Clover Studios (AKA Viewtiful Okami creators) dead...

[Regulus Tera]

Sad, Sad news indeed... (http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/breaking-clover-studio-is-dead-207026.php)

As of today, the studio behind Viewtiful Joe, Okami and God Hand is no more. Clover Studio was shuttered by main shareholder Capcom. At a Board of Directors' meeting was held, and it was decided that Clover should dissolved. The reason? According to the Capcom IR release:

"Clover Studio Co., Ltd. has met the goal of developing unique and creative original home video game software, however, in view of promoting a business strategy that concentrates management resources on a selected business to enhance the efficiency of the development power of the entire Capcom group, the dissolution of Clover Studio Co., Ltd. has been raised and passed at a Board of Directors' meeting."

The studio was established on July 1, 2004 and takes its name, "clover," from an abbreviation of "creativity lover." Under president and CEO Atsushi Inaba and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, the studio turned out a handful of inventive titles that were anything but mainstream. Sales, unfortunately, reflected that, and Capcom management took action. It's okay to love creativity, just don't expect it to turn a profit. Clover Studio will be officially liquidated March 2007.

It really angers me that such a talented studio gets shut down. I was under the idea that Viewtiful and Okami were succeses... so much for Okami on the Wii, I think.

[lazy man]

Ya know, I honestly thought this wasn't true at first, but seeing all these official reports...

Well, fuck. And here I thought they would keep going. I mean, Okami and Viewtiful Joe were both amazing...

Gah, and here I was thinking about how Capcom is a really great company recently. Then they drop this on us? Ya know what, FUCK Capcom.

...except for Devil May Cry. That's their biggest thing, in my opinion.

[Lockeownzj00]

Lame. Big business rapes art in the ass again for economic reasons :/ Story of life, I suppose.

[Mirai Gen]

Okay, what the hell?

How can numbers tell them 'Shut down the company that made these terrific games, which are currently getting great reviews and high sales?"

[Dwarfburg citizen]

Okami was a huge flop sales wise in Japan. God Hand is getting mixed reviews (IGN= 3.0, gamespot = 8.0) Ive only played VJ on the cube and all I can say is that the damn thing has had a permanent place on the disc tray since its release.

[Raiden]

But....but....I wanted Okami 2....

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

My view of it all is Capcom loves cranking out franchises. These games? Not really much room for puking out a sequal, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth installation of the series. No continuation = no love from capcom.

This is why I'm really starting to loathe capcom lately.

[Mike McC]

Reading into it, it seems that Capcom is merely dissolving the company, but bringing the team within Capcom major. So, it's more like Clover will be completely absorbed, it'll no longer be a seprate studio. Speculations say that the franchises made by Clover will probably continue, only fully through Capcom (Not that'll be different, Clover was 100% Capcom owned).The developer behind some of the most critically acclaimed titles of this generation will be closing its doors for good following a three year run. Capcom announced today that it has decided to dissolve Clover Studios, the wholly owned subsidiary responsible for Viewtiful Joe and, most recently, Okami.

As reason for this unexpected move, Capcom cited a desire to improve its overall development structure.

Clover will close its doors by March of 2007. As a result of the dissolution, Capcom will include a 400 million yen special loss on its earnings statement for the year ending that month.

The company has yet to make clear what will happen to the franchises that emerged from the studio during its short run. Seeing as how Clover was wholly owned by Capcom, we expect to see more from Viewtiful Joe and Okami from the publusher in the future, only minus the Clover name.Source (http://games.ign.com/articles/738/738610p1.html)

Please, give these companies some credit. They weren't founded yesterday.

[Mirai Gen]

Oh. Phew.

And why do you say Okami didn't do well in japan?

[lazy man]

I read that in an EGM Afterthoughts article and was wondering that, too. I think it was because the whole Japanese mythology thing didn't do so well in the public over there. I need to read that article again...

But, yeah, big relief there. Shows what happens when normal people read business language and start saying things right away, though. BIG confusion just because of the terms used.

Still, I'm gonna miss the Clover logo. I always liked that little thing...

[Mirai Gen]

Hm. Maybe not.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3154407
As you've likely heard by now, Capcom yesterday announced that it is shutting down Clover Studios, its brilliant development studio responsible for such unique games as Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and this week's release God Hand. A few weeks ago, 1UP had the opportunity to speak with Clover's president and star producer Atsushi Inaba, even though it was subsequently learned that he had already technically left the company by this time. Although it wasn't known that Clover was about to be dissolved, the absense of a future direction and the hint of sadness in his tone indicated something was likely afoot. Below are highlights from our recent interview. While this is surely not the last time we'll speak to Inaba, it's quite possibly the last we'll hear from Clover Studios.
Nevermind. Fuck. Damn you Capcom.

[ApathyMan]

What's wrong with this? Without the crutch that was Clover Studios, Capcom can put more money into more MegaMan games! :rolleyes:

[lazy man]

But... Oh god fucking DAMMIT! What's up with that?

Still, this could bode well in the future. I mean, if the guys from Clover go on to form their own company, something very good could come of it.

Example: I should go look for the article, but it was basically something on IGN about how Iguana, the guys who made the first couple of Turok games, eventually made their way to become Retro Studios. We're talking Metroid Prime, here, people!

So, just imagine if something like that happens to Clover.

Or, even better. Like Retro, they get nabbed by Nintendo... Oh GOD that would be great.

EDIT: Ok, here we go. (http://cube.ign.com/articles/574/574119p1.html) Now, just imagine something like that happening to Clover? Or at least the cheerier parts, anyway.

[Raiden]

Let me just say this now. I don't care if Clover is absorbed into Capcom. I don't care if they go off and make a different company.

All I care about is that I get my Okami 2.

[Mirai Gen]

That's what I'm saying. I don't think it's happening. The heads of Clover are gone - where's Okami 2 coming from?

And, um, Raiden? You don't have an avatar...

[Mr. Viewtiful]

Let me just say this now. I don't care if Clover is absorbed into Capcom. I don't care if they go off and make a different company.

All I care about is that I get my Okami 2.
I'm still waiting on VJ3 myself. At the end of the first game, Capt. Blue said there'd be two more times where their world would be in danger, which means there'd better be a third Viewtiful Joe. Or else!

And no, Red Hot Rumble doesn't count.