Popular Post Abby_TheLastofUs Posted June 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) Developers of classic PlayStation hits including Returnal, Super Stardust HD, and Dead Nation join PlayStation Studios Quote Today I’m thrilled to welcome a new member to the PlayStation Studios family! I have been a fan of Housemarque since the studio’s early days when they introduced Super Stardust HD to PlayStation fans. Housemarque’s recent release of Returnal proves the studio is one with incredible vision, capable of creating memorable new games that resonate with our community. This addition enhances the creative force of PlayStation Studios, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Housemarque. Welcome to the family, Housemarque! From Ilari Kuittinen, Co-founder and Managing Director, Housemarque: Today is a big day for Housemarque and it has been over 26 years in the making. Our strong partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment started with Super Stardust HD on PS3 and since then we have made arcade inspired games for all of the PlayStation platforms. With Returnal for PS5, our most recent release, our biggest foray into third-person action gaming solidified our voice and brand in the industry as delivering unique and quality player experiences. We are so excited to finally join the PlayStation Studios family! This gives our studio a clear future and a stable opportunity to continue delivering on gameplay centric approaches, while still experimenting with new methods of narrative delivery and pushing the boundaries of this modern artform. Locally here in Helsinki, this also means that we will officially expand the PlayStation family to a growing industry hub and secure the legacy of the oldest game studio in Finland. Finally, what this means for our fans? We at Housemarque are gamers, and we have grown from the need to perfect and tinker with facets of games that we have found most fascinating. We are also not known for shying away from running our own course and trying out new combinations. With the backing of SIE and its family of studios supporting us, we can truly grow into our place in the industry and show what Housemarque can create with no limitations. We can’t wait to show everyone what will be in store in the upcoming years, and we hope to usher in more lasting memories and exhilarating titles for the next quarter century and beyond. Why PlayStation bought Returnal developer Housemarque: the inside story As for Bluepoint. PlayStation Japan Appears to Leak Bluepoint Games Acquisition Quote A tweet from the PlayStation Japan Twitter account has potentially revealed that the company has acquired Bluepoint Games, the American studio behind the Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus remakes. The now-deleted Tweet was spotted by ResetEra user modiz, as well as Nibel on Twitter. Both posted independent images of the tweet, which shows Japanese text accompanied by artwork for Bluepoint Games and the English text 'Welcome to the family.' The tweet was posted by PlayStation Japan at approximately the same time PlayStation announced the acquisition of Housemarque. The artwork used for both tweets is near identical aside from two key differences; one has Bluepoint Games' logo instead of Housemarque's, and the deleted image also has the Demon's Souls key art in the montage of games in the background. This suggests that PlayStation Japan may not have simply put the wrong logo up, but instead a whole incorrect piece of bespoke art for a forthcoming announcement. As such, it may potentially be a short amount of time until PlayStation announces the acquisition of Bluepoint Games. Welcoming Bluepoint Games to the PlayStation Studios family Quote “We’re thrilled to have officially joined PlayStation Studios! Austin, Texas has been home base for Bluepoint from when we first founded the studio back in 2006 and we’re now a team of close to 70 super-talented creatives and growing. While the studio has certainly grown over the past 15 years, our cultural beliefs have remained the same- to always push the envelope and create the highest-quality games possible all while having fun doing it. The focus on culture has been instrumental to our success and we’re excited that PlayStation Studios shares a similar culture and vision. PlayStation has such an iconic gaming catalog and for us there’s been nothing better than to bring some of gaming’s masterpieces to new players. Becoming a part of PlayStation Studios, empowers our team to raise the quality-bar even further and create even more impactful experiences for the PlayStation community. Thanks to everyone who’s supported us throughout the years – we can’t wait to bring you more amazing games in this next chapter for Bluepoint Games!” – Marco Thrush, President, Bluepoint Games Edited September 30, 2021 by Abby_TheLastofUs 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadly_Ha_Ha Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Rip in peace Housemarque 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turniplord Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 They've also bought Bluepoint Games - PS Japan accidentally published the picture welcoming them to the 'family' instead of the Housemarque one... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergen Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Microsoft: Bethesda Sony: Housemarque Is this going to appease the people who begged Sony to buy a powerful game studio in retaliation to Microsoft buying Bethesda? We shall see 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness1216 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Will be interesting to see the integration of working cultures. Finland tries to work as little as possible compared to Japans salary man culture. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcesius Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Well, the last Housemarque game that came out for Xbox was back in 2012, and that was some Angry Bird game, soooo ? I don't think XBox players will be crying over this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HusKy Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 10 minutes ago, turniplord said: They've also bought Bluepoint Games - PS Japan accidentally published the picture welcoming them to the 'family' instead of the Housemarque one... Yep, here's the tweet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DrBloodmoney Posted June 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) Both sensible acquisitions, in my opinion. Bluepoint have been a Sony-exclusive studio in all but name for many years now, and having a studio with their unique skill-set on hand will be an asset that never grows old - remakes and remasters are one thing, but Bluepoint remakes and remasters are quite another - always top quality and well done. Housemarque have a near flawless record on quality, and have been more Sony-leaning traditionally, and the symbiotic relationship can only have strengthened given that Returnal has been one of the bigger PS5 exclusive launches. Hopefully, Sony understand what Housemarque's unique appeal is, and don't get too hand-on on the creative side - remains to be seen, of course, but the proof will be in the pudding when the next game comes out. Edited June 29, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheArcadeKid Posted June 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 Smart move, but it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. Like Insomniac, Housemarque (and Bluepoint) are already strongly tied to PlayStation, and there's nothing to suggest that would've changed if they hadn't been bought out by Sony. These acquisitions aren't a competition, obviously, but even so, compare it with Microsoft's buy-out of ZeniMax and it's clear which move is the real shake-up. Sony's presumably doing this to save/make a little more money later down the line. Again, it's smart, but it's not going to protect them from the onslaught of Xbox console exclusives that'll be rolling out over the next two or three years. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ac3dUd3- Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Cant say I care about Housemarque, Ive only played Dead nation from them so this acquisition means nothing to me. I am excited about Bluepoint though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DrBloodmoney Posted June 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) 17 minutes ago, TheArcadeKid said: Smart move, but it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. Like Insomniac, Housemarque (and Bluepoint) are already strongly tied to PlayStation, and there's nothing to suggest that would've changed if they hadn't been bought out by Sony. These acquisitions aren't a competition, obviously, but even so, compare it with Microsoft's buy-out of ZeniMax and it's clear which move is the real shake-up. Sony's presumably doing this to save/make a little more money later down the line. Again, it's smart, but it's not going to protect them from the onslaught of Xbox console exclusives that'll be rolling out over the next two or three years. I think this is certainly true - but I wouldn't count out the idea that Sony is looking at doing a Moneyball here. They aren't likely in a position to buy one massive multi-studio conglomerate like Zenimax (they don't necessarily have the same liquid funds Microsoft do, and let's face it, there aren't many of those up for sale to pick from), however, this could be the start of a "make up for it in the aggregate" type of scenario. If Sony were to follow these acquisitions up with a few more smaller, but well regarded developers, and 'boutique' indie-type developers, (say, for example, and this is just speculation at best (and dreaming!,) of course, but the likes of FROM software / Supergiant / Supermassive etc.), they could theoretically make up for the big time loss of Bethesda and Arkane and id, by positioning themselves as the "home of quality not quantity", and play further into the whole 'Playstation is for Gamers' type stuff they have traditionally held to in marketing. A sort of HBO vs Network Television type marketing strategy? Edited June 29, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepheroithisgod Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 To be fair they were pretty much already exclusives. While it's nice that they are officially first-party, this doesn't really change anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quixotesque Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Now all I want is a Jak & Daxter remake made by BluePoint ❤️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmg_ps Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Buying Housemarque and Bluepoint (not certain, I know) is a great move. Sony does not have the buying potential that Microsoft has, but needs to assure players that they want to continue what they have been doing: have the best first-party games for its audience. Sony does not need to spend everything it has to buy Square Enix (or something on the same level) to continue its growth however it must not stop. Returnal and Resogun were well received and Bluepoint has been nailing the remakes. Solid and "affordable" studios. This makes sense. I'm not fanboying here (MS having Bethesda is a master move and I respect it) but Sony is playing it nicely. As always, only hope great games and people being respected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnichoj Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 2 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said: I think this is certainly true - but I wouldn't count out the idea that Sony is looking at doing a Moneyball here. They aren't likely in a position to buy one massive multi-studio conglomerate like Zenimax (they don't necessarily have the same liquid funds Microsoft do, and let's face it, there aren't many of those up for sale to pick from), however, this could be the start of a "make up for it in the aggregate" type of scenario. If Sony were to follow these acquisitions up with a few more smaller, but well regarded developers, and 'boutique' indie-type developers, (say, for example, and this is just speculation at best (and dreaming!,) of course, but the likes of FROM software / Supergiant / Supermassive etc.), they could theoretically make up for the big time loss of Bethesda and Arkane and id, by positioning themselves as the "home of quality not quantity", and play further into the whole Playstation is for Gamers type stuff they have traditionally held to. A sort of HBO vs Network Television type marketing strategy? Yeah, when I think Fallout and Elder Scrolls I don't think about them being games that people that like to play video games would like to play... Like someone else said, these acquisitions are just to save them money in the long run and this is not a foreshadowing lead up "of things to come". They got House to lock up Returnal exclusivity and all their future titles without the need to money hat exclusivity. Bluepoint while they paid more to get them now, they don't have to give them a commission fee for each new project in the future. Sony is most likely not getting From and nothing Sony does will come anywhere close to what the Zenimax aq was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, mcnichoj said: Yeah, when I think Fallout and Elder Scrolls I don't think about them being games that people that like to play video games would like to play.. Like someone else said, these acquisitions are just to save them money in the long run and this is not a foreshadowing lead up "of things to come". They got House to lock up Returnal exclusivity and all their future titles without the need to money hat exclusivity. Bluepoint while they paid more to get them now, they don't have to give them a commission fee for each new project in the future. Sony is most likely not getting From and nothing Sony does will come anywhere close to what the Zenimax aq was. Well, yes, of course, no one is disupting that Zenimax games are good - but you can only piss with the cock you've got, and Microsoft has locked that one in it's own bathroom. I'm just speculating on what Sony are looking at long term in order to counter any fallout from it - they don't have the capital for a massive acquisition of that nature, but do have the relationships that might allow for more of a "bigger than the sum of their parts" type multi-acquisition broad spectrum to stave off potential bleeding of user base. - remember, despite the big play by Microsoft, they did start off from more of a position of strength, given the broader spectrum of exclusives they already had. Edited June 29, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatMuttGuy Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 I'm not huge on the idea of exclusivity, but I'd much rather have these two studios for PS5 than Bethesda.....by a large margin. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post InfraRedPS Posted June 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 Super Stardust HD was the first game to receive trophies in 2008 so about time they became part of the family ? I remember that day well as it set off 13 years of trophy hunting. Coincidentally, this Friday will be the 13th anniversary of PlayStation trophies! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreakon13 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 The funny thing is, this may actually make it more likely that we see games like Demon's Souls remake and Returnal ported to PC. If Sony is the mastermind behind the recent wave of PC ports... they may also be the mastermind behind funding it. Which I'm sure they're more likely to do for a Playstation Studio studio than a team they just have a good relationship with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 3 minutes ago, InfraRedPS said: Super Stardust HD was the first game to receive trophies in 2008 so about time they became part of the family Huh - I hadn't even thought of that - you're right - seems like kismet now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtua_Vince Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Sergen said: Microsoft: Bethesda Sony: Housemarque Is this going to appease the people who begged Sony to buy a powerful game studio in retaliation to Microsoft buying Bethesda? We shall see Something comparable to Bethesda in terms of IP's and scale would be Square Enix. Of course, that'll never happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaivRules Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 This seems like it was likely to happen naturally at one point anyway based on the publishing history of these two studios. People may try to frame this as a PlayStation reaction to Microsoft's previous purchase, but if the viewpoint is to be over-simplified and framed as a tit-for-tat, it seems more like PlayStation had a bunch of strong first party studios and Microsoft made purchases in reaction to trying to match PlayStation. This move brings two well-established AA developers into PlayStation Studios and bolsters their strengths, rather than one-upping another company. I'm hoping neither studio goes full AAA route and keeps making quality AA titles and sets an example for other aspiring developers out there. The more AA studios we have, the more we all win. I would much rather these studios stay independent and choose on their own to developer for the platforms they choose, but if they're able to get better support and more opportunities by being a first party studio, then good for them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucienNL Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Amazing news if true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 3 minutes ago, DaivRules said: People may try to frame this as a PlayStation reaction to Microsoft's previous purchase, but if the viewpoint is to be over-simplified and framed as a tit-for-tat, it seems more like PlayStation had a bunch of strong first party studios and Microsoft made purchases in reaction to trying to match PlayStation. I agree that seeing this as a 1 to 1, blow for blow reaction to Microsoft is likely not the only thing behind it, and that both studios would likely have gone this route eventually, but I think it is wrong to discount the impact of Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax entirely. Sure, these might have happened eventually, but to think that anything happening of this nature in the current climate is not in some way influenced by the massive impact on the console landscape that Microsoft's move had is borderline naive. The idea that a play of that magnitude, and the shockwaves it sent, that will be felt for years to come, are not directly influencing corporate decision making at Sony is foolhardy - and if it was the case, it would border on corporate negligence on Sony's part. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucienNL Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 46 minutes ago, ThatMuttGuy said: I'm not huge on the idea of exclusivity, but I'd much rather have these two studios for PS5 than Bethesda.....by a large margin. Same. A very large margin! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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