Skip to main content

‘Nex Machina’ developer Housemarque is done making arcade games

Finnish developer Housemarque has built a reputation over the last few decades for intense, creative twin-stick arcade shooters, with games like Resogun, Super Stardust Ultra, and Nex Machina releasing to critical acclaim. However, the studio has encountered financial troubles that have forced it to change its development strategy, and as a result, it will no longer be developing arcade-style games.

“Despite critical success and numerous awards, our games just haven’t sold in significant numbers,” said Housemarque CEO Ilari Kuittinen in an announcement bluntly titled, “Arcade is Dead.”

While Resogun‘s inclusion as the very first free PlayStation Plus game on PlayStation 4 helped to get Housemarque’s work into the hands of more fans, Kuittinen said that this didn’t translate into stronger sales for the studio.

“While this genre will always hold a special place in our hearts, the industry is moving more toward multiplayer experiences with strong, robust communities, and it’s time for Housemarque to move forward with the industry,” he added. “Hence Nex Machina and Matterfall will be the last of their kind coming from our studio.”

Kuittinen promised the next game from Housemarque will be “totally different” from the studio’s previous work, though the studio will still be taking a “gameplay first” approach to development.

The multiplayer-focused strategy shouldn’t come as much of a surprise for anyone following industry events over the last few weeks. Electronic Arts is taking a similar approach with its Star Wars action-adventure project, shifting it from a linear single-player game into something players will keep coming back to over time. Developer Visceral Games was shuttered as a result of this decision.

Housemarque’s decision is especially disappointing because the studio is just so good at making twin-stick shooters. In our Nex Machina review, we called the game one of the best titles released all year, and praised its smooth controls and relentless difficulty. Just two months later, the studio released the PlayStation 4-exclusive Matterfall, a sidescrolling shooter that had already been in development for years. We certainly hope Housemarque backtracks in the future and releases a follow-up to Nex Machina in particular, as the game absolutely deserves a sequel.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Three classic Grand Theft Auto games are coming to Netflix next month
Key art for GTA: The Trilogy on Netflix

Netflix and Rockstar Games revealed that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition will come to the services game catalog in December.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is a package that features remasters of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It was first released for PC and consoles in late 2021. Although the ports were derided for having a plethora of technical problems at launch, they have improved since then. Now, Netflix is making a major play by bringing these remastered GTA games to the service around the same time a Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer is expected to drop.

Read more
Nintendo Switch vs. PlayStation Portal: which portable device is best?
playstation portal review remote player vs switch oled

Handheld gaming has come back in a big way this past generation. Nintendo formerly held the crown as the king of the dedicated handheld market with its unfathomably successful DS line, which would eventually combine into a home console with the equally impressive Switch. PlayStation attempted to get into this market with the PSP and PS Vita but appeared to bow out of that competition when the latter failed to achieve much success. However, the new PlayStation Portal device could provide players with an alternative to Nintendo's aging system.

If you're debating between the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Portal, here's a full breakdown of how the two devices stack up.
Nintendo Switch Vs. PlayStation Portal specs
When it comes to specs, let's start with the easy comparisons.

Read more
Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more
best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

One of the best places to shop for almost anything involving electronics says so right in its name: Best Buy. The retail giant has a ton of departments with some of today’s most popular devices, components, and appliances for sale. It also offers a lot of these at a discount, which is certainly what we’re seeing right now. Some of the best TV deals, best tablet deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals can currently be found at Best Buy, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve tracked down all of the best deals you can shop at Best Buy right now, so read onward for some gift ideas for yourself or a loved one and for some great ways to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.

Read more