Here we go again...

Yankee · Post by **Yankee** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:05 am

One of the greatest mods in video game history is going the way of the corporate whore. I wonder how long it will be until we're paying for DC updates?

Digital Illusions signs agreement with Trauma Studios
Digital Illusions CE AB (publ) 2004-02-04
Digital Illusions has begun collaboration with game developer Trauma Studios Inc. During one year Trauma will work on an upcoming product, together with Digital Illusions.

Trauma Studios developed the popular mod* to Battlefield 1942, DesertCombat. The new collaboration is for one of Digital Illusions' previously announced projects. The Company estimates the costs for the collaboration to approximately 550 000 USD during a period of 12 months.

- We understood the impact DesertCombat had quite early. This mod kept Battlefield's popularity in place during the last year, as well as helped us sell a considerable amount of games, says Patrick Söderlund, CEO, Digital Illusions.

- We have established a close cooperation with Trauma, and now we have come to an exclusive agreement with them, says Patrick Söderlund, CEO, Digital Illusions.

- We are delighted to be working with Digital Illusions on this project. Digital Illusions is one of the premier game development studios in the world and Battlefield 1942 is the best FPS game to be published in years. Everybody we have met at the company has been fantastic to work with and we are looking forward to collaborating with them on this project, says Frank DeLise, President, Trauma Studios Inc.

* A mod is a kind of modification to a game already existing. With DesertCombat Trauma reprogrammed some parts of Battlefield 1942 and thereby created new environments and new features for the game. To be able to play a mod you need the actual game that the mod was developed for. This means mods push sales of video games.

About Trauma Studios Inc.:
Trauma Studios Inc. is a Manhattan based game developer specializing in FPS military style games. Best known for the DesertCombat MOD for Digital Illusions' hit game, Battlefield1942, Trauma started out in 2002 as a grass roots game developer and created the #1 MOD for 2002 and for 2003 (as voted on Gamespy). Trauma Studios' DesertCombat has had over 3 million cumulative downloads and consistently ranks amongst the top 3 games played online.

Afrotect · Post by **Afrotect** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:16 am

That makes me a saaaaad panda.

Realm · Post by **Realm** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:18 pm

Isn't that what mod-makers hope for though? For the mod to be their big break into the industry? I mean, instead of a few guys in a basement, they're acutually a big name now. Shit, if I made a mod, that's what I would be hoping for. Or are you guys worried it will hurt Trauma's quality?

Yankee · Post by **Yankee** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:54 pm

Oh I'm sure it was what they were hoping for. What I am concerned with is that their creativity will be stifled by DICE. Much the same way a band is held down by the record label that they sign with. Trauma won't be able to make any decisions for themselves anymore without running them by DICE first. Not only that.. now that they're the bigtime.. we lose one of the great Mod studios in the BF community... they will go on to make their own new game for DICE and will most likely forget about any future work in the Mod world for BF42 or Vietnam.

Post by **Richie** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:30 pm

I agree completely with Yankee here. I knew this was gonna happen, just a matter of time. I guess the world can't have a mod as good as DC without some big name getting into it.