Topic: European Developer Oxygen Games Declares Bankruptcy

[NWR_pap64]

The developer of expanded audience games is seeing tough financial times.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20145

 UK-based developer Oxygen Games, known for creating budget games aimed at the casual audience, has announced that they have gone into administration (analogous to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.). This allows them to continue operating as a going concern while dealing with their creditors.  The company has been assigned FA Simms & Partners Ltd. as overseers of the administration case.    

Oxygen Games was first founded in 2004 in Northamptonshire, England, and created games across many platforms, Wii and DS included. In July of 2008, they formed an American branch called O-Games. Some of the games the company has created include Music for Everyone, Safar'Wii, and Cate West: The Vanishing Files. Earlier in the year, Oxygen Games declared that they had closed internal development in order to pursue a more traditional publishing model, and put their London studio up for sale.

[broodwars]

Damn, now Greg will never see his dream realized of a sequel to Hurry-up Hedgehog!

[Stogi]

That's what you get when you make games for the Wii.

[vudu]

That's what you get when you make games for the Wii.

The ability to make many of them?  Guess you're right.  If they had decided on 360 or PS3 they would have known after a single game that they were doomed to failure and they would have been put out of their misery sooner.

[Stogi]

Hey sarcasm called. He hates you.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

A company run by birdmen eventually has to abandon its nest.

[Mop it up]

I've never heard of this company or their games.

[TJ Spyke]

I had heard of them before, but only for a reputation of being a shovelware company.

[KDR_11k]

So much for the"shovelware is massively profitable" myth, eh?

They published Chronos Twin over here though.

[GoldenPhoenix]

So I guess the lessons we've learned is that if you make an HD game you better be sure it is a success if you are a smaller developer, but on the flip side if you release low budget crap no one wants to buy actually adds up over time and you go bankrupt as well.

[NWR_Lindy]

In other words, don't be stupid.

[KDR_11k]

People act like making shovelware for the Wii is smart.

[NWR_Lindy]

Now, bear in mind they're still in operation.  This is basically them looking for financial rescue so they don't have to shut down completely.