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DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany

Posted By: Carla

DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 12:56 PM

Another sad news for all of us adventure gamers frown

http://gamepolitics.com/2012/04/30/report-dtp-entertainment-filing-bankruptcy

Now we have to wait and to see what the outcome will be cry , I'm thinking at all the beautiful adventures already planned, as Memento Mori 2, Haunted and Lost Chronicles of Zerzura...
Posted By: BrownEyedTigre

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 01:53 PM

What a shame. I hope they can be revived. Thanks for the news Carla.

Ana wave
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 02:01 PM

This is sad news indeed. eek I hope they manage to reorganize and come back even stronger.
Posted By: Tomer

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 03:06 PM

Sad, sad, sad...

Well, I guess kickstarter projects will make it even worse... of course I support the kickstarter idea, but lots of people will lose their jobs, I guess.
Posted By: Mad

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 03:29 PM

Very unhappy to hear this, Carla, but thanks for letting us know frown
Posted By: MaG

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 04:25 PM

Very Sad indeed!
Posted By: oldbroad

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/17/12 10:12 PM

Yep, very sad indeed.
Posted By: dragonuk44

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/18/12 06:21 AM

sad very sad duh frown cry
Posted By: venus

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/19/12 12:56 PM

This is terrible news. sad Does anyone know what this means for the games that were supposed to come out? We were so close with Haunted after so many delays, and I was really looking forward to the other games, too.
Posted By: Kaki's Sister

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/21/12 09:19 AM

What awful news Carla. I appreciate your letting us know.
Posted By: 8dognight

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/22/12 12:11 AM

Tomer, why will Kickstarter make things worse? I suppose I naively thought Kickstarter will at the very least show that adventure games have supporters and thus probably a market larger than people willing to shell out money to make them possible. Is this not the case?
Posted By: Tomer

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/22/12 08:03 AM

@8dognight,
well, on the one hand, you're right. On the other hand, the big game creators apparently no longer really need the publishers, cause they can raise money with their fans, which is probably much, much better for them (to not have a publisher telling them what to do).
But you're right, it could work both ways.

Honestly, although there are many adventure KS doing well, I'm not sure the publishers are impressed by the sums arrived. Jane Jensen herself hardly got 450K. To me it sounds like a lot of money, but the game budgets I keep hearing of are often millions of dollars! I wonder what this means.
Posted By: Drizzt

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/22/12 07:44 PM

Tomer, I guess that the game budgets with millions of dollars are high-profile games such as the Call-of-duty games. It doesn't really matter whether it's a good game or more of an interactive movie (as I think those games are); a lot of people will buy them anyway. Game budgets for more niched genres are smaller I guess, because these games aren't required to be something akin to a movie delivered to your PC.

But hey, Brian Fargo raised almost 3 million dollars for Wasteland 2, so with an enough interested audience I think there's enough money to raise.

I'm a bit split about Kickstarter; on one hand I absolutely love the idea that developers can be free of the typical restrictions and make just the kind of game they want (like Wasteland 2), but on the other hand I don't want everything to become a kickstarter-project either.
Posted By: Starcom

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/22/12 09:10 PM

Re: Kickstarter and Adv. games
I agree with both sides that KS is A) Excellent for small developers, individuals who want to create games and B) As for bigger companies creating games by digging into their own pockets, Why would they or should they?, when they can now use KS and have the people who want to play the games fund it, it is a Win Win solution for all, you pay we make, and if the game is a bust, we the creators don’t loose a cent. To be honest, I know if I was in the business this is what I would do.
So hopefully the games that DTP where going to create will be picked up or continued via KS.
Posted By: rmt

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/22/12 11:46 PM

What would we do if DTP went on Kickstarter to get themselves out of bankruptcy? Would we support them? I would have saved Microïds and White Birds Productions if I could have.

Also, the latest successful projects on Kickstarter were mostly aimed at nostalgia gamers from eras like Sierra. That age group (us I guess), has money to risk. However the whole game market outside adventures is aimed at kids, and they appear to have lots of money, buying games in the millions as if there was no recession.

Will it only work for established authors that we admired in the past? Will it only work when there is already something out there that we really really liked? It might not work for everyone, but only in certain circumstances. It appears that Kickstarter is the last port of call, when no publishers will invest in your projects, perfect for adventure game developers.

I can't see myself sponsoring them all though, so far I have only pledged on Jane Jensen and Pinkerton Road Studio. It would have to be something I really want to see happening before I sponsor again. But then, I don't have much money, it might be different for others.

It is very interesting to see how all of this will develop. This is the industry reorganising itself following all these publishers that went bust whilst creativity and demand are still going. Something had to happen, can we survive long on all these indies coming out?

Give me a massive game adventure production any day which runs more like a film (in story and dialogues), with a minimum amount of puzzles well integrated in the story and where I don't die or make fatal errors every minute (I still love those Nancy Drew games though, the characters are so funny because they wear their heart on their sleeves. They don't hide who they are unlike most human beings. It helps my study of human nature a great deal.)
Posted By: traveler

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 01:40 AM

Personally, I don't think KickStarter would work for the type of games big publishers put out. They are very polished and they cost a lot. They won't be made quickly enough to suit the KickStarter crowd, at least I don't think so. Their games are more likely to sell already made since you see one and you immediately want it and Bingo! there goes your money. Expecting people to cough up millions for an adventure game sight unseen from most developers...I seriously doubt it's going to happen. The younger generation(s) are much more likely to plough their ready cash into an FPS anyway, IMO. sad

Gil.
Posted By: Mad

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 02:01 AM

"I'm a bit split about Kickstarter; on one hand I absolutely love the idea that developers can be free of the typical restrictions and make just the kind of game they want (like Wasteland 2), but on the other hand I don't want everything to become a kickstarter-project either."

That's exactly how I feel, too, Drizzt rolleyes
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 10:10 AM

It's funny how impressions differ! I thought it was the younger crowd who were supporting the Kickstarter projects, and it was taking us older gamers (who are more cautious) longer to get used to the idea.
Posted By: BrownEyedTigre

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 11:52 AM

I think the same as you do Becky! lol
Posted By: rmt

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 12:27 PM

One quick look at the Pinkerton Road forum, the section about introduce yourself, shows that most of them were even playing text adventure games in the early 80s. I must assume it represents most of the backers? Rare are the young ones. Which is to be expected, it is a revival of Sierra and Lucas Arts games, most of these Kickstarter projects...
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 01:50 PM

Interesting topic on the Pinkerton Road forum. I've glanced through, and most of the gamers posting their ages seem to be in their 20s and early 30s.

RMT -- perhaps that strikes you as old?

Cough. Cough. grin
Posted By: traveler

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 03:30 PM

Taking my teeth out of the water glass to ask, does anyone know if DTP games that were finished or almost finished can or will be released while this bankruptcy business is going on? I'm thinking specifically of Zerzura.

Gil.
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 03:42 PM

Traveler -- I don't think anyone knows for sure. We're all waiting for more information, and hoping it'll be good news.

Becky picks up a cane and limps across the room, having just realized how truly old she is.
Posted By: 8dognight

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 04:34 PM

Is DTP going out of business bankrupt or in the German equivalent of what, I think, in this country is called Chapter 11 which exists for restructuring?
Posted By: rmt

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 04:35 PM

Becky, perhaps you are right, still many of them certainly did say they played text adventure games and listed the old computers they used to have, computers I've never heard of, some with screens that were only green and black with 4 KB of memory. I wonder today what these computers were good for... and yet they must have been considered the Quantum Computers of their days.

And for the record, I am 39 and I consider myself young... (ish)...

Cough cough... atchoum! (loud sneeze in French) (not sure how to simulate choking in English or French)
Posted By: rmt

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 04:39 PM

Thank God they only filed for bankruptcy after Gray Matter came out. And thank God Jane Jensen has the intellectual property to do Gray Matter 2. Can you imagine?
Posted By: traveler

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 04:46 PM

Originally Posted By: rmt

Cough cough... atchoum! (loud sneeze in French) (not sure how to simulate choking in English or French)


"Gack" is a good one in English. I've always liked it. It sounds as if you're trying to get something out of your throat. The dictionary doesn't agree with me. I found one that says it's the sound of a cat coughing up a hairball. grin

Becky, slow down. I can't keep up with you. Somebody take that cane away from her.

Gil.
Posted By: Mad

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 04:48 PM

........ and pass it to me, please !! rotfl
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 05:25 PM

"Gack" is the sound my ancient lungs make as I lean over to to turn on the computer. razz

Rmt -- enjoy your youth while you still can!

Hyuck! Huck! (Old-fasioned laughter by geezer/hick)

8dognight -- I don't know if it's a liquidation or a restructuring. Maybe one of our German members who can read all the details (and perhaps has a law degree) can tell us?

Hoping it's a restructuring, of course.

Posted By: Karsten

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 09:32 PM

I don't know what bankruptcy involves re: german laws, but there's a thread here from about a month ago at rpgwatvh. com where they discuss the news that dtp is 'insolvent'.

http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16968

Zyklop's post on page 2 says this:

Quote:
German IT portal "heise" has more informations about it:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldu…t-1564414.html

According to this news it is a "planned insolvency", the goal is to restructure the company and release all announced titles (e.g. Game of Thrones and Memento Mori 2) in time.


I hope, like all, here, that the plan is to restructure.
Posted By: Becky

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/23/12 11:26 PM

Thanks Karsten -- that's helpful! wave
Posted By: DaveHT

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/25/12 03:48 AM

Does everyone find this a surprise? I certainly do.

Was there any warning sign from more than one month ago? It seems rather sudden. dtp has been around for quite a while and has a good library of adventure games. Was this a sale issue or something else?
Posted By: Karsten

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/25/12 09:40 PM

I have seen no warning sign or anything like this that dtp was about to close its doors. However, games these days are big busines and a game needs to sell at least 1 million copies to be succesfull. And by that I mean to break even, e.g. just getting the money back investors poured into making the game.

Most rpgs these days need to sell at least 2 million copies to break even or more. My guess is that dtp didn't get enough enough income to make some payment either on loans or maybe even on wages/salaries for their employees.
Posted By: vic

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/27/12 01:19 PM

I was really looking forward to haunted too...got the message from Amazon.co.uk the other day re it:

Hello,

We regret to report that the release of the following item has been cancelled:

"Haunted (PC DVD)"

Our supplier has informed us that this item is no longer available. This item has now been cancelled from your order.

...I might see if there is a German version I can buy it is not my preferred language for games but better than not being able to play it ever.
Posted By: Kolby

Re: DTP files for bankruptcy in Germany - 05/27/12 07:06 PM

I have been eagerly waiting for the english version of Haunted since i played the german demo last year. I really hoped it would be released this month, but that didn't happen cry

According to Play.com , Haunted is delayed until 27 july.

The german version of Lost Chronicles of Zerzura is in stock at Amazon.de , and Memento Mori 2 is scheduled for release in Germany 8 june.

Let's hope those games sell millions, so DTP can get cash to release the english versions soon wink
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