Confusion Over Brit Developer CiRCLE

Confusion still reigns as to the future of British developer CiRCLE, with persistent rumors that that company is about to confirm a move into liquidation going unanswered by the company. When contacted by Gamasutra earlier today no staff were available for comment, with the company’s offices in Derby, England currently being manned only by a single receptionist – with no development or senior staff present. Original reports from UK game business site GamesIndustry.biz had indicated that, according to un-named sources: "Heath-Smith informed staff of the closure at lunchtime [yesterday]. They were told that CiRCLE has gone into liquidation and will cease operations with immediate effect." The studio was formed in 2004 by Jeremy Heath-Smith and his brother Adrian, following the closure of their previous company Core Design – famed as the creators of the Tomb Raider series. The only traditional video game to emerge from the company in that time has been the poorly performing Without Warning for Capcom. Since then the company has focused on interactive DVD games, securing such licenses as the FIFA World Cup and “Now That’s What I Call Music”, as well as others from companies including the Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids and the NBA. Analysts have predicted that the increasingly popular interactive DVD market will grow to a value of $1 billion by the end of 2007.