Topic: Has Interplay gone belly up?? (Read 4990 times)

Javora · « **Reply #20 on:** June 07, 2004, 08:25:56 am »

Huh, looks like the beginning of the end for Interplay. Nice link S'Raek thanks. Here is a quote from the Gamespot link:

Quote:

Shutdown rumors swirl around Interplay

[UPDATE] Unconfirmed reports say the troubled publisher's staff has been laid off and its office has been shuttered; anonymous office occupant says the rumors are "not true."

In mid-April, Interplay announced its 2003 financial numbers. While the company's income was lackluster, CEO Herve Caen gave an optimistic if guarded outlook for 2004, promising a new Kingpin game and the possible resurrection of Fallout 3.

However, Interplay also filed papers with the SEC that showed it was three months behind in its rent and was facing eviction from its Irvine, California, headquarters. Two weeks ago, its official site, www.interplay.com, went offline. However, its still-functioning e-mail and phone system pointed to the fact that the company was still in existence, even if it wasn't responding to inquiries.

Today, however, unconfirmed reports began to surface that the publisher was indeed shutting down. Several stock-related and Interplay-game-related sites claimed to have received reports from Interplay employees that they were told by the company's human resources department to file for unemployment insurance. According to some sites, staffers were also told to collect their belongings by 5:00pm PDT on Tuesday because the property managers were preparing to lock all Interplay employees out of their Irvine offices. Other reports said the offices would be closed at 5:00pm Friday, and movers had already taken several major items of furniture and game memorabilia from the offices.

While numerous, none of the reports regarding Interplay have been confirmed by any official sources whatsoever. Calls to Interplay's offices were not returned, and e-mails sent to "@interplay.com" addresses were bounced back. Calls to Interplay's corporate parent, Titus Interactive Group, were also not returned. Representatives for Interplay's landlord, Los Angeles-based Arden Realty, would confirm that the publisher was a tenant but would not comment on the publisher's rental status as of press time. "I simply can't comment on that," said an Arden executive.

[UPDATE] Early Wednesday, the voicemail system at Titus' American offices ceased to function. An early follow-up call to Interplay's offices got an actual person on the line for the first time in over a month. When asked if Interplay was going out of business, the person said, "No, that's not true," but refused to elaborate. When asked if she was an employee of Interplay, the person said, "I'd rather not say," and promptly transferred the call to Herve Caen's personal mailbox. Caen had not responded to the voicemail as of press time, and several subsequent calls to Interplay's main line were met with a busy signal. As of 1pm Wednesday, the line was still busy.

However, even if the reports of Interplay's demise are greatly exaggerated, the company faces a rough road ahead. Besides its rental woes, the company is facing a battery of lawsuits, including one by Arden Realty for $432,000 in back rent and another by BioWare for $156,000 for unpaid Baldur's Gate royalties. During its financial report in mid-April, Interplay declared it had only $1.2 million in cash on hand.

Still don't know what this means for the SFC games.

Scott Allen Abfalter · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2004, 02:12:16 pm »

It sounds an awfully lot like they are dying but that the owners are not yet willing to publically say as much.

SSCF Hooch · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2004, 04:53:08 pm »

The real question is who will own these titles. They stopped supporting the games a 2 years ago anyway. I am sorry to see them go belly up and sorry for the folks that work there. But if they tank who gets the legal stuff?

Hooch

Toasty0 · « **Reply #26 on:** June 07, 2004, 07:15:39 pm »

Interplay has not gone belly up. No, that would be to easy an end. Instead, their fearless leader, embued with all the hubris of Monty Python's Black Knight calling for the other knight to return and fight like a man, has led Interplay head first into the meat grinder of financial ruin.

Sethan · « **Reply #27 on:** June 07, 2004, 07:19:55 pm »

I worked for a company once that went exactly the same way.

Interplay's commitment to its customers and stellar customer service would be sorely missed (if it had ever had either).

Age · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2004, 08:43:12 pm »

I guess I will never or possibly that get my Star Fleet Academy and Star Trek New Worlds fixed.I could never figure out New Worlds.I guess the people really responsible is the State of California its self considering they closed them down.They are responsible for diving up the asset's.

Rondo_GE · « **Reply #29 on:** June 07, 2004, 10:15:18 pm »

uh oh I better et my copy of SFC OP

Rondo_GE · « **Reply #30 on:** June 07, 2004, 10:16:19 pm »

maybe too late

Javora · « **Reply #31 on:** June 08, 2004, 07:42:47 am »

Maybe we can each chip in a couple of bucks and buy the rights to OP from Interplay. Ok, well, maybe not but I can dream can't I??!?

Rondo_GE · « **Reply #32 on:** June 08, 2004, 12:24:52 pm »

Ok I'm a little curious about what the legal status is of SFC versus Star Trek and who owns the rights toward producing the game. Also does (or did) Interplay have any play in this at all as the publisher (of SFCII/OP)?

Also what is Amarillo up to as far as SFB goes? Can they make any more games? Expansions? Can someone make games off of those expansons?

My understanding is that Paramount now owns all Start Trek intellectual property....perhaps all of it by now including TOS. They have allowed or leased or whateveer gaming rights to Activision.

But now I see a game like Federation and Empire out there. How do they get away with that? Even though it is only sa strategic game wouldn't they have to get permission from Paramount to produce it? Or does Amarillo still kick in to this?

So my question is are there any rights to buy? Maybe we could bid on SFC OP at auction and then get permission to sell it. Coiuld we subcontract taldren out to create and expanion to OP?

S'Raek · « **Reply #34 on:** June 09, 2004, 11:03:58 am »

A little more info: http://ps2.ign.com/articles/522/522098p1.html

Javora · « **Reply #36 on:** June 07, 2004, 06:52:19 am »

I just read a report from Gamespot that Interplay may have closed its doors. Can anyone around here confirm that? If this is true than who know owns the rights to SFC I, SFC II, and SFC OP? Do the rights of these games revert to Paramount or to Taldren? Boy I feel sorry for the people at Interplay who may have lost their jobs and for the people who bought an Interplay game and are looking for support. I don' want to say anymore until more information is known but this should be interesting none the less.

Edit: After starting this thread I saw this on the Starfleet forums. Opps, sorry about that but I don't go into the Starfleet forums as much as I used to. I'm going to leave this thread up for other people like me and since no one has answered the questions that I asked.

S'Raek · « **Reply #37 on:** June 07, 2004, 08:05:57 am »

I can't get to the Gamespot link for some reason, maybe someone has changed the firewall since I'm at work. However, this link from Gamerfeed seems to back up the story.

News:

Topic: Has Interplay gone belly up?? (Read 4990 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

Javora

B2Media

Scott Allen Abfalter

SSCF Hooch

Sethan

Towelie

Toasty0

Sethan

Age

Rondo_GE

Rondo_GE

Javora

Rondo_GE

Scott Allen Abfalter

S'Raek

Javora

Javora

S'Raek

Javora

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Topic: Has Interplay gone belly up?? (Read 4990 times)