Bizarre acquired by Activision

By Tom Bramwell Published 26 September, 2007

New racing and character-based games in the offing.

Bizarre Creations has been acquired by Activision and is about to set to work on a pair of new games - one racing, one character-based.

In an announcement on its website this afternoon, the Liverpool-based studio described the deal as "fundamentally different" to other recent examples.

"Bizarre isn't a developer in financial trouble, and we're certainly not looking to be 'saved' by a bigger corporation," the company said.

"We're a developer looking to take our games to the next level, and make the absolute best products we can possibly make."

The studio will continue to be known as Bizarre Creations and there will be no redundancies, while existing products like Project Gotham Racing 4 - published by Microsoft - will continue to be supported post-release.

"Our goal at Bizarre Creations has always been to do all we can to nurture our creative and passionate teams, who excel at and enjoy what they do," Bizarre's managing director Martyn Chudley said in a statement.

"Activision's independent studio model will continue giving us creative freedom to build exciting new brands. Their financial support and marketing prowess will also enable us to build upon the commercial success that we currently enjoy, and take the company - and our games - to an even higher level."

Activision CEO Robert Kotick described Bizarre as "the leading independent developer with a proven track record in developing highly successful and influential original properties, especially in the racing field".

"They are one of the most innovative and creative studios in the industry, and we are very excited to welcome this talented creative team to Activision," he added.

Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, both parties insist the studio will be left largely to its own devices and that as a result of the deal Bizarre will now operate as a "truly multiplatform studio".

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (52) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Atari_Boy #1 4 years ago

    :)

  • Inquisitor #2 4 years ago

    What the hell?

    Strange that MS didn't want a bit of that, PGR is one of their premier titles surely?

  • Linkinruss #3 4 years ago

    I wonder if the PGR series stays an exclusive for MS.....

  • polar #4 4 years ago

    Yeah, I would have thought if anyone bought them it would be MS.

  • Peew971 #5 4 years ago

    That's quite bizarre.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #6 4 years ago

    I imagine MS owns the PGR brand, so Bizarre couldn't take it to PS3 or anything. I imagine they'll bring in another developer to do PGR5.

    But I agree: I would have thought MS would have snapped them up. I guess it's coz Bizarre wants to be seen as a multiplatform studio, not just an MS subsidiary.

  • The-Bodybuilder #7 4 years ago

    This feels like such bad news for the PGR brand.

    On one hand, bizzare could go back to the "MSR" brand, on the other, that means PGR may be dead (no other team can do it like bizzare).

  • Razz #8 4 years ago

    I imagine MS owns the PGR brand, so Bizarre couldn't take it to PS3 or anything. I imagine they'll bring in another developer to do PGR5.

    If that's the case they'll probably do what they did when they moved MSR 2 (PGR1) to the Xbox and call it something else.
    Edited by 2 at 26/09/07 @ 16:28

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #9 4 years ago

    Strange. Perhaps Bizarre are struggling a little.

    Still, having current projects with SEGA, MS, and recently EA - I defintely didn't expect it to be Activision doing the acquiring.

  • uiruki #10 4 years ago

    Spiderman vs. Call of Duty Racing CONFIRMED

  • DodgyPast #11 4 years ago

    Well that's made my day....

    Praying they'll do something for the PC.

  • kangarootoo #12 4 years ago

    @Bertie

    They don't have to be struggling. Activision could have just decided they wanted to buy them, made a good offer, and the diretors said "yeah, we'll have some of that dosh and investment thanks very much".

  • steoc4 #13 4 years ago

    Please let them pick up the Formula 1 license...

    *fondly remembers F197*

  • Linkinruss #14 4 years ago

    F1 97 was a great F1 game. Everyone since has been utter rubbish.

  • Scimarad #15 4 years ago

    Bizarre Creations going multiplatform? \o/

  • sugapunk #16 4 years ago

    MS does own the PGR IP, so perhaps they could get Turn 10 to do a sequel. A bit shit for MS though to lose such a major racing franchise, they should follow in Sony's footsteps and acquire developers to protect their investment.

  • uiruki #17 4 years ago

    Scimarad: The Club is already multiplatform.

  • Calgon #18 4 years ago

    Well I think they will regret it in the end but its up to them if they want more cash, as a gamer though I just know quality will drop when they cant focus on one uber version of their next IPs. Shame that, PGR4 might be the last too(no way is it going to another console - MS funded it and are in the process of publishing it now) atleast theres a good chance it might go out on its highest point, PGR2 and perhaps 4 being the highlights(much better than MSR was btw).

    Really think MS should have made a better offer, perhaps they didnt see it coming either amidst the Halo3 hype?

  • Garulon #19 4 years ago

    They're already multiplatform surely? The Club's multiplatform isn't it?

  • Calgon #20 4 years ago

    Garulon well they are independant now but with Activision buying them... you can pretty much wave bye bye to PGR type exclusives because thats not in their interests really(unless they buy it off MS and keep it exclusive because of sales).

  • kissthestick #21 4 years ago

    They're already multiplatform surely? The Club's multiplatform isn't it?


    yea, MS only wanted them for their PGR series and i guess the odd XBLA title here and there, MS never owned them

  • AOFanboi #22 4 years ago

    I give thumbs up to any smaller developer who gets gobbled up by someone ELSE than Microsoft or EA. Even if it's Activision who... well, they are too big, too. BOO! *Hiss*

  • Calgon #23 4 years ago

    Come on though they do owe alot of their success in recent years to their work with MS(MS have had that effect on alot of the partners theyve worked with so far some great games have come of it which is why Im picking up a 360 this year)... this will have pissed them off no doubt I think MS should start buying more now after this, people only complain when its MS doing the buying but look what happened when they listened to the moaners(PGR deed after this next one).
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 17:16

  • kangarootoo #24 4 years ago

    @Calgon

    "as a gamer though I just know quality will drop when they cant focus on one uber version of their next IPs"

    That isn't always the case though. The core racing team could remain as is, they could hire more people to do the other franchise, and everyone could benefit from better investment in tools and a more adaptable staff situation overall.

    These things usually come down to management quality. A well managed studio can develop several projects alongside each other without losing individual focus, a poorly managed studio can barely produce a single one. The creations of BZ thus far suggest to me their management works pretty well, so lets wait and see what comes from them in the future.

    Also, purely from a stability standpoint, having only one project in a studio is a very risky situation to be in however successful that project line has been in the past. Eggs and baskets, etc.


    The only real risk I see from this is that a new stakeholder could bring their own vision for hos the franchise should move forward, and that vision might be bollox (its amazing how much self belief controlling the puse strings creates in people who have no experience in their chosen field of meddling).

  • Calgon #25 4 years ago

    kangarootoo @ ah maybe but it seems more often than not it shows when a games exclusive they are that bit better than the multiplatform offerings... other than that I dont know if this will result in improvement or the opposite. I like the team they have there anyway so hopefully it all turns out well.

  • adamamosa #26 4 years ago

    Maybe microsoft are still feeling the disappointment of buying rare and wasnt prepared to do the same here MS seem to be buying 'franchise exlusives' (such as gears) and timed exlusives (such as bioshock, dirt ect) rather than buying out the entire developer. The risk is that in situations such as this you may keep the brand but loose the developer. Now if MS want bizarre to develop PGR5 they have to get the ok from activision.
    I just cant see that happening . . .

  • SBfistfun #27 4 years ago

    "They are one of the most innovative and creative studios in the industry, and we are very excited to welcome this talented creative team to Activision," he added."

    Innovative my fucking hole

  • kissthestick #28 4 years ago

    Fur Fighters ressurected?

  • Raziel #29 4 years ago

    PGR 5 on PS3?

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #30 4 years ago

    I think MS not buying them is more to do with them wanting to go multiplatform than anything else. I seem to remember an interview where they said they wanted to focus more and more on multiplatform development. Didn't sound like they wanted to be tied to the 360.

    Turn 10 doing PGR5 would be quite good: I'd quite like Forza's career structure with PGR's handling and Kudos :-)

  • Eighthours #31 4 years ago

    MS does own the PGR IP, so perhaps they could get Turn 10 to do a sequel.

    Good idea.

    The PGR series won't be developed by Bizarre anymore if MS decides to carry on with the series - it's just been confirmed over on the PGR4 forum.

    "Our games will now be published through Activision, as they are our parent company.

    So in terms of PGR, this is Microsoft's call now, because it's their game. They may decide to do another game, but it won't be developed by Bizarre Creations. We have new titles to start work on now, once our current games are finished... :)

    We will, of course, continue to support our PGR fans through our forums...

    Stubbs"

  • rhinoxious #32 4 years ago

    Mybe they were worried that if they sold to MS they would have to make PGR forever and ever and ever and ever.

    They might as well have got a job at EA instead!

    Sounds like a good thing to me, I really like PGR, but I prefer having british developers with cash and the ability to pick their own projects and platforms. That's how we got MSR and PGR in the first place.
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 18:34

  • Calgon #33 4 years ago

    rhinoxious well being bought by anyone isnt a good thing to you either then in that case because they have less choice now(they probably wont be doing any exclusives which both you mentioned were) as developers than they did when they were independently working with many publishers. I prefered that scenario personally and yes I would have liked them to continue on PGR, but it might turn out ok, still cause for concern IMO though.


    Would it have to be coded from scratch, Do MS own the code or just the brand name?.

    I read somewhere that the Forza and PGR teams have actually been sharing code between projects this time around, which would be a positive way of looking at it but I still dont think it will be the same without Bizzarre doing it though its more than just the code.
    Edited by 2 at 26/09/07 @ 18:49

  • Ceatlan #34 4 years ago

    Alternatively most of the development team could leave to setup on their own again, where they happen to be largely funded by MS again. Sounds unlikely, but it is amazing how often that exact thing has happened in the past.

  • MasterGrief #35 4 years ago

    Could care less TBH if PGR5 comes to PS3 or not

    GT5 all the way baby :)

  • Arcadiian #36 4 years ago

    @ The Bodybuilder.

    SEGA own the MSR IP, it's why the name was changed to PGR for the Xbox launch.

    @ MasterGrief.

    You mean "couldn't care less".

    @ Bizarre Creations.

    Silly. Just silly.

  • Atari_Boy #37 4 years ago

    @Arcadiian

    Why silly?
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 20:56

  • mazk #38 4 years ago

    Come on this makes perfect financial sense for both parties, especially with the way things are now. Activision get a new raft of IP's to add to their already impressive collection, and with Bizzare's record these are sure to be money-spinners. Bizzare lose some of that danger faced by stand-alone deveolpers when a game doesn't do as well as predicted. Activision would take the financial brunt of any losses. The amount of money it takes to make games these days, being part of an EA or a Codemasters or an Activision is the best way to assure the company's future for a long while.
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 21:11

  • The-Bodybuilder #39 4 years ago

    >"SEGA own the MSR IP, it's why the name was changed to PGR for the Xbox launch. "

    It came to me soon after I made the post.

    Either way, PGR/MSR without bizzare is like halo without bungie. As far as I'm concerned, PGR is now dead (after 4). I can't imagine anyone doing it better than bizzare.

  • HarryB #40 4 years ago

    awww i liked bizarre on their own...activision make tony hawk games

  • Skywise #41 4 years ago

    @Arbiter: Medieval Total War and Rome Total War were nice though :)

  • MasterGrief #42 4 years ago

    @Arcadiian (& other pedants out there) :)

    http://ww w.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1...

  • Razz #43 4 years ago

    As much as I love the MSR/PGR games, personally, I wouldn't mind something a little fresh. I rather looking forward to what surprises Bizzare have in store for us.

    Still... can't wait for PGR 4 mind!

  • Ryze #44 4 years ago

    The return of 'Metropolis Street Racer' then?

  • SeesThroughAll #45 4 years ago

    Hmmm... Does this mean Geometry Wars is going to come out on the PSN?

  • Ryze #46 4 years ago

    ^damn - I'm late with that one.

    Yanks seem to say 'could care less' (but this doesn't even seem to make any sense at all); Brits say 'couldn't care less' (which, when you pay attention - makes perfect sense).

    Yep - that seems about right.

  • matsimpsk #47 4 years ago

    Ooh! *waits patiently for Arkham Street Racer*

  • Calgon #48 4 years ago

    Koopa Trooper Really then why does 360 perform at higher framerates or with more geometry on screen than PS3 in so many games? Thought about Textures, memory achitecture? Poor thought out statement on your part, some nice pre-rendered bitmaps and backdrops with use of the Blu-Ray space perhaps but its a slower drive and the memory setup aint as good(I prefer real-time/full 3D graphics anyway).

    PGR was great while it lasted, makes the 4th installment more important now sort of.

    Did someone say they only care about GT5? Fair enough, me? Nah I'll stick with PGR4 thanks its actually good fun, looks better, has more fresh ideas, has a bit of personality about it and it doesnt take them 4 years to finish it... lets not forget "teh M0|2B!K3S!"
    Edited by 3 at 27/09/07 @ 02:17

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #49 4 years ago

    @Koopa Trooper
    The Xbox 360 hasn't really pushed the boundaries of racers very far, I suspect it is a poor architecture for racers.

    Of course, only TEH POWER OF TEH CELL will enable developers to innovate in racing games. You are such an incredible fool.

    I shall be interested to see where MSR/PGR goes now, since it's moved publisher once again. I really liked the way all of the cars in the original MSR cost less than 40 grand. I've actually got a car that was in MSR. I just hope that Activision doesn't make the series go all urban-street-nighttime-fast-and-the-furious-bollocks like Juiced and the NFS series.

  • dryden555 #50 4 years ago

    this is very odd. You would think MS would want them bad. Makes me wonder how PGR 4 will be next month.

  • captainrentboy #51 4 years ago

    Mastergrief, read the link, and it basically states you can say it, but it sounds rediculous, which it does, as it makes no sense. So you saying ''Could care less'' doesn't actually make you look any more intelligent, just slightly daft.
    And Bizarre going multi-platform is no bad thing, there are only so many PGRs they can make, they're talented developers, it'll be good to see what else they can do with other genres.(Hopefully turning out more Geometry Wars than Boom Boom Rocket)
    PGR4 is kind of looking like the definitive version anyway, it's no biggy.
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/07 @ 20:52

  • AOFanboi #52 4 years ago

    You guys are making me want to fire up ye olde Dreamcast and have a go at MSR - which I bought at Game just a month or so ago...

    (Nice to know some dusty Dreamcast games are sold at retail every now and then. Got Looney Tunes Space Race, Sega GT, Wild Metal (from R*) and Soul Fighter at the same time if anyone cares. No Virtua Tennis copies were to be found though.)