Well that sucks. I really enjoyed Hotel Dusk, it was a good variation on a point and click game. | |
well they wernt that great of games so all is well | |
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I loved Hotel Dusk, even if it did hurt my hands. What a crappy way to start the week, indeed... | |
thats to bad, really enjoyed that game. Loved the design of characters in the game.. Was a bit too slow paced tho.. Can imagine that scares many buyers off.. | |
Damn, that really does suck. I love adventure games and these guys, had they succeeded, would've been at the forefront of reviving the genre in Japan. | |
I really like Hotel Dusk, good story, good character design, good visuals and it's a shame that this is happening to Cing. | |
I'd quote Darth Vadar, but we're all already there. God damn you, you dirty apes! | |
And people then wonder why games that treat the medium as art don't get made more often...it's because you don't buy them. gah. | |
Damn, that sucks. Hotel Dusk was a seriously underrated classic adventure game. | |
I need to stop liking such arty / awesome games and just jump on the MW2 bandwagon. I always end up disappointed : ( | |
Actually a niche title still has a niche to sell in. That can be profitable, just not as profitable as a monster, mainstream success. When I hear about things like this I have to wonder where that money went, and it makes me think there were other pressures involved. According to some (admittedly less than mainstream) sources over the last few years I've heard things here and there about how game developers are living. One of the reasons why I have been so critical about development budgets. Basically "nerd rock stars". People have talked here and there about meeting so and so who made such game once in a while on forums and the like, and you at times get the definate impression these guys are trying to "live the life" so to speak. Somehow I'd imagine that they could have supporting themselves off a title that found a niche, and was profitable to warrent a sequel, but something happened to the money. The question is were these guys heading out to "party like Itigaki" or whatever without any kind of massive success behind it, simply assuming that success would come given the beginnings. Pure supposition on my part, without any verifyable information, I am beginning to suspect that this kind of thing is influancing the industry more and more. Back in the day things like Richard Garriot holding his pagent-like "Brittania Manor" parties were unusual and eccentric. While less publicized it seems such behavior is becoming more common, and apparently a bit wilder. I sort of suspect this kind of thing will go from people like me saying unverified stuff right now to pretty obvious in the next few years. Of course I could be wrong. | |
This was going to be my reply. But I'll just quote you to save time. | |
Don't really see how Little King's Story was flawed or how Monster Rancher for the DS is a cult title but there you go. It must be a really hard time for developers like this to the get credit to run their businesses unless they are like Valve and started off sitting on a big pile of cash. | |
Man, this blows. I loved Hotel Dusk. I hope the can turn things around and get that sequel out here :/ | |
Glad I could be of service. That sounds dirty... | |
I'm not sure who to be angry at over this, so I'm just going to blame Trace Memory for being pathetically short. Maybe if Trace Memory was good, hotel Dusk would've gotten more hype and this all could have been avoided. | |
Wait? These guys did Little King's Story? That game was awesome. This is indeed a sad day. | |
Damn it! I really loved Hotel Dusk, that was a great game. It so sad to see another great yet under-appreciated developer go. | |
Unfortunatly this is true...They will be missed, by some I am sure...never nice when someone has to resort to this... | |
Never heard of the Last Window. But I own and loved Hotel Dusk and Little Kings Story. Sad sad day indeed. Best of luck Cing | |
Agreed, I loved Hotel Dusk even though it almost slipped under my radar. I got lucky and found an ad online and clicked it and then I saw pure greatness, I soon found out the game came out that day and I bought it within that next hour, day one sell from me. Why does none of these publishers advertise these things better? | |
I guess I'm not so surprised. This might be just plain mean of me, but even as someone who thoroughly enjoys the best interactive novel series of all time (Ace Attorney) I thought Hotel Dusk was "okay". It didn't have much interesting gameplay, the ending wasn't so thrilling, etc. It did have one or two really well-thought puzzles, but no core idea to keep it all together. Still, for anyone with a good idea in their hearts, I do sympathize with them going out of business. | |
It might not be a surprise but it's unfortunate none the less. | |
That game (Hotel Dusk) always intrigued me whenever my eyes passed over it in the DS section at my regular game purveyor, but I never thought much of it. I have to check it out sometime. Maybe my paltry donation will save Cing from bankruptcy? *puppy eyes* Meep? | |
Aww man, that really sucks. I hope they can still get Last Window localized over here... | |
Bring them back! I loved Hotel Dusk, despite the occasional unclear objective. | |
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Hotel Dusk Developer Files for Bankruptcy
Cing, developers of bizarre-yet-kind-of-awesome DS noir game Hotel Dusk and others including Last Window and Little King's Story,has filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan.
Well, this is a crappy way to start one's week: According to Japanese news site Data Max, small Japanese studio Cing filed for bankruptcy over across the Pacific last week, citing debts of ¥256 million ($2.8 million).
When you think about it, it isn't very surprising: Hotel Dusk et al were very interesting but wholly flawed, and practically the definition of "cult" game. The idea that a developer who specialized wholly in niche titles would have trouble paying off its debts isn't exactly far-fetched. Unsurprising, perhaps, but that doesn't make it suck any less.
Set in the year 1979, Hotel Dusk followed former NYPD detective Kyle Hyde - now a traveling salesman - as he checked into the eponymous hotel and soon found himself at the center of a mystery. The game asked players to talk with the other residents at the hotel, interrogate them to find out how they were potentially connected to what was going on, and try to piece the growing puzzle together - and find out what it had to do with Kyle's former partner, Bradley.
It had a really intriguing plot, some interesting characters, and some of the most creative uses I've ever seen of the DS' two screens and touch functionality (you actually close the DS to give a girl CPR: Tell me that's not cool!). Hotel Dusk certainly had its flaws, but it was just really damn unique.
Best of luck, Cing. Let's hope you can at least get the game's sequel Last Window localized over here, huh?
(Via NeoGAF)
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