The Tragic Tale of Bonk: Brink of Extinction Developer Pi Studios

Just as much as piracy, poor game sales, and tough markets, big companies messing over small devs is one of the biggest problems in the game biz these days. How many smaller companies have had to shut down because a bigger dev/publisher cancelled the project at the last minute, or refused payment for work? Quite a few if memory serves. It seems like a malicious business practice to curb future competition to me.

Another sad tale of a promising studio shutting down....... Almost makes me not want to pursue tht career. Haha but only almost!!

I remember being fairly excited for this. Oh well.

Wow, that is some really bad luck. Are they jynxed?

Let's hope their next adventures turn out better

The first Bonk game on the PC-Engine is the best anyway.

@Omega I find the SNES version the most playable and wacky.

THANKS KONAMI.

SO GLAD YOU BOUGHT HUDSON. YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH GOOD WITH IT.

I thought the new version had lost a lot of the visual charm of the original games but I still think it's slightly stupid not to release it if the game is basically complete.

I hope Konami don't turn into another EA.

I really don't like the smartphone age....bah!

I enjoyed Super Bonk 2 on the Super Famicom the most, tbh, but that is still sad news all the same

@gojiguy I don't think we should blame Konami. They found out it was a bad investment, and did what every company would have done.

would be SO NICE if Konami would pick this up and push it out to the world, would make a great WiiU eshop title, that's for sure

I wanted that bonk wii ware game big time

I was excited for that game, too bad it didn't make it . Also, where is Texus?

This is a LITTLE disappointing C WUT I Did There?

As should be the fate of all developers who decide to crossover to the darkside. The cellphone gaming thing will die out, people are all super excited for it now, but just like the Wii, it'll eventually lose its appeal and people will move on. The companies that decide to ride the storm out are going to be the only ones that are worth supporting.

This should be more incentive for Konami to do something with the Hudson IP's.

Konami is a terrible company.

Oh yeah! I remember this IP!

Like I said, classic video game characters that don't get so much buzz anymore seem to have a very tough time coming back after so many silent years. Like Dizzy the egg and his attempt at a comeback.

Bonk -> Brink of Extinction...

Bonk -> Extinct.

The developement name became a self-fulfilling prophecy. That said, Bonk shall be missed.

I had forgotten all about that game until I saw this story. I guess that explains why.

P.S: You misspelled Texas.

@The_Fox They got it right, that's how "Texuns" spell "Texus".

Bonk might actually be a good candidate for mobile... strange that it was shuttered, instead of transferred...

I'm a Texan, lived here my whole life, and the only time I've seen it spelled "texus" is from a brand of produce that uses that spelling.

They fixed it to "Texas"; I contacted them about it last night

Though the game never really looked very interesting (this looked so generic compared to the very cool looking original Bonk games and the awesome looking Bonk's adventure remake), I still would have wanted it since it was almost finished! It's a shame they had to throw it away! And I would have wished for a different fate for Pi studio's! Who knows, they could have become a great studio over time! Now we never know!

I still hope the Hudson icons (Bomberman, Master Higgins, etc) will be back someday in full force, just as I don't want to believe that we never see a new Banjo Kazooie or Megaman again! Those are all classic game-heroes! We need them!!