Codies up to something: OFP 4?

[InstaGoat]

http://news.gamersguidetolife.com/2012/01/codemasters-creating-new-engine.html

I´ve checked the forums, and this has apparently not been discussed yet.

Please try not to turn this into a landmine. I know the community isn´t really keen on the codies "OFPs", but I just thought it might be of some interest to know that they appear to keep trying. After RR, I´m unsure what kind of direction they want to take. I just watched a RR longplay, and had to abort halfway because of how obnoxious the whole thing was.

This is barely a rumour, and nobody else seems to have reported on this, so it may likely be a complete fluke. If it´s true though, Arma 3 may have competition, and we may see another race like with Arma 2. Three´s the charm for them, apparently.

I know it´s bad luck to pin your winner before the race has even started, but Codemasters record on this isn´t exactly stellar, so I´m pretty sure that there´s a lot of fields A3 will again come out on top. Especially now that BI seems to be as creative and motivated as never before, churning out one good title after the other. (If Helos is any indication, Carrier Command will be another enjoyable piece of gaming experience.) However, because CM seems to have had terrible problems with some of their studios, not paying their people, breaking contracts and being a general asshat to their employees, which has led them to ditch the whole load of studios we´ve seen go last year, they may have an entirely new team working on this. No more Sion Lenton, bad bleeding, and nice comments.

I am pretty reserved on this, but I´ll keep an eye on it for sure. Another race would sure be exciting.

[Tonci87]

They can´t be THAT stupid. After a desastrous DR and an even more desastrous RR they really can´t expect that peple will ever pay for something with the name Flashpoint on it again. The ruined the franchise so effectively that it simply can´t be revived. My guess is that even if they really do release something, they won´t do it for the PC. There won´t be any competition with A3

[Krycek]

Never underestimate the CoD junkies,they're many,they don't think and they have cash,Tonci.

[MadDogX]

Isn't the DR/RR fan community completely gone now? I don't really check the codies forums, but I was under the impression that it died a slow but inevitable death after the release of RR. Trying to release yet another OFP game now seems like a very stupid notion.

If anything, I expect they will come up with a new name and drop the OFP moniker completely so that they can sell it as something entirely new, even if it does turn out to be more of the same crap. I can't imagine many people who played (or have even heard of DR/RR) will come back for a third helping.

[PuFu]

http://news.gamersguidetolife.com/2012/01/codemasters-creating-new-engine.html

Please try not to turn this into a landmine. I know the community isn´t really keen on the codies "OFPs"
You did that yourself when you put OFP brand next to Codemasters....in BIS forums.


If it´s true though, Arma 3 may have competition, and we may see another race like with Arma 2. Three´s the charm for them, apparently.
Just like DR and RR were "competitors" to A2 and OA...They were...NOT


but Codemasters record on this isn´t exactly stellar
to put it mildly...bodycount was another fabulous FPS game, commercially and artistically, just like RR...


However, because CM seems to have had terrible problems with some of their studios, not paying their people, breaking contracts and being a general asshat to their employees, which has led them to ditch the whole load of studios we´ve seen go last year, they may have an entirely new team working on this. No more Sion Lenton, bad bleeding, and nice comments.
Sion Lenton was/is an assturd, but it was far from being the biggest problem for CM. The biggest one was their games.


I am pretty reserved on this, but I´ll keep an eye on it for sure. Another race would sure be exciting.
By race i am sure you mean forum verbal volley, because otherwise, there wasn't really such a thing (although i admit with DR, BIS might have not included thermal maps in OA...).

[Tonci87]

You did that yourself when you put OFP brand next to Codemasters....in BIS forums.


Just like DR and RR were "competitors" to A2 and OA...They were...NOT


to put it mildly...bodycount was another fabulous FPS game, commercially and artistically, just like RR...


Sion Lenton was/is an assturd, but it was far from being the biggest problem for CM. The biggest one was their games.


By race i am sure you mean forum verbal volley, because otherwise, there wasn't really such a thing (although i admit with DR, BIS might have not included thermal maps in OA...).

Yeah just what I thought, I guess one of the main reasons to give us IR Textures in OA was that they were present in DR. The IR Textures fronm BIS are much better than those in DR. A little bit of competition is always healthy^^

[InstaGoat]

Isn't the DR/RR fan community completely gone now? I don't really check the codies forums, but I was under the impression that it died a slow but inevitable death after the release of RR. Trying to release yet another OFP game now seems like a very stupid notion.

If anything, I expect they will come up with a new name and drop the OFP moniker completely so that they can sell it as something entirely new, even if it does turn out to be more of the same crap. I can't imagine many people who played (or have even heard of DR/RR) will come back for a third helping.

The codemasters forums, despite having tens of thousands of members, is pretty slow compared to this one. I checked it twice in the past three months, and in their shooter sections, nothing moved at all. Both DR and RR are effectively dead on their boards. If they are clever, they´ll indeed drop the name, but I actually don´t expect them to. At least on console platforms, I believe they value both games at least as mild successes compared to their other shooter, and they´re possibly intending to go in for a third attempt. I´d not put it beyond them to make bad decisions: they´ve shown themselves fully capable of humongous cockups before, and I doubt that´s changed magically in the past few months.


You did that yourself when you put OFP brand next to Codemasters....in BIS forums.

Just like DR and RR were "competitors" to A2 and OA...They were...NOT

to put it mildly...bodycount was another fabulous FPS game, commercially and artistically, just like RR...

Sion Lenton was/is an assturd, but it was far from being the biggest problem for CM. The biggest one was their games.

By race i am sure you mean forum verbal volley, because otherwise, there wasn't really such a thing (although i admit with DR, BIS might have not included thermal maps in OA...).

Arma 2 and DR were taken, until DRs release, as competitors, because everyone expected (trough codies advertising) DR to be a milsim of similar calibre. Cue disappointments, no mod support, and everything else there was, and disappointment ensued for most.

And I do realize I´ve created another potential bash thread. I was just hoping it wouldn´t, you know, spin completely out of control and blow up in a mushroom of fire and rage.

Like Tonci said, a little competition is always motivating, even though as far as communities go, theirs doesn´t hold up anymore at all. Let´s hope BI keeps up their A game until the release of Arma 3, so that ours actually continues to grow with its arrival. That´d be rad, more new people. A little more awareness of the milsim genre trough existence of more titles can´t hurt, though.

My two cents.

[NoRailgunner]

So this thread is about rumours about CM's yet unknown/classified FPS? Hmmmm.... should we increase those "Like it" on their social sites to lure them into a trap or should we ignore those rumours until the game is released/"done"?? Or should we even care to overload their forums with totally serious polls and incredible awesome suggestions??? :)

[Tonci87]

Simply ignore it

[Dwarden]

Yeah just what I thought, I guess one of the main reasons to give us IR Textures in OA was that they were present in DR. The IR Textures fronm BIS are much better than those in DR. A little bit of competition is always healthy^^

afaik we had that long time before DR was announced ...

imo You give certain company with certain titles too much credit for not that much result ...

[Tonci87]

OK Dwarden I appologize :D
I know BIS is awesome

[OnlyRazor]

If they do decide to counter the odds and take another dump all over the once beloved name, facepalming won't be enough.

http://rgifs.gifbin.com/3934yu85yu4.gif

[Max Power]

RR must have been profitable, or else surely they wouldn't authorize another project...

[jblackrupert]

It'll be fun watching the same people who bitched and whined the last 2 times once again throwing their money at CM and then once again swearing up and down that they will never buy a Conmaster game again.

[walker]

Hi all

Codies are a declining business based on a business model in decline. In the UK places you can buy console games become fewer by the day. Download has freed developers from the grasp of the old production companies. All they have is old titles still produced on the same ten year old console tech, regurgitated ad infinitum, bored now.

I spoke to a developer who was CEO of one of the largest companies on the planet, he and many in his former company saw the Console industry was in decline three or four years ago, he warned his board. They took no notice, he handed in his notice soon after, cashed in and moved on to pastures new.

There are three development arenas now.


Windows PC download for high spec cutting edge tech for a few years as it will be able to harvest the cash that used to go to retailers and producers and wholesalers via the disc media channel as those are now in terminal decline replaced by download, but even this PC market will decline too. I log on to my PC maybe once a month.

Smartphone and tablet is the present, but ignore Apple, it is a cul-de-sac; based on a misconception of the customer needs, the Betamax of smartphone world, all guci and expensive, but people using it to develop is on the declining spiral Apple products always suffer from, too problematic, too expensive, too small a market.

Android is the environment to develop in. In particular with google glasses already reaching select developers, when they get released to the public later this year Apple, still stuck in the tablet era, will be on the catch up train to no where.


Kind Regards walker

[Flash Thunder]

Yay another 100k + posts of trolling to read!

ME HAPPY! :D

If It is true this time Codemasters are going to make BIS their **** show them how to implement new things in their engine and perfect the art of entity limits...

My wishlist for codies new FPDR game

*Less smart AI
*Less entities on screen maybe cap it at 32 entities
*No Cooperative at all its way too unrealistic
*Gold weapon skins

That is all.

[PuFu]

Arma 2 and DR were taken, until DRs release, as competitors, because everyone expected (trough codies advertising) DR to be a milsim of similar calibre. Cue disappointments, no mod support, and everything else there was, and disappointment ensued for most.

And I do realize I´ve created another potential bash thread. I was just hoping it wouldn´t, you know, spin completely out of control and blow up in a mushroom of fire and rage.

Like Tonci said, a little competition is always motivating, even though as far as communities go, theirs doesn´t hold up anymore at all. Let´s hope BI keeps up their A game until the release of Arma 3, so that ours actually continues to grow with its arrival. That´d be rad, more new people. A little more awareness of the milsim genre trough existence of more titles can´t hurt, though.

My two cents.
Oh don't get me wrong, i actually wish that BIS would get a real competitor on this market, because i truly believe that it's a pretty torque-y engine for development, and me, as a user, would have only to gain out of it.

[froggyluv]

I will buy this game!

As I am lacking in any CM titles. Strangely, everytime I insert a CM disc into my drive my PC makes a muffled but nonetheless real munching sound as if stuffing a huge handful of potato chips in ones mouth in a paused and measured manner. Verily I never see or hear from said inserted game again and Im quite sure I've heard a satisfied belch from my left speaker after all is said and done.

[jblackrupert]

Who wants to take bets that the country it takes place in is eerily similar to a place in Greece.?

[Darkhorse 1-6]

I'd lay money on it being a place in Turkey, that might possibly extend to Greece. xD

[InstaGoat]

Well, so much for that.

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/68823-codemasters-races-back-black/index

Important part is the numbers: Their driving games jacked up 13.6m pounds in profits. Their action division (Bodycount + OFP RR + OFP DR) closure and lack of success of the games cost them 11.3m pounds, reducing their overall profit to merely 2.3m. Operating loss in 2010 was over 20m.

In the light of this, I think this rumour about a new OFP is unsubstantiated. OFP alone apparently was responsible for 5m in losses after closing the action division. I doubt they are ever going back to the action/shooter genre, short or mid-term. Way to shoot down a perfectly good name, Codies. If this isn´t the final, hard-numbers confirmation of their cockup, I don´t know what is.

[IceBreakr]

Glad that making shitty products actually effected someone. There is still hope for humanity.

[Tonci87]

Well I guess there won´t be another attempt at "making stuff you have no clue of" again.

[metalcraze]

Not mentioning a "competition for ArmA" (not that I would mind one)
Developers need to have balls to do simulations. Pop corn shooters are quick to make and don't require any sophisticated design.
But trying to sit on two chairs at once is even worse as Codies have learned.

[InstaGoat]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/344411/codemasters-is-dead-long-live-codemasters-racing/

Summary: Codemasters ditches all non-racing franchises, rebrands itself "Codemasters Racing" and focuses on their driving games only.

So, Codies, how about you sell off the OFP name to BIS so the name can be put to rest at last, and the money gets donated to a cancer research fund or aids charity or something? That, or sell it for a symbolic price like the german Mig-29s.

I guess this means that the tactical shooter genre in its old-fashioned form lies completely with BIS and similar Indie developers, like the Ground Branch people. Considering the hype we saw around OFP:DR prior to its release, this is a pretty disappointing end of the line for the OFP name. Great job, Codies management, you have outdone yourselves :V

[sparks50]

Sadly enough, Arma is probably the better known name at this point either way.

[OnlyRazor]

Sadly enough, Arma is probably the better known name at this point either way.

Sadly? I don't see anything sad about that. A name can pass, but the legacy remains.

[metalcraze]

Sadly enough, Arma is probably the better known name at this point either way.

More like OFP is a dirty name at this point.

Still would've been great if BIS was to set another game in Cold War era.

[jblackrupert]

Codemasters changes name

http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/26859-codemasters-changes-name--focus

---------- Post added at 11:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 AM ----------

Codemasters changes name

http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/26859-codemasters-changes-name--focus

[Cyper]

Isn't the DR/RR fan community completely gone now? I don't really check the codies forums, but I was under the impression that it died a slow but inevitable death after the release of RR. Trying to release yet another OFP game now seems like a very stupid notion.

If anything, I expect they will come up with a new name and drop the OFP moniker completely so that they can sell it as something entirely new, even if it does turn out to be more of the same crap. I can't imagine many people who played (or have even heard of DR/RR) will come back for a third helping.

Correct.

The DR/RR community is dead since a few months ago. There is barely no activity at all on the board. Some of the big DR modders officialy told the others that they were leaving, others were banned. I have no clue of how many people that were banned but since CM tried to keep the complaints down to a minimum before Red Rivers release by censoring posts and banning people I believe there is quite a lot of people that were kicked out in the cold. The few people that praised the game all the time left after it was announced that the whole series got scrubbed. The Devs abandoned the ship directly after its release as with DR. The Co-op is dead, as the co-op forum. In Tech Support there is various complaints about people who have problems to buy/install DLCs, install the game, connect and host games, and update. Tells pretty much. Not even the off-topic forum is very active anymore. There are indeed some serious fractions in the community.

If Codemasters are about to start another tactical shooter-kinda game I reckon that the name Operation Flashpoint will make people puke rather than clap their hands. Dragon Rising sold 1.2million copies worldwide and Red River have reached just roughly over 300,000 copies worldwide according to vgchartz. With Arma, Red Orchestra, Operation Takedown, and Iron Front, its going to be rough for them no matter if they release another game called Operation Flashpoint or not. There is obviously no place for their tactical game, nor any kind of action game (bodycount lol) unless they come up with something very, very innovative, or compete (and win) directly against these titles.

[Flash Thunder]

A name to better fit them since they're arent exactly masters of the code. FPDR

Just look at all the issues bugs in Dragon crap.

[GRS]

Hey guys, what do you think of Codemaster's games? Are they good?










Seriously, let it die.

[Nicholas]

I actually don't mind Codemasters racing games. But they should not try to make another FPS. I hope that this "rumor" is false. Even though they've changed their name to "Codemasters Racing" doesn't mean they won't release the game under a different name.

[jblackrupert]

If Codemasters are about to start another tactical shooter-kinda game

They're aren't, see the link I posted above. The changed their name to "Codemasters racing" and are sticking to racing games.

It would be good news if they choose to revive the TOCA series which was very good and switch to dedicated servers for the GRID and DIRT series.

[Nicholas]

They're aren't, see the link I posted above. The changed their name to "Codemasters racing" and are sticking to racing games.

It would be good news if they choose to revive the TOCA series which was very good and switch to dedicated servers for the GRID and DIRT series.

They may still have a subsidiary studio develop and publish the game.

[Max Power]

That's a good point. Because Codemasters has rebranded, doesn't mean it's the only rebranding going on. It is possible that Codemasters has shuffled some stuff around to minimize the negative associations of the past on future endeavors, but that not a lot has changed operationally.

[Flash Thunder]

That's a good point. Because Codemasters has rebranded, doesn't mean it's the only rebranding going on. It is possible that Codemasters has shuffled some stuff around to minimize the negative associations of the past on future endeavors, but that not a lot has changed operationally.

Its plastic surgery for them meanwhile the internet exposes Codemasters lies.

[Baff1]

F1 video game creator Codemasters in debt for equity deal
Codemasters, the video games maker behind the Formula1 series of games as well as 90s’ retro classic Dizzy, is to convert £21m of expensive debt into equity as part of a wider financial restructuring designed to place the loss-making company on a sounder financial footing.

Codemasters, the British video games maker, wants to cut its borrowing costs to boost profits.
By James Quinn
9:30PM BST 21 Apr 2012
4 Comments
The Warwickshire-based company, one of Britain’s best known video games maker, which employs more than 650 people, is to restructure its balance sheet to reduce its borrowing costs and help it generate increased profits.

The conversion of £14.95m of “Payment in Kind” (PIK) notes into equity will see the company’s two shareholders, Balderton Capital and India’s Reliance Entertainment – which already each own 50pc of the business, essentially write off the debts in return for the creation of the additional shares.

Balderton is currently owed £9.35m in PIK notes, with Reliance owed £5.6m.

The debt is so expensive that £1.63m of interest payments accrued on the PIK notes in the year to June 2011. In addition, Reliance has provided a further loan of £6m, which is also convertible into equity.

The company has also managed to agree extensions to £19.3m of loans with India’s Axis Bank and JPMorgan Chase, pushing the dates by which they must be repaid to June and August respectively.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/electronics/9218815/F1-video-game-creator-Codemasters-in-debt-for-equity-deal.html

[Nicholas]

Ok, I figured it out. Codemasters as a publisher is not going to change their name. They will still be labeled as "Codemasters" on all of their games that they publish. But their in-house studios (developers) have been renamed is all.

Codemasters (Publisher)
* Codemasters Racing Studio (Developer)
* Codemasters Action Studio (Developer)

Their racing studio will only produce their racing games, nothing else; their action studio will produce their action games, such as Operation Flashpoint.

Not a single news site mentioning this has linked to such press release. I really love how much the media will twist things around.

[kimozabbi]

The new Operation Flashpoint: Taskforce Olympus forum is up on the Codemasters Action Studio website. I don't know why they choose Greek Island Lesbos as the setting, they should have just use a fictional Island. The trailer looks awesome, underwater stuff looks cool. I think it is going to be the graphics king of all games in 2012 for sure.

[InstaGoat]

The new Operation Flashpoint: Taskforce Olympus forum is up on the Codemasters Action Studio website. I don't know why they choose Greek Island Lesbos as the setting, they should have just use a fictional Island. The trailer looks awesome, underwater stuff looks cool. I think it is going to be the graphics king of all games in 2012 for sure.

What? Nothing about that on the codemasters forums. Also no references on google or any gaming website I frequent. :P You sure about this? Pls provide links if you have them.

[Inlesco]

Obviously, you've just ran into an ordinary troll... Logically, if there really would be trailer publised somewhere, Codies wouldn't play "hidden & dangerous" with the first footage of their new OFP.

[kimozabbi]

gullible - A derivative of archaic gull, "dupe" or "simpleton."
See also related term - InstaGoat

[InstaGoat]

Obviously, you've just ran into an ordinary troll... Logically, if there really would be trailer publised somewhere, Codies wouldn't play "hidden & dangerous" with the first footage of their new OFP.

I figured as much :V

OH WELL I GUESS I WILL NEED TO WEAR THE DUPE HAT NOW

*dupe hat*

[kimozabbi]

Good to see you can take a joke and have a laugh too InstaGoat, I respect that. Thanks for being a good sport. :pc:

[BangTail]

Another one of these threads?

Do we really need to discuss this disgusting travesty of a 'franchise' any further?

[Prydain]

Discuss it until the bandwagon's wheels fall off.

[kimozabbi]

This threads going places! Alright it sucks...but I challenge you to watch this video and NOT laugh out loud. I dare you!

7OEnWb6URhI

[jblackrupert]

I had to quit 30 seconds in....... maybe when I'm drunk