Thu, Jan 20, 2011 | 17:23 GMT
Frontier’s The Outsider not canceled, says Braben
According to an earlier report from RPS, Frontier’s David Braben had confirmed that The Outsider was canned. However, Braben has since told Develop that is not the case.
“There is still publisher interest in the project, and we haven’t canceled it,” Braben told Develop.
The game was announced in 2005 for PS3, 360 and PC, and was to tell the story of CIA officer Jameson, who becomes a fugitive.
A deal for the game was also brokered between the developer and EA, according to the report, to publish the game for an end of 2011, but fell apart and was reported as being canceled as recently as yesterday. Codemasters was due to publish the title until it was dropped. The game had been in production for six years.
Braben’s did, however,confirm a round of lay-offs at Frontier, with 17 people being made redundant.
Earlier Braben told games site Rock Paper Shotgun that the studio has “had to change priorities because of requirements on other unannounced projects.”
“We have had to change priorities because of requirements on other unannounced projects,” he said. “Some people have been moved, and we are very sad to have made some people redundant.”
There’s more through both links.
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Posted in: Action, EA, Hot, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tags: david braben, frontier developments, the outsider
10 comments
#1
StolenGlory
20/01/11, 4:31 pm
Can’t say i’m too surprised, but still i’m going to file this under:
OH FOR FUCK SAKE.
For posterity.
#2
Blerk
20/01/11, 4:40 pm
Only really surprised that it’s taken this long. Frontier seem to be having more luck with their family-oriented stuff anyway.
Best of luck to those losing their jobs.
#3
Moonwalker1982
20/01/11, 4:41 pm
Really too bad though, it definitely sounded interesting.
#4
StolenGlory
20/01/11, 4:41 pm
@2
Yeah good point mate.
Is it selfish of me to still want Elite IV or just un-realistic?
I would like to think it’s a bit of both
#5
Blerk
20/01/11, 4:45 pm
I’d love Elite IV, but I don’t trust them not to balls it up. No Elite IV is better than a crap one.
/plays original Elite on Spectrum emulator
#6
barchetta
20/01/11, 4:59 pm
Spectrum Elite had Lenslok iirc. /Shudders
Had a good time making Elite origami spaceships with Ian Bell at Gamecity09. There is still a lot of love for the game but I wonder whether the risks (of ruining a reputation) outweigh the benefits… I can picture a web based social gaming treatment with hundreds buzzing about the place and lots of micropayment crap. And I’d be upset if it went that way I liked the solitude tbh.
#7
Len
20/01/11, 5:10 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
I was still holding out hope for this, most annoying.
#8
YoungZer0
20/01/11, 6:41 pm
Are people even reading the article? It says it’s not canceled.
#9
Panipal2005
20/01/11, 7:32 pm
@ YoungZer0
The article strongly suggested it was cancelled when it was first posted, but obviously got edited with the new news.
#10
TheWulf
20/01/11, 8:54 pm
I’d have loved to have played Elite IV but there’s really no need for it in the current market, this is due to there being actually a large number of indie titles at the moment which are set to take the Elite throne with panache and aplomb.
Not least of which being Infinity, as an example of a serious contender. Given the current rebirth of interest in space exploration games, it’s probable that Elite IV would struggle to keep up with the competition. It’s human nature to cling to brand names, I suppose, but take it from an Elite fan – Elite is far from dead, even if it doesn’t carry the elite name.
(I’m posting too quickly, I should slow down! 8D Don’t worry, VG247, I don’t blame you for that. I know it’s a WP bug. But it’s such an annoying WP bug. The WP guys need to fix that, and quickly. @_@)