Two Tribes to quit game development

Netherlands-based studio Two Tribes will abandon games development after its current project has been completed.

In a blog post, the Toki Tori developer said that while it will “remain operational” and “continue to support our partners and all gamers out there”, it will not be making any new games after shooter/platformer Rive has been released this September.

The team cited increased competition and the ever-rising bar for success, as well as acknowledging its dependance on a proprietary game engine, preference to work on full-priced games rather than free-to-play, and shortcomings in marketing their titles via YouTube and Twitch.

“While we were working on Toki Tori 2+ for two years, the industry was changing without us realising it,” the studio wrote. “The market was flooded with games by developers from all around the world. Game development schools were erected, and every year thousands of students tried their luck under increasingly difficult conditions. With game changers such as the Humble Bundle, the ever-continuing race to the bottom and a growing focus on free-to-play games, it became tough for a game to even hit the break-even point.

”The industry had moved on and we were still stuck in the past. when running a company, you need to be on top of your game, not just in terms of the product you’re making, but business-wise too. And we just aren’t on top of the games business anymore. Therefore, it makes sense to focus our attention elsewhere, perhaps even outside the games industry.”