GRIN hit by layoffs - Report

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted Aug 11, 2009 2:35 pm PT

Following closure of two satellite studios in June, Bionic Commando developer said to have made significant staff cuts at its Stockholm HQ.

As the US gaming industry continues to slug through several consecutive months of retail-sales contraction, the global economic downturn appears to have at last caught up with the gaming industry in 2009. However, the industry has for the most part staved off the corporate bloodletting that dominated much of 2008. Still, companies continue to struggle, and the latest to take drastic measures to stay afloat appears to be Swedish developer GRIN.

Bionic Commando offered little to smile about.

As spotted by industry site Gamasutra, Swedish-language news agency IDG reported in June that GRIN had closed two of its studios--one in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the other in Barcelona, Spain. Twenty-nine employees at the Gothenburg studio were reportedly affected by the headcount reduction, with approximately 70 more positions eliminated in Barcelona.

According to a GRIN representative speaking to IDG, the outfit was unable to secure a new development deal after work wrapped on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's Terminator Salvation in May. Beyond Terminator Salvation, GRIN shipped WBIE's Wanted: Weapons of Fate in March, as well as Capcom's Bionic Commando in May. All three games received substandard review scores.

Citing sources familiar with the layoffs, Gamasutra also reports that GRIN has made staff cuts at its Stockholm headquarters. The site's sources were less clear on how deeply these cuts affected the developer.

GRIN had not responded to GameSpot's requests for comment as of press time.

19 Comments

  • victormgs777

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 2:57 pm PT

    I recommend that the company reform and not make movie based games. Start with a nice psn game that can show publishers what they can do. Something as big as Battlefield 1943 or fat princess. Then move on to a big 2 year game. Swedes can make good cars, im sure good games too.

  • NuKkU

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 11:46 am PT

    thats what they get to be honest half-assing all those past games they been putting out this year i mean they ruined all the fond memories of Bionic Commando for some

  • joelgau

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 11:16 am PT

    Their last three games - Terminator: Salvation, Bionic Commando and Wanted were all sub-par games at best. Terminator was total and complete garbage. I am glad that I rented that one. Four hours of crappy gameplay for 60 bucks. Thank goodness for Gamefly!

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 6:34 am PT

    Bet they aren't GRINning now! lol, I'm sorry, I know that's awful. Permission to pelt me.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 6:34 am PT

    B.Commando was a fun rental

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 2:34 am PT

    P.S. Grin also works on the graphics for Ghost Recon - http://www.grin.se/games.aspx

  • Pete5506

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 11:05 pm PT

    Thats never good

  • mrklorox

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 10:41 pm PT

    Had a feeling this was going to happen. I think they should have stuck to remaking classics instead of reimagining classic franchises into a new era.

    BC 1987 = Deep for its time
    BCR = Superb remake
    BC 2009 = Big fat pass

  • King9999

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 10:33 pm PT

    It sucks that this happened. They did an awesome job with Bionic Commando Rearmed.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 9:06 pm PT

    Grin are masters at art design. This is terrible news for gamers. Bionic Commando Rearmed = Nintendo heart breaker.

  • robfield

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    Wasn't difficult to see this coming. After 3 flopped games how much money could they possibly have left? It's a shame they did so well with BC Rearmed and couldn't follow up

  • MasterTheHero

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 4:43 pm PT

    That's what the get for f****ing up the perfect opportunity to do an awesome Bionic Commando remake.

  • CaseyMJones

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 4:42 pm PT

    I can't tell you hard hard it is for me to reconcile the fact that Grin was behind both Bionic Commando and Bionic Commando: ReArmed. After playing BCR I thought, I don't care how mediocre Bionic Commando looks, if the guys behind ReArmed did it then I have full confidence. See how that turned out? So poorly it's led to layoffs.

  • ZippyDSMLee

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 4:22 pm PT

    I am still surprised Bionic commando is not that bad its far from half a broken game like say bioshock or fallout 3. Sure it could be more open and having better pacing better shooting/weapon setup but the only thing I can really harp on is the plot...its god awful but the dialog is great for a capcom game... and this is coming from a insane snobby game nazi 0-o.

  • Vojkan80001

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 4:14 pm PT

    that sucks

  • LuongoRox1

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 3:28 pm PT

    No shocker. Maybe they can get some better games out. Salvation was decent, but Bionic Commando was horrible. BC: Rearmed is decent, I haven't played it much, never touched Wanted though. Hated the demo.

  • Fandango_Letho

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 2:58 pm PT

    GRIN's latest games were just passable, and by today's standards, it means a total failure on the market. I'm sorry, but it was easy to see it coming.

  • j03yAsunder

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 2:56 pm PT

    Bionic Commando offered alot for me to smile about. I loved it...

  • hexen22

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 2:39 pm PT

    Terminator Salvation was aceptable

    Bionic Commando Rearmed its freaking awesome!

    Why! Grin

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