Sony Deviation Games (former head of COD dev Treyarch) signs with PlayStation to create new AAA IP, update: up to 90 staff laid off as "new AAA IP" appears to have been cancelled

[SaysWho?]

 

Deviation Games signs with PlayStation to develop a new original IP

BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM

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A note from the development team on building something new.

 

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We call ourselves Deviators. And as Jason describes it, “Another way of saying Deviator is Renaissance mindset. Deviators are not only passionate about their own discipline, but they love others too. We believe that is what is unique and special about our studio, the culture, the team, and this project.  From experience, young determined studios need rock solid support to thrive. That’s why it means so much that PlayStation is partnering with us on our first game. As you all know–having enjoyed the amazing PlayStation Studios portfolio–they know what it takes to make great games. To have a partner like that behind us makes the road ahead simply breathtaking.”

 

I know what you’re thinking as you read this. What kind of game are we making? How long have we already been working on it? Is it story based? Multiplayer? Co-op? Or all of the above and more? When is it coming out? While I can confirm development is already underway, it’s really early for us to be going into specific details. We’re drawing on what we’ve learned over our collective decades making games, but we’re also out to make something fresh and brimming with innovation like you’ve never experienced before. We’re not afraid to say that our ambitions are super high: we’re setting out to make a huge, content-rich game with a focus on a lot of action and a lot of energy, but let’s leave it at that for now and hopefully it won’t be long before we can share more.

 

As for today, I’m here to say: keep an eye on us–we’ve brought on amazing talent from around the world, we’re over 100 Deviators and growing fast, and we have an incredible partner behind us in SIE.

 

[SaysWho?]

Sony's been working with Deviation for over a year already

 

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"Obviously we're not announcing a game, but a partnership today, which means it's a little while out," Hulst said.

 

"But at the same time we've been working together for a while now. It's not like we signed the deal yesterday. We've been working together for about a year, a year-and-a-half. And it's going really well. We have our guys who are actively involved in the development, that play the stuff that we're making."

 

Both Anthony and Blundell wouldn't be drawn on the details of this new PlayStation IP - despite my questioning. It stands to reason that it would be a shooter, given the pair's pedigree, but that remains unconfirmed for now. However, Anthony insisted it's a major endeavor, and Hulst said it should be considered a triple-A game.

 

"First of all, regards the studio, we're actually well over 100 people right now," Anthony said.

 

"Make no mistake: this game is gonna be big in scope. There's no question about it. And we're gonna need a lot more people to make that game. Deviation Games, we're growing at the pace we believe is responsible to rise to that challenge. Because the talent density in the team - there's nothing more important to Jason and I than having the right talent density and having the right culture.

 

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"PlayStation Studios is expanding," he said. "SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] is expanding. We're always on the lookout for incredible new experiences, no matter where they come from, big or small, whatever the genres are. If I come across a core group of people that are building a new outfit, that have gained incredible experience and matured as creatives, and then you take the shackles off, you give them a white sheet of paper, it's just fascinating to see what they're going to do with it.

 

[Brian]

Things are going well

[Keyser_Soze]

PlayStation-backed Deviation Games hit with layoffs | VGC

WWW.VIDEOGAMESCHRONICLE.COM

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PlayStation-backed studio Deviation Games has been hit with layoffs, with a source telling VGC it could be as many as 90 members of staff that have been affected.

 

[Brian]

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

PixelOpus - first-party studio closed on Friday 05 May 2023

 

Deviation - first-party project cancelled, studio effectively gutted on Friday 12 May 2023

 

Who will be next Friday's victim of the Sony's budget culling?!?

[Keyser_Soze]

30 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Who will be next Friday's victim of the Sony's budget culling?!?

 

Pretty interesting a couple months ago when everyone was getting hit with layoffs people commented that Sony hadn't done it yet. Turns out, you just had to wait a little bit.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

45 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Pretty interesting a couple months ago when everyone was getting hit with layoffs people commented that Sony hadn't done it yet. Turns out, you just had to wait a little bit.

 

Apparently, the 90 staff laid off represented 2/3 of the studio's total personnel.

[Dodger]

1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

PixelOpus - first-party studio closed on Friday 05 May 2023

 

Deviation - first-party project cancelled, studio effectively gutted on Friday 12 May 2023

 

Who will be next Friday's victim of the Sony's budget culling?!?

Haven 

[LazyPiranha]

I feel like Media Molecule can’t be far behind.