Activision considers sale of Liverpool studio

GAMING giant Activision is considering the sale of its Liverpool-based studio Bizarre Creations.

In a statement released to the US-based gaming site, develop-online.net, the company said it was exploring its options because of economic factors affecting the market.

Bizarre, which employs around 200 staff, was acquired by Activision in 2007. It is best known for its work on the Project Gotham series for Microsoft but has since worked on the racing game Blur and a new James Bond game.

In its statement Activision said: “Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience.

“Bizarre is a very talented team of developers, however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business.”

Activision is the developer behind the recent release of fast-selling Call of Duty: Black Ops.