California-based developer Bottlerocket Entertainment is no longer working on Splatterhouse for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, Namco confirmed to Kotaku today.
"We have decided to part ways with BottleRocket Entertainment but we are committed to bringing Splatterhouse to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year," a Namco spokesperson told Kotaku. "At this time, we are not ready to discuss specific development details about the game and wish BottleRocket the best of luck in their future endeavors."
This weekend we reported that Namco showed up Friday and took back the dev kits and all assets for Splatterhouse. Our sources told us that Namco intends to finish it in house with the Afro Samurai team.
We were also told that Bottlerocket, already struggling after having a project they were working on for Brash fold, closed up shop Friday, giving employees their last paycheck. Other sources tell us that Bottlerocket will shutter in three months.
Calls and emails to Bottlerocket went unanswered over the weekend and today.
Another bit of speculation to hit our mailboxes over the past 24 hours places more of the blame on Bottlerocket than on Namco. We're told that the dev team was missing deadlines and turning in material that didn't meet Namco's standards thanks to some upper management issues at the Carlsbad studio.
Whatever lead to the split, it seems likely that it could lead to delays for both Splatterhouse and a rumored Splatterhouse 2.