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FRD closes their doors!
Started by: Neo Darkhalen

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Neo Darkhalen
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FRD close there doors!

Apparently independent British based company, Free Radical Design have shut the doors for good, after the failure of Haze loosing the Star Wars Battlefront III contract and how the economy is right now it's a shame to see them go, the main point on my mind is now what will happen to there Timesplitters series; considering there was supposed to be a 4th one in production, here are some links about it.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/h...il/article.html
http://kotaku.com/5113037/free-radical-shuts-down
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...nancial-trouble
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...he-Plug-UPDATED

While I don't see anything on there website right now, this could still be a possible rumor however with all these articles and there recent predicament it wouldn't be a far off bet to say that they have indeed closed down.

This happened on the 18th December 2008. (Apparently)

Last edited by Neo Darkhalen on Dec 21st, 2008 at 01:55 AM

Dec 21st, 2008 01:40 AM

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Hazardous
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Are you sure? They were in production of a game right now.

"A new project for next-gen consoles by LucasArts and developer Free Radical, the makers of the TimeSplitters franchise."

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/objects/849/849967.html

Surely Lucasarts would have the funding needed for a new project to keep the developers with jobs?

Last edited by Hazardous on Dec 21st, 2008 at 04:30 AM

Dec 21st, 2008 04:25 AM

Nemesis X
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Haze did suck badly. I'm actually now glad that they didn't make BattleFront3 because that would've sucked too.

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Dec 21st, 2008 07:34 AM

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Neo Darkhalen
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Re: FRD close there doors!

quote: (post)
Originally posted by MI�T
Are you sure? They were in production of a game right now.

"A new project for next-gen consoles by LucasArts and developer Free Radical, the makers of the TimeSplitters franchise."

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/objects/849/849967.html

Surely Lucasarts would have the funding needed for a new project to keep the developers with jobs?

quote: (post)
Originally posted by Neo Darkhalen
after the failure of Haze; loosing the Star Wars Battlefront III contract

They lost the contract.

And yes it is official, they have closed down.

quote: (post)
Originally posted by Nemesis X
Haze did suck badly. I'm actually now glad that they didn't make BattleFront3 because that would've sucked too.

I don't see how one bad game could suddenly make them awful, Timesplitters is a great game series (or at least was) with all 3 games being one of the top 8 highest rated shooting games on PS2.

Second sight wasn't exactly bad either, they just dropped the ball with Haze, which goes to show one bad game can indeed kill a company, although I think loosing the contract to Star wars and the fact they couldn't find a publisher for TS4 may have helped end them.

Last edited by Neo Darkhalen on Dec 21st, 2008 at 12:47 PM

Dec 21st, 2008 12:41 PM

Nactous
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Factor Fire is out of business too.

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Dec 22nd, 2008 06:09 AM

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Kazenji
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They have'nt been shutdown the company has only gone into administration.

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Dec 22nd, 2008 07:46 AM

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Neo Darkhalen
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Kazenji
They have'nt been shutdown the company has only gone into administration.

In other words, they have closed down, Doake and Ellis have gone off to make a new company with 50 handpicked FRD employees, it wasn't exactly a big company so I doubt FRD could come back from there troubles.

Dec 22nd, 2008 01:08 PM

Nemesis X
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And here I thought only Midway had troubles.

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Dec 22nd, 2008 08:07 PM

S_D_J
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Nemesis X
And here I thought only Midway had troubles.

Midway still exist?

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Dec 23rd, 2008 12:30 AM

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Neo Darkhalen
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by S_D_J
Midway still exist?

Not for much longer.

Dec 23rd, 2008 12:49 AM

Peach
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Sorry, but I had to edit the thread title. The typos were driving me insane stick out tongue

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Dec 23rd, 2008 12:54 AM

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Kazenji
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Neo Darkhalen
In other words, they have closed down,

Ummm no

this is what administration means

quote:
Administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies and allows them to carry on running their business. The process � an alternative to liquidation � is often known as going into administration.

So pretty much they're still going.

Dec 23rd, 2008 01:01 AM

Neo Darkhalen
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Kazenji
Ummm no

this is what administration means

So pretty much they're still going.

But everyone left the company.

And yes i am well aware what Administration means, but the fact still stands that most of the employees are filing CV's to other British based company's while Doake and Ellis have gone off to found there new company Pumpkin beach.

I would like to see how FRD comes back from this when it's workers have jumped ship.

I understand what you're saying from a techincal and buisness view they are still going, but if the workers have already left, and the two major heads of the company have gone to make a new company with 50 hand picked FRD staff members then it's pretty much dead.

Last edited by Neo Darkhalen on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 02:25 PM

Dec 23rd, 2008 02:19 PM

xNIXSONx
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Nactous
Factor Fire is out of business too.

Factor 5

also adding to some other posts. i read that most of Free Radical or whomever was behind Crackdown formed a new studio called Ruffian Games and only formed together to specifically make Crackdown 2

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Dec 26th, 2008 01:23 AM

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Kazenji
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quote: (post)
Originally posted by Neo Darkhalen
But everyone left the company.

And yes i am well aware what Administration means, but the fact still stands that most of the employees are filing CV's to other British based company's while Doake and Ellis have gone off to found there new company Pumpkin beach.

I would like to see how FRD comes back from this when it's workers have jumped ship.

I understand what you're saying from a techincal and buisness view they are still going, but if the workers have already left, and the two major heads of the company have gone to make a new company with 50 hand picked FRD staff members then it's pretty much dead.

Sorry i just thought you were thinking of the other adminstration something like computer adminstration gone off to do that and stopped making games.

Dec 26th, 2008 01:39 AM