Psychochild’s Blog has the announcement that Near Death Studios has closed down, though word is their MMOG Meridian 59 continues operation, albeit no longer as a commercial venture run by Near Death (thanks Massively). The post outlines the issues that kept Meridian 59 from reaching critical mass, including competition from World of Warcraft, and admitting "the last five years the company has just been on life support." The post concludes with an optimistic outlook on going forward and creating a new game.