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BUYERS ‘LINE UP FOR BIZARRE RESCUE BID’ STAFF AT renowned Liverpool studio Bizarre Creations have spoken of an emotional rollercoaster of closure threats and encouraging signs they could yet be saved from mass layoffs. Activision last month put the livlihoods of around 200 staff on the line by announcing it may sell off the Project Gotham Racing developer. The publisher said “the fundamentals of the racing genre have shifted considerably”, and admitted that Bizarre’s 2010 racing title Blur underperformed commercially. The next morning Develop heard from studio sources that job cuts were “highly likely” – yet, by the afternoon, the mood had lifted. An insider explained that studio management held a midday meeting and “told us that there’s now multiple parties interested in buying” the firm. The fate of Bizarre is still undecided. Its staff have been placed on a 90-day consultation period, in accordance with UK law. UK studios Jagex and Codemasters held recruitment events at Liverpool in the days that followed, both companies said, in a bid to hire wantaway staff at Bizarre. bizarrecreations.com
USA
ZYNGA ACQUIRES NEWTOY IN NEW MOBILE FRONTIER Social gaming giant Zynga has purchased Texas-based Words With Friends developer Newtoy, the group has confirmed. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Speaking at a Develop-attended conference call, Zynga’s vice president of mobile, David Ko, said the purchase of Newtoy represented what was the beginning of a new era for the Farmville developer. “It has become increasingly clear that mobile is the next great frontier in social gaming,” he stated. Farmville on the iPhone, Zynga’s first big push into the smartphone market, was said to be a litmus test on the potential of the smartphone social games market. “In the last five months, Farmville on the iPhone has been downloaded over 7 million times,” Ko said. “We have more than ten million people per month accessing games on a mobile device.” Zynga is “only getting started” on its mobile push, according to Ko. www.zynga.com UK
ONLINE BLITZ FOR INDIES Blitz Games Studios has unveiled plans to launch a new store and online forum for its underground indie games community. IndieCity.com is described by its project leader Chris Swan as “a new portal we’re DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET
building, aiming to be the number 1 place for all things indie games”. A statement posted on the IndieCity.com website read: “We’re aiming to build the online destination for everything to do with indie games. We want to bring together developers, gamers and press to make IndieCity the one stop shop to find, download, talk about and buy these games that are being made by so many talented people”. www.indiecity.com
“‘Will the last developer to leave Britain please turn out the lights’. Well, says it all really.”
Games veteran Ian Livingstone quotes Develop #111’s front page to a packed crowd at LGC. It turned out to be one of the least vitriolic responses...
“You spout crap about how the UK sucks and elsewhere is brilliant. You’re scum.”
...An anonymous reader’s slightly different view on Develop-Online.net. Apparently, Develop is exaggerating the scale of problems facing the UK....
“We are exploring our options regarding the future of Bizarre, including a potential sale of the business.”
UK
AXE FALLS ON UBISOFT REFLECTIONS Up to 20 staff at Newcastle-based Ubisoft Reflections could be leaving the firm as part of a wider restructuring. This number includes several members of the studio’s senior development team. According to a Develop source at the company, staff were called into an office last month and informed of the situation. “We weren’t given names, but [Ubisoft] took some people into a separate office after the meeting, gave them a letter and took them out of the building. That was it,” the source explained, speaking on the condition of anonymity. A Ubisoft spokesperson later confirmed that 19 people could either be made redundant or not have contracts renewed, while staff at Ubisoft Montréal will continue to assist on the next Driver. www.ubi.com/uk
...thirteen days later, and a statement from Activision PR as some 200 staff from Liverpool studio Bizarre Creations go on three months’ consultation...
“There were people from all levels. Some were high up, people who have been at the company for a very long time.” ...and another thirteen days later, a anonymous source speaks to Develop about layoffs at Newcastlebased Ubisoft Reflections. DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011 | 11