Team Bondi to shut its doors

Only months after the release of the critically and financially successful LA Noire, its developer Team Bondi is reportedly shutting its doors for good. After filing paperwork with the Australian Securities And Investments Commission, Bondi has been assigned a liquidator, who is to see that its debts are paid by selling off their remaining assets. This doesn't include the actual LA Noire property, though, which is still owned by Take-Two, and will likely continue to live on in some form or another. Considering the game sold over four million copies, a sequel being developed by a different studio is definitely in the cards.

A few months ago Bondi entered administration, and its assets were sold to Kennedy Miller Mitchell, an Australian film company. While this news is saddening, it's far from a shock considering the reports of problems at Team Bondi. Apparently the problems during the development were just too much to handle, especially with Rockstar backing away after the issues came to light. It wasn't until LA Noire was released in May that the game's tumultuous seven-year development problems began to be leaked. Mismanagement and mass accusations of unpaid overtime were just some of the issues, with ex-staff members coming out of the woodwork to levy complaints against the Australia-based developer. Still, it's a shame that a developer would fall apart so soon after releasing such a good game.

Oct 5, 2011