Adding another developer to the sad string of studio closures, Activision today revealed that the future of Bizarre Creations is in question. The acclaimed studio, known for developing the Project Gotham Racing franchise, Blur, The Club, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, and Geometry Wars, was purchased by Activision a little more than three years ago.
According to a source speaking to Giant Bomb on the matter, Bizarre Creations will undergo a “90-day consultation period, statutory redundancy.” Additionally, the article cites a NeoGAF thread that states that all of the studios staff, roughly 200 employees, have been made redundant.
An Activision statement posted on Joystiq reveals that the publisher is exploring their options when it comes to Bizarre Creations, which would include a possible sale of the developer:
“Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience. Bizarre is a very talented team of developers, however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business.”
via Giant Bomb, Joystiq
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SOMEBODY STOP THIS MADNESS!!!
Being bought out to be shut down. Seriously a case of being under the umbrella and still getting rained on :(
It’s a scary new economic world. Drastic change is coming, purely out of necessity.
Moral of this story: Don’t work for Kotick.
If you do well, he will screw you out of your bonus, then fire you and take your IP (see Infinity Ward).
If you don’t make him a grip-ton of money you will be made redundant, no matter how much money Activision has to throw around. It’s LOSE/LOSE . . .
This is the natural course of things, as long people continue to support franchises such as COD, great studios will continue to close.
captain hindsight ladies and gentlemen
Ah Activision will suck your soul out and eat your heart
1. acquire assets
2. consolidate investment
3. fuck everybody
4. lunch
5. suck Satan’s cock
Mr. Kotick? your itinerary is ready for today.
oh, and by the way http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/activision-shuttering-budcat-downsizing-california-qa-team/#continued
So all of Bizarres games get fairly well recieved until Blood Stone and as soon as Blood Stone gets mediocre reviews Activision shuts them down.
Must be a no second chance policy or something because they’ve done that with a lot.
Well i see this positively, to see a big name like Activision to shutter is a shot of weakness. I am glad to see a little hurt on activision (try and sell me cutscenes YOU FUCKING BASTERDS, TRY IT!!!)