new patch?

[6Taylor4]

You'd think they'd at least acknowledge it! Not one word on what the "patch" is. Fabulous user support! Way to go! You just really love your users, huh, EA??? Huh?

[IndigoAK]

Looking at the SteamDB update history, it seems to have been a very minor localization change. The only three files that changed were the US English and Japanese files containing localized strings and the executable.

[6Taylor4]

Thanks, it sure takes longer to load now - great update!

[Ghezur Owldgai]

Why are you surprised? Two letters for you... E and A!

[6Taylor4]

Ewe & Ahsh**

[BigRowdy]

My prediction is that metalhead employees are being fired 1 at a time with a severance package (small) and an NDA.

[IndigoAK]

I don't think they're closing Metalhead. They're actively hiring and based on the openings, they're now a support studio for EA Orlando and the Madden series.

It sucks that they're been reduced to playing second fiddle making a CTE ball game, but I guess it's a paycheck.

[6Taylor4]

EA wouldn't have purchased the franchise is they only planned SMB4.

[IndigoAK]

Making more than SMB4 required SMB4 to not bomb.

Every source I can find puts total sales at less than 100,000 units, which is abysmal for an EA Sports title. The game was on sale for more than 50% less than six months (edit: closer to a year, but still) after release.

[6Taylor4]

If it were still an independent studio, I'd agree, but EA can absorb that, write it off, and still make a profit to fund SMB5.

[Open Faced Club Sand Wedge]

Originally posted by IndigoAK:

Making more than SMB4 required SMB4 to not bomb.

Every source I can find puts total sales at less than 100,000 units, which is abysmal for an EA Sports title. The game was on sale for more than 50% less than six months (edit: closer to a year, but still) after release.

The marketing for the game was really weird. It's an alternate sports title (not licensed) and instead of focusing on the incredible gameplay, they spent their budget on getting promotion from retired stars and content creators. They alienated a lot of prior fans with the new art direction and UI that caused more problems than it solved, and they never fully fixed the issues plaguing online gameplay.

I still love it for what it is, but it's always been and will likely always be a more niche game. Modern EA doesn't have much love for those games, but best case scenario, they let Metalhead continue the Super Mega franchise within another sport.

[Aerooooooo]

Originally posted by IndigoAK:

I don't think they're closing Metalhead. They're actively hiring and based on the openings, they're now a support studio for EA Orlando and the Madden series.

It sucks that they're been reduced to playing second fiddle making a CTE ball game, but I guess it's a paycheck.

Where did you find out they're actively hiring and all? The devs' own final post on the SMB subreddit seemed to say Metalhead was no more.

I mean, if they're still around, that's nice and all, but with EA's track record, you can't blame people from thinking the worst.

[IndigoAK]

The careers page at EA. They're still hiring for jobs in Victoria, British Columbia. The only studio they have in Victoria, British Columbia is Metalhead.

[6Taylor4]

that's some encouraging investigating, there.