PlayStation is closing down yet another one of their British studios, before it could manage to ship a single game. PlayStation's Manchester branch opened in 2015, and was intended to develop and release PlayStation VR titles, and while the studio was confirmed to be working on one game, that is now no longer the case. This is the third shuttering of a PlayStation development branch in the UK, following the closure of Guerilla Cambridge and Evolution Studios in the last four years. Two British teams yet remain under PlayStation's label: Media Molecule and London Studio.

The firm confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that it intends 'to close it as part of our efforts to improve efficiency and operational effectiveness'.

Source

 

[DANTENDO]

Nice going Sony! Maybe, just maybe, actually letting the company make a game would bring more finical success than this, maybe. I dunno, maybe that's just me.

Yes it was nice going the game or games must of not been sony standard

 

[Lazyt]

I really wonder what they have been working on

 

[Nobody_Important4u]

I am paying respect with my F.

 

[pedro702]

well if they couldnt make a decent game in 5 years i mean they had enough time...

only nintendo lets studios be years and years without releasing anything like retro studios lol.

 

[smf]

It's terrible news for the people who are now without a job, but Sony isn't a charity. We will likely never hear about what went on there, but it's unlikely that it's just bad corporate Sony pushing them around.

 

[PrincessLillie]

But they did have a project? Like it's mentioned right there in the first post.

Yes, but to my understanding nothing ever happened with it, so can it really be considered a project?

 

[matias3ds]

VR just doesn't work , people don't want to wear glasses as it was shown on 3D TV's

 

[Bladexdsl]

sony have finally realized VR is just a FAD that won't last

 

[JuanMena]

You just wait until Nintendo does more VR and:
BADDA-BING BADDA-BUM SONY VR ONCE AGAIN!
IT'S FUCKING MAGICAL!

 

[dimmidice]

Yes, but to my understanding nothing ever happened with it, so can it really be considered a project?

They were working on it, they just never finished it. So yeah that perfectly defines a project. If it was finished it'd be a product.

 

[pedro702]

They were working on it, they just never finished it. So yeah that perfectly defines a project. If it was finished it'd be a product.

im guessing they scratched and started over the project multiple times and never got to even being done, so they probably did alot of unfinished projects and scrapped them.

 

[warweeny]

Sony opens a studio (with hopes of making cool games)
Studio does not deliver in 5 years (so only money going into the sinkhole)
Studio is shut down by sony (to keep the losses to a minimum)

And sony is the badguy?
people really need to have a reality check here on this forum.

 

[dimmidice]

im guessing they scratched and started over the project multiple times and never got to even being done, so they probably did alot of unfinished projects and scrapped them.

....yeah

 

[64bitmodels]

oh how sad, i don't know but there's this weird feeling in me that keeps saying "who gives a fuck, vr sucks and there's not really many worthwhile games on it..."

 

[The Frenchman]

So many people spewing shit without even knowing what the hell they're blabbering about...

They couldn't make anything worthwile.

London and MediaMolecule aren't in play, they're making good products. Mm might get a little slap to the hand if Dreams ends up bombing. London are one of the best VR studio. PSVR Worlds sold very well and Blood and Truth really is a fine VR title.

 

[KingVamp]

As some pointed out, one studio (that we don't even know what they were working on) closing down doesn't mean anything about PSVR. PSVR 2 has already been rumored and there are patents.

That said, I hope we get some info on that game.

 

[Joe88]

Generally after 5 years and they still have nothing to show for it, nothing to show to the public and sony probably wasnt impressed whatever they were shown in private if there was something to even be shown that is...
The studio deserved to get axed, it might have been mismanagement from the higher ups, or people just showing up to work, fucking around all day and collecting a pay check.

 

[gamesquest1]

one of the reasons I kinda think its better for companies like Sony/Nintendo to buy up existing developers with a track record of producing the goods, it no doubt takes a bit of time getting a quality staff that gel together, I have seen many projects fail because of conflicting personalities all trying to pull a project in different directions, that said thats probably the reason why many successful small time devs collapse shortly after a buyout as the buyer will usually try to take creative control or hamfist some of their buddies into the company to mark their territory and mess everything up

 

[EntermateStar]

They really seem to like wasting money don't they :/

 

[notimp]

Thats a great headline. Well done.