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All-time dumpster fire The Day Before shuts down 46 days after launch
The Day Before is no more. The spectacular trainwreck of a game, which saw developer Fntastic announcing its closure only four days after launch, closed its servers for good on Monday, reports IGN.
Sony is shutting down PixelOpus, the studio behind ‘Concrete Genie’
PixelOpus, a small in-house studio within PlayStation Studios, is closing down next month. In a statement to Engadget, a PlayStation representative confirmed, “PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives. As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.” Earlier today, the studio tweeted that its “adventure has come to an end.”
Foxconn closes Shenzhen factories after fresh COVID outbreak
Foxconn and Unimicron have announced temporary shutdowns to deal with an outbreak in Shenzhen.
The UK's biggest phone store chain is closing all of its outlets
The UK's only remaining independent phone store is closing its vast network of retail locations on April 3rd, 2020. Dixons Carphone, owner of Currys PCWorld and Carphone Warehouse (CPW), will shutter the latter's 531 outlets at the start of next month. The company says it will focus on selling mobile gear and packages through Carphone Warehouse-branded areas inside the 305 remaining Currys PCWorld stores.
Andy Rubin's Essential is shutting down
Essential, Android creator Andy Rubin's high-profile phone startup, is shutting down. As a result of the shutdown, Essential says it will no longer support the Essential Phone with further security updates or customer support. Additionally, Newton Mail, which Essential acquired when it purchased developer CloudMagic in 2018, will stop working on May 1st.
Sony closes UK PSVR studio before it even released a game
Sony's VR-focused games studio in Manchester, UK, has closed down without ever releasing a game. The business -- which was formed back in 2015 -- had been working on an unannounced VR project but as now been shut "as part of our efforts to improve efficiency and operational effectiveness." GamesIndustry.biz reports that it understands the entire studio has been made redundant.
Connected sous vide company Nomiku is shutting down
Nomiku, one of the companies that helped make sous vide immersion circulators mainstream, is shutting down. The small kitchen appliance maker announced the news on Friday afternoon, noting that it plans to discontinue both its WiFi Sous Vide Smart Cooker and prepared meal service, and is suspending operations, "effectively immediately."
Razer closes its game store after 10 months
Razer is learning a hard lesson about the challenges of launching a game store. The hardware giant is closing the Razer Game Store on February 28th at 4AM Eastern as part of "realignment plans." It'll still honor pre-orders and notes that games will still work as long as you have their Steam or Uplay keys, but you won't have access to those keys once February is over. From March onward, you'll only get games from Razer through its reward programs.
Collaborative robot maker Rethink Robotics shuts down
For a while, it looked like Rethink Robotics would shake up the world with its collaborative robots: rather than having to write code, workers could teach bots to perform tasks by guiding them through the process. However, the market doesn't appear to have shared its vision. Rethink has suddenly shut down after a potential buyer backed out of a deal. Sales of Baxter and Sawyer robots weren't meeting expectations, Rethink chief Scott Eckert said, leaving the company low on cash. It really needed this acquisition to go through, in other words.
Say goodbye to the company that made the cute Kuri robot
It's a sad day if you're fond of robotic assistants. Mayfield Robotics, the company behind the awww-inducing Kuri robot, is shutting down on October 31st, 2018. Simply put, the company had run out of options after cancelling Kuri. The company was "unable to reach an agreement" with other partners to help finance and develop its technology. Longtime partner Bosch will ease the burden for employees by offering severance packages and helping them find new jobs (including at Bosch).
Tesco Direct to close as it falls to other online retailers
Online shop Tesco Direct -- the non-food outlet of British supermarket Tesco -- will close this summer. The store, which sells electronics, clothing, sports goods and video games has "no route to profitability" according to bosses. The site and its distribution center will close on July 9th, with 500 workers facing redundancy.
Bankrupt Toys ‘R’ Us is closing all US and UK stores
It's a sad day for anyone who has fond memories of sliding up and down toy-laden aisles, buzzing off the synthetic smell of brand new Barbies and Action Men. Toys 'R' Us is about to close forever. Six months after filing for bankruptcy in the US and one month after doing the same in the UK, the company is shutting the doors of all 900 stores across both countries, unable to compete with online competitors.
Smart earbud maker Doppler Labs shuts down
Doppler Labs unveiled its Here earbud line in 2015 with dreams of being at the vanguard of smart audio: you could control how much you heard of the outside world, and there were plans for translation and other voice-guided features. Unfortunately, that vision of the future isn't coming to pass. Doppler is shutting down after struggling to raise funds for its next project (an "alternative to traditional hearing aids") and otherwise keep the lights on. Support will keep running until December 1st, and the company will release a rough version of its next-generation Here One iOS app as a going-away present, but there won't be more than that.
Lily Drone team says it has no timeframe for issuing refunds
When Lily Robotics announced that its self-flying, follow-along camera drone wouldn't be produced, it promised to refund $34 million in pre-orders back to its customers. That's still the plan, but according to a new refund request form, the company isn't sure when those payments will actually go out. That's not much of a vote of confidence for customers who have already filed for refunds. Still, it's at least organized -- this new refund process is being run through Prime Clerk, the agency helping Lily Robotics navigate its bankruptcy claims.
Lily Drone is dead despite $34 million in pre-orders
Lily Robotics stormed into the world with a follow-along camera drone that earned $34 million in pre-orders. But the company has now admitted that it can't deliver the product, and will wind down in the near future. In a blog post, co-founders Antoine Balaresque and Henry Bradlow explained that they've run out of money.
Narrative shuts down its lifelogging camera business
Remember the Narrative Clip, that wearable camera that let you document your day with a steady stream of photos or video? It was a novel idea, but it doesn't look like many people embraced the concept. Narrative is telling customers that it's filing for "voluntary dissolution" following financial trouble that came to a head this summer, when it restructured in a bid to stay afloat. That will put an end to Clip sales and support (a Facebook group will offer help), but the company is promising a solution that prevents your lifelogging camera from becoming a paperweight.
Skully ends its dreams of making augmented reality helmets
If you thought that Skully's plan to crowdfund an augmented reality motorcycle helmet was overly ambitious... unfortunately, you were right. After years of delays and several weeks of grave financial trouble, the startup has informed backers that it's shutting down. Simply put, the company had run out of cash -- it had been scrambling to raise some temporary funding, but that fell through. TechCrunch sources claim that Skully had even been trying to sell itself to Chinese tech giant LeEco. However, it reportedly alienated investors following number of disputes over a possible sale, manufacturing hiccups and executive spending.
It's no surprise that Disney shut down its gaming division
No one should have been surprised by Disney's announcement that it was canceling the Disney Infinity series and shutting down its video game business. However, when the news went live, Twitter immediately lit up with shock. My phone buzzed with questions and incredulity from friends. Hell, even I gasped when I read the blog post. The surprise was justified. Disney Infinity was a respectable and adored franchise in the toys-to-life category, and its developer, Avalanche Software, was held in high regard. Infinity entered the fray in 2013, two years after the original toys-to-life series, Skylanders, debuted. Financially, Infinity single-handedly turned around Disney's gaming division, Disney Interactive.
Sony closes 'Driveclub' creator Evolution Studios
You likely saw this coming, but it's still sad to say: Sony has confirmed that it's closing Evolution Studios, the developer behind both the MotorStorm series and the troubled Driveclub. The tech giant isn't saying exactly what prompted the closure (we've published its full statement below). However, it tells us that the shutdown followed reviews of "short and medium term" plans, and that it's devoting attention to studios that will be in a "stronger position going forward." In essence, it didn't see Evolution's work leading to a bona fide hit in the near future.
BBC Three's TV channel set to disappear on March 1st 2016
Under the BBC's latest proposals, BBC Three will remain on TV for a little longer than expected: March 1st 2016, to be exact. The broadcaster's original plan was to make the channel an online-only service this autumn, but back in April the move was delayed until "after Christmas." The BBC Trust still wasn't happy, however, and called for a "more carefully managed transition" back in June. Now, the BBC's response to those concerns -- released as part of a new consultation, although it appears to have been available online before now -- has given us a fresh look at how the changeover will shake out.
