While we've already heard that Newcastle are hard at work on a brand new title called Necessary Force, we're told today that if a purchaser or investor is not found soon, then Midway Newcastle and San Diego may be forced to close.

The two studios were excluded from Bros' 33 million USD of Midway, and there now seems to be a race against time to save these established facilities.

"100 percent of my efforts and focus are on finding a solution to keep the studio going forward, making it viable and securing jobs in the team," Newcastle chief Craig Duncan told the Guardian. "It may sound like a cliche but this studio is too good a team to have to shut down - it would be a travesty.

"I met with a number of interested parties [during E3]. When we presented the new game everyone loved it and was really impressed with our proposition. What counts against us is the timeframe and the fact the market is tough currently for both investors and games companies."

Could be in the frame, given their role in publishing Wheelman?

By Luke Guttridge