There was a company called Eidetic, founded in 1993. Their first game was an early 3D platformer by the name of Bubsy 3D. We all know how that went.
After that fiasco, Sony still trusted them enough to ask them to rip off Goldeneye. They were basically told to make something that was full of stealth and espionage and whatnot. After two or so years, they finally released Syphon Filter, a third person shooter with stealth elements. It got a 90 on Metacritic and two sequels in rapid succession, released in 2000 and 2001.
So around this time, they were properly bought by Sony, and were renamed SCE Bend. After the less acclaimed Syphon Filter: Omega Strain on PS2, they became one of Sony's handheld developers. Syphon Filter got two PSP games, released in early 2006 and late 2007, and they both were as well received as any handheld shooter games could reasonably be before the Vita. People praised the presentation, controls, and multiplayer for both games, and they were also ported over to the PS2. And in 2009, to wrap up their PSP career, they release Resistance Retribution. Gametrailers gave it a 9.4/10, tied for the best rating they gave to a handheld game that generation.
More recently, Bend released the Vita launch title Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which was one of the most technically impressive handheld games ever created. They are currently working on a PS4 game, Days Gone, which is due for release this year. It's the upcoming zombie game that's not Last of Us 2.
All things considered, not a bad way to recover from Bubsy 3D.
