Team Bondi

About

Team Bondi was an independent studio formed by former Sony Affiliated Team Soho Studio. The company closed down in October 2011 following bad press over working conditions.

Team Bondi was an Australian independent third-party video game developer, founded by Brendan McNamara, a former Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Team Soho staff member, in 2005.

On May 17 2011, the team released L. A. Noire to critical acclaim. L. A. Noire uses MotionScan technology which Team Bondi created to allow for life like facial animations. L. A. Noire would turn out to be the first and last game released by Team Bondi

Working Conditions

In June 2011, several employees from Team Bondi came out to complain about the horrendous working conditions at Team Bondi. According to the sources, employees were forced to work overtime with no additional pay, were lied to about release dates in order to justify the overtime, and were treated poorly by Brendan McNamara. Further, insiders suggested that McNamara's leadership style had led to the company burning their bridges with L. A. Noire publisher Rockstar Games. The notoriously perfectionist publisher had allegedly considered purchasing the studio and bringing its creator more into the fold during the game's development, but development issues and numerous feuds with McNamara led to a fractured relationship in which both studios assumed primary ownership over the game's success.

Because of the bad press the company received over poor working conditions, the company was unable to secure a deal to make a new game forcing them to shut down in October 2011.