Ignition closes Florida studio
70 staff alleged to have gone, with owner UTV unhappy about 'Reich' project
The latest cut by publisher/developer Ignition looks to be its Florida studio, following the curtailing of development work in its London office and the axing of long-delayed title WarDevil.
An anonymous mail sent to GamesIndustry.biz and other news sites alleged that "Several members of the UTV Ignition Corporate Office in London came in [to the Florida studio] with police officers, and asked the 70 members of staff including the GM and executive producer to pack up their stuff and go home."
The mail went on to claim that Ignition owner UTV had invested $23 million in the studio, which was working on a game known as Reich. "The studio opened in Nov 2007 and the previous managers had misspent the money. A slice of the game revealed a [review] rating of 5.0 instead of the desired rating of 8.5."
While other sources have confirmed the studio's closure, Ignition has not replied to requests for comment from GamesIndustry.biz.