8 Defunct Developers We Wish Were Still Around

Today we look back at some of our favorite developers that no longer exist, some have been gone longer than others. Nothing lasts forever and these eight companies are perfect examples of how everything must come to an end. So everyone appreciate what you have because someday Microsoft is going to buy it for an ungodly amount of money.

The developer 38 Studios created the game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning right before it ceased to exist. It was about to work on an MMO version of their game when their backers pulled their money out, causing the company to end its operations.

THQ, creator of Homeland and many more, was a powerhouse in the industry until 2013 when it finally succumbed to debt. This company had been around since 1989 and had made some very memorable games.

Irrational Games had a very good run, for seventeen years it was a force to be reckoned with, especially after it developed the modern classic BioShock. Their final game came in 2013 with BioShock Infinite, it was a beautiful swan song for a company that brought enjoyment to many.

Acclaim Entertainment was created in 1987, and after seventeen years it ended its operations in 2004. Even after developing such popular games as Turok: Evolution they still had to shutter their doors because of debt.

Before its demise Team Bondi created L.A. Noire, a game that was very much ahead of its time. In 2011 it called it quits because of an inability to find another project, which would have given them some sort of security.

LucasArts creator of The Secret of Monkey Island isn’t officially defunct but actually Disney is keeping it on life support for the licenses it controls, which are many. The company was founded by George Lucas in 1982 and in 2012 when it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company it was then locked in the attic to die.

Eidos Interactive basically raised a generation with their games, it was responsible for the Tomb Raider franchise, the Hitman series, and the massively popular Deus Ex. Their final game was Batman: Arkham Asylum which only made fans happier. The company was purchased by Square Enix in 2009 and then ceased to be. To be fair, it had a very good run.

Parallax Software stuck mainly to the Descent series which, let’s be honest, is nothing to be ashamed of. It was in business for four years before it split to become Volition Inc., and Outrage Entertainment. Thank goodness it existed because without them we wouldn’t have the Descent franchise or Volition Inc..