Kotaku: timesplitters

Slimmed Down Free Radical Very Attractive To Buyers

Mike Fahey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:40:00 MST

Having recently shed 140 employees worth of weight, the slimmer, more manageable Free Radical is drawing a great deal of interest from various parties, with sale news expected later this month.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Cameron Gunn of administrator ReSolve Partners indicates that interest in the recently trimmed company is very high, with multiple parties vying for the TimeSplitters developer.

"We're advertising the business and assets for sale and there's been some significant interest expressed from all over the world, so we're now in the process of exploring that interest. The sale process itself will take a few weeks to run through, so we are thinking at this stage probably towards the end of January we should be in a better position to know whether or not we've got a decent sale - mid to late January"

There also remains the decision on whether they want to sell off Free Radical in pieces or as a whole. Gunn mentions the possibility of being able to sell off assets for a higher overall price than selling the company as a whole, but would rather preserve as many jobs as possible.

Currently Free Radical remains up and running with a skeletal staff of 40, though what exactly those 40 are doing remains up in the air, seeing as they've no projects currently signed.

"Very strong interest" in Free Radical Design sale [GamesIndustry.biz]

Anyone Want to Buy Free Radical?

Owen Good — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:00:00 MST

TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design is now officially up for sale, providing the end-all verification to a set of rumors about the company about a week ago.

The word last week had Free Radical founder Steve Ellis setting up shop at a new studio, called Pumpkin Beach, taking with him some of his former company's coders. There was some question as to whether Free Radical was being shuttered, or simply in administration, and also how many others lost their jobs.

It is in fact in administration, which means the company and its assets are for sale. Presumably that would include IP like TimeSplitters, and presumably it means someone could buy it without buying the developer outright, although severe cost-cutting makes the latter more reasonable. As for jobs, 140 people are being let go at the beginning of the year. Forty remain.

Free Radical Put Up for Sale as Jobs Cut [Play.tm]

TimeSplitters 4 Concept Art

Owen Good — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:00:00 MDT

If Haze didn't float your boat, and it didn't float many, Free Radical's right back atcha with TimeSplitters 4. Of course the game has been officially officially known for some time, but FR put up three concept art scans on the official website earlier this week. The chainsaw nun above is one. You can also get a look at some blinged out four-wheel cat ("Cat Racing: Underground") and a dismembered Monkey/Frank n' Furter transvestite robot on a torture rack. If those descriptions don't send you over, I mean, what will. Check also the homage trailer to LucasArts/Revenge of the Sith with Vader's role reprised by, what else, a monkey.

Free Radical Design - TimeSplitters 4 [via and thanks to Popzara for noticing the new content.]

TimeSplitters 4 Could Come To Wii, If You Want It

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:40:17 MDT

What platform(s) do you want to play TimeSplitters 4 on? The Free Radical developed shooter that will hopefully make us forget all about Haze is slated to officially come to "next-gen platforms," but Free Radical is looking for feedback on the matter. Should it also come to the Wii? PC? Should they scrap it all and work on something different?

We have no inclination if Free Radical plans to take your input seriously, or if it's looking for helpful formulas for disc replication — or if it's just toying with your emotions. Whatever the case, should you be emotionally invested in the TimeSplitters series, we'd recommend voicing your concerns.

The Wii is currently leading the poll, as of press time, by a very large margin.

I Want To Play TimeSplitters 4 on... [Free Radical - thanks, ]

More Timesplitters On The Way

Mike Fahey — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:20:21 MDT

I've always found the Timesplitters series to be the among most entertaining and technically proficient console FPS games ever created, plus I get to be a monkey in multiplayer which is a selling point no matter what genre your game is. Now a European PlayStation community member has discovered that the latest edition of OPM: UK (not to be confused with OPM US, which is dead) reveals that Free Radical is hard at work on a new entry in the series for the PS3, which means there is a good chance it'll be coming to the Xbox 360 as well, but OPM wouldn't tell you that.

From the forum post:

No actual news on the features, other than Steve Ellis says "they're 'gearing' up to insert monkeys and guns into all the wrong places"

Not much news, but excellent news indeed! Also, "Monkeys and Guns in All The Wrong Places" is what I want written on my tombstone.

Timesplitters PS3 confirmed. [Euro PS3 Forums via Evil Avatar]

TimeSplitters Designer and Ubi Team Up for New Game

Brian Crecente — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 00:00:44 MST

Ubisoft signed Free Radical Design, the developers behind TimeSplitters, to create a new action franchise for them in fiscal year 2006-2007.

The yet to be announced adult title will be made for next-gen consoles and the PC and feature difficult strategic choices and moral dilemmas, tapping into both their rational
and emotional instincts.