Pi Studios has officially closed its doors. The small, Houston-based company was notorious for their collaboration with Treyarch and Harmonix during the development of the Call of Duty and Rock Band franchises, respectively.
More recently, Pi Studios was developing Bonk: Brink of Extinction, planned for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare. Hudson Soft canceled the revival of the big-headed caveman after the recent tragedy that took place in Japan. With the sudden closure of Pi Studios and the takeover of Hudson at the hands of Konami, it was probable that Bonk would teeter from the “brink of extinction” into actual nonexistence before launch time, anyway.
Despite the closure, the folks that formerly worked at Pi Studios have decided to move forward, founding Category 6 Studios. The development company, which currently has a staff of about 15 employees, is headed by Kenn Hoekstra. The crew hasn’t wasted any time in announcing their first title. Blackout, which will launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, is a survival horror FPS that will use Unreal technology.
It’s a shame that Pi Studios had to close down. Though they weren’t the biggest name in the industry, they did collaborate with big companies to bring some of the best-selling franchises to light. I’m still bummed out that I won’t get to play Bonk: Brink of Extinction. At least the ex-Pi employees already created a new company and are keeping busy with a new game. Best of luck to Category 6 Studios.
