L.A. Noire developer’s assets scooped up by Mad Max director’s multimedia production firm; all employees offered jobs with acquiring outfit.
The reputation of L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi was tarnished earlier this year when employee complaints about abusive working conditions and credits omissions drew the attention of the International Game Developers Association. At the time, one of Team Bondi’s senior-most developers said the studio would learn from its mistakes, but the company might not have the chance.
According to a Develop report, “a source close to the matter” has told the trade publication that Team Bondi’s intellectual property and assets have been sold to Sydney-based multimedia production firm Kennedy Miller Mitchell. The firm–cofounded by Mad Max director George Miller and frequent producing partner Doug Mitchell–is currently working on the film Happy Feet 2 and in pre-production on Mad Max: Fury Road. Its game-making arm, KMM Games, is producing the game adaptation of Happy Feet 2.
Develop’s source states that all Team Bondi employees have been given the choice of moving to work at Kennedy Miller Mitchell or accepting a severance package. It’s unclear if KMM plans to have Team Bondi continue to exist as a label. However a transfer of ownership to KMM plays out, it won’t include the L.A. Noire name, as that intellectual property is owned by Rockstar Games.
For more on L.A. Noire, check out GameSpot’s review.
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