Embattled Team Bondi seeking buyer?

By Robert Purchese Published 4 August, 2011

Mad Max creator George Miller interested.

Rumour has it that Team Bondi is struggling to find a new publisher following allegations of unfair working practises levelled at the Australian studio.

Team Bondi leader Brendan McNamara has been spotted touring the offices of Dr D - an Australian animation studio owned by Mad Max creator George Miller.

Sources told Kotaku that McNamara is believed to be in talks with Miller's other production company KMM (Kennedy-Mitchell Miller) about an acquisition.

"The word is going round that Team Bondi is being folded into KMM studios, Team Bondi is pretty much doomed after the scandal and can't find any new supporters, so by doing this they can hide their name," one source revealed.

George Miller was apparently "incredibly impressed" with Team Bondi's work on L.A. Noire.

L.A. Noire was an expensive and ambitious project that took a long time to finish. The end result was good, and in some ways ground breaking. But the game's acclaimed release was tarnished by reports of overworked staff as well as more than 100 former staff being omitted from the game's credits.

Insiders at Team Bondi claim the relationship with Rockstar sunk so low that the publisher had "disdain" for the developer. Rockstar will not work with Team Bondi again, the sources declared.

A telling account of life at Team Bondi, told via internal emails, was published on GamesIndustry.biz and reproduced on Eurogamer.

The case has gained the attention of the International Game Developers Association, which will investigate the accusations made against Team Bondi.

Eurogamer's L.A. Noire review awarded 8/10.

How will L.A. Noire be remembered?

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 (36) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ZizouFC #1 10 months ago

    I really want an L.A. Noire 2 with all of the problems of the original ironed out. So please, somebody make it happen!

  • LazyNinjaUk #2 10 months ago

    I feel sorry for all the people who work at team Bondi who aren't management level pricks like Brendan McNamara. These people who put in all the effort and overtime are paying the price of a shitty leadership.

  • Darren #3 10 months ago

    This is probably a stupid question but I'll ask it anyway: Is this going to affect the release of L.A. Noire on the PC later this year or is the port being done by a third-party developer to be published by Rockstar?
    Edited by Darren at 04/08/11 @ 10:55

  • Wizard83 #4 10 months ago

    i thought the game was good if a little repetitive.
    though i have to say after all the crap i read about the higher ups fucking people over i'd be very pleased if karma caught up with them and kicked them squarely in the balls!

  • X201 #5 10 months ago

    @ZizouFC: If RockStar hold the IP, which I'm certain they would have. Then there's a chance.

    @Darren: Rockstar Leeds are doing the PC version.

  • miiiguel #6 10 months ago

    I'm not sure if it's my thing to battle for other ppls work rights, all in all Marx is long gone, and all that "workers of the world unite" is probably bollocks, since I'm sure Team Bondi ppl probably can't care less if my boss bullies me around, so fuck that shit, LA Noire is awesome that's all I have to say.

  • metalangel #7 10 months ago

    Heh. A Mad Max 1 game springs to mind, chasing down biker gangs, dealing with horrible car accidents, leather police uniforms... remember, so long as the paperwork's clean, you boys can do what you like out there!

  • polaris70 #8 10 months ago

    I wonder who owns the Tech for the facial animations? Love to see the next GTA or RDR with that Tech.

  • repeater #9 10 months ago

    Seems like a natural fit if the creator of Mad Max would buy a company whose management exemplify such a dystopian, post-apocalyptic approach to working conditions.
    But then again, people like "miiigueel" make it obvious that there are people outside of science fiction that will still be duped and manipulated into supporting a system that benefits very few people in the long run. Uniting and standing up for everybody's right to a decent job under decent and fair conditions - for example by utilizing one's capacity to "vote with the wallet" (coincidentally a very liberal approach) - is not "Marxism"; it's simply common sense.

  • Subdominator #10 10 months ago

    #2 They worked for six years on the game and still couldn't iron the problems out. What makes you think they could do it in the two or three years any buyer will give them for their next game? The reason why nobody wants to work with them anymore is not the way they enforce overtime (that's common practice in the industry), it's because they needed such a long time. It's evidence of mismanagement and maybe lack of talent.

  • miiiguel #11 10 months ago

    @repeater: don't ever come to Portugal, my boss is bulling me today to do the work of my 3 collegues who are on vacations, vote with your wallet, support my rights. Please ?
    What can I do for you ?

  • repeater #12 10 months ago

    miiiguel: Well in your case it is not obvious to me how I will vote with my wallet, but I have voted and continue to vote for people in the European Parliament who support stricter labour laws across the Union. I'm not saying there is any quick and easy fix for anything, but the blatant apathy exemplified by your earlier post stands even less of a chance of improving anything for anyone, except maybe a few wealthy corporate heads.

  • X201 #13 10 months ago

    @polaris70

    Depth Analysis own the technology behind MotionScan.

    Both Team Bondi and Depth Analysis are owned by Brendan McNamara

  • Stompy #14 10 months ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • miiiguel #15 10 months ago

    Bad day is bad day.

    /curses collegues who are probably drinking tequilas and left me a shit load of shitty work to do...
    Edited by miiiguel at 04/08/11 @ 11:55

  • Crea #16 10 months ago

    Well, well, well. Looks like treating your employees like shit does have negative long-term implications for your studio after all, eh?

  • Innes #17 10 months ago

    @miguel

    maybe if you spent more time working and less time on EG you wouldnt be bullied bro.

  • miiiguel #18 10 months ago

    I don't work at McDonalds. Bro.

  • spekkeh #19 10 months ago

    It's a bit weird their relationship with Rockstar soured, seeing as they're both partners in crime here, but it is amazing to finally see a game developer get into trouble over its extortionate behavior.

  • polaris70 #20 10 months ago

    @X201
    ok thanks. I guess we wont be seeing that Tech in the next GTA or RDR then lol

  • RodHull #21 10 months ago

    Happy Feet Noire?

  • Moribundman #22 10 months ago

    Well I hope they're very patient both in terms of being able to wait for long periods and in being able to put up with Brendan McNamara's fucking "pesonality"...

  • X201 #23 10 months ago

    @polaris70

    Other Motion capture technologies are available :)

  • Collymilad #24 10 months ago

    @LazyNinjaUK

    Just like ANY other job on the planet.

    It's funny really, everyone who isn't near the top complains they get shat on all the time. They do, but they just sit there.

    Divide and conquer, it's built into the entire world. (I'm sure someone will have a go at me for even saying that, but all it really does is help prove my point)
    Edited by Collymilad at 04/08/11 @ 12:59

  • CaptainQuint #25 10 months ago

    "How will LA Noire be remembered?"

    For being one the most overrated game's of all time?

  • Daeltaja #26 10 months ago

    Feel awfully sorry for the over-worked employees, but I'm hoping this thread will continue and people speak up. It's the only way the industry will change, for the better. Unfortunately, there will be some casualties along the way.

  • Xardan #27 10 months ago

    I think we can say goodbye to a decent L.A Noire sequel then.

  • kangarootoo #28 10 months ago

    How about KMM hire all the shop floor employees, buy or license the technology, and tell McNamara and his set to fuck off?

    Its not like Bondi's problems weren't directly related to the individuals at the top, so why would any company want them on staff just because they have a nice face mapping tool? I bought a fantastic tin opener recently, but that doesn't mean I want its inventor to come round and open tins for me every time I fancy some beans on toast.

  • MisterM #29 10 months ago

    I don't think this needs a sequel. They need a new IP that's as good as this, rather than risking putting out a duff follow up to what I thought was a really interesting game. Too short, not enough variety, but just enough innovation to make it a top title for me so far this year.

    Looking forward to seeing what they do next!

  • MisterM #30 10 months ago

    I don't think this needs a sequel. They need a new IP that's as good as this, rather than risking putting out a duff follow up to what I thought was a really interesting game. Too short, not enough variety, but just enough innovation to make it a top title for me so far this year.

    Looking forward to seeing what they do next!

  • orangpelupa #31 10 months ago

    wait... Rockstar wont work with Team Bondi again....


    so.... who doing the LA NOIRE PC port?
    hoping its rockstar north or something that similarly good.

  • superdelphinus #32 10 months ago

    I have to say I'm a little uneasy about how all this team bondi stuff has been reported. It's extremely one-sided and everyone seems very keen to jump on the bandwagon knowing barely any of the facts. On the face of it some people were asked to work very very hard in order to get something done. Not much else is known apart from leaked documents and personal comment from 'insiders'. At the very least I'd be expecting some ETs if there is actually anything to answer for, rather than backhanded gossip/ allegations.

    Anyway, I too hope LA Noire 2 is made. For me, 1, was very much Like assassins creed 1 - a great concept that they weren't really sure what to do with

  • kangarootoo #33 10 months ago

    @superdelphinus

    "It's extremely one-sided"

    Really? There have been several interviews with McNamara on the subject (at least one on this website), and he has not come across well by his own words. The tone throughout is "this is what you have to do to get a game made", with no sense that he actually thinks any of the complaints are valid. Plus some of the complaints from within Bondi have come in the form of actual unedited emails that were sent to the team, copied in full, and the undilluted words of some of those emails beggars belief.
    Edited by kangarootoo at 04/08/11 @ 17:05

  • cheeky_BILLY #34 10 months ago

    I'd like to see a kinect sex sim using LA Noires 'facial' tech.

  • God_Octo #35 10 months ago

    I feel for the Team Bondi employees- both those at TB and at KKM. that must of given people heart attacks to see their arsehole boss that they left behind suddenly appear in their office.

    I think that the best thing TB can do is get rid of McNamara. That way, they can try to get back on their feet and get some support from publishers. And have nicer working conditions. And then make LA Noire 2 or whatever it'll be called.

  • scuffpuppies #36 10 months ago

    I knew McNamara from his days at Studio Soho. Everyone thought he was a cock even then...and I mean everyone.