Bottlerocket Entertainment — developer of Rise of the Kasai (2005) and Xialoin Showdown (2006) — is no more. In a recent e-mail sent to industry folks, the founder of the studio, Jay Beard, announced that his studio has closed. Broken, but not defeated, Beard also announced plans to create a new studio in the same electronic letter.
“It is with deep regret that I have to inform you of the closure of Bottlerocket, the e-mail reads (via GI.biz). “After fighting to keep the doors open for the past six months we have decided to close and move on.”
The studio will be forever tied to Splatterhouse — a 2010 revision of the 1988 classic. Bottlerocket was developing the title, but was pulled from the project for an unknown performance-based reason by publisher Namco-Bandai.
After the project was pulled, several employees of the studio left and joined Namco-Bandai’s Afro Samurai team, who is now currently developing the remake.
“We had the opportunity to meet and work with many talented and passionate individuals along the way, and I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for everything that you did for BottleRocket. Seven years wasn’t long enough for our plans to bear fruit; but it was a decent run.
“I am now in the process of building a new development studio from the ground up and look forward to us crossing paths once more.”
Studio closures are a bummer. We wish Beard and his remaining crew the best, and hope that the new studio will indeed bear better fruit.
