London Studio was a British video game developer based in London. Founded in 2002, it was a first-party studio for PlayStation Studios. The studio was best known for developing the SingStar series, as well as games for PlayStation's external peripherals including the EyeToy camera and the PlayStation VR virtual reality headset. The studio created more than 60 titles since it was established.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Team Soho |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Defunct | 21 May 2024 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Key people |
|
| Products | |
| Parent | PlayStation Studios |
| Website | playstationlondonstudio |
History
editSingStar and EyeToy
editLondon Studio was established in 2002 following the merger of Psygnosis's Camden studio and Team Soho, the developer behind The Getaway.[2] As London Studio, the studio developed the SingStar series, which became extremely popular and helped broaden the appeal of the PlayStation 2 beyond the typical demographics of young male gamers. The series sold more than 20 million copies within 6 years.[3] It also created a lot of games for Sony's EyeToy webcam, and assisted the development of other Sony titles, such as Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet.[4] The studio was working on two AAA exclusives for the PlayStation 3 including Eight Days and the sequel to The Getaway, but both were cancelled by Sony Europe as Sony wanted to reallocate resources to other first-party games.[5]
Virtual reality
editLondon Studio developed a virtual reality (VR) rendering technology, called LSSDK, which supports PlayStation 4 and PC. This engine was first used in PlayStation VR Worlds, which contained five virtual reality experiences: "The London Heist", "Into The Deep", "VR Luge", "Danger Ball" and "Scavenger's Odyssey".[6] While VR Worlds received mixed reviews, "London Heist" was critically acclaimed, and the game was commercially successful. Developing titles for the virtual reality headset became the company's main focus.[7] The studio's next game was Blood & Truth, which serves as the successor to the London Heist level. It became the first VR title to reach number 1 on the UK's retail sales chart when it was released in May 2019.[8]
In 2022, the studio was working on a cooperative multiplayer game for the PlayStation 5. Set in a modern fantasy London, it was described by studio head Tara Saunders as the company's "most ambitious project to-date". Players wouldn't need to use a virtual reality headset to play this game.[9]
Closure
editIn February 2024, Sony announced that it was proposing the closure of the studio as part of wider layoffs that includes 8% of the company's workforce, or 900 employees.[10] The studio closed in May 2024.[11]
Games developed
editReferences
edit- ^ Avard, Alex (4 October 2020). "Here's every PlayStation Studio, and the games they're currently working on". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Exposed, Marco (25 May 2019). "Blood & Truth: who are the guys from London Studio and what The Getaway was". IGN. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Handrahan, Matthew (16 October 2019). "Sony will close down SingStar servers in January 2020". Gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Boxer, Steve (28 April 2008). "Inside Sony's Secret Powerhouse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2 August 2011). "Cancelled Eight Days was "jaw dropping"". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Answer, James (March 2016). "Fast and Flexible: Technical Art and Rendering For The Unknown". GDC Vault. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ^ Lang, Ben (8 November 2017). "Sony's London Studio Doubles Down With VR as Its Top Priority". RoadtoVR. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (3 June 2019). "UK Charts: Blood & Truth is the first VR game to claim No.1". Gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (27 October 2022). "Why PlayStation London Studio is leaving VR to create a fantasy online combat game". Gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Difficult News About Our Workforce". Sony Interactive Entertainment. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (21 May 2024). "PlayStation London Studio Issues Heartfelt Goodbye After Sony Studio Closure". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "SingStar coming soon to PS4 with free microphone app". blog.eu.playstation.com. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.