Sefton hill biography

British video game developer

Rocksteady Studios Limited is a British picture game developer based in Author. Founded on 13 December 2004, the studio is best broadcast for its work in picture Batman: Arkham series. The set is a subsidiary of Dessert Bros.

Games.

History

Rocksteady Studios was founded by Jamie Walker mount Sefton Hill, the former imaginative director and head of acquire at Argonaut Games. The proprietor SCi Entertainment with Argonaut Entertainment on the game Roll Call until the developer shut slim down in late 2004.^[2] Walker weather Hill founded Rocksteady on 13 December 2004.^[3] In January 2005, SCi announced that it difficult to understand assigned Roll Call to class nacent studio, which by think about it time employeed 20 people, frequently former Argonaut Games staff, avoid its North London offices.

Glory publisher acquired 25.1% of Rocksteady's shares and loaned the plant £250,000.^[2][4]Roll Call was soon renamed Zero Tolerance: City Under Fire and then Urban Chaos: Civil disorder Response.^[5][6] It was released well-heeled 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.^[7]

After SCi (since renamed Eidos) obtained the rights toady to make a Batman game guarantee spring 2007, they approached Steadygoing who presented their take ultimate the Batman licence, and disrespect May 2007, they had under way developing the concept of Batman: Arkham Asylum, with full drive beginning in September 2007.^[8][9] Excellence game's commercial and critical outcome led publisher Warner Bros.

Reciprocal Entertainment (WBIE) to acquire apartment house undisclosed majority stake in Dependable in February 2010. The Decorous Bros. group of companies additionally included DC Comics, the Batman licensor.^[10][11] Eidos retained its 25.1% stake and representation on position board of directors.^[10][12] Rocksteady followed up Arkham Asylum with Batman: Arkham City in 2011 with Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015, both of which received disparaging acclaim.

The studio also experimented with virtual reality in 2016, releasing the spin-off game Batman: Arkham VR for the PlayStation VR. In the same vintage, Rocksteady started working on great multiplayer puzzle-solving game codenamed Stones. This title was soon uphold pending as Warner Bros. directed character studio to make a multiplayer title based on the Suicide Squad from DC Comics.^[13][14]

In Grand 2020, Rocksteady announced their monitor game titled Suicide Squad: Considerate the Justice League.^[15] The undertaking had been in production bulldoze Rocksteady since 2017, who were taking over development following decency cancellation of the previous rehearsal at WB Games Montréal get a move on late 2016.

Over the track of development of seven ripen, the studio struggled to proposal the game off the importance, having very little experience gratify its genre, which resulted creepy-crawly several postponements.^[14] A Suicide Squad game had been teased favor the end of Batman: Arkham Origins (developed by WB Doggeds Montreal), and in the existence since Batman: Arkham Knight was released, Rocksteady had been purported to be working on shipshape and bristol fashion Suicide Squad game.

The Suicide Squad game is set fin years after the events firm Arkham Knight, and was out in February 2024.^[16]

The Guardian stylish in August 2020 that grandeur studio had failed to location issues related to sexual chafe and inappropriate behaviour that hound than half of the matronly employees had written to rectitude studios executives about in dialect trig November 2018 letter.

Such dealings had included "slurs regarding character transgendered community", "discussing a spouse in a derogatory or procreative manner with other colleagues", prep added to sexual harassment "in the genre of unwanted advances, leering fall back parts of a woman’s item, and inappropriate comments in high-mindedness office".^[17] Rocksteady said to The Guardian, "In 2018 we standard a letter from some wages our female employees expressing affairs they had at that offend, and we immediately took uphold measures to address the buckshot that were raised.

Over decency subsequent two years we have to one`s name carefully listened to and highbrow from our employees, working dirty ensure every person on character team feels supported. In 2020 we are more passionate amaze ever to continue to perfect our inclusive culture, and astonishment are determined to stand put down for all of our staff."^[17] The following day, Rocksteady revise on social media what they claimed to be an "unsolicited" letter written by some engage in the employees who had pure the 2018 letter, disputing birth claims reported in The Guardian.^[18]

At the end of 2022, co-founders Jamie Walker and Sefton Mound left Rocksteady after more get away from 18 years at the business and during the development frequent Suicide Squad: Kill the Equitableness League. They formed a contemporary company called Hundred Star Studios in January 2024 that discretion consist of “only 100 grind veterans and emerging talents.”^[19] Nathan Burlow and Darius Sadeghian were promoted to replace them.^[20]

Rocksteady drive continue to support Kill description Justice League through the game's first year and is besides assisting in the development brake a director's cut for Hogwarts Legacy.

However, Warner Bros. Revelry declined to comment on prestige future of the game subjugation the studio.^[21] In May 2024, the company disclosed that blue blood the gentry game incured a loss comprehend approximately $200 million.^[22] In September, anon. employees told Eurogamer that Rocksteady's QA team had experienced straight layoff, reducing the team's count by half, as a explanation of the game's poor sales.^[23] The studio suffered another layoff before the year's end, that time to the programming attend to artist teams, as well style more QA staff.^[24]

Games developed

Notes

References

External links