Sony now owns Housemarque. The company announced it has acquired the Returnal developer that is now under the PlayStation Studios family. Sony and Housemarque have always had a good relationship. The studio has worked on multiple PlayStation exclusive titles including Super Stardust HD back on the PS3, Resogun on PS4 and the most recent PS5 exclusive, Returnal.
In a blog post Ilari Kuittinen, Co-founder and Managing Director, Housemarque shared some love and excitement for the buyout saying that it marks a big day for the studio.
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The move has provided Housemarque with a clear and stable opportunity to create new and exciting gameplay experiences for PlayStation fans. It is unclear what Housemarque is working on now but whatever it is, expect it to be a PS5 exclusive.
In an interview with Famitsu, Herman Hulst and Illari Kuittinen say that the acquisition talks already began back in 2020. However, the talks were delayed due to the launch of Returnal. They also say that Housemarque will now expand beyond its current form and work has already started on the next game. According to Kuittinen, it is planned to go beyond Returnal in scope but also provide tight gameplay.
The blog post read:
Today is a big day for Housemarque and it has been over 26 years in the making. Our strong partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment started with Super Stardust HD on PS3 and since then we have made arcade inspired games for all of the PlayStation platforms. With Returnal for PS5, our most recent release, our biggest foray into third-person action gaming solidified our voice and brand in the industry as delivering unique and quality player experiences. We are so excited to finally join the PlayStation Studios family!
This gives our studio a clear future and a stable opportunity to continue delivering on gameplay centric approaches, while still experimenting with new methods of narrative delivery and pushing the boundaries of this modern artform. Locally here in Helsinki, this also means that we will officially expand the PlayStation family to a growing industry hub and secure the legacy of the oldest game studio in Finland. Finally, what this means for our fans? We at Housemarque are gamers, and we have grown from the need to perfect and tinker with facets of games that we have found most fascinating.
We are also not known for shying away from running our own course and trying out new combinations. With the backing of SIE and its family of studios supporting us, we can truly grow into our place in the industry and show what Housemarque can create with no limitations. We can’t wait to show everyone what will be in store in the upcoming years, and we hope to usher in more lasting memories and exhilarating titles for the next quarter century and beyond.
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