Poor game reviews and loss of LucasArts contracts forces them to close their doors.
Free Radical, creators of well known titles such as Second Sight and TimeSplitters were forced to close their doors for good today.
Early this morning the staff of Free Radical discovered the building's locks had been changed with no explanation and were heavily guarded by security. A notice taped to the door informed them of a meeting that was to take place at a local hotel.
Co-founder Steve Ellis was described as "visibly upset" as he delivered the news to the staff, and apologized for the situation. The company had known for several months of the trouble after unfavorable reviews of their latest game Haze, along with the collapse of an exclusive contract with LucasArts Entertainment. They had been struggling to find a publisher for TimeSplitters 4, but without any financial backing were forced to close doors.
The company employed between 150-200 people and an inside source described them all as "shell-shocked" by the incident. Twenty employees are rumored to have been offered new positions at Ellis' new company, Pumpkin Beach while the rest of the staff received termination notices. Employees are expected to receive compensation through December, but no further.