On the same day the Splatterhouse trailer debuted, Namco is rumored to have pulled the unfinished project from Bottlerocket, dooming the California-based developer.
https://lastchance.cc/new-splatterhouse-trailer-not-horrific-in-a-good-way-5148554%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thatâs a huge slap to Bottlerocket, says one person familiar with the situation. Afro Samurai animators were sent on site to help out with the workload and Bottlerocket staff were said to have found their presence unhelpful. Now, if true, theyâd get a nearly completed project and final credit.
And the kicker: this team would also be based in Carlsbad, and may even lease Bottlerocketâs building. Namco recruiters, naturally, were talking to BR employees about the possibility of coming aboard.
Of course it conjures up all sorts of speculation about why Namco would make a decision that would essentially destroy a developer under contract, in order to take back an nearly-completed game and attempt to finish it in house with a set of employees who didnât work well together earlier. Sources say the game was going gold in early March.
This was Bottlerocketâs only project; its last work was on Flash with the now-kerplop Brash. One source told us all employees got their last paycheck yesterday; another says the office has about three months left before it closes for good.
A message left at Bottlerocketâs office was not immediately returned. One Bottlerocket employee has declined comment; weâre pursuing others, plus any word from Namco officially. More developments will be posted as they are known.
