According to UK trade paper MCV, British developer Blue 52 has been forced to shut down, after failing to secure enough cash to pay for company overheads.
However, the release of the company’s highly promoted console stealth action title
Stolen, being released in North America via Hip Games, is not thought to be affected, with a small team relocating to new offices to complete work on the game. These same core stuff are then intending to create a new business named Curve Games Studios later in the year.
"Blue 52 has been liquidated because it was unable to continue to support the overheads necessary for several development teams and a separate technology and tools department," said Jaid Mindang, co-director at Blue 52. "We are continuing to pursue new development contracts with other publishing partners."
The closure of Blue 52, and several other small and medium sized British developers in the recent past, seems the perfect illustration of concerns raised by ELSPA over the lack of funding for video games in the UK, the problem of brain drains to other countries and the general high cost of current and next-generation development.
