Relentless Software, the developer best known for the virtual game show series Buzz! has shut its doors.
The company’s founder Andrew Eades confirmed the news via Gamesindustry.biz, saying that the Brighton-based developer was letting go of all it’s employees effective immediately.
Buzz! launched in 2005 and became something of a sensation for the developer, with the series spawning 18 games in total across the PS2, PS3 and PSP systems. The series innovated with the inclusion of buzzers – specialized controllers featuring different colored buttons that corresponded to the on-screen answers.
Buzz!: The Big Quiz, the second entry in the series, netted the studio a BAFTA award for Best Social and Casual Game in 2006, and the series boasts lifetime sales in excess of 10 million copies.
In 2009 Relentless released its first self-published title, the episodic murder mystery adventure Blue Toad Murder Files.
The closure is something of a surprise given the recent announcement of the company’s plans to expand to Wales. The Pontypridd studio, funded in part by the Welsh government, was expected to create 70 new jobs.
