Ex-Bizarre Designer Forms Indie Studio Totem Games

Matt Cavanagh, originally lead designer at Blur developer Bizarre Creations, has formed a new independent games studio called Totem Games. The company was set up last month, after Bizarre was closed down earlier in the year by parent company Activision. The publisher was not able to find a buyer for Bizarre and was forced to close it down. No official details regarding Totem Games have yet been announced, although the studio's official Twitter page states, "Formed by ex Bizarre Creations Matt Cavanagh, Totem Games is joining all the shiny new indie games companies in their mission to make the world a happier place." There is no word yet regarding whether Cavanagh will be running Totem Games as a one-man studio, or whether he'll be bringing on other people to work alongside him. Gamasutra has contacted Cavanagh for comment. Since Bizarre closed down, a number of indie studios have begun to pop up headed by ex-Bizarre staff. Lucid Games was formed by Pete Wallace, originally a development director at Bizarre, while Hogrocket was set up by senior level designer Pete Collier, community manager Ben Ward and Geometry Wars series creator Stephen Cakebread. Ex-Bizarre design manager Gareth Wilson said back in February that the closing of the Blur and Project Gotham Racing developer was due to "a perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances".