Welcoming Haven Studios to the PlayStation Studios family

Montreal-based studio’s first new IP for PlayStation is a AAA multiplayer experience.

[GaboonViper]

Very nice, look forward to see what they are cooking up.

[Terry_B]

Mass market Shit. This acquisition was a mistake.

[arkard]

Mass market pays the bills. And we literally know next to nothing about the game.

[BehindTheRows]

I'm sure you know that better than Sony...

[NotoriousWhiz]

^ I dislike when people ask pointed questions with no basis for the question.

[Vengeance1138]

You expect hyper niche, obscure studio games to sell millions?? You must be brand new to gaming, welcome!

[z2g]

Sony prepping for live service games. Same reason they bought Bungie.

[neutralgamer1992]

I think we should wait and see before passing judgement. Sony this generation wants to focus on MP along with single player. They have the IP's just need the right developers

We could see Bungie take over killzone of socom and really do justice to the IP'

arkard

You are right sir one hit AAA MP game can cover for multiple single player games. Sony wants their live service success like other big publishers and this way they can continue revenue each month while they can let their legacy studios keep making AAA Blockbusters

Last few Sony games have gotten 88/89 out of 100 and I see trolls making fun of that. I guess every game has to be 9.5/10. It's mindset like this that has closed down mid size publishers like THQ and midway to name a few. Right now gaming is either AAA or indie while there is definitely room for AA games

[Nyxus]

I hope the next studio they buy will be single player focused.

[RaidenBlack]

hope so

[Nyxus]

Well the upside is that if studios like Bungie and this one focus on multiplayer, the existing studios like Santa Monica, Insomniac and Naughty Dog can keep focusing on single player.

[RaidenBlack]

@Nyxus
Sony is also partnering with Deviation Games and Firewalk Studios to publish new multiplayer titles.
But the things is current studios are also shifting focus towards multiplayer/live-service projects.
Rumors are both Sucker Punch and Naughty Dog are focusing on a multiplayer/live-service game next. (Although ND seems to have 2 projects in development, but still) [And happy to proven the Sucker Punch rumor, wrong]
Pretty sure Cory Barlog's next project won't be live service one but who knows.

[-Foxtrot]

Literally was just going to say that

Like...come on Sony, first Bungie now this, they are both studios which are developing live service shit

Yes, I know, we haven't seen anything from this studio yet but live service/multiplayer is what it says on the tin, you know how it's probably going to go.

[Vengeance1138]

Like it or not Fortnite and Apex Legends make more money than any other game out there. Live Service prints money IF its done well. This is a very smart move for Sony to invest in live service.

[-Foxtrot]

“ very smart move for Sony to invest in live service”

Sure…until they become greedy

[Vengeance1138]

@foxtrot

Is Fortnite greedy? Apex Legends? I'd say so and yet, still the top games ever made and aren't going away anytime soon.

[jznrpg]

Well , many loved Socom and Warhawk and stuff like that so it makes sense as those were live service games and they were successful . It’s not like they never made these games they mostly took a break during PS4 .
There is room for both and I don’t mind them buying some companies for live service as it will help fund single player even if A lot of us won’t play the live service stuff .

Sony knows single player is what got them to where they are . They have expanded a lot and maybe some these studios who are making live service stuff work on single player someday too as they grow . who knows? it’s not out of the question .
Either way there is room for some live service stuff as long as it isn’t the focus as whole . They didn’t have live service studios and they bought a few lately so it seems like the focus but overall the majority of studios make single player games .

[RauLeCreuset]

@Foxtrot

Do you honestly not see the irony of raging at AAA single player game developers because some elements of a story weren't to your liking, only to later fly into a panic over Sony's direction because a couple of new acquisitions might maybe potentially release live service games?

What about your fandom would encourage a publisher to take a risk on a AAA single player experience instead of going for the easy live service money?

[SurgicalMenace]

@Foxtrot

The great thing about it all, greedy or not, you're not obligated to support it. It's awesome when the choice remains intact; imagine them forcing you to support.

[TheTony316]

Just because their first project is a multiplayer game doesn't mean that they won't make SP games in the future.

"Obviously we will always carry on making these single-player narrative-based games such as Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and Horizon Forbidden West," Hulst emphasises.

[S2Killinit]

Were you not one of the people that absolutely hated a single player game because of story decisions? Now you are the guardian of single player games because they went and bought a multiplayer focused developer…

On another note, this trend of buying studios is terrible. It points to the industry moving toward streaming services. We can all thank the gamepasses of the world for this.

[ABizzel1]

We'll see. They're enhancing their multiplayer-focused experiences because a successful ongoing multiplayer game is a significantly larger and more consistent source of income compared to a single-player game. So these acquisitions are as important if not more as it keeps their current devs focused on making great single player.

I assume they'll have a couple of other notable acquisitions this year, and will partake in the publisher wars a bit later when they have their business goals on target (getting PS5 production improved, game roadmaps locked down for 2023 and beyond, launch PSVR2, and get pre-production PS5 slim and PS5 Pro done). All of which should be locked down sometime this year.

[1Victor]

I don’t t care my trigger is itching for a good online multiplayer like Warhawk and Starhawk my hawk withdrawal is driving crazier than LOGICWINS comments 😩.
If Sony buying more “live services” studios means I can get a amazing iconic game like those above they can take my wallet now

[Jin_Sakai]

“I hope the next studio they buy will be single player focused.“

Doesn’t really matter to me. I like variety. Sony already has many great single player games and more coming down the pipeline.

[Nyxus]

But they already acquired several multiplayer studios now. How many are people going to play? Don't they usually play the same game for a long time? That's different for single player games, there is more room for them in general since you finish them and move on to the next one.

[Jin_Sakai]

“But they already acquired several multiplayer studios now. How many are people going to play?“

Not every multiplayer game will be a hit so having many choices will be better and give a higher chance of one becoming a popular new franchise.

[PS-Gamer-1986]

@Jin_Sakai

This! I dislike live service games as much as the next guy, but i agree there have been many failed live service games for the ones that became successful.

If they land a smash hit and it also help fund great single player games, i'm ok with it, as long as their whole focus doesn't shift to making this kind of games.

[TheTony316]

Just because their first project is a multiplayer title doesn't mean that they won't make SP games in the future.

[smashman98]

Sonys single player is rock solid tho. They consistently put out the best single player games every year.

[UncertainCategory]

Acquisitions fill gaps. Sony has single player on lock, they make some of the best story based single player games in the business. Their multiplayer and live service offerings though are not at the same level. Most if not all of the highest played PSN+ online games are not first party.

Makes sense they would make acquisitions that improve their competitiveness in areas where they are currently weak, rather than reinforce areas they already have dominance in. This is a smart acquisition for them.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I don't even play many online multiplayer games (I only play one or two games on/off, I can go weeks without playing one), most of my multiplayer games are couch multiplayer, and there's not many of those games these days.

I appreciate single player games more, alot of multiplayer games don't hold my attention, or they get shutdown after a short period (Titanfall 2, I wish I had more time with that game).

[JEECE]

Hmm, buying a studio so early is an odd move for Sony. They must have been impressed with the initial work they have seen from Haven, and wanted to lock them down.

[Christopher]

I'm thinking that it's also much harder to get funding for new studios with the way the market is today and the volatility of studios as the industry is moving very fast with acquisitions lately. This might have a lot more to do with funding than general interest.

[Bladesfist]

Even if you fund a new studio you need experienced devs so you're probably going to poach talent from somewhere. Zero to hero is super rare in AAA game development.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

@Bladesfist,

I was actually trying to find out what this studio has done before (they seem to have some experienced devs from other studios), they've put out nothing yet, but looking at the talents there, they've had people working on a wide variety of games. So I'm not sure what kind of game to expect from them.

[Ozzy2407]

Jade Raymond got a good background in Games coming from Ubisoft she wes the Producer of a few of the Assassins Creed games, Farcry , Sims

[Imortus_san]

They only buy extra cheap studios.

[SullysCigar]

Sure, there's some truth to that. Cheap doesn't equal bad.

They sure seem to buy wise and for a specific purpose, rather than for impact/headlines.

Insomniac looks more like a steal every time Phil sticks his hand in his boss's wallet.

[Chevalier]

Insomniacs was 'cheap' yet their Spiderman game literally outsells every single Xbox studios games what's your point?! Bet you Insomniacs has their 2nd 20+ million selling game before Xbox studios even has 1.

[Teflon02]

Not too odd for them. Mm was almost this situation if I remember correctly. They went to Nintendo, MS and Sony about funding and publishing LittleBIGPlanet. Sony was on board and unless I remember wrong, it was only a few months after it dropped that Sony acquired them and that was their first title I think. I honestly don't remember it well. But I feel it was almost the same

[SonyStyled]

Based off my memory Media Molecule was purchased after LBP2 released in 2010/11. Founded by former Lionhead Studios devs

[sparky77]

Smart to buy them now when they are dirt cheap, hopefully their game is a success.

[SoulWarrior]

Just hope Jim and Herman don't forget it's the excellent array of SP games that's brought them huge success since 2010 onwards, and don't focus too much on MP/live service type games.

[Christopher]

Two MP-related buys and people completely forget all the SP studios they invested in, including their biggest performer this generation, Insomniac. Haven't gamers been asking for a more diverse line-up of games from Sony? Adding more MP doesn't remove SP.

[dumahim]

That worked out so well for Gran Turismo.

[Christopher]

@dumahim: I don't get your comment in response to me. Did having GT7 somehow end other SP games? My comment was only about having another studio do an MP game doesn't mean SP games aren't still happening. Nothing about the quality of said games.

[SoulWarrior]

You're right, guess I was jumping to conclusions.

[generic-user-name]

Sony's biggest criticism of their exclusive line up is that they're lacking in the MP department. Bungie doesn't really even cover that because they'll be remaining multiplat but Haven might be a start.

[Eonjay]

They can do both. Their single player studios aren't going to disappear. We already know of two huge SP games coming from Insomica alone. This year, we got HFW from Gurillea and were getting GOW from SSM. Since PS5 launch we have gotten Demon Souls, Spiderman MM, Rachet and Clank... No one's Single Player Output has been clos to Sony's. Now they want to add multiplayer to their lineup. They can do both. Why are we trying to shoehorn them into one area?

[thesoftware730]

They have 10 coming, I will guess that will be there focus for a while.

[Eonjay]

From what we know is already in their pipeline it looks like they are focusing on both single and multiplayer.

[TheTony316]

"Obviously we will always carry on making these single-player narrative-based games such as Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and Horizon Forbidden West," Hulst emphasises.

relax.

[Charlieboy333]

"Obviously we will always carry on making these single-player narrative-based games such as Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and Horizon Forbidden West," Hulst emphasises. - from this article https://n4g.com/news/247169...

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

If we don't get enough SP games and too many MP/live service games, I might bail on Sony and just stick with PC/Switch, but I really hope they don't swing to extremes like that.

[TheCaptainKuchiki]

Good. I hope they will work on a different genre than what we've seen those 2 past years at PS.

[-Foxtrot]

They haven't done anything yet, you'd think they would wait and see

I'd rather they try and get Konami to give themselves up or at least the IPs as they are doing NOTHING gaming wise with them.

[generic-user-name]

I'd be shocked if Sony, MS and Nintendo haven't already approached Konami multiple times. Can't force them to sell if they don't want to.

[CaptainHenry916]

Or Capcom

[jivah]

The problem with konami is that sure they aren't doing much with the ips they have. But they've been steady making more every year, and rising. Through pachinko and other ventures they have. And that's without the gaming side pulling in big bucks. So I doubt they would. They have no reason too

[Deathdeliverer]

That unannounced game they are working on must be some incredible shyt cause they really buying a new company with no track record. Yes Jade has plenty and I’m sure most people that work for her have experience. But to be bought this early? Interesting.

[Eonjay]

True. Development has only been going on for about a year as far as I understand. Wonder what it could be?
One thing I like about this is bringing in a new studio to do live games instead of making your SP studios piviot. And to be sure the studios can do whatever they want but getting these live games from Haven and Bungie is better than making Insominac or Sucker Punch do it.

[Petebloodyonion]

Interesting! I wonder if it was the Studios that Sony was after or the ppl inside of it.
Nonetheless Good news for the ppl there.

[Eonjay]

I think it's a bit of both but when you listen to what Herman says, he explains how impressed they are with their progress which is ahead of schedule which is unheard of these days

[gangsta_red]

It'll be interesting to see what type of live service game this studio turns out first for PS.

Buying a studio so early seems a bit strange, but definitely fits in Sony's "agressive" stance for more live, GaaS games for their system.

[jBlakeeper]

I have a feeling Sony being “aggressive” with live service games will garner us games like GT7. With its relentless in your face micro transactions and overall presentation that makes purchasing micro transactions appealing to many.

[gangsta_red]

Well, that's pretty much the point of Live Service type games. The main thing has to be will it be engaging and fun to warrant all those MTX that will come along with it.

Hopefully Sony along with this new Studio can make truly fun GaaS, always online games, if they can pull that off, gamers will be a bit more forgiving on the abundance of MTX.

[Charlieboy333]

I wish people would just shut up instead of spewing this false GT7 narrative. GT7 isn't 'relentless' with 'in your face' microtransactions. There are no tracks or cars locked behind any kind of paywall. Plenty of credits are earned by progressing in the game through completing challenges and races. With these credits you can then purchase cars for your collection....if you are too impatient or just plain suck at the game, the option is there for you to buy extra credits. That's it. Not exactly the microtransaction fest that you and all the other brainless parrots are trying to convince everyone of.

[Knushwood Butt]

'overall presentation that makes purchasing micro transactions appealing to many.'.

lol what?

[CaptainHenry916]

more live, GaaS games for their system. I have to agree with you on that. In the next 5 years Sony and Microsoft will deliver more gaas games than single player games.

[Vizigoth04]

I know you’re usually pretty critical of Sony, but I think I’m going to agree with you on this one. The whole point of a live service is inherently MTX. Not everyone is a fan of them but there are those who are. And I think if Sony is shooting for 10 then perhaps when all is said and done there will be enough variety for everyone to like at least one and keep the games active.

[gangsta_red]

The issue in my opinion comes when you can't enjoy a game without spending a ridiculous amount of money on MTX or a pay to win type of model.

But lately, from what I've personally seen, most MTX stick to mainly cosmetics. I can do without most of that, so this is another reason why Live Service games don't bother me and I think there is definitely a place for these types of games in the industry.

[ocelot07]

What a weird one this. They have not made a single game yet have they? Unless Sony are really impressed with their early work?

[brewin]

For a AAA multiplayer title. Looks like the whole industry is headed that way. I always says that single player will never die, but I'm not so sure these days 🙈

[gangsta_red]

Single player won't die. There's room for both, just at the moment in this industry, there's a lot more money to be made with these type of live games.

[Eonjay]

Someone needs to explain why they can't do both? What would stop them from doing both types of games?

[MisterZay0000]

Whatever Sony saw they must've been impressed. I expect Deviation Games and Firewalk Studios to be acquired sooner than later too.

[Silly gameAr]

Cool, I guess. Hope this new experience isn't some live service bull, though. I know that the promise of that Fortnite money seems enticing, but I hope they keep that shit to a minimum, and not throw to many eggs in that basket.

[gangsta_red]

It's already been confirmed that this new Studio is working on a Live Service game

[thesoftware730]

AAA "Live service game", people like them now...I wonder why?

[Eonjay]

People love games like Destiny and Fortnite. People also love games like Spiderman and Horizon. You can play both, just one or none really. Its gonna depend on what you like to play.

[CS7]

More GAAS trash.

Stick to single player Sony.

2010-2022 is a marvelous run for Sony and the produced the arguably the highest quality and quantity single player games of any publisher.

It would be a shame to see them lose that focus chasing the almighty dollar.

Just remember Bioware went from Mass Effect 2 to Anthem.

Be careful…

[TheTony316]

"Obviously we will always carry on making these single-player narrative-based games such as Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and Horizon Forbidden West," Hulst emphasises.

[Workshyskiver]

And the crowd goes mild

[CrimsonWing69]

I mean, I'd like to see something from this studio before I bust out the champagne...

[Levii_92]

ZzzzZzzzz …

[Magog]

Damn, Sony can't be stopped! The exclsive game they are working on must be extremely impressive if Sony have already decided they are worth buying.

[Eonjay]

Looking at the short history it appears that Sony basically built them up from the ground. They have been in a partnership for a year already working toghether and this is apparent in both of their statements. It sounds like Sony came to them with a pitch, Sony supported their effort and now seeing the talent and work they have already done, Sony decided to invest in them fully.

[Aussiesummer]

And here we go. It started with gran turismo and so it goes.

[H9]

Few multiplayer games and people act like Sony abandoned single player or something

[Bruh]

One of the best studios to buy out there, their resume is better than most of anything Microsoft's bought in recent times. Good purchase bring on the games

[King_Noctis]

Lol what? I hope you are just trolling.

[Orchard]

More live service GAAS, hard pass. I'd much rather they went and bought a studio like Remedy/Konami/Capcom or Ember Labs (probably more in line with what it cost to acquire Haven).

Sony should just bite the bullet splash the cash on someone big like Konami. They mostly buy dirt cheap studios, and when they finally splash the cash, they buy Destiny...

[Chevalier]

Konami can't just be bought first of all. Also 'dirt cheap' studio like Insomniacs for example run rings around Xbox studios in terms of releasing games. Plus for a 'dirt cheap' studio Insomniacs 20+ million and profits make enough for Sony to fund multiple purchases. Seems like some smart purchases to me.

But yeah which Xbox studio has released a 20 million seller in the last 2 decades?! Or right NONE. So you say 'dirt cheap' also means high value.

[Orchard]

I just re-read my post - doesn’t look like I mentioned Xbox nor made any claims about Xbox…

Living rent free much!?

[Christopher]

I mean, GAAS are big moneymakers and crowd drawers. And if you want a diverse collection of IP, you want to include GAAS.

I'm no fan of those types of games, but unlike how people try to act like Fornite isn't extremely popular and played by millions daily, I realize they aren't going to go away just because we prefer one thing or another.

I'd love for them to buy up something like THQ Nordic. But, I mean, I'm not the only member of their audience.

[MegaLogic]

Sigh........ More GAAS, can't fault them but, just aint feeling it.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

I reserve judgement until I see what they have cookin.

[Flawlessmic]

Mehhh, hope they paid peanuts for it.

[mudakoshaka]

Who?

[terstomp]

Fully only online multi-player with comprehensive micro-transactions is in the works.

[z2g]

Sony is prepping for its own live service games.

[DarXyde]

They must have a lot of faith in whatever they're working on.

And the industry consolidation continues.... Sigh. I guess the upside here is that this one is pretty innocuous.

[Stanjara]

Making more Gaas games means more money for single player games?

I can't believe the logic of a fanboy.

That means more Gaas games idiots.

[Profchaos]

Im not excited for online focused games can't say I have been since 2008ish but that's what the industry wants apparently.

[Eonjay]

I disagree. Sure multiplayer makes money but just looking at Sony's top 4 games on PS4 they have exceeded 80 copies sold. This shows that the industry also likes quality single player games.

[MADGameR]

TRASH studio until they prove themselves to be up to the level of a Naughty Dog. And I don't wanna see another Assassin's Creed copy and paste.

[Eonjay]

Regardless of the Sony purchase it makes more sense to wait to see what they produce before calling them trash.

[Vithar]

hard to get excited ll not idea what they are doing :) Jade is hawt though <3

[lellkay]

why tho

[TicklefistCP]

Another swindle. Jade Raymond has started and sold several studios since leaving Ubisoft. None of them has made shit.