Despite the ever-rising popularity of video games, every now and then a studio goes bankrupt, either due to lack of sales owing to poor designing or some other inherent issue, or unfavourable market conditions. While the news of any business shutting down comes as a shocker, video gaming studios are all the more strange, especially since the industry has been on an upward climb.
8 Gaming Brands that Have Shut Shop Over the Years
- THQ – Popular for games like MX vs ATV, Dawn of War, and Saints Row among others, THQ remained a household name for many years. The company began experiencing financial difficulties since February 2010 following numerous failed titles and huge investments on products that didn’t offer much in return. THQ officially shut down in 2013.
- Lionhead Studios – Popular for creating Fable and the Black and White series, Lionhead Studios was established back in 1996. The firm was acquired by Microsoft in 2012, following which the firm unveiled titles like The Movies, Black and White 2, and Fable: The Lost Chapters. Despite some heavy-punching titles in its portfolio, Lionhead Studios failed to meet Microsoft’s projected revenue figures and was consequently decommissioned in 2016.
- Artoon – A popular Japanese gaming studio founded in 1999, Artoon is popular for titles like Blinx the Time Sweeper, Yoshi’s Island DS, and Blue Dragon, to name a few. Despite these heavyweights, the studio failed to achieve much success, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2010.
- Clover Studio – Clover Studio attained much fanfare for the Viewtiful Joe series, but it wasn’t until the release of Okami that the creators gained recognition. Unfortunately, sales did not pick up, forcing parents, Capcom, to close its pet project. Several key members resigning to form Platinum Games also did not work to their favour.
- Pandemic Studios – Best known for releasing games like Destroy All Humans and Star Wars Battlefront, Pandemic Studios was established independently back in 1998 and continued operating in the same way till 2007 when EA acquired the studio until it shut down in 2009.
- Red Octane – Best known for Guitar Hero, Red Octane was acquired by Activision in 2006. Following a dumb move to flood the market with Guitar Hero spinoffs and successors which failed miserably, Activision decided to shut down Red Octane in 2010.
- Atari, Inc. – Perhaps one of the most famous studios on our list, Atari was founded in 1972 and became an instant hit with arcade gamers during the 80s. However, the company soon ran out of luck, with the 1983 American video gaming crash which diminished sales by a shocking margin. As a result, Atari closed down the business in 1984.
- Zipper Interactive – Founded in1995, Zipper is best known for its PlayStation-exclusive title SOCOM: Navy Seas. The company had a few other titles under its belt, like the Xbox-exclusive Crimson Skies, which failed to perform. With games like COD and Battlefield entering the frame, Zipper’s business dwindled, forcing them to shut shop in 2012.
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