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Free Radical Closure Imminent

By Jorge Ba-oh (jb)

37682 on 18.12.2008 at 22:31

Free Radical Closure Imminent on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

In an unfortunate move, British-based developer Free Radical has closed its doors today.

The well-renowned studio, whose games included Time Splitters and Haze, encountered some problems this morning with employees locked out of their offices in Nottingham - a meeting held later in the day ended with the company's imminent closure, according to Kotaku.

Sources place the blame on the poor reception for the PlayStation 3 exclusive Haze and the apparent cancellation of Star Wars Battlefront 3. Unless things change, it also marks the end of the much-loved Time Splitters franchise.

There may be hope, but it's not looking good for the company - who are now in an administration period.

We will be spending the next three or four days assessing the financial position of the company but it's business as usual, although we have asked that almost all of the employees apart from a skeleton crew remain at home.

All employees have been paid up until the end of December and we hope to make another announcement before Christmas or very soon thereafter, but we must stress at this stage that it's business as usual.

Cameron Gunn, Resolve Partners

Edge-Online, CVG

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James2t3 on 18.12.2008 at 22:35#1

Wha!? That really sucks Smilie

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Laurelin on 18.12.2008 at 22:40#2

shame! They did great games...
Was haze really that bad?

I find your lack of faith disturbing!

SuperLink on 18.12.2008 at 22:44#3

What the hell? Totally unexpected... why did that just come out of nowhere? What could have possibly caused the offices to be locked?

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Jump_button on 18.12.2008 at 22:54#4

well Haze did suck ^^;

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Guest on 18.12.2008 at 22:54#5

They made the only advertisement I clicked this year. Poor dr. Doak. Smilie

Echoes221 on 18.12.2008 at 22:56#6

WHAT!! They need to make timesplitters 4! noooo. Sniffle.
I hate the crunch (y nut)

The Strat Man on 18.12.2008 at 23:09#7

Didn't Haze go through several expensive transitions? Or am I thinking of a different game.

Anyway damn! Smilie

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Stulaw on 18.12.2008 at 23:35#8

Damn, last thing I heard from them was that Timesplitters 4 might be coming to the Wii because of the survey they did, a few weeks later, they close down.

All I can say is

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Canyarion on 18.12.2008 at 23:37#9

Ehm, they state that it's 'business as usual', sounds like they might be back.

Azuardo on 18.12.2008 at 23:39#10

Very sad news. I love TimeSplitters. Hopefully someone can pick the franchise up if this really is the end for Free Radical Design.

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MattEvansC3 on 19.12.2008 at 00:22#11

Well Haze was a big budget exclusive that fell flat on its face. It wasn't so much the game was bad it was to this Generation what Killzone was to the last. True Radical don't seem to make many games and with their next big game cancelled there would be no revenue stream for a long time and for a small developer (cult status does not make them big) that is deadly.

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erv on 19.12.2008 at 00:25#12

It is their own fault, sad as it is.

I mean, an unknown IP on a slow selling machine competing against a shitload of high-def brown and grey.

That's not gonna work.

If I develop a game, I create a wii one - viable, sellable. More money will come in than get out, more easily at least.

And if you have timesplitters being a top seller on gamecube (relative to the other consoles), and most of them buy a wii, and want a sequel, AND migrate to the wii because hey, they're nintendo fanboys AND there's obvious community demand for action games...

...well, you focus your efforts on a ps3 exlusive, obviously.

Sad, but not unexpected.

Jacob4000 on 19.12.2008 at 00:32#13

Wouldn't it be great if Nintendo bought them? Nintendo needs another studio like Monolith and Retro -- people who make solid games.

Would be massively awesome to have the next Time Splitters a Nintendo exclusive.

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SuperLink on 19.12.2008 at 00:37#14

Yeah Nintendo definitely seem to be lacking in the second party department right now. And Camelot are being lazy, they need rivalry/kick up the bum Smilie

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rammpeth on 19.12.2008 at 00:59#15

quick question: how many copies does a dev have to sell on PS3 to make a profit? Because ive read that you need, usually, 160k on wii to break even. And the wii has a much bigger userbase so its more likely to reach profit. I mean, you can probably sell 300k copies of a game on PS3 and still take a financial hit.

IxisNaugus on 19.12.2008 at 01:07#16

Haze killed them. The PS3 killed TimeSplitters

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Modplan Man on 19.12.2008 at 01:29#17

rammpeth said:
quick question: how many copies does a dev have to sell on PS3 to make a profit? Because ive read that you need, usually, 160k on wii to break even. And the wii has a much bigger userbase so its more likely to reach profit. I mean, you can probably sell 300k copies of a game on PS3 and still take a financial hit.

Last I read you it was said you had to sell a minimum of 500,000 to break even, but that will obviously vary on the size and time of the project.

Here's the link:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=az3neI1eJui8&refer=japan

Andrezao on 19.12.2008 at 01:42#18

Here's some of the outcomes of the dark side of HD gaming. Since that Market isn't as big, and expensive to develop for, well this is what happens. Then again, if their game was better, they could've gone away with it.

Maybe if they developed the game for the 360 as well, they would've sold more?

Oh well, hopefully someone will pick up the timesplitters franchise.

Birdo Is A Tranny on 19.12.2008 at 02:09#19

OMG OMFG. I going to cry. I\'ve tears in my eyes I actually NEED Star Wars Battlefront III. Me and my brother are massive fans and play everyday.

I can\'t believe this is fucking happening.

and all right before x-mas.......... Smilie Smilie Smilie

(worst x-mas ever....)

Nintendo need to buy them now! There swimming in money (My money :-x ).

( Edited 19.12.2008 00:09 by Birdo Is A Tranny )

mOojc on 19.12.2008 at 02:45#20

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Hi on 19.12.2008 at 05:17#21

Pooey!

Super Duper Ultra Fun Time!

shiptoncraig on 19.12.2008 at 11:03#22

Damn, that's a shame.

Still the talent that used to be in Free Radical will probably be adopted into other dev teams anyway.

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Frazzle.d on 19.12.2008 at 13:10#23

I liked that Second Sight game, never really got into Timesplitters because you couldn't jump. WTF kind of fps doesn't let you jump?

But an incredibly nasty time for a company to go down and jobs be thrown into question. My thoughts go out to the employees.

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jb on 19.12.2008 at 13:38#24

Jacob4000 said:
Wouldn't it be great if Nintendo bought them? Nintendo needs another studio like Monolith and Retro -- people who make solid games.
Would be massively awesome to have the next Time Splitters a Nintendo exclusive.

That would be awesome! I'm hoping someone steps in and helps em out!

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Flynnie on 19.12.2008 at 18:45#25

To be honest i could see Microsoft aquiring them if they were to be aquired, Microsoft like adding to their games studio, but with the plethora of FPS' on the 360 do they need Free Radical.

Instead though i think they will sell off their assests such as Timesplitters and just try something else, i know Timesplitters is pretty much all they have ever done but still.

Personally i'd see EA just buying the Haze engine and the timesplitters franchise.