Crytek has produced top budget products, but not a single one has been a super seller, but even considering that situation it seemed that Crytek was well established in the industry.
According Gamestar.de, Crytek could be feeling the pinch, in the middle of a weak economic situation.
– Bullet points from the article published by Gamestar.de:
Crytek got financial problems
There are working over 800 employees
Microsoft and Crytek talked about Ryse 2, but yet it is not in development, because Microsoft wants the trademark and Crytek don’t want to give it up
Reasons for the problems: Free-2-Play & Cryengine not work as well as expected, Crysis 3 and Ryse aren’t big sellers etc.
They got saved for now but maybe not forever
Strange situation all that concerns about Ryse 2. Microsoft let Insomniac Games to keep Sunset Overdrive rights, but regarding this info, Microsoft would want to acquire Ryse IP.
– A summary from the Gamestar’s article, point by point:
*Information is from a half dozen independent sources, according to Yerli “dramatized rumors” from disgruntled ex-employers
*Salaries are paid late and leading employees are sending applications to other studios at home and abroad
*Warface doesn’t work outside of Russia, other attempts at F2P were unsuccessful
*G-face was a flop
*The development of Ryse was catastrophic: mere months before release, the title was severely behind, only with additional manpower they were able to finish it
*Disagreements with MS over the ownership of Ryse’s IP could be a red flag for other publishers
*Adoption of CryEngine not going as planned, word-of-mouth at GDC was negative
*Too many employees, burn-rate too high (3-5 M euro).
*”The vultures are already circling,” says a leading representative for a major publisher.
*Big publishers are not interested in buying outright,would rather wait for bankruptcy, sign the talent and shop the IPs.
*Belarusian Free2Play giant Wargaming is listed as a possible buyer of Crytek
* Avni Yerli says a cash injection for the company is finally imminent. The contract has not been signed yet, but is as good as in the bag. “It’s not all great. Our transition to Free2Play studio was not painless. But that is now behind us, “he concludes.
Maybe Crytek should invest to create powerful games with great gameplay mechanics instead of standing out the technical aspects above the other game sections. It’s just my opinion.
Thanks, Neo-GAF.