Although some may shut down voluntarily, not all developers can say the same.
Some video game studios forced to shut down are responsible for some of the best game titles.
And due to the massive size of the gaming industry, most of these shutdowns often go unnoticed.
Photo Courtesy: [Capsule Computers]
Here are five video game studios you didn’t know shut down.
Midway
Let’s kick off with one of the biggest game studios, whose dissolution took place in 2010.
Midway’s shutdown was a huge deal, especially because of its contributions to the industry.
When you have been around since 1992, you tend to serve the industry with countless projects.
And Midway Games managed to produce and co-produce the best of them.
That’s why it’s always shocking to witness such a successful label fall.
It eventually had to file for bankruptcy, which finally led to its official dissolution.
After that, Activision announced the company’s dissolution in early 2011.
Most would argue that having a game studio dissolve into another is sufficient in some cases.
Westwood Studios
Over the course of 18 years, Westwood Studios created some of the most memorable titles.
Strategy game fans have Westwood Studios to thank for some of the titles they enjoy today.
The downfall of Westwood Studios became apparent when Electronic Arts acquired the studio in 1998.
Most of these were never really sorted, which subsequently led to the company’s shutting down in 2003.
This oversaw significant job losses, which pushed several former employees to form separate game studios.
It is home to a countless number of iconic titles, such asThe SaboteurandFull Spectrum Warrior.
The company shut down a year after Electronic Arts acquired it in 2009.
This action caused a lot of uproar among those who were laid off from work.
It even led some former employees to release a controversial office video.
Still, these employees went to complete some of their previous game series, such as theMercenariesseries.
Ensemble Studios
One more strategy game pioneer on the list is Ensemble Studios.
A company founded by none other than Tony Goodman in 1994.
However, despite its potential for success, Ensemble Studios was officially disbanded in 2009.
Aside from great game titles, the studio also made the Genie Game Engine.
This system was used inStar Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Age of Empires,andAge of Empires II.
Evans I. Karanja is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything technology.
When not writing, he can be found playing video games or watching F1.
