L games.