There’s a buzz going around today about a clip featuring the former CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, who stirs up the gaming community with mixed emotions. On a podcast from the venture capital group Kleiner Perkins, alongside ex-EA executive Bing Gordon, Kotick reminisces about a botched acquisition, struggling to recall the specifics. “We actually had a bad acquisition. The company was, um… in Manchester, that did the driving game for Xbox, and it was called, um…” he mused.
You can catch this moment around the 8-minute mark of the podcast, and it’s quite a scene. Honestly, it’s a relatable fumble. When I’m [checks birth year] 62, I doubt I’ll remember all the details of something I did at [double-checks math] 44. Right now, that’s pretty close to my current age, and, well, it’s a thought-provoking reflection. Will I recall penning this article in the years to come? Who knows. What I do remember vividly is the brilliance of Bizarre Creations’ masterpiece, a game that remains a favorite for my family.
No, I’m not referring to Blur—though hats off to the Blur fans. Nor do I mean “the driving game for Xbox,” a nod to all the Project Gotham Racing aficionados. I’m gushing about Geometry Wars, a game that defined a new era on Microsoft’s powerful second console and arguably became the Xbox 360’s standout launch title.
Initially tucked inside Project Gotham Racing 2 on the original Xbox, Geometry Wars is delightfully straightforward with its twin-stick shooter mechanics: left stick moves the ship, right stick fires. Simple as that! In one of my early gigs as a game journalist (cheers to the late Joystiq), I covered the Xbox 360 launch, and when Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, the high-def Xbox Live Arcade version, debuted, it was an instant hit. I penned then, “If [Project Gotham Racing 3] isn’t the highlight of the 360 launch, Bizarre’s other creation surely is!”
In the months that followed, my team and I at Joystiq watched leaderboards with awe and a bit of disbelief. Algorithms crunched mind-blowing scores. The experience of a retro game elevated by a high-def console, coupled with built-in internet connectivity, was just a teaser of what was brewing in the gaming world. We shared high scores (shout out to Striker and xTHeDoGgx) and challenged each other within our circle of friends on those leaderboards.
And here we are, years later, still enjoying Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved on the Steam Deck. Its quick gaming sessions, spiced up with a little father-son rivalry, recall how resilient and enjoyable this gem still is after nearly two decades. So even if the studio name or its Liverpool roots escape your memory, Geometry Wars shouldn’t. After Activision shut down Bizarre Creations in 2011, post-Blur launch, some former team members found a new home at Lucid Games, releasing Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions in 2014—the franchise’s debut on PlayStation.
If you missed it, don’t worry! The original is available on the Xbox store still priced at $4.99, just like back in 2005, or grab it on Steam for a mere $1.99—cheaper than a cup of gas station joe! Prefer PlayStation? You’re covered with Geometry Wars 3 for $14.99, which equates to a fancy coffee these days (no need to fact-check that).
I’d love to hear if anyone else shares a fond nostalgia for this game; drop your thoughts, and I’ll see you on those leaderboards! 👀
