Activision finalises Bizarre closure

By Fred Dutton Published 19 January, 2011

No buyer found for Blur studio.

Activision has recommended that its Bizarre Creations subsidiary be closed, after no buyer came forward for the Liverpool-based studio behind Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone.

Back in November, Activision announced it was looking to offload the struggling developer, saying it was "exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business."

Coddy Johnson, Activision Worldwide Studios' chief operating officer today told Develop, "I want to be clear, our first choice was to try and keep this group together and find a buyer for the studio."

Johnson insisted that it had, "explored a lot of leads – pretty much anyone you can imagine in the industry. But unfortunately, so far we've not been able to find any interested parties. So we've made as a last resort, a recommendation to the team for closure."

Apparently staff at Bizarre have indicated that they will accept the recommendation.

Bizarre started life in 1994, making its name with the Project Gotham Racing series for Microsoft Game Studios. Activision purchased the studio in September 2007 and set it to work on the poorly received James Bond 007: Blood Stone and excellent but under-performing racer Blur.

"Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly," explained an Activision spokesperson in November.

"Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience."

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (66) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • J0rdan_KZ #1 1 year ago

    Someone HAS to buy Bizarre. Simple as. It will be a complete and utter travesty if this development studio is lost.

    Oh and the obligatory: Fuck you Activision.

  • BabyJesus #2 1 year ago

    Damn it to hell! R.I.P Bizarre :(

  • captain_Carl #3 1 year ago

    "Hey Bizarre, make this terrible games for us?"
    "WHAT? THOSE GAMES DIDN'T SELL? We don't want you any more".

    (Also, fuck you Activision! And thanks for dealing another blow to the UK games industry)
    Edited by captain_Carl at 19/01/11 @ 14:01

  • YobRenoops #4 1 year ago

    Surely Bizarre made there name with Metropolis Street Racer.

    Project Gotham was basically MSR2

  • Murton #5 1 year ago

    No buyer was needed, just investment from Activision.

    Blur would probably have had more luck finding an audience if it had been marketed better too. I saw the trailers and they didn't excite me half as much as the trailers for Split/Second which were going the same time and given that both games were coming out so close to each other it was all in the marketing. Funny that Split/Second did quite well a non-COD Activision published game struggled.

    Activision are slowly becoming a single franchise publisher, something that will destroy them if they don't get their act together and create, and then actually support new IPs.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #6 1 year ago

    staff at Bizarre have indicated that they will accept the recommendation

    That makes it sound like they're going to just start another studio and look for funding. Good luck to them if they do, Bizarre at their best have made some of the finest racing games I ever played.
    Edited by MENTAL1ST at 19/01/11 @ 14:07

  • Toothball #7 1 year ago

    I've not been as enthusiastic about Bizarre's more recent offerings as I was for their earlier games. Loved MSR and enjoyed most of the Gothams. PGR4 didn't feel as good as some of its predecessors, and I lost all interest when they announced they'd be adding guns to the cars in Blur.

    Still, a studio closure is never a good thing. Good luck to those involved.

  • IronGiant #8 1 year ago

    Sure they will get jobs with other developers, maybe some will join Criterion. Releasing Blur at the same time as the similar Split Second was commercial suicide.

  • lambtron #9 1 year ago

    This makes me sick.

  • Ultrasoundwave #10 1 year ago

    Gutted.

    Blur is an excellent game, the only reason it failed (financially) was because of the complete lack of marketing and the £45 price tag that Activision puts on all of their games.

    I'd recommend the Bizarre staff move over to THQ, they say they want creative people, time for them to prove it!

  • dingo75 #11 1 year ago

    Another nail in Activision's coffin.
    Once a CoD or WoW expansion will flop it's game over for them.

  • lambtron #12 1 year ago

    Indeed. They should just change their name to CODWOW. Or WOWCOD. Actually, WOWCOD is quite a cool name ;).

  • FuzzyDuck #13 1 year ago

    The fundamentals of the racing genre have changed SFA, Acti.

    Also, you c**ts.

  • Ikaros_O #14 1 year ago

    Thanks Activison for ruining another good developer, you really do give us a reason to hate you.

  • VTurk #15 1 year ago

    o come on Microsoft . get your hand out of your pocket and buy bizzare!

  • VTurk #16 1 year ago

    o come on Microsoft . get your hand out of your pocket and buy bizzare!

  • cianchristopher #17 1 year ago

    Gives Bungie something to think about, although Activision don't actually own them outright.

    Just that there are parallels there, with PGR4 being Bizarre's "swansong" for the 360, before their change. Like Halo: Reach for Bungie.

  • asharkman #18 1 year ago

    These the guys who made f1 and f1 97 on the ps1.
    They were class games.

  • laudy #19 1 year ago

    There aren't guns in the game per se, it's more like a modern re-vamp of mario kart. What's more, it's excellent fun online. The community rarely gets above 500 folks so you invariably race with familiar faces (or should I say avatars?).

    It'll be a crying shame if there's no more Blur...I was hoping against hope for some DLC in the form of more tracks etc., I guess that won't be happening now.

    Good luck Bizarre, perhaps you should have said you'd produce an update every other year that doesn't actually change much, and a sister studio could produce Rlub: Cars at War in the gap years?

  • X3Entente #20 1 year ago

    for years to come activsion and kotick will be used as case studies of how to not run a creative sector business, and this "narrow and deep" business strategy does not work in entertainment

  • Retroid #21 1 year ago

    You absolute shower of bastards, Activision.

  • Stomp224 #22 1 year ago

    Absolutely sickening. Good luck to all those affected.

  • evild_edd #23 1 year ago

    Just adding to my support and agreeing with a lot of the above posts. I hope that either a last minute buyer gets them for a song (come on MS - get them on the cheap to make some non- Kinect EXCLUSIVES FOR 360, if you can remember what they are!), or that they self fund and come back with something phenominal.

  • dfunked #24 1 year ago

    Simple solution - make PGR5!
    Even simpler solution - don't waste incredibly talented devs on a James Bond game, save that for an in house bunch of monkeys!
    Simplest solution possible - stop being such a gigantic bunch of dicks, Activision

  • NewbieZilla #25 1 year ago

    I expected so much more from Activision, what with their history of goodwill and betterment of the industry.

    The words a person hitting the crackpipe might use.

  • sheldipez #26 1 year ago

    So Microsoft would buy RARE but not these guys.. sheesh

  • andywilkie35 #27 1 year ago

    Shite. PGR2 is hands down the best racer ever made, closely followed by PGR4 and PGR3. Sad news indeed. Good luck Bizarre.

  • ColdShoulder #28 1 year ago

    Sucks. Hope another studio with the same talent rises from the ashes. Good luck all.

  • Ror1984 #29 1 year ago

    I find it hard to believe that no one showed any interest. I bet it's more likely that no one met Activision's valuation.

    I guess we'll never know. It's a sad day, RIP Bizarre :( Hopefully all the staff can land on their feet.

  • TeaFiend #30 1 year ago

    And HR people packed their suitcases to go visit.

  • jefranklin18 #31 1 year ago

    Sony have a studio in Liverpool - the team that did Motorstorm and Wipeout - maybe their is a chance some of them could be picked up by them? Hopefully so, as the current economic climate isn't the greatest at the moment.

  • LOLLERS #32 1 year ago

    Wondering if the price Activision is asking explains the lack of buyers, can't imagine why there would be no interest otherwise, it's not like they made bad games, sales was the problem...

  • Trigga_Tybalt #33 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 15:43:01 23-02-2012

  • Bmovie #34 1 year ago

    Blur was one of the best games of last year, and MSR is still my favourite racing game of all time. Poor.

  • Dodgymat #35 1 year ago

    Very sad news.

    I'll never forget playing MSR on DC until dawn with it's ahead-of-its-time realtime day/night cycle.

    I'll never forget the feeling I got the first time I was featured in a live "Gotham TV" race on PGR3.

    I'll never forget the frustration which ultimately turned to joy when I finally got all Platinums in PGR3 & 4.

    I'll never forget the day I got the "Smile" achievement in Geo Wars 2 for a very satisfying 200/200.

    I'll never forget Bizarre Creations, they have easily been my favourite developer of all time.

    Good luck to everyone from the studio in finding re-employment, I'm sure you'll all do fine.

  • X3Entente #36 1 year ago

    if they touch raven.......

  • RedSparrows #37 1 year ago

    'Gives Bungie something to think about, although Activision don't actually own them outright. '

    They don't own them at all. It's a totally different situation, as far as I'm aware.

  • LaughingGravy #38 1 year ago

    Another Fuck you Activision.

    Always had a spoft spot for Bizarre, particulary their Dreamcast titles. Fur Fighters was class.
    Edited by LaughingGravy at 19/01/11 @ 14:50

  • Markusdragon #39 1 year ago

    I cannot think of a word nasty enough to describe Activision, so I'm going to have to come up with a new one.

  • Subdominator #40 1 year ago

    I guess people get some things totally wrong. It was Bizarre who decided they want to do a James Bond game. It was Bizarre who decided they don't want to do another PGR. And it is Activision that is the most successful publisher right now because they close studios that don't deliver. It wans't even Activision that sent Blur to die, it was Bizarre. Because they went over budget and wanted Activision to give them big parts of the marketing budget for much needed further development.

    Even though I love PGR 3 and 4, if you get 50 million pounds to develop a game (Blur) and you can't finish it in time you're just a bunch of incompetent developers who don't deserve to develop more games (and burn even more money in the process). So stop complaining and whining, Bizarre totally brought this onto themselves.

  • rotmm #41 1 year ago

    While I understand the Activision hate, it was Bizarre's decision to leave MS for pastures new, as they didn't want to be known as a developer who only produced PGR games.

    So they went and released The Club, which didn't find a market and was a fairly average game. Then came Blur, which was a pretty decent game but didn't excite. To blame Activision for not marketing it hard enough is disingenuous, as there was plenty of marketing push for the game, the game just didn't find an audience. The James Bond game was just poor, and with no movie release to aid sales, it died on a lack of quality.

    There's a reason that Activision can't find a buyer.

    As for the assumptions that Activision are just asking too much for Bizarre, I doubt that's the case. Even if they were only asking $5, another company would be taking a huge risk in the purchase.

    Aside from the fixed costs for the building rents, taxes, bills, etc. a publisher would be taking on a company of 165 people. Assuming an average salary of £40,000 (which I guess is probably a little low) and taking into account NI contributions, health benefits and pensions, that's an annual cost of minimum £10,000,000 for the people alone.

    With a timeframe of 2-3 years to get a new game out, who's going to take a risk on that kind of investment in a group of people, while obviously HUGELY talented, haven't had a hit game in years.

    So yes, hate on Activision. But also take a look at reality.

  • ubergine #42 1 year ago

    When I came to flip a coin between blur and split second, I bet against Activision, so on this particular dartboard the dice were loaded.

    Checkmate.

  • Dizzy #43 1 year ago

    >So Microsoft would buy RARE but not these guys.. sheesh

    Maybe Activision is just asking too much?

    MS is not really in a position where they *need* to buy Bizarre. I think it would be a good idea to buy them and let them make more games... but we don't know the real financial situation.

  • kalinichenko #44 1 year ago

    damnnnnnnnnn!!!

  • Murton #45 1 year ago

    The Club was ace, graphically poor I'll grant you but the gameplay was top notch. I have fond memories of a night in with the lads, a load of tins and passing the pad on "Slay-list" mode and seeing who can set the highest score, good times.

    I doubt we've seen the last of Bizarre, there'll be a few investors out there who would love to pick them up but not at the price Activision are looking for, not knowing that Activision would simply give up and close the studio essentially making the Bizarre team a free agent to picked up for a pittance.

  • Oh-Bollox #46 1 year ago

    The Club was a subtle blend of the racing and shooting genres and was genius. No-one else could have made it. Most just thought it was another shooter. For that game alone, if no other, Bizarre deserve to be mourned.

    Cheers Bizarre. Jeers Activision and their shills.

  • supermaniacs #47 1 year ago

    Bobby Kotick, you fat Cunt!

  • metalangel #48 1 year ago

    Blur sounded shit from the moment it was announced. Likewise Blood Stone. MS:R wasn't great either... and I played it to completion, convincing myself it had to get better, the overall concept (well, except the Kudos) was great.

    I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of the team, though, they're bound to come up with something new and form a new studio to make it.

    Who owns the rights to PGR nowadays?

  • Lotos8ter #49 1 year ago

    Activision pick the perfect day to bury bad news, the US/EU press conference for the 3DS release.

    They are truly the lowest of the low. Fuck you Bobby K. you greedy, fat cunt.

  • OllyJ #50 1 year ago

    Blur was one of the best games of 2010, great fun despite a massive difficulty spike way too early in your carreer!

    Shite news.

  • Notallowedhere #51 1 year ago

    Feel sorry for all the people at BC.

    Racing games aren't selling the units that they did 5 years ago.

    Hope they all find jobs elsewhere.

  • KD #52 1 year ago

    From Wiz n Liz to blur I've played nearly all they're games to death, gutted they aint making PGR5

  • Paulie_P #53 1 year ago

    Activision are a bunch of Piss-Kidneys!

  • Flabio #54 1 year ago

    Why would MS buy them? They don't need two first party racing studios.

  • HermitArcader #55 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • IkariW #56 1 year ago

    Its a crying damn shame....

    All the best guys/girls, hope you all find jobs within the industry soon, as it would be awful to lose so many talented people to other industries. :/
    Edited by IkariW at 19/01/11 @ 17:27

  • darth_paul #57 1 year ago

    what were those tools expecting when they sold out to Bobby Kotic?

    come on... go back to M$ and start work on PGR5.
    Edited by darth_paul at 19/01/11 @ 18:43

  • MMJoe #58 1 year ago

    Very sad they've not found a buyer. I'd have thought they would've found a home at Microsoft considering PGR has done the business for them in the past both critically and at the kerching-boxes in shops.

  • SniperZoz #59 1 year ago

    @microsoft: buy bizarre

  • Quak #60 1 year ago

    1. Don't buy a company that is known to be awesome at one thing, and make them work on something totally different.
    2. If you do make that mistake, back up your stupid game with some marketing instead of just putting it all into COD.
    3. If you do make both above mistakes, don't try to bullshit your way out of it by claiming there's no audience for racing games - there clearly is.
    4. When it all goes tits up, don't say your #1 priority is to find a buyer - your #1 priority should be avoiding these 3 STUPID mistakes. Finding a buyer should be a distant second.

  • NeoKenzi #61 1 year ago

    It's a sad day for this quality company... I hope they all get great jobs in the industry somewhere.

  • BBIAJ #62 1 year ago

    I'm pretty sure MS wont be looking to buy BC, someone else said on here when the news of their possible closure was first announced that they had burnt their bridges with MS by slagging them off as they left.

    To answer someone else, I think MS own the PGR IP, BC own the gameplay mechanics, like the whole Kudos system etc.

  • Spekingur #63 1 year ago

    And here I was hoping for more PGR :/
    How have the fundamentals of racing changed exactly? Is it because GT5 finally got released? Here I thought racing was about fast cars going fast on a track of your choice. It has been like this for quite a while in the racing genre and it's not going to change much.

  • 32768Colours #64 1 year ago

    "Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly," explained an Activision spokesperson in November.

    To Mr A Spokesperson,

    Really? In the past 3 years? The racing genre has been split between arcade and simulator since the 80's, so don't try and make out that people only want a dry sim experience nowadays. If that were the case, how do you explain the success of Burnout Paradise and NFS Hot Pursuit (apart from the fact that Criterion are a great dev)? Basically, people still like hammering along with exagerated physics and massive explosions so in actuality it was a failure on your part to market the game effectively along with poor release timing.

    Let this be a warning to all other developers who are thinking of joining Activision; you better have an instant hit on your hands that sells itself, otherwise its goodnight developer.

  • DAN.E.B #65 1 year ago

    Its not only bad news for Bizarre and fans
    its bad news for the industry as a whole
    theres only a handful of really good developers out there these days
    and its seems theres less and less games being released that I want to play
    what with Dumbing down,Waggle,and shovelware its looking bleak
    I wanted gaming to go mainstream in the nineties when it was considered geeky
    be careful what you wish for eh?

  • Mr_Bogus #66 1 year ago

    Bizarre employee #1: "Nothing exciting ever happen to this bear."
    Bizarre employee #2: "This bear also. Did brother bear hear something?"

    *and then the axe of ATVI fell*

    R.I.P. to a great development house.