Video game developers getting shut down isn’t unheard of in the gaming industry. They can be closed because of a variety of decisions, ranging from restructuring to bankruptcy and many more. The latest developer to join this unfortunate list is a famous gaming studio who is most famous for creating the Saints Row franchise of video games.
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Having been founded back in June of 1993 as Parallax Studios, they were an experienced developer of video games. They made games of different genres, though none achieved the fame and popularity of Saints Row, which has often been compared to Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, because of their similarities in gameplay.
Which developer has been shut down?
The developer to have been shut down on August 31st was Volition. This was because of a decision made by the parent company Embracer Group. In an update on LinkedIn, developer Volition broke the news of their closure, and their statement on the same said:
“The Volition team has proudly created world-class entertainment for fans around the globe for 30 years. We’ve been driven by a passion for our community and always worked to deliver joy, surprise, and delight. This past June, Embracer Group announced a restructuring program to strengthen Embracer and maintain its position as a leader in the video game industry. As part of that program, they evaluated strategic and operational goals and made the difficult decision to close Volition effective immediately. To help our team, we are working to provide job assistance and help smooth the transition for our Volition family members. We thank our customers and fans around the world for all the love and support over the years. You will always be in our hearts.”
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This decision to shut down developer Volition comes on the back of 2022’s Saints Row reboot, which hadn’t done well in the eyes of both critics and fans.
What games have Volition developed?
Though Volition was best known as the developer of the Saints Row franchise, they had developed other video games too, starting in the 1990’s. Their first games were the Descent series, a first-person shooter (FPS) and shoot ‘em up set in space where players could also control a spaceship. They also developed the Red Faction games, which were a series of shooters, both third-person and first-person.
Saints Row was what brought Volition acclaim and fame, and they were a series of action-adventure video games set in an open world that also featured role-playing elements. Initially labeled as being too similar to the GTA games, developer Volition tried to give Saints Row its own unique identity from Saints Row: The Third, attempts which were largely successful.
However, other games developed by them such as Agents of Mayhem were less successful, and that combined with the Saints Row reboot may well have played a role in the development shutting down.
Source: Video Game Chronicles
