Bionic Commando dev shuts down

By Robert Purchese Published 13 August, 2009

GRIN founders blame cashflow situation.

Swedish studio GRIN has officially closed.

"It is with a heavy heart we announce today that GRIN has been forced to close its doors," announce founders Bo Anderson and Ulf Anderson on the GRIN website. "This as too many publishers have been delaying their payments, causing an unbearable cashflow situation."

"After 12 years of hard work, employing hundreds of wonderfully talented men and women, it is over. It has been a great adventure and the GRIN family has experienced what few have."

GRIN has been responsible for Ballistics, Bandits, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter I & II (multiplayer), Bionic Commando Rearmed, Wanted: Weapons of Fate, Terminator: Salvation and, most recently, Bionic Commando. The Andersons also mentioned an "unreleased masterpiece" that they say they "weren't allowed" to finish.

Shortly before the announcement 25 former-GRIN employees, lead by lead programmer Peter Bjorklund, formed developer Outbreak Studios, which will focus on making games for digital platforms.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • beastmaster #1 3 years ago

    Too many critical and financial flops. Sad when it happens though.

  • SwedBear #2 3 years ago

    Sad. They used to have a "office" close to me in Huddinge/Sweden and I even visited them for PC Gamer (Swed edition) when they were working on Ballistics. I think I still have the review copy of Ballistics somewhere which was codes with my name in it so they would know if I leaked it :/.

    I think ballistics could have been a nice XBLA/PSN game ..

  • login_name #3 3 years ago

    Shame. Even though they released a few duds (namely the movie licenses), there was a ton of potential.

  • PearOfAnguish #4 3 years ago

    Yeah I'm with donnie, it's always good when people lose their jobs.
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/09 @ 09:38

  • BabyJesus #5 3 years ago

    It's a shame that people have lost their jobs, although most of their games leave alot to be desired.

  • Ranger101 #6 3 years ago

    Ah man, GRIN were shaping up to be a good studio. For shame publishers, for shame!

  • asphaltcowboy #7 3 years ago

    Damn, that is a real shame. Bionic Commando (the new version and rearmed) were both f*cking awesome! Sad to see them go :(

  • BillyBrush #8 3 years ago

    Hmm..hopefully Starbreeze are hiring.

    It is sad, but their recent games did show they were looking to basically use big liscences (wanted, terminator), and throw out liscenced shit in the hope it would make them millions, so in this regard, glad that part failed....but it would have been nice if they could have kept going and rectified matters....become a bit more like....starbreeze

  • menage #9 3 years ago

    Meh, the 3 big games they tried to put out at the same time with 2 movie licenses should have send some bells ringing.

    Shame they didn't continue on the Rearmed path, cause that was freaking awesome.

  • PearOfAnguish #10 3 years ago

    The licensed shit is how small developers survive, they have to make this stuff to get cash to produce the good games.
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/09 @ 10:08

  • login_name #11 3 years ago

    @donnie080208

    They did do a good job of Bionic Commando, you just didn't like it. I loved every minute of it.

  • Darren #12 3 years ago

    It's a shame to see any business go under in this economic climate so I hope the GRIN staff go on to better things.

    I suppose we were lucky to get the PC version of Bionic Commando at all and it likely explains why the promised DX10 enhancements weren't included despite the box claiming they are on the back. Shame the game wasn't as good as I'd hoped though; it's OK I guess, if a little hard, but marred severely by tiny levels (made almost completely linear by absurd/conveniently placed radiation pockets) separated by annoying loading screens that sap any atmosphere the game might have had. Have GRIN never heard of streaming?!? :?

  • Eraysor #13 3 years ago

    The GRAW multiplayer was pretty good; it's a shame to see them go.

  • the_dudefather #14 3 years ago

    Rearmed wa awesome socks, and I never even played the original

  • CARL05 #15 3 years ago

    Nooo.. GRIN were an inspiration to the movie licensed games. Yes, the were short, but the gameplay was definitely thought about more than other developers "LeTs MaKe It LiKe GeArS oR sOmEtHiN ElSe SuCcEsSfUl" GRIN always seemed to want to add something unique to the gameplay.
    It's a shame as GRIN was a name I was beginning to trust and I could have seen big things for them if the world wasn't so cruel!

  • PearOfAnguish #16 3 years ago

    I really enjoyed Wanted, it was short but sweet. Certainly one of the better movie licenses out there.

  • sarcasmoidosis #17 3 years ago

    Having enjoyed GRAW2 PC, it pains me to see them go. Oh, well.

  • Quickstick4 #18 3 years ago

    Such a shame, Love the Gost Recon games.

  • Gearskin #19 3 years ago

    Wanted was alright. Terminator was rubbish. But Bionic Commando was excellent, and one my favourite games of the year. So this sucks :(

  • Bazfrag #20 3 years ago

    Its hard to feel sorry for them. Charging full price for a 2-3 hour game is taking the piss. Their music guys were ace though.

  • JensonJet #21 3 years ago

    Guess we'll have to GRIN and bear it!

    On the bright side a developer who loves third-person games and will make any old movie tie-in game has gone!

  • Lamb #22 3 years ago

    So how come they got licensed a Capcom flagship franchise in Bionic Commando and they still went under? While Capcom did rather well.

    [link url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/a rticles/capcom-sees-record-q1-profits-up-23-per-cent
    ]http://ww w.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ca...[/link]

    How much of the license fee did they have to pay upfront?

  • Transcendent #23 3 years ago

    Their recent games were completely soulless and bland. There was no effort at all invested in the design, just in the gimmicks they used to hype the games.

    Yet, another license game making let's-make-a-quick-buck company is gone, a company that pours effort into one good game instead of several mediocre ones can get funds instead, the gaming industry is moving away from making awful license games, and people still think it's a bad thing. How fucking sad is that.

  • djed #24 3 years ago

    which will focus on making games for digital platforms.

    yea OK, sure, whatever.
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/09 @ 22:48

  • jimboton #25 3 years ago

    Bionic Commando is one of the best games i have played all year, hideously underrated. And now this :(

  • RandomTerrain #26 3 years ago

    I played the 2D BC rearmed a while back. Loved it.
    Didn't get round to the recently released 3D one yet.

    Bad news.

  • Solvalou #27 3 years ago

    speaking of which, a month ago or so, Eurogamer reported the news that Cpacom (and Grin I suppose) were going to patch BC Rearmed for trophies and a new difficulty setting. I live in Europe and I haven't seen these trophies yet...