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The Shoot Developer Cohort Studios Closes Down
by Mike Rose [Console/PC, Business]
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April 21, 2011
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Dundee, UK-based developer Cohort Studios has announced that it is to close down as a result of "the difficulties of being a console developer in a declining console marketplace."
Best known for its work on PlayStation Move launch title The Shoot, the company was founded in 2006 and comprises of over 25 employees. It has also worked on Buzz! Junior and Lemmings, and provided assistance for the development of Burnout Paradise and Motorstorm.
"It really is with great sadness that we have been left with no alternative but to start winding down," said Lol Scragg, CEO of Cohort. "Making all 25 employees redundant is genuinely heartbreaking."
"It goes without saying that we wish them all every success, as they really are a very talented team and we are actively trying to seek employment for each and every one of them. As we entered 2011, we have looked to change the direction of our business but unfortunately we ran out of time."
Cohort noted that its first self-published title, Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar!, is still due for release on PlayStation Minis next month, and will be available to download for PSP and PlayStation 3.
Cohort Studios faced troubling times last year, when it was forced to lay off 27 members of its staff, roughly cutting the studio's headcount in half.
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Onto my point, I am struggling to understand what was meant by Cohort Studios when it announced that it is to close down as a result of "the difficulties of being a console developer in a declining console marketplace."
Can it really be said that the console marketplace decline is what caused the shut down of Cohort? I looked around the net and I really couldn't find much to understand what this really meant. Aside of their contract work the developer had produced the PS3 exclusive "The Shoot." This game is truly uninspired. I can't believe that Cohort was surprised that this bland shooter on rails failed to garner enough sales to prevent the company's demise.
The failure of "The Shoot" has nothing much to do with "a decline in the console market." I do feel bad for the people who worked on the game and lost their jobs. But I don't have any compliments to give the executives that green lighted this game.
Possibly, and I am just speculating here, they might be referring to the insurgence of mobile games and the lower costs comparatively in developing them.
Whether the Shoot was good or not, it's bleak out there for small studios. Right now most of them hope to survive or be acquired.
I am of the opinion that studio like these should have game concept department where they can look at options for other alternative, as they’ve started to feel the hit that led to the closure, if they were not doing well in the console market, what about casual PC game market, mobile or online MMORPG with advert.
With their strength, they can come out with casual game faster than console. Console market that a lot of studios are running away from, and they were doing well in other markets, Pop Cap for casual game example.
We also don’t know what happened to backup loan strategy in the entertainment field in UK.