DA
07-30-2009, 01:44 PM
Tough times have taken their toll on another developer, as Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Foundation 9 Entertainment has closed Fizz Factor, and merged Amaze and Griptonite. In a statement, the company said they carried out the changes in response to market conditions.
"It's important to F9 to remain a strong and profitable studio, so that we can continue to provide the best possible services to our publishing partners and employees," the statement said.
"From time to time we make decisions to grow or shrink capacity in relation to market conditions, and we do not make public comments on these decisions."
They went on to explain that merging Amaze and Griptonite was based on the idea that having "separate handheld and console studios under the same roof simply didn't make sense in light of the convergence in capabilities of modern game hardware."
The Fizz Factor is mostly notable for ports of licensed games, including The Tales of Despereaux, The Hobbit and Spider-Man 2. Griptonite likewise developed licensed handheld ports of titles like The Simpsons Game.
In the meantime, Foundation 9 also made cuts to Double Helix Games, which is currently developing Front Mission Evolved, Venturebeat is reporting. The company will suspend matching payments to their 401k retirement program across the board.
As we noted in our coverage of the June NPDs, the industry has seen a year-over-year decline in sales, prompting the need for cutbacks. At the moment, Foundation 9's development portfolio includes Assassin's Creed Bloodlines and an adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are.
"It's important to F9 to remain a strong and profitable studio, so that we can continue to provide the best possible services to our publishing partners and employees," the statement said.
"From time to time we make decisions to grow or shrink capacity in relation to market conditions, and we do not make public comments on these decisions."
They went on to explain that merging Amaze and Griptonite was based on the idea that having "separate handheld and console studios under the same roof simply didn't make sense in light of the convergence in capabilities of modern game hardware."
The Fizz Factor is mostly notable for ports of licensed games, including The Tales of Despereaux, The Hobbit and Spider-Man 2. Griptonite likewise developed licensed handheld ports of titles like The Simpsons Game.
In the meantime, Foundation 9 also made cuts to Double Helix Games, which is currently developing Front Mission Evolved, Venturebeat is reporting. The company will suspend matching payments to their 401k retirement program across the board.
As we noted in our coverage of the June NPDs, the industry has seen a year-over-year decline in sales, prompting the need for cutbacks. At the moment, Foundation 9's development portfolio includes Assassin's Creed Bloodlines and an adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are.