Ex-Splatterhouse Developer BottleRocket Closes

After seeing both of its most recent projects fall through, independent developer BottleRocket has closed its doors, though its founder is planning a new studio.

"After fighting to keep the doors open for the past six months we have decided to close and move on," studio founder Jay Beard informed GamesIndustry.biz.

2005's Rise of the Kasai and 2010's Splatterhouse.

The company suffered two crippling blows across the year, as publishing partner Brash imploded, leaving the company with an incomplete and unfunded game based off resident DC Universe speedster The Flash. Then, a few months later, Namco showed up with a U-Haul truck and took off with all of BottleRocket's Splatterhouse assets.

The company was then informed that it would no longer be working on Splatterhouse, as Namco opted to finish the game internally and even hired some ex-BottleRocket staff.

Along with Splatterhouse and The Flash, BottleRocket produced The Mark of Kri (PS2) sequel Rise of the Kasai (PS2) and a licensed Xiaolin Showdown. The studio was formed in 2002, and initially consisted mainly of Mark of Kri veterans from Sony San Diego.

"BottleRocket was in business for seven years and I feel that we developed a sound reputation for quality and creativity. I was once told that we 'zigged while others zagged,' and I like to think that we shall be remembered this way," Beard wrote.

Beard further labeled the studio's seven-year life as "a decent run," even if it "wasn't long enough for our plans to bear fruit," and confirmed he is "in the process of building a new development studio from the ground up."