Former Prytania CEO issues statement on Crop Circle closure, says project was "uninvestable"

gamesindustry.biz:

Former Prytania Media CEO Annie Delisi Strain has issued a statement regarding the closure of Crop Circle Games last month.

Strain's comments appeared to be prompted by a forthcoming Kotaku article about the closure that she learned was to be published. In a post on its website, she explained the reasons behind the closure, noting that the studio's unannounced project was uninvestable due to the current state of the industry.

"The game did not have core features that have emerged as requirements to be competitive in today's hyper aggressive market," she wrote. "The game was just fundamentally out of touch with emerging player tastes and not aligned with the portfolio strategies of any publishers or investors."

Strain said that there was "not a single organisation of any kind willing to invest" in the game's development as a result.

"I initially felt we were uniquely prepared to address the challenges and to protect everyone associated with us," she continued. "What I did not understand was that the current economic downturn in the industry is not just another economic cycle – it is a permanent and sustained alteration and contradiction of the industry we all know and love."

In regards to the layoffs at Crop Circle Games in February, and its eventual closure, Strain said these decisions were made "to rapidly adapt to these new conditions."

"We did incredibly painful and difficult things, including layoffs, to rapidly adapt to these new conditions, save every job we could, and fight to bring innovative new game experiences to a market that favours the mega-companies.

"For independent developers of all sizes, there are no easy paths forward. I stand by these decisions."

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