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Sadness: Bizarre Creations to close doors forever this Friday


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Posted

Bizarre Creations, they of Project Gotham Racing, Blur and Geometry Wars will close their doors for the last time this week on Friday 18th having been formally disbanded by Activision after failing to find a buyer. Despite a long and prestigious history in top notch racing games as well as dabbling in other genres recent struggles amidst middling sales figures have finally forced closure for good. They apparently leave with no ill feeling between them and Activision.

 

Really, it's a damn shame. They were a great unit that produced some fantastic games over the years and I wish them all the best. Just shows what a tough gig it is.

http://kotaku.com/#!5760272/rest-in-peace-bizarre-creations

 

RIP

Posted

Just goes to show being part of a big publisher doesn't work out. They aren't the first developer its happened to theres been Pandemic and Ensemble fairly recently and sure there are plenty of plenty of others.

Posted

Really, it's a damn shame. They were a great unit that produced some fantastic games over the years and I wish them all the best. Just shows what a tough gig it is.

 

Not really. They had a good thing going when they made MSR but with PGR they just kept the same flaws through out every game in the series... Seriously who gave a shit about kudos? Especially the 5th time around. Blur was utter rubbish. At the end of the day they never made great games nor did they sell well. There are alot of other studios that get my sympathy before these guys.

 

Reminds me of Split Second, that was another weak game but at least had some freshness to it. But bad (very bad) one trick pony gameplay idea.

Posted

A comment by a former Bizarre employee at the Develop obituary:

 

Real Story

 

When Activision took us over we did have creative control. When they shut us down we still had that creative control.

 

The problem was that we made Blur; real cars in realistic cities with power ups. Who were we selling that game to? Marketing had no chance, we didn't even know how to sell it or who it was aimed at.

 

Then we made Bond, which was destined to be average from the start when we aimed to 'make it like Uncharted 2, but in half the time and with James Bond in it'. Along with engine changes half way through and ignored warnings from external reports the entire way it was never going to hit the 85+ bar we'd had set for us by Activision.

 

Like a kid in a sweet shop we had no idea what to do and we ended up doing the wrong thing for nearly 4 years.

 

 

Posted
Not really. They had a good thing going when they made MSR but with PGR they just kept the same flaws through out every game in the series... Seriously who gave a shit about kudos? Especially the 5th time around. Blur was utter rubbish. At the end of the day they never made great games nor did they sell well. There are alot of other studios that get my sympathy before these guys.

 

Project Gotham was my favourite series of racing games, so me I guess. To this day, it's still the only racing game that had/has good handling for the cars IMO. It was a perfect balance of arcade and sim.

 

MSR and PGR started the whole "being rewarded for driving with style/skill" thing that is now everywhere, so I'm guessing quite a few more people care about it too.

 

I'll always remember the MSR motto of "It's not about how fast you drive, it's about how you drive fast".

Posted

In fairness Blur and Bond weren't great and PGR was very tired by number 4. It was time. No point in keeping declining studios open when they could be replaced with something fresher, newer and more profitable. The people who worked at BC might even go on to do some great games as part of other teams.

Posted
Don't respond to Choze. If anyone didn't already know he talks utter balls, that post would make it clear.

 

We need to take a firm stance on douchebaggery. We need to send a message that it wont be tolerated in these fair lands. It starts with one person, but then others see that it goes ignored and join in. This is how revolutions begin and we must stop it now. You know, for the greater good.

 

 

And yeah, Blur was balls.

Posted

Shame, but... I dunno, it seemed an odd studio.

 

Hopefully all the talent will find themselves jobs, hopefully a few might make the jump to Sony Liverpool.

Posted (edited)
Shame, but... I dunno, it seemed an odd studio.

 

Hopefully all the talent will find themselves jobs, hopefully a few might make the jump to Sony Liverpool.

 

and then get closed down again after Motorstorm Apocalypse flops. You would think they would drop the franchise but no....

 

Studios can learn from this. Though most racing games are kind of sterile right now and dont require the brake button. They are so easy there is no attachment or skill. Good riddance to these studios.

Edited by Choze
Posted
Studios can learn from this. Though most racing games are kind of sterile right now and dont require the brake button. They are so easy there is no attachment or skill. Good riddance to these studios.

 

What has this got to do with Blizzard? The driving in PGR4 was too much like a simulation/needed too much braking for my tastes.

Posted

Blur is the best racer I've ever played. It really needs a patch or two and more maps though... shame that'll never happen.

 

And 007 Bloodstone was also good fun. Smooth gameplay, original story and decent controls.

 

After those two games (and geometry wars), bizarre were becoming my favourite developer :(

 

I don't know why Activision doesn't keep them.

Posted
Blur is the best racer I've ever played. It really needs a patch or two and more maps though... shame that'll never happen.

 

They also need to unpatch it. The beta was better than the game.

Posted

With regards to certain weapons I agree. I don't think any of the driving actually changed between the demo and the release... they did improve the slow-down you receive from hitting walls too. I still play it a good few nights a week and I still get intensely fun games.

Posted

This tribute came out today in light of their final closure.

 

Let us now soldier onwards to a dark and desolate future with no prospect of a Geometry Wars 3. :cry:

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