Santa Monica Studio is already in the A-tier of developers. Not only do they produce a very successful franchise, they’ve helped a lot of other Sony developers with their projects on the side.
My take on the article is that the author acknowledges that Sony Santa Monica are a quality Dev team but aren't in the discussion of "best developers" just yet. If someone asked me who the best dev teams are I'd say Rockstar, Naughty Dog, Nintendo, From Software and Blizzard. There's a few more I'd say before I'd think to say SSM. Maybe that's just me though.
That simply means that's just you you might have some favorites and that's completely fine but that doesn't actually discredit this development team in any way shape or form.
I mean you're talking about a development team that helps other development teams.... so at any one time this team is literally working on like five other projects to help the technical aspects of other Sony Computer Entertainment Games so when you're done playing some of their games look at the credits and you might see this team credited for assisting and either creating the engine or assisting in somewhere in the development.
as far as coming up in conversation, I'd think of SSM much quicker than blizzard - actually, I agree with your list except for blizzard - take them out and add SSM to the list.
No, Blizzard deserves to be on that list.I do not play many of their games, but each of their games have a community that lasts decades. Every game they have ever released has been GotY candidate.
I don’t see why Santa Monica Studio wouldn’t be thought highly of as one of the most competent teams in this industry.
God of War - 94 on Metacritic God of War 2 - 93 on Metacritic God of War 3 - 92 on Metacritic God of War: Ascension - 80 on Metacritic
That doesn’t even mention the numerous collaborations they’ve worked on over the years.
This developer has made it big since 13 years ago. This article is 13 years too late to even be considered relevant.
If the author doesn’t see how the God of War series has already put this developer in the upper echelon, I don’t see how he/she thinks God of War 4 has a chance at doing so.
Even if you personally don’t think of Santa Monica Studio as a top tier developer, why would you, the author, or anybody somehow think God of War 4 would somehow make it one?
The logic makes absolutely no sense. This article’s basic premise falls apart in so many regards.
Article reads like he only started gaming recently. GOW was already a critical and commercial hit for the studio 13 years ago. All three main titles cracked 90% averages. You can’t ask for more.
Article really buffs up ND while seemingly unaware of Polyphony Digital, Sucker Punch, Media Molecule etc who have also had hits dating back through various hardwares. Or that GG was good before Horizon. KZ2 is still rated higher on meta.
They are great but really I know how a number of great devs and a handful of tier 1 devs.
I think we're all saying they a great dev though. I personally pur rockstar and naughty dog far above anyone else just do to the range of titles and the work of art each one was. I put from software pretty close up there.
Makes sense. I actually never thought of it this way, but personally SSM has always been on my lists of best devs. Thy are indeed not heard as much as other devs are for some reason
Author is clearly out of touch with the topic if they believe SSM was not considered an "A-team" before.
Did the author knew how successful the God of War franchise has been since the PS2 days? The trailers for their games has been always been considered one of, if not the most watched video game trailers too.
Their games has been selling millions per release since two generations ago. So idk what the author is doing with this article. It really all leads me to believe said author must have been gaming relatively recently.
I mean SSM is even part of the Sony Ice Team, where they contribute tech, knowledge, aid in development, etc. across their other smaller game studios and partners.
He can't, cdpr and rockstar are also up in god tier. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume he's only got a PlayStation so those just immediately came to mind.
Sony Santa Monica has been S tier already! Achieving 60 fps on the Ps3 with those graphics and deflection in GoW 3, their endless imagination when it comes to set pieces and enemy design... they are the prodigy son of the Sony family. Get with the program author.
Agreed and when god of war first came out it was the first to take the genre in that direction, there was nothing like it. I love how they are refreshing the series by adding a deep story to it about a new direction in kratos is journey and building a bond. Game is going to be amazing.
This author is losing lots of credibility if they don't know that the studio has always been at the highest Echelon in regards to game development.
All they need to do is go back and read the reviews of God of War 1. Reviewers and developers were in shock that this team was able to do something like what they did on the PlayStation 2.
This is one of the Sony developers that is always been known to push boundaries every single generation. It's why this is one of the biggest key Studios at Sony Computer Entertainment that assist in helps in multiple franchises whether you know it or not.
All you have to do is play a Sony Computer Entertainment game in somewhere in their credit you're likely going to see this team credited because they assist in lots of the heavy lifting on other Studios.
This just sounds like the author is completely ignorant to what this team actually does lol
After Santa Monica Studio developed Kinectica people were caught off guard by how critically and commercially received God of War became.
It’s very disrespectful of this author to neglect this developer’s past accomplishments & success like they mean very little in a puff piece to make God of War 4 look good.
It makes little sense how one can say the successful God of War series & their other collaborations doesn’t make SMS a top tier developer, but their latest game would.
The main offices for ICE team are actually in SSM studios, as in the people who work specifically doing the stuff ICE team wants to implement. The leads however aren't really a centralized group that all work in one office together, ICE team is comprised of people from a lot of their studios, and they will often use people from any office. I think the planning for how ICE team progresses is out of the ND studio, because the ICE lead works at ND last I heard.
The author is correct in one sense and incorrect in another sense.
They’re incorrect in the sense that when people hear “sony Santa Monica” it already has a weight to its reputation. They’re known for producing one of the best action-adventure franchises of all time at a consistent frequency, and that itself is deserving of their high status.
They’re correct in then sense of santa monica has not yet hit their ceiling such as maybe naughty dog has. Consider how there are social classes such as: lower, middle and upper. Even within these classes there are sub-classes (upper-middle class for example). Santa Monica has been maybe a upper-lower/middle class thanks to the god of war franchise. Now that they are maturing and adding depth to the franchise, they’re nudging it even further to that next level. I think one obvious indication of this is how the new direction has drawn a new fanbase, a base which would have normally been not interested in the franchise.
well, here is hoping this game will be better than god of war 2 and 3 which were basically the exact same games. i hope this time they put a little bit of effort into variety and not only into depicting gore. just because some dudes think brutal gameplay is all it needs, well, doesn‘t make them automatically the top tier of game devs. some kids are really cringeworthy.
I'm extremely excited about this game. I always used to but Good of War games for the graphics and lose interest. I feel like this is more my speed. Not sure about what others think, but it looks like a great adventure game.
What’s this author smoking?
Santa Monica Studio is already in the A-tier of developers. Not only do they produce a very successful franchise, they’ve helped a lot of other Sony developers with their projects on the side.
lol what ? the're only competing with themselves to be honest, they are way beyond anything out there, well , them and naughty dogs, and guerilla
Sony Santa Monica has been S tier already! Achieving 60 fps on the Ps3 with those graphics and deflection in GoW 3, their endless imagination when it comes to set pieces and enemy design... they are the prodigy son of the Sony family. Get with the program author.
this is the gaming journalism of today. pathetic really.
They already are.