Days After Buying Freedom From Xbox, Compulsion Games Is Already Hunting For New Work
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Following its sudden independence buyout from Xbox, South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games is actively seeking new collaboration opportunities and contract work to survive in the current market.
Just days after securing its independence from Microsoft amid a massive wave of Xbox layoffs, Compulsion Games is already broadcasting that it is open for business. The studio behind the BAFTA winning South of Midnight recently shared a public call for collaboration, letting the industry know that its roughly 112 person team is ready to support projects being built elsewhere. While the team retained the rights to its past titles including We Happy Few and Contrast during the buyout, the abrupt return to independence means the studio faces the unforgiving financial realities of the modern development landscape.
Compulsion is not alone in this precarious position. Fellow veteran studio Double Fine also regained its independence from Xbox last week following a string of smaller releases like Keeper and Kiln. Meanwhile, Arkane is reportedly negotiating its own split from Microsoft, and studios like Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have quietly shifted to undisclosed new ownership structures. These moves form part of a broader corporate contraction at Microsoft that has resulted in thousands of layoffs and a significant reshaping of the publisher's internal roster.
For players and community members, watching storied developers get cast adrift in a risk averse publishing climate is painfully familiar. Pitching for contract work or scrambling for external funding is a harsh way to start life after a corporate divorce, especially for a team with the pedigree of Compulsion. As the industry watches to see which publishers might step up to fund their next major endeavors, the situation serves as another stark reminder of how fragile studio stability has become in today's games market, even for creators of award winning hits. Original reporting comes via Robert Purchese at Eurogamer.
Tags: Compulsion Games, Xbox, Industry News, Microsoft, Game Development
Original article: Eurogamer