Atari 1st half 2009/2010 Financial Report confirms TDU2 development (or cancellation!)

[Eudemon]

Man I love financial reports and other corporate entries that leak out important and useful info and what with us always looking for info on our favourite series this latest one should make you happy and yet frustrated at the same time. Hey but at least it's official right!! :D

 

Anyway here is what all the commotion is about folks, this one line that's highlighted below. Hey it's not much but at least it's something, coupled with the other report that stated Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a supposed release in the "next year" be that 2010 or the 2010/2011 financial year thus ending March 2011, any official news is good with us!

 

Cheers and here's to 2010!!

 

:bparty:

(it had to be done)

 

Ah but wait "write-offs" is sparking debate about whether this is actually good news so maybe in fact we have in fact just learned about TDU2's cancellation, ah well hopefully we'll hear something clearcut in the near future to settle any doubts and bring back the smiles.

 

 

See the report for yourself

 

Oh yeah Atari, we don't mind waiting but please show us something, anything, we're a fickle bunch honestly. :cheeky:

[kalniel]

Since when is a development cost a write-off? It should have created assets with a tangible value.

 

Unless :(

[adil bosna]

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees yes yes new beter grafiks new cars new maps aa

[t.]

€14.2m write off.. R&D is something you have to invest in and recoup later through sales. Seems odd to refer to it as a "write off", I would have thought the only time you'd refer to R&D as a write off would be if you had no way to re coup the money, i.e. cancelled the game.. : /

[Immelmann]

Yeah, kal is right, this looks more like we're gonna cry than celebrate :(

[Eudemon]

Time will tell I guess. At least it's new and official. lol

[Immelmann]

*cries*

*manhugs Diablo*

[Eudemon]

I edited the title and put a little quip in the post to satisfy you doomsayers.

 

Me was so happy as well.

 

:cry: :p

[kalniel]

We'll see. The good news is that they've talking about the title officially. The optimistic approach would be to say that they might have just dropped some of the existing developments (ie chosen to start again on something, or dropped code developed for a system they're no longer going to release on etc.). rather than the whole thing.

[Eudemon]

At the end of 2007 there was a disagreement that put the project on hold, now if you search about you can actually find 2 titles hence why I often mention TD Next as well as TDU2.

 

Now especially this year there has been an increase in developers and artists talking about TDU2 being in development and such so maybe just like kal has said, it's mainly a feature(s) dropping just like TDU in fact, I guess we'll find out at some point, whether it will be the good or the bad news we have been waiting for will be a different matter but all the same at least official info is starting to trickle out.

[EW]

:/

Well hopefully another company makes something to replace it...

[SLRRR]

Hopefully also for the PS3 :D, if not we always got Gran Tursimo 5

[And3rs]

*celecries*, then, i dunno :(:)?

[Car Freak]

Why can't they just speak plain English, instead of corporate mumbo-jumbo?

 

The term "write off" would imply that it's a total loss, i.e. all the money down the drain, but then why would they say that about a potential new product, if they haven't/aren't announced/announcing it being cancelled?

 

I'm really confused by this...

[T1M]

Can't find that anywhere on the link xD

 

But fantastic news, finally :D Kind of :(

[zo6dude]

Happy or sad? only time will tell I guess :p

[Leadfoot[YT]]

Hmm... It says its a write-off here, but on that .pdf Baldred posted in the chatbox (another Atari 2009/2010 report) it says that such-and-such funding was lost that affects a few projects being worked on in 2009 or being released in 2010, and it included Alone in the Dark, some other ones, and Test Drive Unlimited 2. If I can find the thing again, I'll post a pic...

 

The plot thickens... ;)

 

-Leadfoot

[sfy2004]

this does not make sense to me, they discuss write-offs, and include the Champions Online game. but, they mention this in the revenue section "Revenue growth was driven by Ghostbusters: The Video Game, which sold 1 million units in the month of its launch in the US as well as by the sales of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and Champions Online."

 

so if this game, Champions Online, contributed to their revenue how is it a write-off?

i just dont get it

[kalniel]

Why can't they just speak plain English, instead of corporate mumbo-jumbo?

Well, it's a financial report :P So it's not targeted at the general public, but instead corporate people who understand all this :)

 

this does not make sense to me, they discuss write-offs, and include the Champions Online game. but, they mention this in the revenue section "Revenue growth was driven by Ghostbusters: The Video Game, which sold 1 million units in the month of its launch in the US as well as by the sales of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and Champions Online."

 

so if this game, Champions Online, contributed to their revenue how is it a write-off?

i just dont get it

In that case sfy, the write off would be incurred if champions online caused them unexpected net losses, for instance if it didn't sell as well as expected, or they binned the assets created by a bunch of development.

[Eudemon]

Could also be that they originally intended to use inhouse R&D to develop all the inhouse tech but have instead decided to go 3rd party in certain instances also. I wonder if they licenced any of the AitD tech as the lighting and fire effects on that thing were stunning to say the least.

[iLLGT3]

Interesting.

 

Well, only time will tell. :)

[Who]

I could see a use for AitD's fire effects...

 

 

I'll get my coat

[Eudemon]

LMAO I'll let you off with that one as it made me laugh quite a bit.

 

Git!

[sfy2004]

for what its worth, after reading the press release i sent an e-mail to the media person

 

finally got a response...it may be considered promising, i guess

 

"Hello,

 

Thank you for your interest in Atari and Test Drive Unlimited, we

think it is a great videogame as well and look forward to discussing

plans in the future. We will be sure to keep you updated when there

is more to talk about.

 

Also, do not hesitate to look for Atari news on the new atari website.

Best regards,

 

The shareholder service"

 

for what its worth

[Eudemon]

Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat Atari (or something Atari related) replied back!!!!!

 

 

:shocked: :eek2: :omg: :eek2: :shocked:

 

BTW +rep for doing that!