Terrible gen continues: Sony closes Down Guerilla Cambridge

[Dominic Brehetto]

GamesIndustry.biz has learned that Sony is closing the Cambridge branch of Guerrilla Games. All employees will be laid off.

Sony has confirmed the impending shutdown to us, saying that the compulsory redundancies are "regrettable". The decision to close the studio comes from a review of all current PlayStation projects and resources, with the platform holder concluding: "It is necessary to make some changes to the European studios structure... in order to deliver on our strategic objectives".

Guerrilla Games Amsterdam, developer of Horizon: Zero Dawn and the Killzone series, will not be affected. We have contacted Sony to find out if other European studios are closing.

Snippet of Sony's statement:

Whilst we accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff, by focusing on other Studios with exciting new projects in development, (including continued work on PlayStation VR), we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality to our players. This decision should not take anything away from the incredible games and services that Guerrilla Cambridge has delivered.

More at the link.
La

 

[Dominic Brehetto]

And the number of studios closing it's doors continues.

Console gaming is slowly dying.

These studios aren't being replaced. Everybody is either leaving the industry or switching to indies.


Sony studio stable Contines to grow smaller


And what does this say about VR when the studio they had making their big launch game closes it's doors?

Who's going to make VR games for Sony?

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

Not disagreeing with you, but could it be possible that as technology continues to advance, they are finding themselves in a position to be able to streamline the company more than before?
I've never had any interest in the business side of video games. Do you keep up with this information? Is there proof the actual video game market shrunk and if so can it be attributed to anything specific?
Again, I'm not saying you're wrong in what you're saying, just that I've never kept up with the business aspect and wonder if you already have a general grasp of what's really going on and why. (Outside of the stan responses we see on here all the time "That's because console gaming is dead because the PC master race runs this blah blah blah").
I know consumer habits have changed drastically as a consequence of the changes in the economy overall.

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

PlayStation is on its last legs.

 

[Kingshango]

As if Medevil wasn't dead enough already.

 

[Cladyclad]

I love Rigs but other than that I never played one of their games

 

[Grand Conde]

AAA exclusives are getting more and more expensive, smaller studios are going to fall by the wayside unfortunately to pay for it.

 

[Fatboi1]

Beast Wars: Transformers 1997 PlayStation
Frogger 1997 PlayStation
MediEvil 1998 PlayStation
MediEvil 2 2000 PlayStation
C-12: Final Resistance 2001 PlayStation
Primal 2003 PlayStation 2
Ghosthunter 2003 PlayStation 2
MediEvil: Resurrection 2005 PlayStation Portable
24: The Game 2006 PlayStation 2
PlayTV 2008 PlayStation 3
LittleBigPlanet 2009 PlayStation Portable
TV Superstars 2010 PlayStation 3

Killzone: Mercenary 2013 PlayStation Vita
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League 2016 PlayStation VR[5]

I don't really think this is a big deal. There's nothing here really lost. They don't support Vita anymore and the 1/2 games they made recently aren't anything that can't be handled elsewhere. Just like when Evolution studios closed for their own reasons(broken games, delayed launch, flops etc.), they ended up having some of that team's devs join another team from Evolution to continue making racers.

 

[D1renegade]

This effectively kills the future of my favorite VR game and now I'm regretting getting the PSVR. Sony rewards it's VR pioneers by killing them.

@ Sony for this.

 

[Dwolf]

PlayStation is on its last legs.

 

[chemicalsword]

PlayStation is on its last legs.

 

[Deezay]

As long as Killzone and Horizon still on deck...

 

[marcuz]

PSVR needs a Home-like social game. a vr theatre, a indie vr games in the arcade, avatars, customizable homes; shyt would get it poppin.

 

[cfountain]

I LOVED Killzone Mercenary. Much better game than Shadow Fall

Terrible news for them, and hopefully they land on their feet.

 

[Dominic Brehetto]

I don't really think this is a big deal. There's nothing here really lost. They don't support Vita anymore and the 1/2 games they made recently aren't anything that can't be handled elsewhere. Just like when Evolution studios closed for their own reasons(broken games, delayed launch, flops etc.), they ended up having some of that team's devs join another team from Evolution to continue making racers.

You don't think the fact that the studio that made sonys premiere launch VR game closed is troubling?

Who else is going to make VR games?


This is a distinct pattern.


What else is next?

What if dreams bombs? Media molecule would close


What if days gone bombs? Sony bend will close.

How's Sony London doing?


How many studios does Sony have that can survive a bomb? Naughty dog? Santa Monica maybe?


What studios is Sony creating to fill these closures? They aren't