When Iconic studios like Irrational or Lionhead fade away, it’s like a kick in the gut. The closure of such studios leaves behind an oblivion in your heart that can never be satisfied. Nothing lasts forever and these eight companies are perfect examples of how everything must come to an end. So everyone appreciates what you have because someday Microsoft or EA is going to buy it for an ungodly amount of money.
Team Bondi
Team Bondi was an Australian game developer. The company was responsible for the development of stupendous neo-noir detective game L.A. Noire, which was published by Rockstar Games in May 2011. Unfortunately, it also happened to be the year when the company ceased operations. According to McNamara, Team Bondi closed down because they had not signed another project in the time they needed to.
Irrational Games
The developers of the much loved and incompatible Bioshock series closed down after the release of Bioshock infinite. There is no two way on the fact that the Bioshock series offered us an undefinable experience that no game could. Irrational Games had a very a good run, but all good things must come to an end.
38 Studios
The developer 38 Studios created the game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, a perfect blend of adventure and narrative, right before it ceased to exist. It was about to work on an MMO version of their game when their backers pulled their money out, causing the company to end its operations.
Looking Glass Studios
Looking Glass Studios, the developers behind Thief 1 and 2, demonstrated innovative gameplay, pioneering physics simulation, and well-written and engaging stories in their games. The company went out of business on May 24, 2000, during a financial crisis related to their publisher at the time.
Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions are the reason that we can showcase ‘management abilities and leadership qualities’ in our resumes. Why do you ask? They were the people behind Theme Park and Theme Hospital, the games that wrapped up in their methodical strategic embraces. The founder, Peter Molyneux wrapped up the studio in 1997 as a result of his dissatisfaction with the corporate aspects of his position. He later found the Lionhead studios (which was also shut down recently).
LucasArts
LucasArts creator of The Secret of Monkey Island isn’t officially defunct but actually, Disney is keeping it on life support for the licenses it controls, which are many. The company was founded by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, in 1982 and in 2012 when it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company it was then locked in the attic to die.
Kojima’s Metal Gear Studio
Hideo Kojima is one of the world’s foremost game designers, the renowned creator of the Metal Gear franchise under Japanese publisher Konami. He began his career at the company in 1986 and worked on dozens of games there over the course of a tenure that ended on December 14, 2015. Kojima’s departure concluded a three-decade career at Konami, putting a sad closing note on what has been a tumultuous final year in the relationship between the two. Yet, we haven’t lost all hopes as Kojima has partnered with Sony to operate Kojima Production.
Maxis
Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims. Unfortunately, the last two games by Maxis were very poorly received. The Sims 4 was lambasted for axing numerous features that had become standard for the franchise, and the 2013 release of SimCity was crippled by its forced and poorly implemented online infrastructure.
Lionhead Studios
This one hurts the most, for Lionhead’s Fable series is what made me fall in love with gaming in the first place and is till date my personal favourite. Microsoft cancelled the free-to-play Fable Legends and then shut down this iconic studio. There were rumours that Microsoft had rejected the idea of Fable 4 earlier and had formed the team to work on Fable Legends. It’s closure left a dent in my heart that shall never be fulfilled.
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