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L.A Noire developer closed?

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Team Bondi, the developer behind the Rockstar-publisher L.A Noire might be no more, according to multiple reports.

It means their long-in-development game, Whore of the Orient, will likely never see release. According to reports staff have been let go –  and while the company has yet to functionally close down, it’s looking like a dead cert.

Apparently the studio was unable to secure the necessary financial backing, or willing publisher for Whore of the Orient; a game we know little about. It was first announced in 2011, and teased to be “One of the great untold stories of the twentieth century.” Now it looks like that story will remain untold.

This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise. A game with “whore” in the title is a hard sell in the sexually repressed west.

L.A Noire is generally considered to be a success, with 3 million units sold in its first week. without Rockstar’s marketing muscle though, it’s unlikely any follow-up would do the same numbers. Plus, with Team Bondi – and specifically Brendan McNamara’s  reputation, it’s possible nobody wants to work with them at all.

L.A Noire is known for its incredible facial animation, layered on top of far less spectacular motion capture. I’m a little ambivalent about the game; it promised so much – and delivered very little of it, with its central investigations not really having any real effect or outcome on the linear story.

Whore of the Orient was expected to release on next-gen systems in 2015.

Last Updated: April 18, 2013

24 Comments

  1. Yolanda Green

    April 18, 2013 at 11:16

    PLEASE DON’T CLOSE TEAM BONDI! :'(

    Reply

  2. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    April 18, 2013 at 11:21

    Nooooooooo! Team Bondi!!! 🙁

    Reply

  3. Ultimo_Cleric_N7

    April 18, 2013 at 11:24

    Wow, developers are dropping like flies! Its like WW2!

    Reply

    • HvR

      April 18, 2013 at 12:18

      Is only me or is it mostly the houses that develop for consoles.

      Reply

  4. Sir Oldfart

    April 18, 2013 at 11:29

    Header lol
    I thought they shut after Brendon fcked it up back when ROCKSTAR told them to fck off. Or was that Team Bondi Australia… Australia… back when Australia was not allowed to play mature titles and LA Noir was as mature as it comes with a bit of necro pubic phelia. lol
    Oh the world we live in. I suppose its the same as a country who makes consoles for the West but the things are banned where they live lololol…China

    Reply

  5. Sir Oldfart

    April 18, 2013 at 11:32

    Team Banzai!!!!!

    Reply

  6. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 18, 2013 at 11:33

    Wow, header is shocking

    Reply

    • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

      April 18, 2013 at 11:38

      At least they are picking her up and not dragging her… Unlike other police forces I know of… No names mentioned

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Erwin

        April 18, 2013 at 11:46

        Its edited now, thanks Mr Tim

        Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      April 18, 2013 at 12:06

      I didn’t think it was that bad.. it’s not like you could see anymore more than your standard ION model and this isn’t even sexualised

      Reply

      • Ultimo_Cleric_N7

        April 18, 2013 at 12:15

        CENSORSHIP IN THE MEDIA! Not you too Gav…..ANC Got’cha. Aint Nobody got taaame fo dat!

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief Erwin

        April 18, 2013 at 12:19

        Except that they are posing for it. This is/was basically and up-skirt shot. So no.

        Also, from what I can deduce, she is a prostitute. But still a woman. Not so long ago you yourself posted about violence against women.

        Reply

    • Purple_Dragon

      April 18, 2013 at 13:00

      I think it’s bloody hilarious. I don’t know why but I just crack up when I see it. Probably shouldn’t find it that funny but hell it is.

      Reply

  7. umar bastra

    April 18, 2013 at 11:38

    Comes as no Surprise though

    Reply

  8. Hermann Schwindt

    April 18, 2013 at 12:14

    Damn, me and my girlfriend enjoyed playing LA Noire. Are there any similar titles out there?

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      April 18, 2013 at 13:48

      What platform? If you haven;t played Heavy Rain on PS3, I recommend that.

      Reply

      • Hermann Schwindt

        April 18, 2013 at 14:05

        Thanks Geoff, ye, its on PS3. I have been meaning to get a copy of Heavy Rain for a while now.

        Reply

  9. Skyblue

    April 18, 2013 at 12:21

    I found L.A. Noire to be very slow paced for my taste. Got bored pretty quickly and is one of the few games I have played but not finished.

    Reply

  10. Purple_Dragon

    April 18, 2013 at 13:02

    My problem with LA Noire is that you don’t really do anything, you just walk around waiting for the pinging noise. It’s not like Police Quest when you spent shit loads of time looking for things with no pinging sound to help out.

    Reply

    • Anon A Mouse

      April 18, 2013 at 13:58

      There was a pinging sound? Can’t even remember that.

      Reply

  11. pseto

    April 18, 2013 at 13:53

    Team Bondi was actually closed back in 2011 and their whole team was hired by KMM. You should reflect that in your article, because is kinda misleading. 🙂

    Still, too bad if that game doesn’t get financing. But in recent years few publishers dare taking risks…

    Reply

  12. Mark Treloar

    April 19, 2013 at 19:34

    If the game was going to be anything like L.A. Noire then its no great loss. I felt it insulted my intelligence and was not worth the high scores it got.

    Reply

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