Microsoft is shopping around for a new Project Gotham Racing developer. Activision is looking to offload original Project Gotham development studio Bizarre Creations. Could the timing be any better?
the Project Gotham Racing franchise was a huge success for both Bizarre Creations and Microsoft, but that pairing came to an end in 2007 when Activision scooped up the racing developer, putting them to work on games like Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone. Neither of those titles performed to Activision's high standards, so yesterday the publisher revealed intentions to get rid of Bizarre.
Things looked bleak for Bizarre yesterday, but today the situation may have taken a turn for the better. According to sources speaking to Develop magazine, another meeting was held today at the Liverpool-based studio to let employees know that several different companies have expressed interest in purchasing the studio, and one of them is Microsoft.
Earlier this month rumors arose that Microsoft was shopping around for a third-party developer to continue the Project Gotham Racing franchise. Could that shopping have taken a more literal turn?
The timing couldn't be better, and while Microsoft's plans for the PGR franchise seem to lean towards a third-party developer, there's no denying the success that both Bizarre and Microsoft saw with the series. Why risk putting it in the hands of an unknown element when a sure thing is staring you in the face?
We've reached out to Microsoft for comment on the rumors, and will update this post with the company's response.