Rumour: Zipper Interactive Being Shuttered By Sony

Zipper Interactive has had quite a run over its sixteen year tenure in the industry, bringing to the table such properties as Crimson Skies, SOCOM and MAG. In recent times, their games have underperformed both critically and commercially, despite attempting to tap into markets that aren’t flooded with like titles. This, if a rumour posted at Kotaku is to be believed, may well have been the death knell for the company as they say that the studio has been hit with lay-offs consistent with the closure of the studio.

If true, this is an unfortunate turn of events, but should have been somewhat expected with the turning of the studio from full PS3 releases to the recent Vita game, Unit 13. This displays a lack of faith from their parent company Sony Worldwide Studios. Of course, there is the possibility that the studio will remain open in a reduced capacity, perhaps creating games solely for the Vita, but we’ll have to wait until any official word comes down the pipe to know for sure.

This latest follows the closure of BigBig Studios, developer of Pursuit Force, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge and Little Deviants, another Sony-owned company earlier this year. We’ll let you know when, and if, more information is forthcoming.