TROUBLED games developer Bizarre Creations is attracting interest from other developers after it was put up for sale by US parent Activision.

Bizarre’s 200 staff have been put on notice of redundancy, after Activision announced it was “exploring options regarding the future of the business”.

Reports had earlier suggested that the studio was to be closed down, but Activision insiders insisted no final decision had been made.

Now reports suggest that several companies have expressed an interest in buying Bizarre, raising hopes that some or all jobs could be saved.

Some reports suggest that Microsoft could step in to buy Bizarre.

The two companies had a long relationship before Bizarre was taken over by Activision in 2007, and the Liverpool developer’s earlier Project Gotham Racing series for the Microsoft XBox console sold more than 6m copies.

Activision would not offer any comment on the sale process, while Microsoft told LDP Creative it “did not comment on rumour or speculation”.

Activision put Bizarre up for sale after it was disappointed by sales of the studio’s two most recent releases.