Activision closes Prototype studio

Radical Entertainment, the Activision owned studio behind Prototype, The Simpsons Hit & Run and Scarface: The World Is Yours, has been closed.

[NYC_Gamer]

Radical was bound to close after the failure of both Prototype games

[moegooner88]

Really upset about this, loved Prototype 2, and The Simpsons hit and run was a blast

[user5467007]

Simpsons Hit and Run was great but as soon as Activision took charge of Radical they went down hill.

I really think people are forgetting that Radical were only good before Activision aquired them.

[saladthieves]

It's too bad because the Prototype IP was a good one, having had played and enjoyed both games. It's all about the money when it comes to Activision, nothing else; and there's currently one cow that generates most of it: Call of Duty. If they know they can double CoD $ales next year and they had to kill off a few cool promising IPs to get there, they'll do it.

It just sucks!! Hopefully the prototype IP will come again in the future?

[omi25p]

so do activision only have Treyarch and sledgehammer as developers now?

[zeal0us]

Activision kills yet another studio. Sometimes I wonder why don't they sell studio or IP rights. At least that way they could get some money rather than no money.

[badz149]

both Radical and Sucker Punch improved both games a lot in their 2nd iterations.

Sucker Punched acquired by Sony while Radical is now closed! it's really clear now who's really thinking about GAMES and GAMERS and who only cares about MONEY 1st gamers 10th! (2nd - 9th are also money btw!)

good job there Activision! /s

[sikbeta]

Was a matter of time, Acti being Acti, game doesn't do well and they kill the studio...

[lastdual]

It's not like Activision didn't try to make the Prototype games succeed. They marketed the heck out of them both. The simple fact is that despite the marketing push, not enough gamers cared.

Usually people complain when a publisher sends a game out to fail without spending anything to market it. This definitely wasn't one of those cases.

[pixelsword]

I haven't played either one; do you need to play the first one for the 2nd one to make sense?

[BlackTar187]

last duel,

I never saw any marketing for Prototype 2 anywhere. They must have marketed it around my viewing channels

[lastdual]

@BlackTar187

There were ads on most major gaming sites, along with video ads on sites such as GameTrailers and IGN (mostly "preoder at GameStop" ads).

Prototype 2 definitely had a decent advertising budget, so I don't think we can blame Activision for not getting behind it.

[HebrewHammer]

Lot's of talent at Radical. Let's hope they all recover, and quickly.

[DiRtY]

They are in Vancouver...

http://www.mgsvancouver.com...

lot of talent on the market...

[HebrewHammer]

Maybe they can relocate easily to Rockstar Vancouver!

[Arcanine]

STAY AWAY FROM MY MAN!! i know who YOU ARE!

[user5467007]

Totaly agree...

Prototype was a crap franchise...sorry to be blunt but it was nothing "amazing" was it. I mean the second one didn't really feel like a sequel...more of an expansion.

If the games don't sell then why keep a studio around

[saladthieves]

Lots of others beg to differ. I for one enjoyed both games. Hopefully it won't be the last we hear of the franchise.

[Trebius51]

I never liked the prototype series...only cause there are so many other sandbox games that are superior. Prototype is worth a playthrough, especially if you only own a 360. But it really doesnt bring anything extraordinary to the genre. I hope the talent in the studio is able to create new projects in the future.

[Louis_Guzman]

@egidem: Obviously not enough to matter. Prototype series was crap and here's the result. Good riddance.

[ABizzel1]

@Mike

I have to disagree with you. Prototype was a good franchise, it just couldn't compare to the waves of games releasing every year. IMO Prototype is comparable to a good movie game. They're enjoyable and worth the playthrough, but no one wants to pay $60 for it.

It's sad, but in Activision's eyes if you're not selling 5 million+ you're dead weight. The first Prototype sold over 2 million copies, and the second is on it's way to 1 million, so obviously people like the franchise.

[jerethdagryphon]

its hard but not everygame can sell millions

especially niche type genres

its a shame really

[ATi_Elite]

You know what this means......

Radical gets to make Call of Duty games now!!!

[NonApplicable]

I don't think you understand the meaning of CLOSE DOWN.

[MariaHelFutura]

Not mentioning the Hulk:UD is downright disrespectful. It was the first superhero game done right and led the evolution into the superhero games of today.

[8bit_Nes_Rambo]

Yeah, try Nes Batman or Marvel vs Capcom.

[LightofDarkness]

Seriously, no. Spiderman 2 came out the year before that, largely regarded as the best Superhero game of that generation. Not to mention MvsC, Freedom Force and TMNT (arcade).

They made a good game, which was in the upper echelons of superhero games, then made that game 2 more times with out the license (Prototype). Before that, their track record was nothing to write home about. Honestly, much better studios have gone under (Clover) to considerably less fanfare and coverage.

That said, it's always terrible when people lose their jobs, so if that's the outcome of all this, my sympathies go out to everyone.

[Hudahudahuda]

lol now since when is superhero games a genre?

No, they are either fighting, or adventure games with characters that happen to be superheroes.

[MEsoJD]

The prototype games were horrible. Only fun for 20 minutes. Cant say I was surprised, though Simpsons Hit and Run wasn't that bad.

[Brownghost]

i loved prototype

[Darth_Bane79]

I think they brought this upon themselves. Making a sequel to that game after the first one selling so poorly, and having such a bad reputation, was a huge mistake. And from the results we can see that no matter how much money Activision poured on marketing for this game, it's bad reputation preceded it. Maybe they should have worked on something better with a new name, that could have saved them from this sad outcome.

[PtRoLLFacE]

omg bungie my prayers are with you!

[Drabent]

Wth P2 rocked!!!

[titans9999]

ummm, selling 2 million copies of each is hardly "failure."

[JaredH]

I guess if Activision owns you you're either shutting down or making Call of Duty...

[NYC_Gamer]

Can you really blame Activision though?why should they keep funding a studio that can't produce ground breaking software that move units....

[narked]

Why not market it better then? If you compare prototype to other games it was too silent of a release.

[SilentNegotiator]

@narked

I don't know about that; here in the US, I saw an ad pretty every day for a week from a little before and after launch of Prototype 2.

[torchic]

@narked

are you serious? that game was marketed well, with the Johnny Cash live action ads coming on TV all the time.

I've seen worse advertising for AAA Sony exclusives trust me.

[MariaHelFutura]

Radical created the first well done properly finished superhero game in the Hulk:UD. Show some respect.

[narked]

@SilentNegotiator & @torchic

can't say the same thing about Europe then I'm afraid. I seen some ads on the internet (although only a couple), but on british and italian tv not that much.

[madjedi]

@nyc gamer ground breaking software and activison shouldn't be in the same sentence ever, if you think otherwise i pity you.

Did prototype 1 and 2 do enough in sales to cover their development and marketing budget, if it did why close the studio.

This isn't tiny atlus or nis as a publisher it's fucking 20-25 million+ copies of cod sold every year and 6 million copies of diablo 3 sold recently. If anyone can take a hit with a bad game it's certainly activison. Still sounds like simple greed to me.

And yet people consider ea to be the worst company in gaming, go figure.

[SilentNegotiator]

@maria

Hulk:UD was pretty good, but had some balance issues. I remember (I don't remember the difficulty levels, but I played normal, for sure, if that was how it worked) parts of the game towards the end where I'd be getting smacked left and right by robots without opportunity to do anything.

Besides some balance issues, it was a solid game.

[MoveTheGlow]

Or making Skylanders. Don't forget that money tree they've got growing in their backyard, it's pretty important!

[Intentions]

Ohhh what? :(

[Kran]

The Simpsons: Hit and Run

<3

Best.

Simpsons.

Game.

Ever.

Period.

[310dodo]

Funny how Activision use to say EA milked franchises and killed creativity.

really...?

anyways Simpsons Hit N Run was awesome!!
Prototype/2 was a 7 ratings game at best.
the new character turned everyone I know who loved part 1 off.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

I thought Prototype 2 was pretty damn good actually, much more polished than the first. At least they did their best to improve the sequel.

[Rubberlegs]

I found it to be better then the first game as well. More overall polish to the graphics and the city design. I wasn't expecting some completely new game but everything about it felt better over the original.

[Brownghost]

same here, a nice new coat of paint with the same addicting gameplay

[neogeo]

Prototype1 felt like a game made by walmart. cheap crap. All the cars were yellow cabs. It was a waist of 15 mins of my life I will never get back.

[antz1104]

So you played it for 15 min? Your loss, good game and the sequel was even better if you enjoyed the first.

Not getting all the "crap franchise that didn't sell" comments above. Everyone I know that played it loved it and recommended it to all my friends.

[Darth_Bane79]

I played it for like an hour or so and it sucked so bad that I could not bear playing it anymore. I'm not gonna waste more of my time playing a game that utterly fails to engage me. So to me I definitely didn't lose anything, but instead gained when switched to a game I actually enjoyed (Infamous) instead of forcing myself into playing that Prototype junk

[VanguardOfCalamity]

might have to rethink purchasing Prototype 2 for PC - sounds like there will be little support for it once released :(

[Half-Mafia]

Just wait till xmas and it will probably be £5 on Steam. I got Prototype 1 last December for £3.74.

[ChunkyLover53]

You have to be totally ignorant to trash talk this developer or say it doesn't matter. Look around gamers, its another studio that is closing down. Say what you will about Prototype 1 and 2, but they were pretty solid games and they were pretty original.

THIS is why bigger companies aren't pushing new IP's or taking very many risks, at some point those risks are going to either pay off or kill you. In this case it killed the studio.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

I know, people are very ignorant. They wonder why they get an annual COD though and will continue to do so...

[masa2009]

They did competitive open world games, until open world mission design and/or production values started to evolve.

Their games were still too much "go there kill that", and unlike Infamous (which is just as mind numbingly repetitive), they didn't manage to build any proper mythology or sense of style around it to make people look past these design shortcomings.

So long...

[TheCagyDies]

Goodbye Radical Entertainment, it was fun.

[PirateThom]

Rocksteady's community manager:

Sarah Wellock ‏@rikkusarah
Anyone at Radical who wants to come to the Uk and work at Rocksteady Studios holler at me!We would love to have you:D

[MariaHelFutura]

Exactly. They are (Radical) the true pioneers of the superhero game. Rocksteady recognizes this, I wish more people around here would. Oh well, I come here expecting to be disappointed most of the time.

[titans9999]

I would love to...leave me a message with more details

[GuyManDude]

Awesome for two reasons.

1) People getting new jobs.

2) People living in Canada get to move to the UK instead of potentially having to settle for the US (I'm American btw).

Way to go Rocksteady!

[Cajun Chicken]

WHAT?!? WHY? That's one of the best developers that Acti have aside from CoD studios!

[ginsunuva]

That's exactly the reason. Now what's left of Radical will be forced to labor on CoD dlc packs forever with all the others! Mwhahahahhaha

[kevnb]

I think this says alot about the state of console gaming. The media can say and act however they want, but studios are dropping like flies. Digital distribution and free to play is where things have to go, consoles can't just drag their feet.
also, hate to say it but prototype had almost every aspect of what is ruining console gaming. Too many stupid cutscenes, slaps the player in the face with a stupid story, mind numbing combat so broken that they just make it it so easy you can't lose, and open world just for the sake of being open world.

[Rampaged Death]

It's a shame. I'm probably in the minority here that really liked Prototype 2. I hope things work out for them.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

And yet another studio chopped by Activision...SMH, is that how its gonna work, shut down studios until they're down to SledgeHammer, Treyarch and Infinity Ward...

[Jazz4108]

Ms should pick them up as I think there games would fit well in there family of studios. Ms has 20 studios now but only few of them cater to the core and I think they should get rid of a few studios and bring in free radical for the next xbox. Its nt like they can't afford it. Help the community ms and gain a established dev team on the xbox.

[Statix]

Yeah, they should save Radical Entertainment like how they saved Rare.

[Gamer-Z]

"some employees will remain working for Radical Entertainment supporting other existing Activision Publishing projects"

By other projects they mean Call of Duty no doubt.

[covkidcookie]

Damn i enjoyed prototype 2...and the simpsons hit n run was like my childhood game

[R_aVe_N]

I really didn't care for either of the prototype games but it is sad that the studio is closing. It just shows you how the game industry really is. It is either do or die when it comes to games.

[HurstDarkStar]

im not to sure why people are trying to say prototype was a great game....did you see that ending? shit was real lame.

[titans9999]

Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! I love both Prototype games....now I lose this franchise along with Socom, and the Mercenaries series....I pray some company makes Prototype 3 some day...now I will be buying all the DLC for both games!!!!!

[SuperBeast811]

the wont make it unless its called CoD:Prototype Warfare 3 sadly.......I hate this gen sometimes It took years to get a new SSX and I wont ever get a Bloodrayne 3 Prince of Persia lost its way no new jak and daxter and Zelda I have to wave my hands like an idiot....this gen sucks!

[titans9999]

it is sad to see these companies go....i loved the Mercenaries series (even though many didnt) i never would have thought the Prototype series would die....damn it....but, i wouldnt say this gen is dying, just too many developers not supporting their games lately....thank god for Bethesda...and others....

[jjb1981]

scarface was the only good game that they made... what a shame...

[ShaunCameron]

SMH.

[yaz288]

I can't FUCKING Belive no one mentioned THE HULK ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION!!! that was there BEST game ..

[JasonX43]

Think I may have to bring that out of retirement in honor of them...

[SuperBeast811]

GOD DAMN IT!! I want prototype 3!

[Neko_Mega]

Prototype was a good game idea, but the first one could have been done better and I don't know anything about the 2nd one. Well besides alot of my friends on PS3/360 didn't pick it up.

It looked good but with some many huge titles out their, its hard for one to stay alive.

[Raoh]

Cole MacGrath laughs

[StrawberryDiesel420]

I think Activision did this purposely actually, they need as many people as they can working on COD to accomplish what a team of around 60 people did with COD4(give or take ten people). Soon they will have 1,000 people working on COD and that's no BS.

[Ravenous_Syn]

It was only a matter of time. Everything is getting sunk into COD.

[smashcrashbash]

People sure get upset when you say Prototype was not a good game. Not everyone likes a shallow game where you run around murdering innocent people for no real reason. That was Prototype in a nutshell whether you liked it or not.It really wasn't that deep or original and there are better sandbox games then it. And the second one didn't even improve on the concept at all, they just made a even less likable character. I am not telling you not to like the game if you want but let's just call a spade a spade here.It's wasn't as if Prototype was some super leap in gameplay or some deep meaningful story or even that great of a murder sandbox or anything.

[floetry101]

Prototype is what it is. At the end of the day, this industry is becoming a corporate machine, churning out the same product year after year and further distancing themselves from the average indie developer.

I can't say I was into Prototype myself, but I played a hell of a lot of The Simpsons: Hit and Run and Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and I'm hugely thankful that Radical Entertainment made those games. I'm also thankful Radical continued to make games that, while not mould-breaking, were still fun experiences at their core. Sometimes that's all you want in a game.

Cutting their staff and studio down to the point where they aren't even allowed to create their own IP is disgraceful in any language. Whether you like it or not, Prototype gave something back to the market. It wasn't as deep as Infamous or as polished as GTA, but it still provided a lot of people with a fun experience.

[smashcrashbash]

Like I said in my post I am not saying people couldn't enjoy Prototype nor was I trying to put down any game that Radical made. My point was that people get really defensive whenever you call out Prototype for what it was. It wasn't as if it was a secret or anything.Prototype looked and played like something they pieced together in a short space of time.

It barely got beyond just killing everything in sight. I would have even forgiven it if even the missions even made any sense or had any depth. And yet I hear the words 'original' and 'different' and 'great' when it wasn't really original or much different from Hulk Ultimate Destruction with a horrendous story and a ton of moves most of which you didn't even need. The only thing that it had going for it was that you could kill everyone and everything and the city was bigger then Infamous. They barely even attempted to make it better in Prototype 2. So I know i will get a ton of disagrees but it really wasn't anything to write home about. Their other games were much better.

[Count]

If going around ''murdering innocent people'' in video games is your problem, I hope to shit you don't play grand theft auto.

Cause that would be REALLY hypocritical of you.

[Kratoscar2008]

sad to read yet another studio dies because it tries to do something different, this gen is horrendous.

At least they will move to another publisher that doesnt suck like activision.

[BitbyDeath]

I wasn't a fan of the prototype series but the devs do have talent. Hope they find something else to move onto (far far away from activision)

[Ulf]

I will laugh the day that Activision-Blizzard kills CoD and lays off whatever studios are working on that franchise.

I will also laugh the day after, when their stock hits rock bottom and they are removed from public exchange.

[ab5olut10n]

Prototype 2 was a lot of fun. I have a feeling that a lot of the people bashing it only played the first one, which admittedly had flaws. Radical has been refining the open world superhero experience since the hulk and prototype 2 showed that they had really started hitting their stride. Closing them down was a mistake in my opinion. But 10 billion people will still buy the next COD so I guess it doesn't matter.

[birdykilla]

Whats so wrong with COD other than it dominating millions of gamers time and those same people spend less on other games. if you liked to play Goldeneye or Perfect Dark split-screen with your friends on the N64, then you more than likely love playing COD online with a bunch of your buddies. Just saying it's not all COD's fault. Prototype was an average game and Prototype 2 was an above average game. If I remember correctly both sold fairly well, so I'm not sure why they got shut down when other games are crap and sell less.

[Killman]

Uh, yeah, it is COD's fault. COD sells millions every year and it seems that Activision now has a mentality that if a game doesn't sell COD numbers, then it is not worth supporting. COD AND Activision are both ruining this industry.

[JeepGamer]

Clearly this studio couldn't find a way to generate a perpetual income system that their games could be built around...

Like Diablo 3.

[LoLZoRz]

meh, Prototype is so unpolished and without any charm compared to inFamous.

when someone is comparing those two games I feel like they're putting inFamous in the same category as Prototype when inFamous is such a more polished and better made game.

[Count]

I like how you said the same thing in the first sentence than you did in the second sentence.

It kind of gives more weight to your opinions.

[floetry101]

Nice observation, except you completely gloss over the fact that Sucker Punch has the resources and talent behind it to make an EXCLUSIVE title for ONE console. Not to mention the deadlines Activision put in place for their developers without giving them the necessary time to polish and complete a title that needs to be released on THREE platforms.

Be objective about it. This story really doesn't have anything to do with Prototype regardless. This is about tearing down a team that has been working since '91.

[Rock_On_PS4]

Infamous and Infamous 2 pushed PS3 console system sales.
Prototype 1 and 2 were inferior games because they were multi-platform and they ripped off Infamous and Infamous 2.

Poor sales killed off Prototype IP and ultimately Radical. You do not meet sales targets you lose money and are forced out of business. It is the harshness of the free market. You either make enough sales and make profits or lose money and go out of business.

[PAYNEinc85]

I think Bungie will be one of the last big name developers to sign with Activision. Everyone knows how much of a piece of shit, sorry company Activision is to work for.

[Zha1tan]

To all the people calling out cash cow on Activision

Explain Transformers War for Cybertron getting a sequel.

If a games company isnt making a return on a series do you honestly expect it to keep it going? Yeah its bad the devs are out of the job but when you go into the games industry you know the risks but they had 2 chances to make or break and the industry is cuthroat these days. Please dont comment if you have no idea how capitalism works.

Sorry but if you find that offensive or stupid you might want to apply for residence in a communist dictatorship.

[madjedi]

Right capitalism like how big companies like goldman and sachs made out like bandits while 100,000's of people lost their homes. It was all done in the spirit of capitalism(making money) so it's all good right, no foul no harm.

Buddy not all aspects of capitalism are good. Oil companies haves posted record profits that last few yrs, while almost everyone else is getting hit harder.

"Sorry but if you find that offensive or stupid you might want to apply for residence in a communist dictatorship." Yeah sure dumbass we are all actually undercover socialists secretly wishing to be brutalized and exploited by a blood thirsty dictator.

[Zha1tan]

Please point out where I advocated capatilism you complete and utter moron.

Here you are trying to stand like some white knight of socialogical and economic justice, perhaps if you read my comment and actually understood the context you absolute potato maybe just maybe you would see I was saying unfortunetely thats how it is in a capatilist western society.

Im against capatilism aswell you ignorant fool, do you honestly think I support proxy wars in Iraq designed for generating money for the big zionist companies? get your head checked out pal.

My stance is thats how it is and how it will be so accept it until humanity looks at itself but when a man like Mitt Romney is being voted into the whitehouse I cant say there is a bright future for humanity.

SO next time you decide to get all butthurt and offended perhaps you should actually READ the comment and try to understand the disparagy between supporting and just living with a social and finanical idealology which has propelled the rich and powerful to heights far beyond the average citezen which in my view is absolutely disgusting and morally incorrect.

[AtomicGerbil]

If Activision tells you to make a Call of Duty, DO NOT say no.

I jest of course, but it's plausable.

[tigertron]

So one of the only non-COD studios left is High Moon Studios? I'll be gutted if Activision closes them after Fall of Cybertron.

[StreetsofRage]

Sad. Prototype 2 is awesome. Much better than games like Infamous or Crackdown. It's the best "superhero" sandbox game around. Very violent and gory... right up my alley. >:)

[IRetrouk]

NO ACTIVISION, NO!!! FIRST BIZARRE AND NOW RADICAL, SCREW YOU AND YOUR CRAP RECYCLED COD GAMES, ME BUY NO MORE!!!!

[Killman]

Oh Activision, is there ever a time where you are not horrible? This is my most hated company in this industry. Sadly, the stupid drones who buy Call of Duty ever year will keep giving them billions of dollars EVERY YEAR. F*ck you Activision.

[spinbot_lv1]

I'm very disappointed for this news. When so many people lose their job is always a tragedy. But Prototype is a bland ip despite the AAA investment made by Activision. The gameplay,characters and the entire project was a mess with a very low appealing. The sales numbers are the proof. The closure of Radical entertainment is only a obvious consequence.

[yeahokchief]

Pretty much the fate of every studio tied to Activision or EA. Who cares. Mediocre games anyways. Good riddance.

[NastyLeftHook0]

BEST NEWS I HEARD ALL DAY.

[IRetrouk]

Really? Peps just lost their jobs, peps with family's and financial commitments, that's low dude

[yeahokchief]

They knew what they signed on for. We're talking about Craptivision here.

On the brightside, they'll find new jobs at much better companies without all of the "fear instilling." Now they are free. =)

[DivineHand125]

you would see that Activision didn't Shut them down. What really happened is that allot of them got fired because prototype 2 didn't sell enough copies and the studio will no longer be making any games of their own, instead they will be helping with other Activision projects.

I see many of you guys lashing out at Activision for doing this but you must remember that this is a business and like any other business, if the product isn't making any money you stop selling.

If you guys want to be angry at someone you should be angry at your selves for not supporting the game. The only good news out of all of this is that the PC version is still set to be released the end of next month.

[spinbot_lv1]

I agree. Activision has made a significant investment with money and advertising for the prototype IP. The two games has listed always as AAA title. The problem is the IP, bland and unattractive. People didn't like a character that turns his arms in strange weapons with the same bland gameplay of the previous hulk games.

[Tzuno]

prototype games were a low quality games anyway. good for real gamers that they close.

[Sizzon]

Shame, haven't played any of the Prototype games, but I heard from a friend of mine that the first game was great.

[Commodore]

I was never fond of Prototype...Mainly because I was sick as hell when playing it and being sick just made me pissed off at it for some reason.

[SeekDev]

It should be noted that I haven't played either game, but I have a theory. Prototype didn't sell well because some gamers didn't care for the game, they thought it was bad. Making a sequel for a game that not a lot of people cared about (think Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 13-2, 13-2 sold horribly) almost guarantees the failure of the game. There's always a chance that it will do good, but FF13-2 was a great sequel and still sold horribly because nobody liked the first. Many people evidently don't like to play the great sequel of a game they disliked.