Krome: We’re still alive

The CEO of Australian studio Krome has finally responded to widespread assumptions in the media that the firm was ‘confirmed’ to have closed down.

Krome hasn’t closed, says company boss Robert Walsh, in what was the inevitable end to his longstanding silence on the matter.

“We still have current contracts we are working on, plus some more on the horizon,” he said in a phone interview with IGN.

Walsh confirmed that the group had lost a huge chunk of its workforce, and its three studios have been consolidated into one.

“Realistically, we have at least 40 [staff] doing work on projects,” he said last week, adding that there may be another 40 contractors coming in.

Walsh, who has repeatedly declined Develop’s request for clarification on the matter, is now hoping to secure a number of publishing deals for the company.

“We have another project that comes up in a couple of weeks, which could [require] another 40 people,” he said.

“So [our staff count] is going to be anywhere between 30 and 100. It’s pretty much just a smaller version of what [Krome] was.”

By the end of 2008 the studio housed over 400 staff.

Walsh wants to target his remaining staff to work on more digital and social projects – often seen as lower risk options due to the releatively lower investment needed.

He added that the Brisbane studio is still open, as the CEO tries to “organise a restructure and consolidation."