Create new account
Forgot password?

NEWS

Free Radical Closing Down?

Rob Crossley's picture

By Rob Crossley

December 18, 2008

  • Login or register to post comments

See also:

Related Articles:

Update: Source: Free Radical Locked Up

Reports are circulating that Free Radical Design has closed its doors and could even be shut down entirely.

Numerous calls to the publisher's offices and its staff at the time of going to press have not been returned, as speculation mounts that senior executives and other members of staff have had to walk away from the business.

Rumours that the developer has shut down were initially sparked by a number of sources claiming that the company’s Nottingham studio has been locked up, with staff unable to enter the building.

This remains purely speculation at this stage. Edge understands that a company meeting has taken place earlier today. More as it comes through.

Dogstar060763's picture
On December 19th Dogstar060763 said:

I remember listening to a UKGamespot podcast at around the same time Haze was being released. Rob Yescombe was 'guesting' on the show. It really was very embarassing for all concerned (except, perhaps, for Mr Yescombe, who no doubt imagined he'd been extremely witty and highly entertaining to all). Sometimes a very large ego can be a very large problem.

Sad to hear of the other redundancies at FR. It's never a happy thing for anyone who cares about and understands the games industry to see so many talented professionals put out of employment - and at this time of the year it's just abysmal news for all. Hopefully the new year will see many of them finding new positions with other developers.

quietIdentity's picture
On December 19th quietIdentity said:

They were always a bit of a one trick pony though. I loved it but Time Splitters always seemed a bit of a fluke, like it should have been bad but was somehow brilliant.

Jamerio's picture
On December 18th Jamerio said:

On the plus side the world no longer has to endure that bloody Rob Yescombe.

Sorry, but when you let people like that do the PR for your company and latest release you really should not scratch your head when nobody wants to support you.

Stephen Ellis is apparently setting up a new company called Pumpkin Beach.

I checked the DNS records and his domain names (pumpkinbeach.com & pumpkinbeach.co.uk) were established on the 26th August 2008, so for someone to actually purchase domain names they probably knew for sometime that the end was nigh.

I'm sure you'll see another game from them, but ironically they made the same mistake Rare did, they grew too big for their boots and when you have 185+ staff with an average salary of about 30k a year you're in deep shit if you spend 3 years making a game and it does not sell. As the old saying goes, you're only as good as your last game.

Axel16's picture
On December 18th Axel16 said:

it's time that Nintendo purchase Factor 5 and Free Radical as Rare when they create amazing titles. This secure great second-party titles for Wii!!
Come on Nintendo, go ahead!!
We don't want to lose Kid Icarus and Time Splitters for Wii!!
Come on Regiee, do it!!

calladorn8t's picture
On December 18th calladorn8t said:

Actually it was their on demise. Develop exclusively, very early, for a system that was and is on shakey ground with shooter fans that it loss to 360? Was this not writing on the wall? I have both systems and thought Haze for PS3 was a mistake from the beginning...HINT should have been MULTI-PLATFORM....third-party company + shooter = multi-platform w/ multiplayer assets really dedicated to 360 (in America anyway)

4thVariety's picture
On December 18th 4thVariety said:

The last Timesplitters was multi-platform in 2005. Then three years of nothing lead up to Haze as a PS3 exclusive. That game did not exactly set the world on fire. So we got a 3rd party studio working exclusively for one console without reason, releasing one game in three years that isn't even a big hit and quickly forgotten....

...of course they are in deep trouble. At times like this investors will give guys like that the quick axe to cut losses.

Protector.one's picture
On December 18th Protector.one said:

Wow, that's shocking news.
Strange days we're living in, when a studio responsible for great and even quite successful games has to throw in the towel.