Since 2019, Sony Interactive has bought 11 studios to bolster its lineup of first-party PlayStation titles. Nevertheless, Sony’s observe document with these purchases is spotty at finest. 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 current decisions, which frequently lower 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, significantly with Insomniac, the studio behind the best-selling Spider-Man video games on PS4 and PS5. For a few of 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 spanking new titles from a lot of PlayStation’s largest franchises like Uncharted, Notorious, and Killzone. As a substitute, Sony has chased live-service video games whereas neglecting the single-player experiences that helped push it to the highest.
Now, GameSpot is wanting again in any respect 11 of Sony’s studio purchases since 2019, and what grew to become of them.
Insomniac
Insomniac had a storied historical past previous to being bought by Sony in 2019. In its almost 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 best 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 sport.
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 sport, Saros, is slated for launch on April 30.
Nixxes Software program
For many of its three many years of existence, Nixxes Software program has both ported video games to different platforms or served as a help studio for AAA video games.
Nixxes’ observe document previous to being acquired contains 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 subsequent sport 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 sport was the PSVR2 title Horizon: Name of the Mountain. The studio is co-developing the Theaters of Battle mode for Star Citizen, a crowd-funded sport by Cloud Imperium Video games that has been in early entry since 2017.
It is unclear if Firesprite is presently 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, but it surely reportedly labored on the canceled Twisted Metallic live-service sport.
Bluepoint Video games
This 12 months 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 Battle 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 Battle live-service sport 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 Battle, Notorious, and Twisted Metallic.
Sony bought Valkyrie in 2021, and the studio subsequently contributed to Harmony. It is unknown if Valkyrie is presently engaged on one other sport.
Haven Studios
Haven Studios is so new that it hasn’t launched a sport but. The studio was based in 2021 and bought by Sony the following 12 months. Its present title is the live-service sport Fairgrounds. That sport 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 Developed 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 can 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 cell title earlier than the sport was canceled. Sony shut down the studio in 2024.
Firewalk Studios
Firewalk Studios’ solely sport was Harmony, which started improvement in 2018. Sony bought Firewalk in 2023 with a watch in the direction of making Harmony its subsequent large live-service title.
Nevertheless, 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 staff.
