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The State of PlayStation Studios - IGN

PlayStation's first-party studios have a ton in the works for both PS4 and PS5 - let's dig into everything we know is on the horizon.

www.ign.com

Editors note: This deep dive into Sony's studios was previously published in November 2021, and has since been updated to reflect more recent PlayStation acquisitions, including the announcement that Bungie will be joining SIE and more. The video version above was originally published in November and has not been updated. So read on for all the latest on the games and acquisitions in the world of PS4 and PS5.
PlayStation Studios has been busy as the PlayStation 5 closes out its first year Throughout 2021, Sony’s collection of worldwide development teams has continued to turn out acclaimed hits, reinvigorate old franchises, and expand with a host of acquisitions and first-party publishing partnerships. Let’s check in on the state of PlayStation’s First-Party Studios.
Before we jump in, a few notes. First off, we’ll be focusing on PlayStation first-party studios only. So we won’t be talking about studios developing third-party console exclusives or third-party partnerships. Hey, we didn’t cover Housemarque for this very reason the last time around, and since then they’ve been acquired by PlayStation, so never say never.

The State of PlayStation Studios

Bend Studio​

BEND STUDIO - Bend Studio

With over 25 years of experience, Bend Studio is a Sony first-party AAA game developer, located at the base of Oregon’s beautiful Cascade Mountains.

www.bendstudio.com

Last game published: Bend’s last published game was 2019’s Days Gone, an open world, motorcycle-riding adventure through the Pacific Northwest in which players starred as Deacon St. John fighting against hordes of Freakers. Bend continued to support Days Gone after launch with technical patches and some content updates, including a series of challenges for players to test their Freaker-fighting mettle against.

Current game in development: Though reports and tweets from past employees suggest a Days Gone 2 was pitched, that particular world is currently not what the team has in the works. Instead, Bend announced earlier this year that it is developing a brand new IP, also shooting down rumors that we might be seeing a return to the world of its acclaimed Syphon Filter series. No exact details are known on said new IP just yet, though PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst did previously say Bend would be “building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone.”

Bluepoint Games​

Bluepoint Games, A PlayStation Studio

Last game published: As of press time, Bluepoint is PlayStation Studios’ newest acquisition, with no games published post acquisition, but Bluepoint and PlayStation’s history goes back years. The studio made a name for itself with PlayStation remasters for Uncharted and more. It then transitioned into remakes, tackling beloved PlayStation hits like Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 and, most recently, Demon’s Souls on PS5.

Post-acquisition Bluepoint hasn’t announced official details of its next game. But speaking to IGN at the time of the acquisition announcement, Bluepoint president Marco Thrush indicated the team wants to work on original content moving forward, meaning we shouldn’t expect a remake next from the studio, as much as it’s proven itself in that space.

Bungie​

Bungie.net

www.bungie.net

Arguably Sony's biggest acquisition since Insomniac (from a recognition level, at least), the announcement that Sony Interactive Entertainment will acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion was a shock. The once Microsoft-aligned studio (the original home of Halo!) has since made Destiny its core focus through years of both independence and previous ownership by Activision. Bungie comes with a bit of a caveat - it will operate as "an independent subsidiary" of SIE rather than a new addition to Worldwide Studios, but we feel it's important to discuss here in light of Sony's larger gaming plans. And for now, Destiny will remain multiplatform, and, as of now, Bungie is committed to releasing games across both PlayStation and other platforms.
Post-acquisition Bungie hasn't formally announced any new games, though it did release The Witch Queen expansion for Destiny 2. Bungie is also working on a new IP, and, as evidenced by the acquisition news, has interest in expanding Destiny beyond games into other media. And we also know thanks to job listings that a new project for Bungie could be a multiplayer action game with a character focus.

Firesprite Games​

Firesprite - A PlayStation Studio

Firesprite are an innovative First Party PlayStation development studio based in Liverpool, UK, with over 200 experienced developers creating cutting edge games.

www.firesprite.com

Last game published: Firesprite Games is another very recent acquisition of PlayStation’s, and the studio hasn’t technically published a game as just yet. Firesprite also has a lengthy history with PlayStation, most recently developing the PSVR title The Persistence VR, as well as previously having collaborated with PlayStation on The Playroom and The Playroom VR on the PS4, and Run Sackboy! Run!
The studio’s lineage with PlayStation goes back even further though. It was originally formed in 2012 by former employees of Sony’s now-shuttered Liverpool Studio, the home of the Wipeout racing franchise.
Current game in development: Though Firesprite is quite the large studio and may have more projects underway, we do know that its first announced game as part of PlayStation Studios is a PSVR 2 exclusive, Horizon Call of the Mountain. Co-developed with Guerrilla, it is the first first-party game announced for the next-gen headset. Otherwise, it’s a huge studio of more than 250 employees who, according to Hermen Hulst in an interview with with gamesindustry.biz, will be working on their own projects as a first-party studio, rather than supporting the games of others like they have in the past. Prior to joining the first party stable, Firesprite was hiring for two games, including a “game-changing huge multiplayer shooter and an ambitious dark narrative blockbuster,” as well as Star Citizen: Theaters of War, but Sony has not commented on what, if any, of those projects will remain in development.

Guerrilla​

Guerrilla Games

We are Guerrilla, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Killzone and Horizon franchises. Founded in 2000 and based in Amsterdam, we're one of Europe's leading game development companies.

www.guerrilla-games.com

Last game published: Guerrilla Games last published the highly anticipated sequel to its latest franchise, Horizon, with Horizon Forbidden West earlier this year. Horizon has been the company's focus for years now, and as IGN's Horizon Forbidden West review noted, the sequel is "a triumphant combination of enthralling combat, top-tier creature and character design, and a captivating open world."
Current game in development: Guerrilla just launched Horizon Forbidden West, give them a minute to breathe! But, really, the studio hasn't announced any exact follow-ups just yet, other than the partnership with Firesprite on Call of the Mountain. The studio has continued to support Forbidden West with post-launch patches, but no DLC has been announced. And though not officially announced, Guerrilla in recent years has been hiring for roles with multiplayer experience. Game director Simon Larouche, who previously left Guerrilla to work on Rainbow Six at Ubisoft and has since rejoined, also listed an unannounced title as their current project on their Linkedin Profile. Guerrilla’s continued success with Horizon has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most exciting studios.

Haven Studios​

Home

We create havens for endless wonder.

havenstudios.com

PlayStation decided to acquire its latest studio before the team's first game was released - the Jade Raymond-led Haven Studios is now officially a PlayStation Studio. Sony previously announced a partnership to exclusively publish Haven's first game last year, but rather than wait to see how that game performs, it seems PlayStation has decided to just formally bring Haven into the PlayStation fold. The team is working on a new IP exclusive to PlayStation, but other than that and the expectation for it to be "a new live service experience for PlayStation," little is known about the game.

Housemarque​

Housemarque

Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Housemarque is a game developer working on console and PC. True to our core gamer audience, we prioritize stratified gameplay mechanics and impeccable audiovisual execution to create euphoric gaming experiences.

housemarque.com

Last game published: Another acquisition this year by PlayStation, Housemarque hasn’t officially published a game for its new publisher, but what’s a few months between new coworkers? Published by PlayStation Studios and developed in tandem with Sony’s XDEV studio, Returnal is Housemarque’s biggest game to date. The studio known for its series of isometric or sidescrolling arcade shooters took the lessons of the genre and applied them to one of the most popular genres around - the roguelike - to create a timelooping, alien-hunting PS5 exclusive. Setting players on a course through the alien world of Atropos as the human astronaut Selene, Returnal lets players uncover its dark, fascinating plot on repeat visits through the planet's distinct biomes, while testing out a host of alien weapons and power-ups.
Current game in development: Housemarque hasn’t announced its follow-up to Returnal, though the game certainly marked a new era of ambition for what the studio could achieve. At the time of the acquisition, Housemarque’s co-founder and managing director said the team was taking a well-deserved break before jumping into anything new. But before moving on, the studio revealed a surprise to fans that is now available, the Returnal: Ascension 3.0 update, a free addition to the game that adds co-op to its world, as well as a new challenge, The Tower of Sisyphus.

Insomniac Games​

Insomniac Games

insomniac.games

Last game published: Insomniac has been putting in work since the start of the PS5’s lifecycle. The studio, which PlayStation officially acquired in 2019 after generations of partnership, launched Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 and PS5, as well as Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered for PS5 on the PS5’s launch day.
As if that weren’t enough, earlier this year Insomniac revived its beloved platformer series with the PS5 exclusive Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, a beautiful, charming, and fun showcase for the PlayStation 5.
Current game in development: Insomniac isn’t taking it easy after all that, though. While we wouldn’t be surprised if the studio has more of its sleeves, for now, we know to expect Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in 2023, which will bring Miles and Peter together and introduce Venom to the series. And for even more Marvel, Insomniac is working on a full-sized, mature-in-tone adventure featuring another beloved character with Marvel’s Wolverine.

London Studio​

PlayStation Studios | PlayStation

PlayStation Studios defined gaming for generations. Our collective of studios and teams span the globe – and together – advance gaming and the positive impact it has on people’s lives.

playstationlondonstudio.com

Last game published: London Studio’s last outing was the PSVR hit Blood & Truth, which captured all the trappings of a blockbuster action movie and put players right in the midst of it, with wonderful use of PlayStation’s VR headset. The studio also supported it with post-launch challenges for players to test their mettle.
Current game in development: London Studio has been relatively quiet since Blood & Truth’s release, though we certainly hope it’ll put what it learned on PSVR to good use with whatever PlayStation’s next-gen VR headset turns out to be. Behind-the-scenes, the studio appointed two new co-studio heads earlier in 2021, Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte, but their appointment didn’t offer many details on what’s next. Other than Saunders teasing that their next project “has HUGE potential," and earlier in 2022 we learned that London Studio is indeed working on an online PS5 exclusive.

Malaysia Studio​

The Malaysia Studio is one you may not have heard of yet, and there’s a pretty understandable reason - it’s one of Sony’s newest studios, and hasn't been discussed much. Announced in 2019 to open in 2020, Malaysia was opened to provide art and animation for Worldwide Studios’ portfolio, and more recent job listings indicated the studio was working on a “well-known and well-loved” PlayStation franchise.

Media Molecule​

Last game published: Media Molecule has had its hands full for a little while with its ambitious game-music-movie-whatever-you-want creation suite Dreams. Announced early in the life of the PS4, Dreams stayed in development for quite some time before finally seeing the light of day in 2020. And since then, Media Molecule has continued to support the game with new updates and, just as importantly, support the community with regular spotlights and events like the now annual Impy Awards and DreamsCom.
Current game in development: Dreams continues to be Media Molecule’s future, at least as far as we can tell, and its in-house developers are continuing to make games within Dreams. During DreamsCom, TREN and Ancient Dangers: A Bat’s Tale were announced under the MM Originals banner, indicating the studio’s continued commitment to making games in its highly elastic Dreams system.

Naughty Dog​

Naughty Dog

www.naughtydog.com

Last game published: Naughty Dog brought the PS3 generation to a close with The Last of Us, and similarly marked the end of the PS4 with the Last of Us Part II in the summer of 2020. It capped a run of several big successes on the PS4 for Naughty Dog, including Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
Current game in development: Speaking of those two Uncharted entries, they’re been remastered for a PC and PS5 release in 2022, packaged up as the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. The collection has hit PS5 and will come to PC later this year. Naughty Dog hasn’t officially announced any other projects just yet, but we do know it’s working on some sort of multiplayer game, which many have been looking forward to ever since plans for a Factions follow-up did not come to fruition for The Last of Us Part 2’s release. And hopefully that wait won’t be too long.

Nixxes Software​

Home

www.nixxes.com

Last game published: Nixxes Software is another of PlayStation’s recent acquisitions, so the studio hasn’t technically published anything while under the PlayStation first-party banner. The studio has most recently been working with Square Enix on titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Marvel’s Avengers.
Current game in development: Like the Malaysia Studio, it seems that Nixxes will be acting as support to other PlayStation studios. PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst said “Nixxes will be a strong asset for everyone across PlayStation Studios, helping our teams focus on their most important goal, which is to create unique PlayStation content at the best possible quality.” Nixxes has also, in particular, been part of the PC porting and optimization work done for Square Enix’s games, leading many to assume the team may help in further bringing PlayStation games to PC. However, no official projects have yet been announced.

Pixelopus​

Last game published: Pixelopus is one of the smallest teams in the PlayStation stable, and most recently made Concrete Genie for the PS4, which allowed players bring its world to life no matter their artistic acumen with an imaginative drawing mechanic.
Current game in development: Pixelopus is working on a new project for the PS5, though we don’t know exactly what it will be. According to recent job listings, we know it will use both the studio’s own engine technology and Unreal Engine 5, and will also be made in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation, the company behind Oscar-winning hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Hotel Transylvania franchise, and The Mitchells Vs. the Machines.

Polyphony Digital​

products | gran-turismo.com

www.gran-turismo.com

Last game published: Polyphony is, of course, the home of Gran Turismo, and most recently released Gran Turismo 7 on the PS4 and PS5, the latest numbered entry in its flagship series.
Current game in development: Much like Guerrilla, Polyphony just released GT7, and as such is focused on post-launch support. THough the latest racing sim's release hasn't been a smooth ride. In addition to some controversy around the price of GT7's microtransactions, the sequel's need to always be online led to over a day of real-world time in which players couldn't access the GT7 servers.

San Diego Studio​

Sony San Diego Studio

sonysandiegostudio.games

Last game published: San Diego Studio’s most recent game was the latest in its annual baseball franchise, MLB: The Show ‘21, which marked the first time the franchise was available on non-PlayStation consoles through a new MLB publishing deal that saw it also hit Xbox One and Xbox Series.
Current game in development: Sony officially announced MLB the Show 22 for an April 5 release date, and it will be the first version of the series to appear on Nintendo consoles, with a Switch release confirmed alongside PlayStation and Xbox releases. MLB the Show 22 will feature cross-save, cross-play, and cross-progression across all consoles.

Santa Monica Studio​

Santa Monica Studio

sms.playstation.com

Last game published: Sony Santa Monica Studio last released 2018’s God of War, IGN’s Game of the Year winner that marked the return of a longstanding PlayStation series with a new spin.
Current game in development: Santa Monica Studio is next working on God of War: Ragnarok, the sequel to 2018’s revival and also the closure of the Norse mythology story established in that game. New director Eric Williams, who has been with the series for years, has taken the helm, and players can look forward to Ragnarok coming in 2022 on PS4 and PS5. According to job listings, Santa Monica Studio may have a second project in the works, but no official details have been revealed.

Sucker Punch Productions​

Sucker Punch Productions

www.suckerpunch.com

Last game published: After kicking off the PS4 generation with Infamous: Second Son, Sucker Punch ended it with its acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. Since its launch in 2020, the studio surprised players with a multiplayer component, Legends, which has since become available as a standalone game, and released Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut for PS4 and PS5, which included a new expansion set on Iki Island.
Current game in development: Sucker Punch hasn’t revealed what’s to come next from the studio famous for Sly Cooper, Infamous, and now Ghost. But considering a Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works, and the incredible sales success of this new franchise, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a return to the world of Jin Sakai.

Team Asobi​

TeamASOBI

Team ASOBI is an award-winning PlayStation Studio located in Tokyo, developer of ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission and ASTRO’s PLAYROOM.

www.teamasobi.com

Last game published: Sony effectively shuttered its famous Sony Japan Studio, itself containing several teams working across a number of different projects throughout the PS4’s life. That restructuring led to Team Asobi becoming the sole focus of what was once Japan Studio, and that team most recently released the PS5 free pack-in, and still best showcase for the ingenuity of the DualSense, Astro’s Playroom.
Current game in development: Team Asobi is working on new projects, though we don’t know exactly what just yet. But as with other PlayStation studios, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it continue the adventures of Astro, and not just because his head is part of the company’s logo. Playroom continues to define the potential of the DualSense’s haptics, and we can’t wait to see what the studio does next, either in Astro’s world or a new one entirely. Also, Sony, if you want to give Team Asobi the keys to Ape Escape, I won’t complain.

Valkyrie Entertainment​

Valkyrie Entertainment

Game Outsourcing and Game Development in Seattle. Recent projects include God of War, Valorant and League of Legends.

valkyrie-entertainment.com

We published this story near the end of 2021, thinking all of Sony's acquisitions for the year were done. Well, we were wrong - in December, Sony acquired its fifth studio of the year, Valkyrie Entertainment.
You might not know the team by name, but the studio has assisted on development with a number of games, including both God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok. They've even aided in development for games like Halo Infinite and Forza Motorsport 7. Specific plans for Valkyrie's work as part of PlayStation have not yet been announced.

XDev​

XDEV Software

XDEV Software is a Java tools manufacturer, provider of open source frameworks and service provider for software projects.

xdev.software

Last game published: XDev is a unique studio within the PlayStation portfolio, as it works as a collaborative team with non-PlayStation-owned studios to develop exclusives. Most recently, the team collaborated with Sumo Digital on Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Lucid Games on Destruction AllStars, and the now-first-party Housemarque on Returnal.
Current game in development: XDev hasn’t announced any new collaborations just yet, but earlier in 2021 job listings pointed to producer roles being hired for XDev to work on AAA games with partners, so expect to hear more soon enough.

---

Latest update: March 22, 2022 to reflect the Haven Studios acquisition.

 

[kingfey]

Took me too long to link all the studio websites. Some studios dont have websites. Hope you enjoy it guys.

 

[kyliethicc]

Need dat Knack 3

 

[Ladioss]

Pretty interesting family picture, thanks OP.

 

[lh032]

They need to come up with new blockbuster like Horizon, GOT, unlike "games" like DREAMS.

 

[teezzy]

Which one is making Dark Cloud 3 and Ape Escape 4?

 

[jimmypython]

What a sad sad situation for SCEJ/SIEJ fans.....

 

[Varteras]

Which one is making Dark Cloud 3 and Ape Escape 4?

 

[Zeroing]

They are missing 3 studios ehehe

 

[bushwookie]

Looking at those studios, as well as the projects they're supposedly working on is a bit disappointing to be honest. Didn't Hulst say that they had some 25 games in active development not too long ago? Even if there's some missing here, (and I'm sure there are) there's nothing that suggests that they've got much of anything big on the horizon after the next GoW.

 

[SoloKingRobert]

Everytime Sony acquires a game studio, Microsoft acquires 10 more...

 

[digital_ghost]

World of Warcraft: You think you want better graphics. But you don't.

Enjoy the latest expansion in breathtaking 1995 graphics.

 

[Varteras]

Looking at those studios, as well as the projects they're supposedly working on is a bit disappointing to be honest. Didn't Hulst say that they had some 25 games in active development not too long ago? Even if there's some missing here, (and I'm sure there are) there's nothing that suggests that they've got much of anything big on the horizon after the next GoW.

More than 25 and that number has likely grown since they last made that claim. We also just don't know what they're working on. A majority of their projects are a mystery. Not sure how you can be disappointed with something you don't know. Not being a dick or anything. Just saying I'd wait until they reveal stuff.

Everytime Sony acquires a game studio, Microsoft acquires 10 more...

In the last 9 months Sony has acquired 7 studios. Which is nearly as many as Microsoft acquired in the Zenimax deal (8) before Sony started buying a lot. The Activision deal won't be finalized until the first half of 2023. Until then, Microsoft doesn't own any of those studios. That also assumes the FTC doesn't throw a wrench in there. Which they likely won't but you never know. They are being thorough, as they should. Sony made it clear many more acquisitions are to come. We haven't seen the last this year or next. Meanwhile, it would be in Microsoft's interest to not make any other moves on the acquisition front, lest they make it harder to convince the FTC. Of course, Microsoft might get ballsy enough to try.

 

[Topher]

Everytime Sony acquires a game studio, Microsoft acquires 10 more...

 

[PixelatedBeast]

Looking at those studios, as well as the projects they're supposedly working on is a bit disappointing to be honest. Didn't Hulst say that they had some 25 games in active development not too long ago? Even if there's some missing here, (and I'm sure there are) there's nothing that suggests that they've got much of anything big on the horizon after the next GoW.

So Wolverine isnt something to get excited for? Naughty Doggs next project isnt going to raise the bar for graphics and animation? Psvr2 having the best specs of any affordable headset isnt going to be great for the future of VR gaming? How can the information of new projects be disappointing when you dont even know what they are? Is there anything else to look forward after Starfield and BOTW2 release, or is it just more delays and concept art, devs quiting and Mario cart racing? Oh that sound soooooo exciting compared to what Sony is doing.

It's like some people hold Sony to a standard of which they're expected to move mountains, and give a pass for other publishers for doing just the bare minimum. Atleast 5 or more exclusives to release this year for Sony, but let's focus on information not known and ignore how bleak it looks for their competitors.

 

[3liteDragon]

Bungie’s not a PlayStation Studio…

 

[mejin]

And they are launching games as they grow. Keep up the good work, SIE.

Bungie’s not a PlayStation Studio…

 

[kingfey]

And they are launching games as they grow. Keep up the good work, SIE.

Bungie deals needs to be closed 1st. Same as how Activision is still not a MS Studio.

 

[Badlucktroll]

Another question is…. who are they going to dole the konami ips out to?

 

[Banjo64]

Made some solid acquisitions in Insomniac, Bluepoint, Housemarque and Bungie. I need to play Returnal, Resogun was a classic on PS4. I think I’m more excited for those 4 studios than I am for Geurilla, Santa Monica and Naugty Dog at the moment.

 

[StealthGoblin]

I’ve been musing about Haven. They’ve name-dropped Media Molecule more than once and Jade has mentioned remixing. Their website encourages you to click a portal, a portal that is the same shape as letters in their Studio logo.

If I had to bet it’ll be a multiplayer action game (based on some of the images in the portals) that uses the SSD for travelling between worlds. I’m thinking the remixing may have something to do with skins or even level building.

 

[3liteDragon]

And they are launching games as they grow. Keep up the good work, SIE.

Bungie deals needs to be closed 1st. Same as how Activision is still not a MS Studio.

Not what I meant, they still won’t be a PlayStation Studio after the deal goes through, they’re still self-publishing their current & future games like Bethesda.

 

[yurinka]

Seems that the article/OP as usual forgot ForwardWorks and Lasengle. Normal since they make (Japan/Asiia focused) mobile games.

Regarding Bungie, they said that plan to release "at least" a new IP before 2025. Which means it's possible they may release more new IPs before 2025. So it means they are working on at least 2 new IPs.

They have a good track record of releasing some great games every year, but can't wait to see the amount of games they release per year increased due to the huge amount of internal hirings we're seeing and boh recent and upcoming studio acquisitions.

I think they'll acquire some big mobile (if possible F2P/MMO PC too) gamedev more who can bring their PlayStation IP to mobile, particularly for the western market but would be ok if they are very big but only in Asia. Potential names: Scopely, Nexon, Netease, Netmarble, NC Soft.

But I also think they'll use the same formula they did use with Bungie to acquire a 3rd party publisher and to allow them to continue as multiplayer publisher, under SIE but not under PS Studios. Particularly, someone with existting or potential for movies and / or anime, also with some beloved old classics to grow the PS+ catalog, while also providing additional big selling, well rated games that ideally work well globally but also particularly in Japan. And even better if they also have successful mobile games. Potential names: Capcom, Kadokawa, Square Enix, Bandai Namco.

AAA games every generation require more work to be developed because they get bigger and more detailed. So I assume they may also acquire some additional support team, particularly some studio specialized on art outsourcing, because quite often it's hard for them some of these studios free because the other publishers also require moe and more outsourcing every generation. So I assume they'll want to secure some support studio more, in addition to continue growing their existing ones.

We'll see if they increase their acquisitions budget once they start the current fiscal year. I think pretty likely they'll do it specially if Sony keeps generating huge revenue and profit.

 

[kingfey]

Seems that the article as usual forgot ForwardWorks and Lasengle

Did you read the name?
I dont see how people will take those names serious as studios.
They are funny names. No wonder people skip them.

 

[StealthGoblin]

Seems that the article/OP as usual forgot ForwardWorks and Lasengle. Normal since they make (Japan/Asiia focused) mobile games.

They aren’t under SIE are they? I thought they were under something weird like Sony Music.

 

[yurinka]

Did you read the name?
I dont see how people will take those names serious as studios.
They are funny names. No wonder people skip them.

The game that Lasengle developed for Sony generated them over a Billion per year. ForwardWorks developed mobile Hot Shot Golf or Disgaea RPG for mobile. Yes, they are serious.

They aren’t under SIE are they? I thought they were under something weird like Sony Music.

Lasengle is under Aniplex (Sony Music), Forwarwoks is under SIE.

 

[kingfey]

The game that Lasengle developed for Sony generated them over a Billion per year. ForwardWorks developed mobile Hot Shot Golf or Disgaea RPG for mobile. Yes, they are serious

I meant the names.

 

[yurinka]

I meant the names.

Ah, yes

 

[mejin]

Not what I meant, they still won’t be a PlayStation Studio after the deal goes through, they’re still self-publishing their current & future games like Bethesda.

I understood your point. In the end, Bungie is a Playstation Studio, but they work alongside Sony WWS. Future publishers acquisitions could work in a similar way. It's not like they are second or third party.

 

[unintelligent orange]

Which one is making Dark Cloud 3 and Ape Escape 4?

Dark Cloud 3 is so fucking overdue. i can only imagine how good this could be today if they did it right.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

I understood your point. In the end, Bungie is a Playstation Studio, but they work alongside Sony WWS. Future publishers acquisitions could work in a similar way. It's not like they are second or third party.

Bungie( The new “Sony Online Entertainment”) isn’t a Playstation Studio.

They fall under Sony Interactive Entertainment. They can possibly release a game that isn’t even on Playstation. And might make deals that are more advantageous to them, than Playstation. In Sony’s eyes they want to grow them to be as big as Playstation. It’s a sister publishing arm.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Bungie( The new “Sony Online Entertainment”) isn’t a Playstation Studio.

They fall under Sony Interactive Entertainment. They can possibly release a game that isn’t even on Playstation. And might make deals that are more advantageous to them, than Playstation. In Sony’s eyes they want to grow them to be as big as Playstation. It’s a sister publishing arm.

I’m confused over the fact that Bungies a publisher.

 

[yurinka]

Bungie( The new “Sony Online Entertainment”) isn’t a Playstation Studio.

They fall under Sony Interactive Entertainment. They can possibly release a game that isn’t even on Playstation. And might make deals that are more advantageous to them, than Playstation. In Sony’s eyes they want to grow them to be as big as Playstation. It’s a sister publishing arm.

Whatever is advantageous to them will be avantageous for PlayStation because now PlayStation (SIE) owns them. Bungie will be a SIE publisher, like PS Studios is. But yes, unlike the PS Studios games, who will focus on PS exclusives, all future Bungie games will rbe multiplatform. Sony is ok with it because will give them more money. Sony will help them grow but not to be as big as PlayStation because it isn't possible.

 

[remember_spinal]

Looking at those studios, as well as the projects they're supposedly working on is a bit disappointing to be honest. Didn't Hulst say that they had some 25 games in active development not too long ago? Even if there's some missing here, (and I'm sure there are) there's nothing that suggests that they've got much of anything big on the horizon after the next GoW.

Yeah, no big deal…

Lol

 

[Yoboman]

Looking at those studios, as well as the projects they're supposedly working on is a bit disappointing to be honest. Didn't Hulst say that they had some 25 games in active development not too long ago? Even if there's some missing here, (and I'm sure there are) there's nothing that suggests that they've got much of anything big on the horizon after the next GoW.

Spiderman 2 will be enormous, followed by Wolverine

Whatever Naughty Dog is working on will be too

We are also almost two years since the launch of Ghosy of Tsushima and 3 since Days Gone so those will be due to pop up soon for reveal

Santa Monica also have their second project with Cory Barlog as do Guerilla but who knows how far along those are if at all

Not counting any of the projects from new acquisitions that are in the works

 

[remember_spinal]

Spiderman 2 will be enormous, followed by Wolverine

Whatever Naughty Dog is working on will be too

We are also almost two years since the launch of Ghosy of Tsushima and 3 since Days Gone so those will be due to pop up soon for reveal

Santa Monica also have their second project with Cory Barlog as do Guerilla but who knows how far along those are if at all

Not counting any of the projects from new acquisitions that are in the works

I wouldnt count out bluepoint,firesprite, and team asobi having something ready to show either.

Bluepoint didn’t do any extra DLC or content for Demon’s which means they have been working on the next game since release.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Whatever is advantageous to them will be avantageous for PlayStation because now PlayStation (SIE) owns them. Bungie will be a SIE publisher, like PS Studios is. But yes, unlike the PS Studios games, who will focus on PS exclusives, all future Bungie games will rbe multiplatform. Sony is ok with it because will give them more money. Sony will help them grow but not to be as big as PlayStation because it isn't possible.

SIE isn’t Playstation. Forwardworks also isn’t playstation, but also now falls as SIE. Used to develop Playstation branded games while under Sony Music Japan, which they have interestingly they gotten away from since then. They generate profit for Sony. Bungie goal is to be big as as Playstation. They are probably taking Epic Games as the blueprint. This allows Sony to have a 100% multiplayer focused company instead of disrupting the single player forumla that works for them in Playstation.

This is seems to be a major focus of Bungie. That that aren’t labeled as a Playstation studio. They have high aspirations. Which is probably music to Sony’s ears. Point is some of their interests might not be parallel to people with a Playstation console. Services like Bungie + could be introduced, games exclusive to PC/mobile, they get large investment redirected from Playstation, etc. But they are sister publishers, there should be synchronicities.

I’m confused over the fact that Bungies a publisher.

They will self publish. And they tend to stay as so. And it’s possible there will be games they publish they don’t develop. From their announcement they seem to aspire to be like Epic Games, not like Naughty Dog.

 

[Yoboman]

I wouldnt count out bluepoint,firesprite, and team asobi having something ready to show either.

Bluepoint didn’t do any extra DLC or content for Demon’s which means they have been working on the next game since release.

Potentially but still only 1.5 years since Demons Souls

If they do a new remake it could be within the next year but if they do a new IP then it could still be 3 or so years away

Team Asobi will probably have a new Astro near PSVR2 launch

 

[mejin]

Bungie( The new “Sony Online Entertainment”) isn’t a Playstation Studio.

They fall under Sony Interactive Entertainment. They can possibly release a game that isn’t even on Playstation. And might make deals that are more advantageous to them, than Playstation. In Sony’s eyes they want to grow them to be as big as Playstation. It’s a sister publishing arm.

Let's just agree to disagree.

 

[yurinka]

SIE isn’t Playstation. Forwardworks also isn’t playstation, but also now falls as SIE. Used to develop Playstation branded games while under Sony Music Japan, which they have interestingly they gotten away from since then. They generate profit for Sony. Bungie goal is to be big as as Playstation. They are probably taking Epic Games as the blueprint. This allows Sony to have a 100% multiplayer focused company instead of disrupting the single player forumla that works for them in Playstation.

SIE is the Sony division that makes and focus on PlayStation, even if now are expanding to mobile or PC. So nothing under the SIE banner will hurt it.

Forwardworks never has been relatetd to Sony Music, it's a studio created by SIE to make mobile games using PlayStation IPs. Lasengle (previously known as the gamedev division of Delightworks) are the ones developing mobile games for Aniplex (placed under Sony Music).

This is seems to be a major focus of Bungie. That that aren’t labeled as a Playstation studio. They have high aspirations. Which is probably music to Sony’s ears. Point is some of their interests might not be parallel to people with a Playstation console. Services like Bungie + could be introduced, games exclusive to PC/mobile, they get large investment redirected from Playstation, etc. But they are sister publishers, there should be synchronicities.

They will self publish. And they tend to stay as so. And it’s possible there will be games they publish they don’t develop. From their announcement they seem to aspire to be like Epic Games, not like Naughty Dog.

Sony bought Bungie because they want Bungie to make money for them, to secure that their games will always be on PS and if they have to choose some minor exclusive (marketing, game subs, exclusive demos or betas, timed dlc exclusives...), to use their IP to make movies, to be on other markets like PC or other consoles (and who knows if mobile) in a way doesn't make their fans angry etc. And well, to teach the other teams to make super successful GaaS/FPS/MP games.

This is what Sony and Bungie agreed to do. They didn't say anything or hinted anything about opening a separated Bungie store or Bungie publishing 3rd party games. Unlike with Activision or Microsoft, now SIE owns 100% of Bungie in the same way they own 100% of ND. Jimbo is their boss and SIE owns them. Jimbo gave them freedom to do these things they agreed because that benefits SIE interests. Jimbo's priority will be the interests of SIE and won't allow them do anything that goes against SIE/PS interests, as it would be to make exclusive games for other consoles.

Regarding a Bungie+ sub for the Bungie games like the GTA+ sub could be a good idea that would be ok for Jimbo.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

SIE is the Sony division that makes and focus on PlayStation, even if now are expanding to mobile or PC. So nothing under the SIE banner will hurt it.

Forwardworks never has been relatetd to Sony Music, it's a studio created by SIE to make mobile games using PlayStation IPs. Lasengle (previously known as the gamedev division of Delightworks) are the ones developing mobile games for Aniplex (placed under Sony Music).

ForwardWorks Corporationï½Company Informationï½Sony Music Group Corporate Site

This is the company profile of ForwardWorks Corporation - Sony Music Group.

www.sme.co.jp

Sony bought Bungie because they want Bungie to make money for them, to secure that their games will always be on PS and if they have to choose some minor exclusive (marketing, game subs, exclusive demos or betas, timed dlc exclusives...), to use their IP to make movies, to be on other markets like PC or other consoles (and who knows if mobile) in a way doesn't make their fans angry etc. And well, to teach the other teams to make super successful GaaS/FPS/MP games.

This is what Sony and Bungie agreed to do. They didn't say anything or hinted anything about opening a separated Bungie store or Bungie publishing 3rd party games. Unlike with Activision or Microsoft, now SIE owns 100% of Bungie in the same way they own 100% of ND. Jimbo is their boss and SIE owns them. Jimbo gave them freedom to do these things they agreed because that benefits SIE interests. Jimbo's priority will be the interests of SIE and won't allow them do anything that goes against SIE/PS interests, as it would be to make exclusive games for other consoles.

Regarding a Bungie+ sub for the Bungie games like the GTA+ sub could be a good idea that would be ok for Jimbo.

Lasengle is as much a Playstation brand as Bungie. Bungie is basically “Sony Online Entertainment”, which was a SIE company. I’m not sure what’s so hard to get really. It‘s as if SIE bought Epic games. They would be free to make deals with outside companies, even Microsoft. Jim goal is to expand beyond the Playstation console. And this is his play. Which is probably the way he got the job. He promised Japan proper growth.

Let's just agree to disagree.

There isnt even a disagreement. Im just stating what is. Only person that should feel threaten is Hermen Hulst. Nobody in this thread.

 

[remember_spinal]

I dont see what the argument is

playstation division of sony (SIE) - playstation studios, bungie, etc.

Playstation Studios - Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Suckerpunch. Etc

One is a division under sony and one is a publishing arm under that division. Bungie is part of playstation, not playstation studios.

 

[yurinka]

ForwardWorks Corporationï½Company Informationï½Sony Music Group Corporate Site

This is the company profile of ForwardWorks Corporation - Sony Music Group.

www.sme.co.jp

Wow. It's weird, Sony Music website mentions it to be part of Sony Music while the press releases I found about ForwardWorks mentioned SIE instead:
https://www.sie.com/en/corporate/release/2016/160324.html
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Sony-to-launch-first-smartphone-games-in-2018

And in ForwardWorks website mention they are in the SIE office:
https://forwardworks.com/en/

And their company websitte is also linked in the SIE page and sitemap, plus ForwardWorks creation (2016) appears in the SIE history page:
https://www.sie.com/en/index.html
https://www.sie.com/en/sitemap.html
https://www.sie.com/en/corporate/history.html

Lasengle is as much a Playstation brand as Bungie.

No, Bungie makes console games and is under SIE, the PlayStation division. Lasengle instead makes mobile games and is under Aniplex / Sony Music.

Bungie is basically “Sony Online Entertainment”, which was a SIE company.

Yes. They are a self published gamedev studio under SIE but outside PS Studios.

I’m not sure what’s so hard to get really. It‘s as if SIE bought Epic games. They would be free to make deals with outside companies, even Microsoft. Jim goal is to expand beyond the Playstation console. And this is his play. Which is probably the way he got the job. He promised Japan proper growth.

I agree the part where Sony wants to expand their games to platforms beyond PlayStation (not Jim's idea, they were doing it before him) and that they are doubling down on it. They were expanding to mobile and PC, and now with Bungie (outside the MLB exception due to the licensing stuff) they are also going to release Bungie games on rival consoles.

As Jim explained, they want to grow but PlayStation consoles are a small part of the gaming userbase and even consoles are a small part of the gaming userebase. They will publish stuff on other places and use PS Now to reach more players who are in other platforms and to get more money.

Instead of putting Uncharted or other big PS Studios games on Xbox and Switch, which could make PS fans angry and would decrease the unique selling points of PS so it would hurt SIE they buy Bungie, who already makes a lot of money and already put Bungie games on other consoles and PC. Fans from all platforms get happy, SIE gets more money without reducing the PS unique selling points so SIE is happy with them doing this. Until here I think we agree.

The part where we don't agree is them being free to do deals with direct SIE competition that could go against SIE/PS interests. I think that since SIE owns 100% of them, SIE gives them creative freedom and allow them to go multiplatform or make mobile games but not to do something that could potentially hurt or go against the insterests of SIE as would be to have some exclusivity deal with MS.

I think Bungie will continue having a full multiplatform focus and if they break it for some game, or even if it's for something small like exclusive demo or betas, timed console exclusivity for DLC or even a game or something like that they would do it to favor their owner instead of the direct compettition of their owner unless it was already signed before the acquisition (cases like Ghostwire Tokyo or Deathloop).

I expect Bungie to do the same than witth Mojang, Bethesda or Activision Blizzard: if or when they go exclusive instead of multi, I expect them to do it to favor their owner, not the direct competition of their owner. Because I assume that part of the reason their new owner bought them is to secure this. And I don't see why they would want to go against their new owner and why their new owner would allow them to do it.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Badlucktroll]

Get the Konami IPs next and we’re good.

 

[remember_spinal]

Get the Konami IPs next and we’re good.

I dont see the point, they have no one to make the games. If kojima really wanted to work on Konami IP again it would make sense, but that only accounts for either silent hill or Metal Gear.

It would be a lot of money to secure those IP and find studios to make games for them. All for what, a game to sell just as well as one of their original IP’s they already have access to?

 

[bushwookie]

More than 25 and that number has likely grown since they last made that claim. We also just don't know what they're working on. A majority of their projects are a mystery. Not sure how you can be disappointed with something you don't know. Not being a dick or anything. Just saying I'd wait until they reveal stuff.

I see where you're coming from. I was just saying that from we do know... it seemed a bit disappointing. Of course that's only my opinion. There are a couple of games in the pipeline that I'd forgotten about, such as the Wolverine game. That one's got plenty of potential. I've never really cared too much for Spiderman as a character, Wolverine however, is far more to my liking. But it's not difficult to be disappointed with not knowing something. We know there's studios there, we know they make games, we just haven't gotten any details on them (outside of the Wolverine of course).

In the last 9 months Sony has acquired 7 studios. Which is nearly as many as Microsoft acquired in the Zenimax deal (8) before Sony started buying a lot. The Activision deal won't be finalized until the first half of 2023. Until then, Microsoft doesn't own any of those studios. That also assumes the FTC doesn't throw a wrench in there. Which they likely won't but you never know. They are being thorough, as they should. Sony made it clear many more acquisitions are to come. We haven't seen the last this year or next. Meanwhile, it would be in Microsoft's interest to not make any other moves on the acquisition front, lest they make it harder to convince the FTC. Of course, Microsoft might get ballsy enough to try.

Ehh... I suppose you could see it that way. Those 7 studios that Sony acquired aren't really on the same level as those Bethesda ones are. And while Bungie is definitely a talented studio, there's caveats to that deal which make it significantly different to their others. Plus, that Bungie deal hasn't gone through yet either, so I'm assuming it doesn't count just as the Activision deal doesn't.

I'm with you that MS likely is trying not to make any waves until after the Activision deal gets done. Senators and regulatory heads routinely express "concern" with a lot of things. Unless something incredible turns up, the Activision deal will go through. Sony said there's more acquisitions to come, but we don't know who or what they'll be though. I can't imagine them bagging any of the bigger and more prestigious studios. There aren't all that many available, Sony doesn't have the capital like MS does, and we have a rough idea of what Sony's budget for acquisitions looks like I believe.

 

[Varteras]

I see where you're coming from. I was just saying that from we do know... it seemed a bit disappointing. Of course that's only my opinion. There are a couple of games in the pipeline that I'd forgotten about, such as the Wolverine game. That one's got plenty of potential. I've never really cared too much for Spiderman as a character, Wolverine however, is far more to my liking. But it's not difficult to be disappointed with not knowing something. We know there's studios there, we know they make games, we just haven't gotten any details on them (outside of the Wolverine of course).

Ehh... I suppose you could see it that way. Those 7 studios that Sony acquired aren't really on the same level as those Bethesda ones are. And while Bungie is definitely a talented studio, there's caveats to that deal which make it significantly different to their others. Plus, that Bungie deal hasn't gone through yet either, so I'm assuming it doesn't count just as the Activision deal doesn't.

I'm with you that MS likely is trying not to make any waves until after the Activision deal gets done. Senators and regulatory heads routinely express "concern" with a lot of things. Unless something incredible turns up, the Activision deal will go through. Sony said there's more acquisitions to come, but we don't know who or what they'll be though. I can't imagine them bagging any of the bigger and more prestigious studios. There aren't all that many available, Sony doesn't have the capital like MS does, and we have a rough idea of what Sony's budget for acquisitions looks like I believe.

Yeah, I think the biggest issue for many of us is that we simply don't know what Sony has brewing and the things we do know about are so few that they're not likely to tick boxes for a wide range of people right now. Though I have a feeling the games Guerrilla, Firewalk, and Deviation are working on will certainly expand the pool of interested people.

Oh, for sure the likes of Housemarque, Firesprite, Bluepoint, and Haven don't hold a candle right now to what we know Bethesda or Id are capable of. Which is also why Sony likely paid pennies for those studios compared to what Microsoft paid for Zenimax. Should also remember, though, that not all of those Zenimax studios are actually as big of a deal as some might think. Alpha Dog is a small mobile developer. Roundhouse hasn't even made a game yet (like Haven) and they are predominantly former Human Head employees. That studio was.... mediocre at best. Tango can't seem to catch a big break with critics or consumers. Always coming up short. Which is a shame because they're one of my personal favorite horror developers. Machine made one game with high critical reception (Wolfenstein 2) but the rest of their games didn't set fires and they've also struggled to meet commercial expectations. Arkane typically does very well with the critics but not so much consumers. Zenimax Online had to drop the subscription plan from Elder Scrolls Online to bring players back. Even then, it doesn't hold a candle to WoW, FFXIV, Destiny 2, or even Guild Wars 2 for estimated monthly players. Its total number of players, which are those who have created at least one account to try the game at least for a little bit, is only about half of those of FFXIV or Destiny 2.

Yeah, I suppose you could argue that Bungie hasn't been finalized yet, which I didn't know at the time I wrote that post , so they shouldn't technically count right now. I guess what I could say to that is Bungie isn't making headlines for FTC and Congressional investigations and will probably be finalized within the coming months. Activision isn't expected to close its deal until June 2023 at the earliest and right now there is quite a bit of heat on the deal. I still expect it to go through but I've already seen people bracing themselves for the possibility it won't.

Sony's capabilities to buy companies is stronger than people think. They set aside an acquisition fund for their entertainment divisions last year of $18 billion out of $44 billion they had in reserve by March 31st, 2021. Which left them with $19 billion in reserve cash by the end of 2021 after they made other purchases, debt payments, etc. It was reported after the announcement of the Bungie acquisition that Sony's acquisition fund still had about $10 billion left. Meaning between the fund and reserve cash they were still sitting on almost $29 billion. Though that's for the entire company and Sony isn't going to risk spending the last dime of their savings. But it also needs to be kept in mind that Sony is no stranger to generating $6 billion to $13 billion in reserve cash in a year. Capcom has a market cap of a little over $5 billion. So if Sony negotiated a full stock buyout with a premium, the way Microsoft and Activision did, Sony could own them for $7 billion or even $8 billion. They also have a very low debt to asset ratio of a little over 3%. Their long-term debt is $8.5 billion and their net asset worth is $264 billion. So if Sony was willing to take on more debt they could easily ask for tens of billions to make big purchases.

Though at the end of the day I think Sony's better strategy is smaller purchases they can grow and mold to the company culture. That's why I think we'll almost certainly hear of acquisitions of studios like Deviation and Arc System Works some time this year. But there has been a lot of smoke regarding Sony making a big purchase so I suppose we'll have to wait and see if there is an actual fire or just some idiot burning pancakes.

 

[Badlucktroll]

I dont see the point, they have no one to make the games. If kojima really wanted to work on Konami IP again it would make sense, but that only accounts for either silent hill or Metal Gear.

It would be a lot of money to secure those IP and find studios to make games for them. All for what, a game to sell just as well as one of their original IP’s they already have access to?

Kojima Silent Hill, Blue Point Metal Gear, and From Castlevania lets gooooooo

 

[yurinka]

Kojima Silent Hill, Blue Point Metal Gear, and From Castlevania lets gooooooo

KojiPro and Bend Metal Gear
KojiPro and Bokeh Silent Hill
From Castlevania
Housemarque Contra and Gradius
Naughty Dog Frogger
San Diego PES and Track & Field
London DDR
Asobi Bomberman
Santta Monica Yie Ar Kung Fu and Crime Fighters
Insomniac Sunset Riders
Guerrilla Adventure Island
Media Molecule Twin Bee and Bishi Bashi
Polyphony GTI Club

But well, I don't see Sony buying Konami or its IPs.