Celebrated studio Bizarre Creations looks set to permanently shut up shop in the not-too-distant future, with Activision revealing it’s made a “recommendation” that the developer closes its doors.
Speaking to Develop, the publishing giant said that the decision comes in light of an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer for the Liverpool-based studio.
“I want to be clear, our first choice was to try and keep this group together and find a buyer for the studio,” commented Activision Worldwide Studios’ COO, Cody Johnson. He further added that the company had “explored a lot of leads – pretty much anyone you can imagine in the industry.”
However, Johnson went on to say that Activision failed to turn up any “interested parties,” before describing the recommendation of closure as a “last resort.”
Reports of Bizarre’s demise surfaced back in November 2010, where it was reported the studio was set to fold at the loss of 200 jobs. Sadly, despite later reports that “multiple parties” were interested in acquiring the studio, a buyer ultimately failed to materialise.
Bizarre Creations is best known for its work on the Project Gotham franchise, and has developed a heap of successful racers over the years, including Formula One (PlayStation, PC), Metropolis Street Racer (Dreamcast) and Blur (PS3, PC & 360).
The firm’s most recent effort was last year’s PS3, PC and 360 spy romp, James Bond 007: Blood Stone.