video game development studio publisher based stockholm sweden notable games developed include chronicles escape butcher bay brothers tale sons founded members company merged games retained company produced titles including knights temple crusade early 2000s projects conflicts publishers failed acquisition led severe financial crisis resulting staff lay offs development fourth game chronicles escape butcher bay game received critical acclaim helped establish reputation producing good licensed game company worked darkness sales considered satisfactory partnered electronic arts develop reboot syndicate series ended commercial failure staff members moved rival company established founders result company shifted focus developing smaller games brothers tale sons began expanding company acquisition title acquisition helped record profit suffering accumulated loss million inception company announced start publishing video games independent developers begun development virtual reality named history founding merger company founded swedish programmer member group specialized making tech demos decided leave company project action role playing game named shadows cancelled decided found studio began crafting game engine actively recruited staff acquaintances studio officially established sweden serving company head tech lead responsible creating new game engine future games looking publishers willing help publish games time company employees created prototype video game pitched publishers agreed publish game deal finalized late company grew roughly staff members game person action role playing game named high fantasy setting game featured visuals gameplay similar acquired partnership dissolved resulting game cancellation games founded worked company game real time strategy space game released subsequently success company needed expand continue video game development cancellation ran financial difficulties unable support financially needed merge developer continue business companies discussed merger merged shortly retaining post merger merger company began working medieval fantasy multiplayer video game inspired game company project international appeal enabling partner publishers including conspiracy entertainment faced bankruptcy time decided turn game single player action adventure video game goal sending market soon possible game released lay staff release development sequel said feature elaborate story different maps playable characters improved fighting system features got legal troubles publisher resulting game cancellation game knights temple crusade successfully released help publisher sequel shifted developer attempted acquire studio agreement fell apart brought companies financial problems project worked time chronicles escape butcher bay set chronicles movie universe game published team took inspiration films escape video games splinter cell series company financial problems number employees dropped entire development team moved away main floor prevent affected low morale allow focus game development game enjoyed month development cycle significantly longer typical licensed games playstation version game development ultimately cancelled head publishing division ordered cancellation mark intervened kept game xbox version escape received critical acclaim launch critics best licensed games gameplay element including puzzle solving mechanics stealth segment ahead time visuals received praise critics despite receiving critical acclaim commercial success release escape butcher bay encountered financial difficulties having received significant royalty payment sold motion capture animation department british company game helped set reputation studio capable making good licensed titles help company signed agreement new title set darkness universe owned july mid way game development underwent restructuring financial difficulties shifted focus dropped game stepped acquired publishing rights extended game development cycle asked develop multiplayer mode game darkness released fared worse team expected critically commercial performance satisfactory selling million copies worldwide working different licensed games team intended develop games game named involving mind reading started completed release darkness company signed project contract games new property known game set post apocalyptic environment players tasked overcome defeat terrorists monsters players convinced game succeed adjusted contract remake escape butcher bay chronicles assault dark originally named game disagreed claiming raise expectations gamers remake able deliver subsidiary set publish game merger new company began game video game sale eventually acquired publishing rights game released partnered electronic arts different games known action adventure video game set universe game cancelled direct result director participating fourth film larger scale game said franchises company shifted technology company focus core gameplay mechanics new project syndicate announced september game suffered troubled development completely reworking game year initial development creative differences developer publisher companies suffered relationship game development seven senior members company including left form smaller studio formed work original games budget typical aaa video games syndicate received average reviews commercial failure left company game completion employees laid employees left recruited ceo stepped replaced took studio new direction focusing aaa video games resources develop smaller downloadable games order company portfolio new games longer use engine created announced epic games use engine engine small titles announced free play video game project prior award winning swedish director unsuccessfully pitching game ideas swedish developers need new original properties accepted pitch later brothers tale sons focusing creating emotional personal experience partnered publisher games publish game released critical acclaim received numerous awards accolades rights brothers intellectual property later acquired games success brothers announced established new studio named working project announced acquired developer granting rights technology intellectual properties time working sequel game set template game massive commercial success profitable pre order sales best selling game time helped company record profit time suffering accumulated loss million june game success prompted publisher games invest million march continue improve develop additional content months game ported playstation xbox title edition starting company began business september announced acquired los_angeles based studio called million studio currently working toys life game announced company start publishing video games independent developers independent title set published raid world war upcoming player world war shooter developed announced virtual reality currently development firm acquired company acquired film rights july terms projects subsidiary working walking dead set released help publisher games storm merged set publish game developed grab virtual reality platforms core team received investment korean publisher develop new person cooperative game set universe announced publishing dead daylight multiplayer survival horror game developed games announced sold franchise intellectual property exchange million worth stock announced acquired franchises day later developer publisher philosophy according studio develops produces intellectual properties licensed projects allow creative control according ceo company wish recruit numerous employees time needed integrate company departure employees disappointing commercial sales syndicate company ceo decided shift company focus producing standard licensed games creating new original intellectual properties stated believed strongly ability games typical aaa games employees consider making games daily work taking ownership projects independent company believes addition developing aaa games develop smaller scale projects like brothers tale sons free play games like survive added confident studio capable bringing style business model genres gameplay innovation important elements developing game
Starbreeze Studios