Awwwww crap. Really sad to hear that. Even with all the crazy THQ Shenanigans I hoped Vigil would come through this unscathed. Sorry to everyone affected by this. Hopefully the games industry can get it's act together and figure itself out. This is getting ridiculous.
Yeh heard about it, hope all the great guys and gals at vigil will get picked up soon! Same goes for any other studio that gets shut down with THQ's dismemberment
not to get into it here, but generally studios are looked at for ips and tech. Vigil's ip were bought. Outside of that, why would a publisher want to buy an external studio if they weren't developing new tech?
Development of Darksiders would be more cost effective by bringing it in house to a team they already pay for and control.
This is getting passed around today in the industry:
To All THQ Employees:
We now have the answers we've been seeking through our financial restructuring and
Chapter 11 case. While much will be written, here are the facts of the bids and auction
that occurred:
Yesterday morning, we received a competing bid for the operating business,
along with Clearlake's offer, and numerous offers for separate assets.
During an auction process that lasted over 22 hours, the final conclusion was
that the separate-asset bids would net more than a single buyer for the majority
of the company.
Shortly, we will, present the results to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which must
concur with our assessment.
The proposed sales of multiple assets is as follows :
Sega agreed to purchase Relic
Koch Media agreed to purchase Volition and Metro
Crytek agreed to purchase Homefront
Take 2 agreed purchase Evolve and
Ubisoft agreed to purchase Montreal and South Park
We expect these sales to close this week.
Some assets, including our publishing businesses and Vigil, along with some other
intellectual properties are not included in the sale agreements. They will remain part of
the Chapter 11 case. We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.
What this means for employees
We expect that most employees of the entities included in the sale will be offered
employment by the new owners. However, we cannot say what these owners may
intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the
new ownership. You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new
owners intend to extend employment to you. Please note that the terms of your new
employment, including pay and benefits, may be different from the current terms of
your employment with THQ.
If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that
your position will end. A small number of our headquarters staff will continue to be
employed by THQ beyond January 25 to assist with the transition. THQ has sufficient
resources to pay these employees for work going forward, and we will be contacting
these employees immediately to ensure their continued employment during this
transition period. We are requesting the ability to offer certain severance pay to
minimize disruption for employees of non-included entities as they determine the next
steps in their careers.
We know you will have many questions about this news. We'll be meeting tomorrow
when we return to talk through this announcement and to answer any questions you
have. You will receive a benefits fact sheet and FAQs with answers to some questions
that may be on your mind. Please review these materials closely.
A personal note
The work that you all have done as part of the THQ family is imaginative, creative,
artistic and highly valued by our loyal gamers. We are proud of what we have
accomplished despite today's outcome.
It has been our privilege to work alongside the entire THQ team. While the company
will cease to exist, we are heartened that the majority of our studios and games will
continue under new ownership. We were hoping that the entire company would remain
intact, but we expect to hear good news from each of the separate entities that will be
operating as part of new organizations.
For those THQ employees who are part of entities that are not included in the sale, we
are confident that the talent you have displayed as part of THQ will be recognized as you
take the next steps in your career.
Thank you all for your dedication and for sharing your talent with the THQ team. We
wish you the best of luck and hope you will keep in touch.
So many amazingly talented artists over there at Vigil, its extreamly sad to see this happen. I understand its "business" and the creditors of THQ want there money back/want more return on there investment, but boy is it fucking shitty that it lead to the breakup up of THQ instead of the company staying intact. Especially since Vigil wasn't picked up
This industry needs to turn it around....so sorry to those affected
seriously, im not even trying to find a job anymore its almost not worth the effort. Going to go the indie route and try our own small game. AAA dev just isnt worth it plus the companies have the business model all wrong to succeed
Why wasn't Vigil picked up!?
What the fuck is this stupid fucking Bullshit, Homefront (no offense to anyone working on it but, there are enough warshooters) get's purchased but not fucking Darksiders and Vigils insane talent?
THQ was the last company willing to publish triple A shit no one else touched, and now they're dead.
Oh well at least we have Activision and EA controlling everything and milking things to shit, so that's great.
Hope everyone lands on their feet, fuck everything.
Wait, so that doesn't really mean that Vigil is shutting down right? Just that they weren't part of these initial sell-offs?
That wording is a bit confusing, but it says "If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that your position will end."
Why wasn't Vigil picked up!?
What the fuck is this stupid fucking Bullshit, Homefront (no offense to anyone working on it but, there are enough warshooters) get's purchased but not fucking Darksiders and Vigils insane talent?
THQ was the last company willing to publish triple A shit no one else touched, and now they're dead.
Oh well at least we have Activision and EA controlling everything and milking things to shit, so that's great.
Hope everyone lands on their feet, fuck everything.
Vigil made/were those games, everyone saw what happened to Rare when everyone left it and it's IP's lost when they were purchased, I have no faith that IP's being handed over to brand new teams ever succeeds anymore, though I'd love to be surprised.
Just sucks that the company consisting of people willing to try something different get's axed like that.
Vigil made/were those games, everyone saw what happened to Rare when everyone left it and it's IP's lost when they were purchased, I have no faith that IP's being handed over to brand new teams ever succeeds anymore, though I'd love to be surprised.
Just sucks that the company consisting of people willing to try something different get's axed like that.
This is true.. Just, I dunno, Maybe it's because I've really been enjoying many games published by THQ lately that this just blows my mind.
Right. I was just letting you know that DS was sold.
So not cool. I hope everyone finds new gigs fast; everything I've ever seen from Vigil employees has been totally badass!
It seems a little strange to me that no investors saw value in keeping what remained of Vigil intact, especially since the Darksiders IP was purchased. Buying the Darksiders IP while the studio that created it gets shuttered seems like buying a pro sports team and firing all the players, then expecting the same performance from an entirely new roster. Granted, Vigil had been through some layoffs and departures but I'm still confused that investors were more keen to buy an orphaned IP than to sustain the incredibly talented group of people who produced it in the first place.
That really sucks for everyone who is/was employed by them. I know a few people who worked there as lead testers. I hope them and everyone else can find a different job and fast.
Thq Montreal studio was one the places I was going to apply to for an internship to complete my program in order to graduate.
So not cool. I hope everyone finds new gigs fast; everything I've ever seen from Vigil employees has been totally badass!
It seems a little strange to me that no investors saw value in keeping what remained of Vigil intact, especially since the Darksiders IP was purchased. Buying the Darksiders IP while the studio that created it gets shuttered seems like buying a pro sports team and firing all the players, then expecting the same performance from an entirely new roster. Granted, Vigil had been through some layoffs and departures but I'm still confused that investors were more keen to buy an orphaned IP than to sustain the incredibly talented group of people who produced it in the first place.
It all comes down to cost of operating an external stuido. Costs to bring the ip internal are much less.
Sad Sad news, whilst i'm glad some of the studios have found new owners, i can't believe the guys at Vigil didn't get picked up!! All the best to those affected.
Feel sorry for those losing their jobs, I wish you the best of luck, although you won't need it as you guys are so talented you'll have no trouble finding something
Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that the CEO said they had creditors backing them up and a solid plan to reorganize out of Chapter 11?
Was that all grade A bullshit, or did a bunch of damn lawyers screw it all up again?
I'm assuming it worked in two ways. First, it was an effort to stave off people from selling stock. If you remember THQ was going through a bunch of drama with almost getting delisted from the stock exchange. I'm going to assume this action may have staved off people from selling. Second, this allowed THQ to sell off IPs and studios on their own terms and while Vigil went under I'm under the impression that bankruptcy leads to liquidation of assets which means nobody gets out alive. That's when they sell off workstations, tech, office supplies, etc; anything to earn money back for creditors.
Regardless, it still is terrible news. I really enjoyed all the work you guys made from Vigil. It saddens me greatly to see this happen and I hope that all of you land on your feet in the days ahead. Good luck.
Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that the CEO said they had creditors backing them up and a solid plan to reorganize out of Chapter 11?
Was that all grade A bullshit, or did a bunch of damn lawyers screw it all up again?
I believe originally it was going to be sold to one financial backer for $60mil, allowing them to re-organize. But the investors got a court to stop that and allow an auction to happen. If the auction brought in more than $60mil then the company would be sold in pieces. Which is what happened.
At least THQ gave it their all this past year..trying to save everyone. I was really rooting for them. I am glad Evolve has a home with Take-Two. Looking forward to that game. That's interesting to see Deep Silver taking up Metro and Volition..
If anyone is interested we are hiring at Treyarch and other companies in Activision. Get in touch and I'll pass your stuff along. PM me on here or email me.
Replies
I hope new opportunities won't wait to present themselves for you guys. Best of luck!
Sad
not to get into it here, but generally studios are looked at for ips and tech. Vigil's ip were bought. Outside of that, why would a publisher want to buy an external studio if they weren't developing new tech?
Development of Darksiders would be more cost effective by bringing it in house to a team they already pay for and control.
To All THQ Employees:
We now have the answers we've been seeking through our financial restructuring and
Chapter 11 case. While much will be written, here are the facts of the bids and auction
that occurred:
Yesterday morning, we received a competing bid for the operating business,
along with Clearlake's offer, and numerous offers for separate assets.
During an auction process that lasted over 22 hours, the final conclusion was
that the separate-asset bids would net more than a single buyer for the majority
of the company.
Shortly, we will, present the results to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which must
concur with our assessment.
The proposed sales of multiple assets is as follows :
Some assets, including our publishing businesses and Vigil, along with some other
intellectual properties are not included in the sale agreements. They will remain part of
the Chapter 11 case. We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.
What this means for employees
We expect that most employees of the entities included in the sale will be offered
employment by the new owners. However, we cannot say what these owners may
intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the
new ownership. You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new
owners intend to extend employment to you. Please note that the terms of your new
employment, including pay and benefits, may be different from the current terms of
your employment with THQ.
If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that
your position will end. A small number of our headquarters staff will continue to be
employed by THQ beyond January 25 to assist with the transition. THQ has sufficient
resources to pay these employees for work going forward, and we will be contacting
these employees immediately to ensure their continued employment during this
transition period. We are requesting the ability to offer certain severance pay to
minimize disruption for employees of non-included entities as they determine the next
steps in their careers.
We know you will have many questions about this news. We'll be meeting tomorrow
when we return to talk through this announcement and to answer any questions you
have. You will receive a benefits fact sheet and FAQs with answers to some questions
that may be on your mind. Please review these materials closely.
A personal note
The work that you all have done as part of the THQ family is imaginative, creative,
artistic and highly valued by our loyal gamers. We are proud of what we have
accomplished despite today's outcome.
It has been our privilege to work alongside the entire THQ team. While the company
will cease to exist, we are heartened that the majority of our studios and games will
continue under new ownership. We were hoping that the entire company would remain
intact, but we expect to hear good news from each of the separate entities that will be
operating as part of new organizations.
For those THQ employees who are part of entities that are not included in the sale, we
are confident that the talent you have displayed as part of THQ will be recognized as you
take the next steps in your career.
Thank you all for your dedication and for sharing your talent with the THQ team. We
wish you the best of luck and hope you will keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Brian Farrell
Chief Executive Officer
Jason Rubin
President
*edit* if by some loophole vigil was still sold, it would be in name only. no sane employee would stick around after today.
seriously, im not even trying to find a job anymore its almost not worth the effort. Going to go the indie route and try our own small game. AAA dev just isnt worth it plus the companies have the business model all wrong to succeed
What the fuck is this stupid fucking Bullshit, Homefront (no offense to anyone working on it but, there are enough warshooters) get's purchased but not fucking Darksiders and Vigils insane talent?
THQ was the last company willing to publish triple A shit no one else touched, and now they're dead.
Oh well at least we have Activision and EA controlling everything and milking things to shit, so that's great.
Hope everyone lands on their feet, fuck everything.
- BoBo
That wording is a bit confusing, but it says "If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that your position will end."
We have several openings at KingsIsle. http://www.kingsisle.com/jobs
Darksiders was sold.
Vigil made/were those games, everyone saw what happened to Rare when everyone left it and it's IP's lost when they were purchased, I have no faith that IP's being handed over to brand new teams ever succeeds anymore, though I'd love to be surprised.
Just sucks that the company consisting of people willing to try something different get's axed like that.
This is true.. Just, I dunno, Maybe it's because I've really been enjoying many games published by THQ lately that this just blows my mind.
Right. I was just letting you know that DS was sold.
It seems a little strange to me that no investors saw value in keeping what remained of Vigil intact, especially since the Darksiders IP was purchased. Buying the Darksiders IP while the studio that created it gets shuttered seems like buying a pro sports team and firing all the players, then expecting the same performance from an entirely new roster. Granted, Vigil had been through some layoffs and departures but I'm still confused that investors were more keen to buy an orphaned IP than to sustain the incredibly talented group of people who produced it in the first place.
Thq Montreal studio was one the places I was going to apply to for an internship to complete my program in order to graduate.
To who?
It all comes down to cost of operating an external stuido. Costs to bring the ip internal are much less.
from what i saw, Take2.
For what its worth, Bungie is hiring still:
http://www.bungie.net/en-US/View/bungie/index#page=careers
Hope everyone lands on their feet
Fingers crossed for all affected! not much I can do, but maybe it helps:
http://www.yager.de/career/index.html
http://www.kccllc.net/documents/1213398/1213398130123000000000004.pdf if this is correct, then it was not sold.
I'm so sad to see the Vigil go
Was that all grade A bullshit, or did a bunch of damn lawyers screw it all up again?
bullshit.
always bullshit.
Feel sorry for those losing their jobs, I wish you the best of luck, although you won't need it as you guys are so talented you'll have no trouble finding something
I'm assuming it worked in two ways. First, it was an effort to stave off people from selling stock. If you remember THQ was going through a bunch of drama with almost getting delisted from the stock exchange. I'm going to assume this action may have staved off people from selling. Second, this allowed THQ to sell off IPs and studios on their own terms and while Vigil went under I'm under the impression that bankruptcy leads to liquidation of assets which means nobody gets out alive. That's when they sell off workstations, tech, office supplies, etc; anything to earn money back for creditors.
Regardless, it still is terrible news. I really enjoyed all the work you guys made from Vigil. It saddens me greatly to see this happen and I hope that all of you land on your feet in the days ahead. Good luck.
I believe originally it was going to be sold to one financial backer for $60mil, allowing them to re-organize. But the investors got a court to stop that and allow an auction to happen. If the auction brought in more than $60mil then the company would be sold in pieces. Which is what happened.
There's a lot of job postings going around on twitter with the hashtag #THQJobs.
Studio Closures are the worst.
I was really hoping that we could work on some cinematics stuff for Darksiders again, with this team.
Now that Joe is gone and Vigil is closed, it will never happen...
Best wishes to all the great people there.