Today, developer Housemarque put out a somber statement with a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel. For anyone familiar with developer Housemarque, then it’s common knowledge that they deal in retro-inspired arcade games of the past with slicked up visuals, matched by thumping beats that seep into the core of ones being. Housemarque has dominated the classic arcade market with original titles that have all seen acclaim, the most recent being Nex Machina. It’s the end of an era though, Housemarque isn’t looking back while moving forward — arcade is dead.

Games are costly, no matter how much buzz they may attain in some circles, if they don’t sell to a wider audience then it can be all for naught when it comes to making a game. Housemarque in its blog post breaks down why it’s moving on from the arcade throwbacks fans love, addressing where they are going.

“Lackluster sales of Nex Machina have led us to the thinking that it is time to bring our longstanding commitment to the arcade genre to an end. While this genre will always hold a special place in our hearts, the industry is moving more toward multiplayer experiences with strong, robust communities, and it’s time for Housemarque to move forward with the industry.”

From the sound of it, Housemarque is definitely looking towards multiplayer titles for inspiration. With co-op already in their games, they have the knowledge, now they just need to apply it. Whatever comes from Housemarque next, is sure to be exciting, having a rock-solid background in delivering quality games that fans stick around for. For the full breakdown of Housemarque changing course, head over to their blog post.