Whenever there’s a company that has weathered the test of time, people will assume that they’ll be sticking around longer than anyone would anticipate, often outliving those who made the company. However, when that isn’t the case and an old organisation buckles and closes its doors, it’s always a painful sight to behold – something gamers are experiencing right now as the iconic studio Volition shut down following the failed release of their latest game.
Volition Studios had always held a special place in gamers’ hearts, as they’d always been an AAA studio that always stretched the boundaries and wasn’t afraid to do something wacky. However, with that said, their closure proves how toxic business practises have been in the industry, stifling that once-adored wackiness and creative freedom.
First things first – we must define what we mean by “toxic”. Game studios have always prioritised profit over entertainment, which is absolutely understandable as, at the end of the day, video gaming is still a business. However, in recent memory, companies have moved past making iconic, groundbreaking games in favour of just making money, removing the soul of the beloved medium and making games like Baldur’s Gate 3 a breath of fresh air.
In order to guarantee a steady stream of revenue, companies inject the game with several microtransactions, but if the quality of the game is bad, they’ll simply go on Twitter to release an often soulless apology letter. This has resulted in gamers becoming less trusting and more unforgiving towards companies. To avoid this grizzly fate, companies have taken it upon themselves to develop games with established fan bases, which explains why we see the yearly release of one franchise.
Volition was no stranger to failed releases, but following the unfortunate release of their previous game, Agents of Mayhem, the company decided to play it safe and develop a game with an established IP. They announced that the company is deep in development with their latest Saints Row game, and gamers were excited for it but were disappointed to find out that it was only a reboot.
Released on Thursday, August 24, the game only has 1,000 reviews to date, with a mixed review score and an all-time player peak of 4,000 players – a sign that the game not only performed poorly but also sold poorly. Which was terrible, as the game needed to regain the US$1,000,000 used for its development.
A letter to our community. pic.twitter.com/vtFM7szLbN
— Volition (@DSVolition) September 1, 2023
Volition’s parent company, Embracer, has begun tightening their belts on which games they will greenlight next as a result of the flop. As their last ray of hope faded with the failure of Saints Row, Volition was forced to close their doors a week later and release a statement on Saturday, September 1, officially sealing the deal.
Though painful, this isn’t the first time a game has caused a studio to shut down, and it certainly won’t be the last. What is most unfortunate and ironic about the situation is that the company’s most popular game was ultimately the one that put the entire studio to sleep.
Source: X, SteamDB, Steam, Twisted Voxel, TweakTown,
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