Tag: David Haye's Knockout »

In January 2011, British games developer Bizarre Creations was closed by Activision. Looking through the games that Bizarre were responsible for, it's no surprise that many fans were hugely disappointed to see its closure. Racing titles such as the Project Gotham Racing series were seen by many as the pinnacle of racing games, with similar successes coming from the retro shooter Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and the cartoony Fur Fighters. Unfortunately, despite the release of arcade racer Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone in 2010, it wasn't enough and Bizarre Creations was dissolved.

What happened next, though? And why am I talking about console games on 148Apps? Because a number of new gaming studios rose from Bizarre's flames, many of them iOS focused. Recently, I got the chance to see how things are progressing for a few of them.

One of the first to reach the iOS market was Grubby Hands, a one-man studio founded by company director Dr Danny Pearce, the firm released their first title, David Haye's Knockout in June 2011, immediately topping the charts. A new release emerged in December 2011 with Boy Loves Girl, which garnered similar success. How has Danny found going it alone, however, and why did he consider setting up his own firm?

"At the time that Grubby Hands was founded in 2011, the AAA console market was a volatile place...After Bizarre Creations closed, I was cautious about joining somewhere that may suffer the same unfortunate fate," Danny explained to us. Much of the temptation also came from the "exciting new market" of the App Store. "Apple had created a suite of cool gadgets over the past few years, and I was itching to start making games for them. Now seemed the perfect time to launch a studio with a new mobile focus."

Going it alone proved quite beneficial for Danny. He could finally "get [his] hands dirty with design, art, code, sound and music" rather than be forced to specialize. A "fast development cycle" also appealed, although "strict budget" constraints proved tough.

WBA Champion David Haye is a bit of a hero in my fair isles of Britain thanks to his ability to defeat pretty much any other boxer in his path. So it's quite exciting to see a game focused around David Haye.

David Haye's Knockout is a new game to rise from the ashes of the sad closure of Bizarre Creations (famous for The Club, Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone on an array of different consoles). It's a boxing title but not one solely focused on brute strength as some careful manoevres and strategies are needed to truly succeed.

Developers, Grubby Hands, promise that David Haye's Knockout will be easy to learn but tough to master, offering just as much emphasis on evading and defending as on defeating the opponent. The graphical style also looks appealing, offering some great arty graphics rather than a more typical, photorealistic appearance, and the game even offers its own 'Matrix Mode' whereby players can perform moves in slow motion, thus feeling more in control.

Plus, dirtier players can feel smug as they taunt and trash-talk their opponent by shaking their phone. Ideal stress relief!

It's out now, priced at $2.99.