The developer of Alien: Blackout, which hit mobile devices last year, is closing its doors. In a blog post, the chief executive stated that the Coronavirus had some impact on it, though it was only part of the problem and not the sole reason.
The studio is known for more than just the Alien: Blackout game though. Since it was founded in 2013, Rival Games has also developed “Thief of Thieves”, the 2018 game adaption of the Robert Kirkman comic book series, which was made in collaboration with Skybound Entertainment.
Their first game was the three chapter episodic game “The Detail”, a film noir influenced crime story set in modern day America. The game had a very distinct style and has received mostly positive reviews on Steam. The game will be taken down soon, so we highly recommend grabbing it while you can.
A Failed Project
According to CEO Jukka Laasko, things were looking up after the release of Alien: Blackout. The studio were working on a smash-up of two iconic 80’s franchises for Universal Studios. The game was to become a AA narrative shooter for PC and consoles. Rival Games hoped this would help them pay back installment loans they had raised to complete and ship The Detail.
However the project was swiftly shut down by Universal only a few months into pre-development. Universal tried helping Rival find another publisher, but the studio had a hard time selling the game. Due to the studio’s lack of materials and preparation, the game failed to sell.
It didn’t help Rival Games had never been particularly profitable. Even its best year for revenue wasn’t impressive. The company failed to get funding due to “having been around for too long” according to Laasko.
The Greenhouse Effect
Another game the studio was working on shortly before its closure was The Greenhouse Effect. The game would be a third person story-driven game. The game would take place in a world where climate change has made everyday living a challenge.
According to Laasko, Rival Games needed around $2 million to $4 million to complete the game. But the studio did not have the resources to make anything that would stand out in the eyes of publishers. After hearing from enough publishers the game wasn’t good enough, the studio decided to shut down.
Alien: Blackout is definitely the studio’s crown achievement. The mobile game, which has you guiding four humans through a crippled space station while avoiding the deadly Xenomorph, finished in only seven months. And it truly showed what Rival Games were capable of. And even with the studio shutting down, they remain proud of this achievement.
Alien: Blackout and Thief of Thieves will remain on their digital marketplaces despite the shutdown.
Source: Polygon
