You know what seems to be popular nowadays in the world of video games? Studio acquisitions. And for anyone wondering if the practice is going to continue being a trend, today’s news pretty much affirms it. If you recall, the new studio from video game producer Jade Raymond, Haven Studios, was working with PlayStation on a new IP last year. It looks like the two companies became best buddies, as PlayStation has now acquired Haven Studios outright.
Here’s the head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, announcing the purchase:
Excited to officially welcome @HavenStudiosinc to PlayStation Studios! Super impressed by @ibjade and her talented team, and their vision for an original multiplayer game for PlayStation. Congrats to everyone at Haven! pic.twitter.com/EjWFbh1HEc
— Hermen Hulst (@hermenhulst) March 21, 2022
The PlayStation.Blog elaborates on all the details regarding the acquisition, and Jade Raymond herself wrote a bit about becoming a part of the PlayStation family. Her studio is developing a AAA multiplayer IP “focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years.” She further elaborated on the benefits of Haven Studios joining PlayStation:
As a SIE first-party studio, we will have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned development teams, including studios like Guerrilla, Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, and Insomniac Games, the creators of games that have inspired us as players and developers for years. We’re excited to learn from these world-class studios, as well as the exceptional central creative, technology and marketing teams whose expertise will enable us to deliver even better games to players.
As a AAA multiplayer experience focused on delivering years of entertainment, it sounds like it will be a live-service product. Hopefully, it won’t be filled with microtransactions and will actually be fun to play, unlike some games. Let’s try to be optimistic!
