Stardock to Open Second Games Studio

from JoeUser Forums

Stardock announced today that it is expanding its current games division and will open a second games studio in Michigan.

The new studio will create up to 50 much-needed jobs in the state of Michigan and will be responsible for an as-of-yet unannounced RPG title developed and published by independent developer Stardock Entertainment.

When evaluating where to open the second studio, Stardock considered several other states in which to open it due to the relatively high costs of recruiting game developers and artists to Michigan as well as some of the technology infrastructure challenges Michigan faces.

However, Wayne County in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as well as Plymouth Township coordinated to provide tax incentives and access to better communication infrastructure in order to make Michigan a more competitive choice to open the new studio.

Stardock President and CEO Brad Wardell said, "We're very pleased with the support we've received from Wayne County and the state of Michigan. We think Michigan is well placed to become a hub for technology companies thanks to new programs from the state to make Michigan more competitive to do business in. We look forward to continuing our strong growth with additional development projects over the next couple of years."

66,666 views 32 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

ZOMG!

:(O

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I'd be happy to work there!!! Once, I graduate from College and get my Bachelor's in Digital Art!!!

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

RPG?  Society?

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Cool. Mabye when I get out of collage mabye I can work for it or better yet open my own game studio owned by Stardock. Stardock New England anyone?

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Actually I found out they are NOT talking about Society, this is a new project.

 

That said, I had a thought.

 

Stardock doing a PC variation on Disgaea or even Culdcept Saga.  That would be mega awesome.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Michigan is prime location for me (that perfect distance that is within driving range of family in IL, but far enough that they won't be in my hair) so if you need to find people to hire.   start your search at "landiscasner.com".  I would be perfect for an RPG team.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Mmmm, more good games to beta test.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

@I-Dog - you missed my thread on this yes? ROFL!!  O:)

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Great news. LOL KALAMAZOO! Please... :rofl: Anywho can't wait to try it out and beta beta beta!  :beer: :D

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Has anyone noticed that Stardock is taking over the world?  I mean we have all the public discussions regarding DRM by Brad, a quickly growing list of must have PC utilities like Window Blinds, Fences, etc., an ever expanding list of games now touching almost every genre and even including US politics and campaign strategy, the gamers bill of rights, Impulse and now expanded studios!!!!  Is there no stopping them????

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

Stardock is becoming a really big company if it keeps up.   I used to consider them a smaller company, but they are publishing titles from GPG and Ironclad, maybe more there too.   With two dev teams, at least 2 other reasonably sized development teams being published under stardock, they soon will be up along blizzard, eidos, and other big US company names.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Which one is not like the others?

THQ to Cut 600
Mythic Layoffs
More EA layoffs
New Stardock Studio and Game Plans
Cuts at Disney Interactive Studios

(via Blue's News headlines from recent days)

Congrats, Stardock. It says something about SD's business acrumen if they're expanding during a recession and making more games for a dead platform ( ;P )

I look forward to more great games from SD and its partners (GPG, Ironclad). I'm also glad that Impulse exists to give Steam some much-needed competition.

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Which one is not like the others?
End of quote

ah, thats kinda mean :P

Supposedly there is expected to be a rebound from the games industry though.  last year there was a loss of profits and a bunch of companies started buckeling their belts.   It still expected that the games industry is going be for the most part hiring and growing reguardless of the economic downturn.

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

If everything was free, the world would be easier.  You do what you like or are good at, don't get payed, but don't need money to buy things for they are free...

Lol....that would never work and hope no one takes me serious....

-Phalnax

Reply #15 from Elemental Forums Top

That's how all the headlines looked when I read Blue's earlier. When I saw Stardock listed, I thought they were laying off people, too. A second later I realized that's not the case.

EA posted record revenue but still had a net loss. How is that possible? The CEO should be the one out of a job, not the coders and designers.

Reply #16 from Elemental Forums Top

No doubt. His pay is more than equal to a entire dev team sadly enough. 8(|

Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

The big publishers create way too many costs by letting every game development team trying to break the polygon count record. It doesn't matter how many games you sell, if you spend too much money creating the games.

Anyway, congratulations to Stardock with their new studio!

Reply #18 from Elemental Forums Top

Please refrain from making yet-another-Diablo clone and bring us some old school tactical turnbased RPG goodness by all means!

Reply #19 from Elemental Forums Top

Oh yes please. Something more like Wizardry, Bards Tale I - III, Pools of Radiance (but not D&D please).

 

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

Ah well, maybe not *that* oldschool :D
Those are great examples but they're nothing more than number crunching dungeon crawls.

I was thinking of something like Fallout or Ultima VII (minus the awful combat). Big world, deep characters, choices and consequences that actually matter. You know, roleplaying.

Reply #21 from Elemental Forums Top

Only 6 years til I get done with college... Hopefully I can land a job with Stardock :D

Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top

Hey, hows abot opening a location here in Florida? Mainly West Palm Beach? I wouldn tmind getting paid to test games. :grin:

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I'm glad to hear this, because...

A) Who doesn't want to see more Stardock games?

B) I'm a Michigander, and we COULD use more jobs.

I'd consider applying for one of those new positions if my lab at MSU wasn't already getting a $550-million expansion:

http://www.scienceandjobsformichigan.com/

Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top

Carefull, if you grow too big we'll have to start to hate you too :P

Seriously though, it's nice to see you're doing good.

Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Great to see such a gamer friendly operation such as Stardock expanding.  Proof that you can grow your computer games/apps business without relying on performance sapping DRM procedures.  You treat your customers like human beings instead of potenital pirates and they will come.  Yes, they will come.

 

EA, Ubisoft...sit up and take notice.

 

Congratulations to all the Stardock team.