With the purchase of Nottingham-based Free Radical, Crytek knew they’d be getting more than just talent - they’d be getting console talent.
Right now the big bosses are ”looking into all possibilities” as they sift through Free Rad’s projects and IPs. There was no sole motive to buy the dev like ”bringing Crysis to consoles.”
While some may believe that was Crytek’s ultimate agenda in saving the studio, managing director Anvi Yerli says Free Radical’s experience with console shooters just happened to make ”the deal even more valuable.”
”Our console plans are no secret – they happened long before we thought of the acquisition of Free Radical,” Yerli tells 1UP.
Crytek now commands all the intellectual properties created by Free Radical which means TimeSplitters will likely see another instalment after all. The team revealed they were working on another in the franchise but everything fell apart with mass staff redundancies.
There’s no word yet though on what Crytek UK’s projects will be as they’re still looking over everything says Yerli. ”At this early stage we’re looking into all possibilities, but it’s just too early to say,” he explains.
He makes clear though that their ”internal focus is not linked to bringing Crysis to consoles.”
What makes the deal sweeter now for Nottingham team is the chance to be reunited with lost staff as Crytek wants to beef the studio up for work. ”To bring the studio to full production capacity in the near future, we intend to employ further staff and some of the staff made redundant did apply.”
The developer won’t be riding to the rescue of other ailing studios though, right now they want to make the most of what they already have. ”We currently have a very strong network with our studios in Frankfurt, Kiev, Budapest, Sofia, Seoul and now also Nottingham, after the acquisition. Our priority is to grow healthy.”
TimeSplitters is their most prominent property at Free Rad, followed thereafter by the recent Haze on PS3. They had another which most tend to forget about despite delivering an awesome story with arse kicking powers. It was called Second Sight, and was totally the dogs golden danglies.
What made Free Radical for you, gamer?
Second Sight (2004)
