Bizzare Creations to shut.

Chives

Chives

Chives

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Activision is planning to shut down Liverpool-based studio Bizarre Creations, if substantial Twitter activity is to be believed.
Travelers' Tales boss Jon Burton started the ball rolling, tweeting, "Sad Day for games developers. Really glad I didn't sell my company to Activision."
Further tweets from numerous members of the UK development scene added that around 200 staff are facing the axe, with Activision likely closing the studio.
We've followed up with both Activision and Bizarre and will update as news breaks.
Bizarre Creations was founded in 1994 and made its name with the Project Gotham Racing series for Microsoft Game Studios. Activision purchased the studio in September 2007.
Bizarre Creation's last game, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, launched to mediocre reviews last month. Other titles in its back catalogue include the excellent Blur, Geometry Wars, Boom Boom Rocket and The Club.
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Really sad to hear this, I was and still am a avid fan of the PGR series, wasn't to sure on blur but it was still a good game.
Activision have ruined yet another great british gaming studio..
Link
Various other sources reporting on this also.
http://twitter.com/search/bizarre%20creations#search?q=bizarre%20creation
EDIT:
An update from activision, looks like there going to be sold rather than shut.
UPDATE: Activision has issued a clarifying statement in which it explains that it's in the process of plotting out a future for Bizarre Creations - a future that could include a sale.
"Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly," said a spokesperson for the publisher.
"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."
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They also did MSR on the Dreamcast which was also rather good, shame to see them go but I'm sure the more talented people won't have problems getting another job...
 
An update, looks like its going to be sold rather than shut down :)
UPDATE: Activision has issued a clarifying statement in which it explains that it's in the process of plotting out a future for Bizarre Creations - a future that could include a sale.
"Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly," said a spokesperson for the publisher.
"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."
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The studio wanted to try something other then PGR games... So then split from MS and went on to create Blur..


Which was really wipeout with cars, or adult mario kart. wasn't a bad game, just nothing new.

007 wasn't actually a bad game either, just again nothing new. It was like splinter cell, uncharted 2 and need for speed in one game, which wasn't all that well received by critics.. Shame I got the game for PC, and I enjoyed it.

PGR was however excellent, I hope the studio gets picked up, they are talented just went in the wrong direction... They need to go back to what they're good at... Arcade racing games.
 
MikeHunt79 said:
They also did MSR on the Dreamcast which was also rather good, shame to see them go but I'm sure the more talented people won't have problems getting another job...
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Yep Metropolis Street Racer. You argue that without this game, there wouldn't have been Project Gotham Racing in the first place.
 
OMG I can't believe this they were a great studio I loved Blur as well. I mean it had 20 payer online it was crazy:cool: Can't think of another racing game that has 20 cars on the grid.

PGR = EPIC WIN
 
Activision are a typical big fish corporation, they buy out all the smaller competition and then destroy them from within.

I do hope Bizzare Creations survive this intact.
 
Very sad to hear this as i dont live that far from the studio and love to see local developers do well.
I hope they are acquired by a good company.
 
lovedaddy said:
Disgusting, after activision said today they took 80 million in 1 week for call of duty. Best of luck to all involved in the closure.
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If you mean Black ops it was $360 million in 24 hours, but they also throw a hell of a lot of money into advertising Call of Duty, I think the marketing budget alone for Modern Warefare 2 was $200 million, but yes they still make a killing from it.

That's the thing with Activision if something isn't making enough money it gets sold/shutdown, which is a shame because they have bought up a lot of talented developers over the years. They always take very few risks and want to play it safe so they churn the same thing year after year knowing the masses will buy it (CoD, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk etc).

Activision = The new EA :p
 
Also Geometry Wars and The Club.

I know The Club wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but me and a mate both had a great high score comp going on and I ended up loving that game.

Was addicted to GW2 and PGR3. Didn't really get into PGR4, but got Blur on rental at the moment and loving it.

Are they definitely going to close? Any chance they could get sold?
 
Alrik said:
If you mean Black ops it was $360 million in 24 hours, but they also throw a hell of a lot of money into advertising Call of Duty, I think the marketing budget alone for Modern Warefare 2 was $200 million, but yes they still make a killing from it.

That's the thing with Activision if something isn't making enough money it gets sold/shutdown, which is a shame because they have bought up a lot of talented developers over the years. They always take very few risks and want to play it safe so they churn the same thing year after year knowing the masses will buy it (CoD, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk etc).

Activision = The new EA :p
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*in the UK alone. (was using UK revenue as BC are a UK studio, purchased for 63 million in 2007)
 
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