Gareth Wilson, former lead designer at recently closed Liverpool studio Bizarre Creations, has said the developer’s demise is symptomatic of a dramatically changed industry where gamers are reluctant to “take a risk” on new IP.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Wilson is the first ex-Bizarre staffer to speak out about the events leading up to the studio’s closure last Friday. Having served as lead designer on the Project Gotham Racing series and Blur, earlier this week Wilson moved to Sheffield studio Sumo Digital, taking up the role of chief game designer.
“It was a perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances,” he said. “The landscape of the industry has changed massively even in the time from when Bizarre was acquired [in 2007]. Getting a new IP noticed at this stage of the console cycle, combined with the global economic situation meaning gamers are less willing to take a risk, is really difficult.
“It’s not just Blur that didn’t sell in 2010, great new IPs like Enslaved, Alan Wake and Vanquish have struggled to make an impact while Halo and Call Of Duty have broken sales records.
“Nowadays that middle ground of two to four million sales is getting harder to find,” he continued. “Games either break out and sell four million plus, or really struggle to break even. Also the quality bar has risen enormously. There were more 80 per cent-plus rated games in 2010 than any other year.”
Bizarre finally closed its doors last Friday after Activision was unable to find a buyer for the studio, and video editor Eamon Urtone released a touching video showcasing the developer’s finest moments. Wilson says the resultant outpouring of positive sentiment “made us all feel extremely proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Wilson says Activision were supportive throughout the process, saying the publisher “allowed us time off to go for interviews and training” and was open and honest throughout, saying: “It wasn’t clandestine at all.”
While unable to reveal what he is working on at Sumo Digital, Wilson says the studio’s current projects are “some of the most exciting in the industry and a big reason why I joined Sumo over other studios.”
Source: Eurogamer