Development of Team Bondi's "Whore of the Orient" has been put on hold after reported layoffs hit the Sydney-based studio.
The latest round of layoffs comes as "L.A. Noire" developer Team Bondi has failed to find a publisher for "Whore of the Orient," a game shrouded in mystery. Unconfirmed reports suggest the game was initially picked up by Warner Bros. which apparently pulled out of its unannounced publishing deal in late 2012.
Team Bondi's assets and IP were acquired by Kennedy Miller Mitchell (KMM) Interactive, an Australian production company in 2011 following "L.A. Noire's" release. KMM also absorbed an unspecified number of staff members of Team Bondi at that time and subsequently KMM co-founder and Mad Max-creator George Miller acquired the rights to "Whore of the Orient."
MCV Pacific reports that the development team is no longer working on the game, but the company has yet to formally shut down. It is unclear how many people were laid off.
"The game never officially landed a publisher, and was only alluded to via an ephemeral web site which gave a few sparse details on the game. It cannot be 100 percent confirmed that the studio is closed for good while the company is still running (and presumably therefore, still seeking funding), but at least for the moment it looks like no development is continuing on the ambitious project," the MCV Pacific reports.
In an follow up to its original report, MCV Pacific later updated the story with a comment from Doug Mitchell (of Kennedy Miller Mitchell) who neither confirmed nor denied the fates of the Sydney-based developers, but clarified that KMM isn't giving up on "Whore of the Orient" just yet. "Whore of the Orient is a unique and extraordinary story and game, and we are still actively pursuing the right investor to partner with," Mitchell tells the publication.
