Gears of War boss dodges layoff question but promises the next game will come sooner

[Bob92]

Gears of War: E-Day has launched, and The Coalition's studio head Mike Crump has been talking about what comes next, Kotaku reports. In a BBC interview, Crump said the next game will not take nearly as long as E-Day. That is welcome news, because E-Day took seven years to make. He described E-Day as a great foundation for future Gears games

Crump was also asked about a Eurogamer report that many developers at the studio remained nervous about layoffs after the game shipped. He did not give any details about the studio's immediate future. Instead he said the team is focused on what it can control. For him, that is shipping a great game that people are going to love

Kotaku notes that The Coalition has mostly avoided Xbox's recent cuts. However, E-Day's story director and some others were laid off the month before. Xbox is in the middle of what it calls a reset, with layoffs across several studios. So the nerves inside the studio are understandable

Crump stressed that the studio's leadership team has worked together for upwards of 20 years. He called that continuity of knowledge and experience. That is a good point in its favour, because Gears has had a consistent feel through several games. Keeping the same core team means the next game can build on E-Day rather than starting from scratch

From a fan's point of view, the promise of a shorter wait is the headline. Seven years between games is a long time in anyone's life. If E-Day's engine and tools are reusable, a three or four year turnaround seems possible. That would keep the series in people's minds rather than letting it fade

Have you played Gears of War: E-Day yet? And how long do you think the next one will take?

Gears Of War Boss Dodges Question About Future Layoffs, Promises Next Game Will Come Soonerkotaku.com