Activision shrinks Singularity dev Raven

By Robert Purchese Published 12 October, 2010

Veteran studio to move to download market.

Activision has reshaped veteran Singularity developer Raven Software to focus on downloadable games.

Roughly 40 staff have been shown the door, reports Kotaku.

Activision refused to comment on numbers, but had this to say: "With the recent completion of Singularity, Raven Software is realigning its workforce to better reflect the studio's upcoming slate."

Activision acquired Raven Software in 1997 - seven years after the studio began. Key Raven-developed titles include (chronologically) Heretic, HeXen, Soldier of Fortune (9/10), Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force (8/10), Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (7/10), X-Men Legends (7/10 ), Quake 4 (7/10 ), Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (7/10 ), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (5/10) and Wolfenstein (6/10).

Singularity, the most recent game from Raven, bucked that downward trend with a strong 8/10 recommendation earlier this year.

Raven Software had been downscaled from three development teams to two last year. Now the studio has one.

Raven's most recent: Singularity.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • lucky_jim #1 2 years ago

    I suppose this is because the unadvertised, barely stocked Singularity didn't sell too well for some mysterious reason, Activision?

    Pretty harsh on the devs.

  • Hermiod #2 2 years ago

    Yes, Mr. Kotick, Activision fosters and encourages the studios they buy and retains their individuality, don't they ?

    Not like EA at all!

  • CaptainQuint #3 2 years ago

    Poor old Raven. Undermined.

  • adofessex #4 2 years ago

    Singularity had a good single player, but a poor multiplayer, most likely because it had a copied and pasted COD system that didn't suit it.

    Are all of Activision's FPS online features going to borrow so heavily from Infinity Ward's format?

  • Dizzy #5 2 years ago

    Welcome to Activision!

  • mfnick #6 2 years ago

    This is BS.

    No doubt Activision are blaming Raven for the poor sales of Singularity & ignore the fact that they are the ones that gave it zero marketing. Pricks.

    Singularity is easily one of the better games to come from an Activision dev.

  • Quint2020 #7 2 years ago

    End of an era, Raven have made some absolute classics, damn shame.

  • bad09 #8 2 years ago

    I was about to post but Quint2020 said exactly what I was gonna say.

  • OKcancel #9 2 years ago

    That's a shame. I thoroughly enjoyed Singularity; it felt really polished and fine-tuned even though it wasn't particularly original as a whole. However, it was really fun in an old-school way, and that trumps most other weak spots the game might have.

    Best of luck to the staff let go.

  • darkmorgado #10 2 years ago

    Are all of Activision's FPS online features going to borrow so heavily from Infinity Ward's format?

    Not just FPS. Blur says hi.

  • Perfecto #11 2 years ago

    It's a sad time for the industry when Raven gets hit like this, they made Heretic for christ's sake.

  • matrim83 #12 2 years ago

    Does this mean they are going to make downloadable games or DLC map packs for the CoD series? If its the first then I guess it could have been worse. But knowing Acti its probably the latter.

  • McBradders #13 2 years ago

    That's harsh. Singularity deserved better. Like some marketing support :/

  • ChthonicEcho #14 2 years ago

    I don't see why everyone refuses to acknowledge the fact that Raven are worryingly uninspired recently, with their games increasingly lacklustre. They did make Heretic, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Quake 4, but their recent titles include Wolfenstein and Singularity, which offered perhaps ten minutes of fun shooting before growing dull and stale.

    On the other hand, working under Activision's oppressive corporate structure is not the best place to bloom creatively. If Raven had the capacity to return to their former glory with a good game, then it would definitely be with another publisher, not Activision. This is a shame, but hardly surprising.

  • Luk333 #15 2 years ago

    Yes, Raven wasn't at the top of their game in the last few years, although I quite enjoyed their latest Wolverine game. From what I can see Raven is now just a ghost of the former studio, so RIP Raven

    Hmmm, probably some of the people that lost their jobs could find a new home with Id. They always had a close relationship. :)

  • Sunyavadin #16 2 years ago

    Fuck you, Activision.

    I hope you guys choke on your own dicks.

  • Br0ken_Engli5h #17 2 years ago

    Bah!

    ..and all this time I've been holding out for a Raven dev'd SOF2 sequel. I have some of my fondest gaming memories on the MP of that game.

    Such a shame.

  • Mike1980 #18 2 years ago

    X-Men Origins Wolverine deserved better than a 5 surely. Yea it's short but good fun.

  • Thunderbolt #19 2 years ago

    I have played many a Raven game in the past and I always got the impression that they put in enough effort to make a good game but never a great game.

    Having played Soldier of Fortune and most of the X-Men games I always felt that with a little extra time these could have been classics.

    Its a pity though as more and more studios downsize what kind of games will be avaialable in teh future

    Don't know much about Singularity, maybe I should check it out.

  • Haloboy #20 2 years ago

    Singularity on the PC was rare as fuck and ludicrously expensive to buy if you managed to find a copy. It's going for £50 on ebay and £40 on amazon for instance. Activision completely sold Raven who were once one of the most respected devs in the business completely down 'we don't give a fuck about you no mo' lane. Fucking gnnnn. So so angry at this news.

  • NimbusTLD #21 2 years ago

    Awwwwww :( I have loved Raven Software games since Heretic! The laid off staff should have no trouble finding work elsewhere :)

    It seems like a direct result of Activision having sent Singularity off to die ie without publicity. Nothing amazing, but it was quite solid at least!

  • Whizzo #22 2 years ago

    The PC version of Singularity appears to have fallen into one, at least in the UK, no-one has stock. It rather makes it tricky to buy it when that happens.

  • M4RV #23 2 years ago

    Ironically enough, I finished Singularity last week and damn... I really loved that game; I went in with low expectations and setpiece after setpiece, I was pretty much blown away, despite some issues here and there with the graphics. Still, pretty much one of the best games I've played all year and the first one in a while I honestly enjoyed from Raven.

    Kotick, you cunt, keep up the good work... douche...!!!

  • RevanNL #24 2 years ago

    That's Activisions great creative vision: shrink a studio that has the potential to be one of the publisher's best FPS developers (they made Jedi Outcast, Elite Force and SoF for cryin' out loud).

  • Der_tolle_Emil #25 2 years ago

    We often like to blame publishers for games that don't sell well but in this case the accusations are really more than justified. It's really almost impossible to find as big online shops are out of stock even.

    Sucks for Raven. I liked their games even though I was utterly disappointed with Wolfenstein, especially because I found Return to Castle Wolfenstein absolutely brilliant.

  • ubergine #26 2 years ago

    Looks like I'll get downvoted to Cape Horn but I've always found Raven to be a horribly mediocre Doom-Clone company. Maybe many other posters here aren't old enough to have played their catalogue from the beginning, but they've never, ever managed (or even tried for) a true 9/10 game, which would require including something remotely original. Their games are playable, but so often I'd check the packet after a few minutes of a truly cardboard experience and go "ah, Raven, that explains it."
    I'm never happy to hear about people being laid off, but given Singularity itself reviewed as a pastiche of (tribute to?) game elements from established innovators, it doesn't come as a surprise.
    I didn't know Activision owned them though, I thought Id must own them, for the purpose of passing on franchises Id lost interest in.
    Silver lining will be any actual good / driven people from Raven will leave and form their own studio.
    Edited by ubergine at 12/10/10 @ 11:47

  • Haloboy #27 2 years ago

    After the disappointing Wolfenstein I was very wary of Singularity for a while. But word of mouth soon spread that the game was a well above average shooter with some great game mechanics and even a decent story thrown in the mix. And so then I tried to buy it. My mistake. Activision obviously didn't want me to buy their game. Months later I'd still not nabbed a copy and so got hold of it through a friend and enjoyed the hell out of it.

    The more I played, the more I felt confused why Activision saw fit to literally hide the game away from the world. It's no Bioshock certainly, but if you can find a copy as I did off a friend that completed it removing the need to re-mortgage your house I implore you to do so.

    Edited by Haloboy at 12/10/10 @ 11:47

  • M4RV #28 2 years ago

    Piece of thought: Singularity was initially available on Steam, but for reasons uknown - at least to me - I don't see the game there anymore.

  • arcam #29 2 years ago

    ^ This. To sell on Steam you don't have to worry about how many copies to manufacture so they don't have that excuse. You just put the code up and take the money if people want to buy it.

    No-one but Activision to blame for it not being available there.

  • bad09 #30 2 years ago

    @M4RV

    Something is going on with Steam it started a while back. Games dissappearing, coming to Steam late or not appearing at all. Assassins Creed 2, Metro 2033, Darksiders, Blur, Split Second, Transformers, Singularity are some I can think of.

    I would say retailers and other DD sites are plying babes and booze on publishers for deals to curb the Steam train but could be wrong but why else the restricting of sales outlets?

  • Cjail #31 2 years ago

    Making quality games is not important as selling well, isn't it Activision?

  • Zephro #32 2 years ago

    Whast's up with the list in the articlde missing Dark Forces 3: Jedi Outcast and Return to Castle Wolfenstein but listing their inferior sequels...

  • Pinky_Floyd #33 2 years ago

    I honest to God enjoyed Singularity more than Reach and the former remains one of the most atmospheric and fun games I have played this year.

    I was lucky though, I managed to get a DVD version for £25. Good luck with that now and it isn't sold on UK steam as far as I know.

    I urge anyone who plays games for fun to check out singularity.

    Activision are a disgrace sending such a good game out to die a miserable death.

  • the_mtfr #34 2 years ago

    Activision is really low.

    I was looking forward to Raven doing a new Heretic... Christ...