Thank you, Studio Liverpool!

[Lance]

That statement does not even imply, much less state, that any of those games will continue. Read it again carefully; all it says is that the North West Studio Group will still be working on future game releases for Sony's future platforms, not what those games will be. We know that game projects that they wEre working on have been stopped while other things worked on by others have been given priority.

[ACE-FLO]

Anyone have any further information on that?

Don't hold your breAth they killed wipEout when they disbanded the heroes who bought us wipEout throughout its' many incarnations, and judjing by Sonys' betrayal of its fanbases' requests, it continues to disappoint and do-over... the latest being the resulting redundancies from SL as we all know. Now, to keep a genre such as wipEout alive, it will require a lot of online MP action, and dedication to the format, across HD Fury on PS3, Pure on PSP through ad-hoc application and ofcourse, Pulse too... these collated stats will show that the game does indeed continue to be played competitively and hopefully hint at to Sony for its re-integration into the Playstation platforms... I don't see how else they would want to make another wipEout - especailly if the sales of HD Fury / Puls / Pure didn't do as well commercially as they'd hoped. Anyway, just my thoughts here

[blackwiggle]

The heart of SL and therefore wipeout has been ripped out as Colin Berry put it.
If we ever do see another wipeout I can't imagine it having much resemblance to what we have had previously,mainly due to the core of the design team no longer being there.

The wipeout games have always been brilliant.
The decisions made on marketing them terrible.

The 3 biggest mistakes by those who should of known better.?

Not having another PS2 wipeout after FUSION, and concentrating solely on the PSP with PURE & PULSE, thereby losing a whole generation of home console players.

Not releasing HD on disc at the beginning and absolutely abysmal promotion of HD.
Not realizing that the games biggest market did not own credit cards so they could not by the download only game [the pre paid cards came out too late]

Thank you Studio Liverpool /Psygnosis for over 15 years of gobsmacking gaming.
For those who lost their jobs I feel for you, and know exactly what it is like.
Here's hoping that you go on to great things in the future,and that you don't have to suffer again because management can't see the bloody obvious.

[Frances_Penfold]

The 3 biggest mistakes by those who should of known better.?

Not having another PS2 wipeout after FUSION, and concentrating solely on the PSP with PURE & PULSE, thereby losing a whole generation of home console players.

It is hard for me to see development of PurE as a mistake-- its release was perfectly timed with the launch of the PSP platform and it sold better than any previous iteration of WipEout. If anything, I think that the survival of the WipEout franchise through 2009/2010 was helped immensely by SL's decision to switch to a portable platform.

It seems to me that sales of Pulse and WOHD suffered from weaknesses of their respective hardware platform-- consumer disinterest in the PSP and the small installed base of the PS3. Nothing could be done about that, and it's not like there was a better alternative. The PS2 platform was already in decline by 2006.

IMHO, fans of WipEout (myself included) have been slow to recognize the obvious-- futuristic racers don't have much appeal to the current gaming demographic. It's not just WipEout. F-zero GX sold like ****, Red Shift sold like ****, etc. "Hard-core" gamers mostly like FPS games now, and WipEout is far too difficult for the casual market.

So it seems to me that Studio Liverpool faced a tremendous challenge, developing new releases of a dying genre on hardware platforms that had serious problems in the consumer market. The last few WipEout games were freakin' brilliant and deserved far better sales than they received.

All just my opinion, of course

[LOUDandPROUD]

Wow, this is depressing news. Thanks to SL/Psygnosis and I wish you all the best of luck. I may not be playing WOHD as much as I used to, but my love for it is, and always will be, strong.

Selfishly, I find myself imagining a world with no future iterations of WO and the day that the WOHD servers finally go offline. It's...unthinkable...and will effectively disconnect an entire community of gamers/friends from all over the world. That would be a sad, sad day...

I'll never forget all the amazing folks I've gotten to know, thanks to WO.

Sony =

[Lance]

The only good thing I can think of to say about Sony is that they supported development of the game for about 15 years. But that was then; this is now. What the future Sony will be like, I don't know. But we know that SL has suffered in the present, and the present is always what counts the most since we live in this moment and no other.

[Kyonshi]

@Lance

Indeed, they supported Psygnosis/SL for 15 years. We can all agree that if Sony supported such promising studio for such long, it probably means something. There is talent and bright ideas in such a team. Whatever happened through the years, good or bad, prove that SL had become a pillar in video game history and evolution.

So, when harsh times come, what do you do with such studio that proved they can deliver and push forward the evolution of video games?

YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.

SL are no noob game studio, aren't they? How can you trash 15 ****years of improvement?!? How can you simply pull the plug and let it die with a lame excuse of "redundancy report"?!?

You just don't kill it dammit. If the only issue was the ****ing money and funds, Sony is no stranger to know how to make/find financial revenues. The irony of it, is that, yes, they found out; they killed SL so they could have their goddamn money. Sony officials may tell us that we don't fully understand the reasons of such act, yadda yadda yadda... but i dont give a flyin' **** about "how God's ways are inscrutable"; they certainly not used the best course of action to take for funding themselves.

I heard of the discussions at Sony for making PSN payable. Why wouldn't this be a solution instead of dumping SL?!? As i said some days ago, i would have gladly paid a yearly fee to let Sony have additional revenues, and consequently keeping SL alive. Even the big ties in the financial operations departement who don't know crap about video gaming when they actually own a video game company couldn't really object to that solution, no? If they'd really understood how much SL is important to video gaming industry, they'd never cut them down like that. That's for sure.

To Studio Liverpool, you rocked my teenagehood, and because of you guys, i have the most beautiful memories of such era. You guys will surely be saved from such sad situation by some other major studio who will sincerely see your potential, and i'm confident that WipEout will see daylight again in a not so distant future, it can't disappear like that and it'll never do in our hearts.

From me to the legions of anti-gravity pilots around the world;

Thank you thousand times Studio Liverpool, and see you soon

[Connavar]

Thanks a lot Sony Liverpool, when I had a PSP with wipeout Pure, I was always
dreaming of a HD version for the upcoming PS3 running at 60fps, because to me,
it would be a near-perfect game, and you managed to create exactly this!
I've already played over 500 hours, and planning to reach at least 1000

I'm not even mad at Sony, I'm just sad that this game sold only a fraction of
what it really deserved

[RJ O'Connell]

F-zero GX sold like ****

F-Zero GX sold over 250K units in both Europe and North America, enough for Player's Choice certification (Nintendo's equivalent to Greatest Hits). I'd hardly say it sold poorly.

[Cerbis]

Thank you Studio Liverpool. Thank you, every single one of you. I don't know you personally as some people here do, but nonetheless I thank you.

You've created magic in all these years, under all the names you've worked under.

May life present you with greater opportunities still.

Thank you.

[Medusa]

If ever you guys and gals read this, let me say thank you and give you a big thank you hug. You were involved in making a very special game, the kind that just doesn't exist anymore, and from the looks of it won't exist again.

WipEout, from the very first one, was a special racer. This series can make someone who isn't an avid gamer (myself for one, don't play anything but wipeout anymore) buy multiple consoles and keep them around even when they're just sitting collecting dust.

Thank you for working to create a beautiful dream that anyone can tap into with the push of a button. From Vector speed to Phantom, anyone can put themselves into a state of zen with this game. I don't think any other games out there can come close to this. The serious gamers will have to confirm that for me.

Wherever you all end up with your careers and life, I hope you don't forget WipEout. You've helped create one of the greatest works of art ever. Collectively, you aren't just former Psygnosis/SL employees, you are video gaming's Da Vinci.

[lunar]

Studio Liverpool/Psygnosis are the reasons why I have a sacred pile of aging PS1 anti gravity racing software with about 5 safety copies of each that gets me weird looks from visitors, along with an NTSC and PAL playstation1, two PS2s, a PS3, an N64 and various mad accessories and controllers on top of 2 PSPs I didn`t need, and about 20 NegCons that I still might. You are all responsible for a most unhealthy and fun obsession, and for that.... my thanks

Really massive thanks to all and good luck to all for the future. I hope everyone who is leaving can find a place their talents are needed and appreciated.

[BARTgai]

My reaction

Thank you guys for making an absolutely outstanding game. You all have a special place in my heart.

[il_NIK]

If ever you guys and gals read this, let me say thank you and give you a big thank you hug. You were involved in making a very special game, the kind that just doesn't exist anymore, and from the looks of it won't exist again.

WipEout, from the very first one, was a special racer. This series can make someone who isn't an avid gamer (myself for one, don't play anything but wipeout anymore) buy multiple consoles and keep them around even when they're just sitting collecting dust.

Thank you for working to create a beautiful dream that anyone can tap into with the push of a button. From Vector speed to Phantom, anyone can put themselves into a state of zen with this game. I don't think any other games out there can come close to this. The serious gamers will have to confirm that for me.

Wherever you all end up with your careers and life, I hope you don't forget WipEout. You've helped create one of the greatest works of art ever. Collectively, you aren't just former Psygnosis/SL employees, you are video gaming's Da Vinci.

TThis is the first time I quote an entire msg, thankyou Medusa to give me the right words I've in my heart, and thank to all the folks in Studio Liverpool for giving me a jump in the fantastic world of Wipeout.

The only one beloved videogame

[XpanDrome2097]

If ever you guys and gals read this, let me say thank you and give you a big thank you hug. You were involved in making a very special game, the kind that just doesn't exist anymore, and from the looks of it won't exist again.

WipEout, from the very first one, was a special racer. This series can make someone who isn't an avid gamer (myself for one, don't play anything but wipeout anymore) buy multiple consoles and keep them around even when they're just sitting collecting dust.

Thank you for working to create a beautiful dream that anyone can tap into with the push of a button. From Vector speed to Phantom, anyone can put themselves into a state of zen with this game. I don't think any other games out there can come close to this. The serious gamers will have to confirm that for me.

Wherever you all end up with your careers and life, I hope you don't forget WipEout. You've helped create one of the greatest works of art ever. Collectively, you aren't just former Psygnosis/SL employees, you are video gaming's Da Vinci.

I agree with Effedieffe, great post: I feel the same sensations every time I take my joypad and start to fly into one of these games...
Sorry for the following quote, but this post is awesome!

[morfeo378]

thank you, thank you, thank studio liverpool, for making me a gamer fanatic, by spending hours with red eyes in front of a TV , thanks for discovering this franchise, not I imagine turning on the ps3 and can not play online with my friends, I wish you all the best

[CR4SH3D]

For the long LONG hours spent trying to play 2097, the joy years later after swindling a PS1 for a SNES and actually realising I was pretty good at it

For the beauty, fluidity, and awesome vision of Wip3out

For getting a whole generation of gamers into graphic design and electronica

For pushing each console to its limit, along with our reactions

oh and Zone, Zone Battle, and Detonator. Pure high speed eye burning lushness, those effects still blow everyone i know away! (stand alone game along those lines? *hint*)

For everything, we appreciate all your efforts greatly, best of luck to those that have left, keep on not compromising your style for the sake of our burning eyes and twitching fingers

Thanks for all the G's guys!

From Vector speed to Phantom, anyone can put themselves into a state of zen with this game.

-amen to that!

On a side note, you may all of seen these already, looks like some interesting reading though: http://www.playstationspot.net/?cat=55

[F.E.I.S.A.R]

I don't know if this sounds like a speech or something,but here goes.......
Studio Liverpool,I have known you as Psygnosis(WipEout,WipEout 2097/XL,3).Over the years,you have grown.So have I.I am now officially 14(1 Feb being my birthday).I must say that ever since I laid my hands on the Saturn port of 2097/XL,I was hooked to WipEout.I still am today,but not without a long(sort of)stop of WipEout as a "lost" memory.My love for WipEout was rekindled by PurE.PulsE and HD(with Fury) also sparked off my own fanfic of another AG-Racing League(The CX-70 AG-Racing League). And I have loved WipEout again and ever since.Since I am just a 14 year-old,I am willing to bet 1 million US dollars that Sony will not listen to me.Anyway,I wish the disbanded Studio Liverpool good luck in their future endeavours!!!
Thanks for all the gaming memories and games,Studio Liverpool!

[zerojay]

Hi everyone. I thought I'd give you my perspective as someone that's been in the gaming industry for about 5 years so far. (And no, not with SL/Sony.)

First, I don't think we need to worry about the future of the Wipeout franchise. Sony has always known that it's been a big series for them and Sony using Wipeout HD as a showcase for what PSN and the PS3 can do should show you they value the franchise and always have. We haven't seen the last of Wipeout.

Second, I doubt that anyone at SL will have a hard time finding a job, especially with the UK being such a strong center for gaming and there's always the hotspots over in North America as well. They're mostly experienced professionals so most shouldn't have a problem getting picked up and working on new projects as soon as possible.

As someone that went through having half of his coworkers axed and feeling like I lost half my family, it's incredibly hard going through this situation. Those that were axed feeling freaked out and shocked and those left behind possibly feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt... "why them and not me?" (I came home that night to find out my father died that same day, so... no... wasn't too much fun.)

One thing that I've really loved about this community, whether you loved or hated the changes made through the series, is that you've always been incredibly supportive of the people who helped make them, being a pillar even during these troubled times. Thanks to people like you, they can always look back at the work they did with pride no matter what happens. That means a lot to anyone working in the games industry.

To anyone from SL that's been laid off, send me a PM and maybe your job search might end early if you don't mind coming across the pond.

[Chill]

From Vector speed to Phantom, anyone can put themselves into a state of zen with this game. I don't think any other games out there can come close to this. The serious gamers will have to confirm that for me.

Well Guitar Hero and Rockband have a zen feel to them as well, but WipEout was definately the first!!! Also agree with everything else you said of course... ROCK ON!!