Here's what actually happened to Darkside - the studio that worked on Sunset Overdrive

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darkside

Darkside Studios, a game developing studio that worked on several games for Microsoft, including Sunset Overdrive. Darkside wanted to make a game by their own, so they started to talk seriously with Microsoft about it. After a lot of meetings, both of the companies stuck a deal: a $5 million project to developer a multiplayer-only reboot of Phantom Dust. For $5 Million, Microsoft wanted all the complex multiplayer features on the game.

After awhile Darkside started working on the Phantom Dust reboot, however, the studio couldn’t keep up with Microsoft’s demands for the $5 million. But Darkside wanted to get their own game out on the market, and decided to focus on the project. However, Microsoft showed off a trailer of the game which doesn’t match the characters and the staff at Darkside was completetly stunned. Darkside then requested Microsoft to increase the budget for the project, but the company decliend. It was all over for Darkside. The studio then laid off all of its 50 staff and closed its shop.

Head over to Kotaku to read more about the Phantom Dust’s reboot and Darkside’s story.

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