Activision closes Prototype studio, Radical Entertainment

After weighting a "wide range of options", Activision has decided to shut down Radical Entertainment, the Vancouver-based studio behind the Prototype series.

Lackluster sales of the open world action franchise was listed as the primary reason behind the closing.

"Radical is a very talented studio and has been a great partner to Activision," said a spokesperson for the publisher, reported by GameInformer. "Although we made a substantial investment in the Prototype IP, it did not find a broad commercial audience."

"Following an exploration of a wide range of options, it was determined that closing Radical Entertainment as a creative entity was the only option."

Radical Entertainment, which employed around 90 people, was purchased by Activision back in 2005. It's unclear what will happen to all of the employees, but some will remain working for the company on other Activision publishing projects.

"We met with the team and are currently exploring various options for the future of the studio including a potential sale of the business," the spokesperson added. "Our preference would be to keep the team together, however, it is too early to say anything further at this time."

Other titles developed by them include Scarface: The World is Yours, Crash of the Titans, and The Simpsons: Hit & Run. Prototype 2 scored mixed reviews on Metacritic amassing an average score in the mid-70s, while GameZone rated it 9 (hey, it wasn't all bad!).