Since 2019, Sony Interactive has bought 11 studios to bolster its lineup of first-party PlayStation titles. Nonetheless, Sony’s monitor document with these purchases is spotty at greatest. Three of the studios have been shut down utterly or can be within the close to future, together with Bluepoint.
The closure of Bluepoint is emblematic of Sony’s latest selections, which frequently reduce off the studios’ long-term survival possibilities whereas chasing short-term success. All three of the studios which were shuttered–including Bluepoint–were engaged on live-service video games for Sony that have been finally canceled.
There have been some success tales for Sony, notably with Insomniac, the studio behind the best-selling Spider-Man video games on PS4 and PS5. For among the others, the jury remains to be out. Bungie’s destiny might depend on how properly gamers obtain Marathon when it hits subsequent month.
The irony of Sony’s present console technology is that it seemingly does not have room for brand new titles from lots of PlayStation’s greatest franchises like Uncharted, Notorious, and Killzone. As an alternative, Sony has chased live-service video games whereas neglecting the single-player experiences that helped push it to the highest.
Now, GameSpot is trying again in any respect 11 of Sony’s studio purchases since 2019, and what turned of them.
Insomniac
Insomniac had a storied historical past previous to being bought by Sony in 2019. In its practically 30-year run, Insomniac produced Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance, all of which spawned franchises.
In 2018, Insomniac and Sony launched Marvel’s Spider-Man, among the finest superhero video games ever made. Sony bought the studio quickly after, and put it to work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2, and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine recreation.
However even this profitable studio hasn’t been immune from Sony’s layoffs.
Housemarque
Finnish developer Housemarque launched in 1995 with titles like Tremendous Stardust, Alien Incident, The Reap, and Supreme Snowboarding. Since 2013, Housemarque has launched video games that have been primarily made for Sony’s consoles.
Primarily based on the success of Housemarque’s Returnal, Sony bought the studio in 2021. Its subsequent recreation, Saros, is slated for launch on April 30.
Nixxes Software program
For many of its three a long time of existence, Nixxes Software program has both ported video games to different platforms or served as a help studio for AAA video games.
Nixxes’ monitor document previous to being acquired consists of the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy and Marvel’s Avengers. Since Sony bought the studio in 2021, it has labored on Horizon: Zero Daybreak, Marvel’s Spider-Man, The Final of Us Half 2 Remastered, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside, and extra.
The following recreation on the horizon for Nixxes is Saros, the place it supplied help for Housemarque.
Firesprite
Earlier than Firesprite was bought by Sony in 2021, it had already constructed a relationship with the corporate and labored on The Playroom for PlayStation 4. It additionally partnered with Sony on Run Sackboy! Run! and The Persistence.
Because the acquisition, Firesprite’s solely Sony recreation was the PSVR2 title Horizon: Name of the Mountain. The studio is co-developing the Theaters of Conflict mode for Star Citizen, a crowd-funded recreation by Cloud Imperium Video games that has been in early entry since 2017.
It is unclear if Firesprite is at the moment engaged on any titles for Sony.
Fabrik Video games
Fabrik Video games is a subsidy of Firesprite that was based by Graeme Ankers, one of many co-founders of the latter. Sony bought the studio shortly after shopping for Firesprite.
Since 2021, Fabrik hasn’t launched any new titles, however it reportedly labored on the canceled Twisted Metallic live-service recreation.
Bluepoint Video games
This yr would have been the twentieth anniversary of Bluepoint Video games, a studio that was famend for its remakes. Bluepoint’s shut relationship with Sony led to nice remakes for God of Conflict 1 and a couple of, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Assortment, Shadow of the Colossus, and Demon’s Souls.
After Sony formally bought the studio in 2021, it reportedly labored on a God of Conflict live-service recreation that was finally canceled. Subsequently, Sony has introduced that Bluepoint will shut down in March 2026.
Valkyrie Leisure
Valkyrie Leisure was based in 2002, and it has labored as a help studio on over 100 video games, together with Sony’s God of Conflict, Notorious, and Twisted Metallic.
Sony bought Valkyrie in 2021, and the studio subsequently contributed to Harmony. It is unknown if Valkyrie is at the moment engaged on one other recreation.
Haven Studios
Haven Studios is so new that it hasn’t launched a recreation but. The studio was based in 2021 and bought by Sony the subsequent yr. Its present title is the live-service recreation Fairgrounds. That recreation was introduced by Sony in 2023 and has subsequently been sidelined by delays.
Bungie
Bungie has been round in some type since 1991, however the studio hit its peak beginning with Halo: Fight Advanced in 2001. The studio’s success with that franchise was so immense that Bungie earned its independence from Microsoft.
Though Bungie has had some success with the live-service shooters Future and Future 2, recapturing the highs of Halo has been elusive. The stakes are excessive for Bungie’s new live-service title, Marathon, which is able to debut on March 5.
Neon Koi
Neon Koi was based in 2020 and bought by Sony in 2022. The studio had been engaged on a live-service cellular title earlier than the sport was canceled. Sony shut down the studio in 2024.
Firewalk Studios
Firewalk Studios’ solely recreation was Harmony, which started growth in 2018. Sony bought Firewalk in 2023 with an eye fixed in direction of making Harmony its subsequent massive live-service title.
Nonetheless, gamers’ dismal response to the sport led Sony to tug Harmony from storefronts simply two weeks after its launch. Sony subsequently shut down Firewalk and laid off its workers.
