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Indie Built corporately dismantled

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

Take-Two Interactive confirms closure of studio that developed Amped, Links, and Top Spin; publisher still "fully committed" to the brands.

A Take-Two Interactive representative confirmed for GameSpot today that the publisher closed its internal Indie Built studio on Friday. Formerly part of Microsoft Game Studios, Indie Built was purchased by Take-Two in late 2004. The studio was known for its work on a number of sports series for which it owned the intellectual property rights, including Amped, Links, and Top Spin.

"Employees are being offered packages including continuation of salary and benefits, as well as other opportunities within Take-Two as appropriate," the representative told GameSpot. "Take-Two is fully committed to its 2K Sports brand and franchises and retains all rights to the Indie Built IP."

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.

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Nismology 5 pts

We need an Amped 4! It's been 5 years!

frazzle00 5 pts

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

blackace 6 pts

If Take-Two still owns the rights, they should make another Links games. With Bruce Carver now deceased though and the rest of the Access Software (Indie Built) developers gone, the game probably wouldn't be the same. Damn Microsoft for purchasing Access Software. I wanted more Links games.

Philie22 5 pts

i just came on here to see if they were making an amped 4! and now i see the studios closed down! i think amped 3 is a cool game and still play it now! and i got it first when the 360 came out! its just a good game you can thrash and come back to!

SNiperBG 5 pts

ANd that is end on Top Spin 2 for PC ???

mi6ops 5 pts

so is there a new links game comming out or not??

DrKill09 59 pts

I hope Amped 4 is still made, although I hope it includes a "classic mode" that feels more like Amped 2.

GangsterPanda 5 pts

Hmm, such a shame. I really enjoyed their take on Amped 3.

chrisdojo 5 pts

"fully committed" yeah right. if they canned the people who work on them, are the games gonna make themselves?

SimuLord 5 pts

Wordplay in headline fails. Film at 11.

subject117 5 pts

Oh the games they made weren't "cookie-cutter" enough.

mechberg 6 pts

Dude, the world can never have too much Sebastian.

KLindblogger 5 pts

Yeah, now we're going to end up with games like "Amped 2007" (in this years game, Sebastian finds love in a dude in a firmiliar Bunny Suit!)

djyareed 5 pts

I'm really gonna miss Indie Built. Personally I think they were a very talented developer. Hopefully the team can get back to making great games soon!

lucidcoder 5 pts

For those attributing Top Spin and its sequel to Indie Built, know that a french studio (PAM) did all of the actual development, and only a couple of people at Indie were even involved in managing the project. It was basically just contracted out. PAM will continue to develop for Take 2 (ironically).

Blazer88 5 pts

Hmm so the studio is being shut but the empolyees and the games are going to fine so I guess thats alright.Oh and while I haven't actually played Amped 3 a games actually sales hardly reflect that it was good or not.I can think of quite a few games that don't get nearly the attention some other get and I certainly though they were better overall games.Smaller companies hardly have the money to market as much as the big guys do,..so they donlt ge tthe hype related to that.I mean hell look how many people plunked down cash for that crappy 50 Cent game,..even with bad rating the thing sold well enough that there will be more.

drjdh 5 pts

MLB 2K6 should have got someone fired!

NeoJedi 7 pts

That is too bad... those were pretty popular games.

Statictrance 5 pts

links on Xbox was on of my more played games surprisingly... it' had really decent xbox live support in the early days of live. Not to mention Amped 3 was a fantastic sleeper hit for the 360 launch *and the one i completed 100% first*. It's a shame to see this studio go, especially seeing the humor in amped 3.... they could have done really interesting things other than the same old boring usual. RIP Indie Built

gameloverx 5 pts

thats a nice thank you gift. A package sounds good to me

samekila 5 pts

xbox 360 is still new to the public plus there still not that many in stores. That could be the reason all 360 games ant selling well but I got amped 3 and its allright I play it alot

mechberg 6 pts

Virtua Tennis is the Sega-published tennis title.

TraiklinX3 5 pts

wasn't Links considered the ultimate in Golf Simulation? I also could of sworn that Top Spin was the Sega tennis game (I must be thinking of something else). It is nice to see that they are offering them packages but they should also be offering employment within other teams (unless they are and the post just omits that). Atleast they aren't like EA where they assimilate a team, wait for them to finish a game and then tell them "Thanks for all your hard work! now move to sweden or get the F out."

rgsniper1 5 pts

I think his "meh" speaks volumes. It's a shorthand for: "The games they made aren't really interesting to me anyways, so therefor this is hardly news that matters" I don't exactly share that thought as I like Top Spin, but I do think it's a valid thought made simple.

savagegr 5 pts

all amped games are very nice games and the sequel of those games are even better. check for example amped 1 to amped 3. is not like other games such Tony hawks serials that it became worst and worst

keiblerfan69 5 pts

That sucks. I love all of those games.

orionwolf 5 pts

In-house reconstruction. This doesn't really matter. What does matter is when large companies buy small ones. I hate it when that happens.

andiroo22 5 pts

Buy a Studio, Take it down, Buy a studio, take it down. Yes we can take down all the compitition - *crackles*

thejuice707 5 pts

stingy take 2... just because amped 3 didnt sell well doesnt mean that it wasnt a kick ass game. there are so many other take 2 developers that should have been laid off before even considering indie built.

drangel_jam 5 pts

Smart move, it will make take 2 more powerful as a publisher. It's probabably trying to enrich their inhouse studio. Instead of having great talents dispersed, they want them together. huh!?

John_of_Fire 5 pts

Amped, Links, and Top Spin have been good brands. Now they will just be a logo for some new game made by another development team. I always thought their games were good, or at least good enough.

The_Getaway 5 pts

not doing anything of late ? those games sucked ? amped 3 anyone ?

bulldog7 5 pts

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Ministry4390 5 pts

I completely agree with thatguytony

thatguytony 5 pts

Nice to know that the employes aren't getting completely screwed. I personally enjoy all these franchises, I just hope that they do a better job with future games than they did with the new MLB. Off-topic: I've never understood why people like 677325 (and others) feel the need to post crap like "meh." If you've got nothing to add, do us all a favor and don't post. Seems like some people just need to see their thoughts (or lack of) in print.

Mit_Man 5 pts

Did they even make Top Spin 2? If not, they weren't really doing anything as of late anyways.

677325 5 pts

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

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