An update from Volition.
I am so unbelievably sad to hear this news. My first game job and I had no idea how to get an art file into the game. So many wonderful people here helped me grow as a person and an engineer. I still remember the feeling we had watching the "Power" trailer for SR3 in the (red?) conference room. We knew that game was going to be special. To those affected please reach out. If there's anything I can do to help, I will.
This is terribly sad news for our industry. 30 years strong is an impressive feat, and I've been such a fan from the early years. The love, sweat, and tears the crew at Volition poured into countless games over 3 decades in nothing short of impressive. I started my fandom with my infatuation with Red Faction, but that blossomed into full time obsession when the Saint's Row franchise was born. So many incredible people have travelled your hallways, and your legacy will be appreciated for decades to come. Thanks for everything you gave to us, Volition! Please let your family up here at Iron Galaxy Studios know if there is anything we can do to help.
Yes, this news is heart-breaking, but this should also grab every recruiter and HR team in the entertainment software industry -- regardless of organization size -- that a large group of talented, veteran game developers is on the market. I realize it's always easier to say things like this when you're not the one cleaning out your desk, but for anyone listening/reading, if you need people to... •Get your game to 'gold' and beyond. •Start working on that next great title. •Refine that game that has a great foundation, it's just a little rough around the edges. •And the zillions of other game-devy things that need to get done and keep this industry moving. ...reach out to this talented group of stone-cold professionals.
Embracer Group needs to go away.
Still can't believe that's it after 30 years. Some of the best years of my professional life were at Volition, and I'm still working alongside many of the amazing folks today, just as I was over 10 years ago. Absolute heartbreak. Best of luck to all the folks on finding new gigs swiftly, as there's so much talent.
This is so heartbreaking and sad. I spent nearly 10 wonderful years at Volition and consider it one of the best times of my career, for both professional and personal reasons. I learned and achieved so much and made some lifelong friends. To all of my Volition friends and family, if I can help out in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm thinking of you all and wish you all the best of luck.
Have you learned your lesson and understood why your last piece of code failed?
gamedev
1yI spent 17 years at Volition (1996-2013). In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and in other ways it feels like yesterday. I left Canada to work for Volition in 1996, after answering a help-wanted post in rec.games.programmer -- for a programmer to work on a space-sim called FreeSpace. I still remember the words "have your work seen by millions" in the post, and being thrilled by the thought of making games for a living. I owe my career to Volition -- especially to Mike Kulas who took a chance on me and led the studio with integrity and fairness. I have many fond memories of my time at Volition. I wish everyone affected the best. If any former co-workers need a reference, please reach out to me, I'd be happy to provide one.