PlayStation London Studio has issued a heartfelt goodbye after the closure of the veteran developer amid significant cuts across Sony’s gaming business.
In February, Sony announced a significant round of layoffs affecting around 900 staff, or about 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs impact a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and Firesprite, but PlayStation’s London studio was hit hardest with a notice of closure.
Now, the official PlayStation London Studio X/Twitter account has issued a statement thanking the players for their support:
“For over 20 years London Studio has been home to some exceptionally talented and wonderful people in the games industry. As we close the doors, and all go forward to new adventures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you, to all our past and present, players and colleagues who have supported us over the years. We’ve had one wild and wonderful journey! 👋💙”
For over twenty years London Studio has been home to some exceptionally talented and wonderful people in the games industry. As we close the doors, and all go forward to new adventures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you, to all our past and present, players and colleagues… pic.twitter.com/gXe4MnU6SI
— PlayStation London Studio (@LondonStudioHQ) May 21, 2024
PlayStation London Studio, created in 2002 following the merger of Psygnosis’s Camden studio and The Getaway developer Team Soho, is perhaps best-known for developing the SingStar series and working on experiences for PlayStation peripherals such as the EyeToy camera and the PlayStation VR headset. The studio had a number of high-profile games canceled over the years amid shifting demands from parent company Sony, including Eight Days and a sequel to The Getaway. In 2019 it released PSVR exclusive shooter Blood & Truth. Sony has yet to announce the cancelation of London Studio’s co-op PlayStation 5 game set in a modern fantasy London, but it seems likely.
In a blog post announcing the cuts, then-outgoing Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Jim Ryan issued an update on what he called a “difficult day at our company.”
“These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success, and we are very grateful for their contributions,” Ryan said. “However, the industry has changed immensely, and we need to future ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead. We need to deliver on expectations from developers and gamers and continue to propel future technology in gaming, so we took a step back to ensure we are set up to continue bringing the best gaming experiences to the community.”
In a separate blog post, then Head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, confirmed some games had been canceled as part of a “re-evaluation of how we operate”, but failed to name them. “We looked at our studios and our portfolio, evaluating projects in various stages of development, and have decided that some of those projects will not move forward,” Hulst said.
“I want to be clear that the decision to stop work on these projects is not a reflection on the talent or passion of team members. Our philosophy has always been to allow creative experimentation. Sometimes, great ideas don’t become great games. Sometimes, a project is started with the best intentions before shifts within the market or industry result in a change of plan.”
The Sony cuts come during one of the most difficult periods the game industry has ever faced, with mass layoffs throughout 2023 and continuing into 2024. Earlier this year, Microsoft axed an eye-watering 1,900 staff from its video game workforce following the $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard, and subsequently closed Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. IGN recently spoke to developers about these layoffs to try to explain what was causing them.
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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