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Sony To Restructure Liverpool Studio (WipEout/Motorstorm), Halt Several Projects

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
It seems Sony has decided to restructure Liverpool Studio and halt several projects. Sony Liverpool is best known for WipEout and also Motorstorm as Evolution Studios was merged into the studio.

GamesIndustry.biz said:
Sony to restructure Liverpool studio

Sony Computer Entertainment has revealed that it is in the process of restructuring its Liverpool studio following "project prioritisation" by the Worldwide Studios division.

No details have been released on the number of posts affected, but GamesIndustry.biz understands that the company will look to relocate staff to other studios where possible - but that some redundancies may be necessary.

It is thought that discussions with staff have taken place today - the full public statement is as follows:

"It has been decided that production on a number of projects within Studio Liverpool will cease immediately due to project prioritisation. Our North West Studio Group has been and will continue to be a vital cog in the WWS family, with a history of producing genre defining games such as MotorStorm, WipEout, Formula 1 and WRC and this decision will have no impact of the role that the North West Studio Group will play in the future of all PlayStation platforms."
Click to expand...
Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-to-restructure-liverpool-studio
 
Even though I loved both Motorstorm games and Wipeout HD it's pretty clear why Sony made this decision. The output for the studio has been pretty slow and the games have not sold very well bar the first Motorstorm which was bundled to hell and back.

Liverpool studio was merged with Evolution Studios right? Must be a very large team there.
 
Ack, this sucks. WipeoutHD is probably the best download game I've ever played. Still, as a download game, it can't really have sold a lot...and Motorstorm 2....don't know how that sold. Glad the team is untouched.

Both great games though.
 
Shit.

I do wonder what they've been doing. God knows their tech is awesome though.

Oh, and is anybody else getting-

Blew-500error.gif
 
Well, not that unexpected after the news of Evolution and Sony Liverpool merging. Hopefully it's for the best and not many people will lose their jobs.
 
Hopefully a good move. Motorstorm PR didn't get nearly enough attention imo. Weren't they working on a new disc based Wipeout with all new tracks not just HD upgrades from the previous games? Wonder what games are getting priority and which ones are being halted.

This isn't the same studio that would have been working on Getaway and 8 Days right? Would LOVE to see 8 days put back into production.
 
REMEMBER CITADEL said:
Hopefully it's for the best and not many people will lose their jobs.
Click to expand...
Seconded.

A bit off topic, but have there been any news coming out of Cambridge studio this generation? I'd love a current gen update for Primal/Ghosthunter.
[edit] I'm stupid, didn't realize cambridge was behind home and LBP psp, nevermind my off topic. Carry on.
 
The studios were like right next to each other geographically, makes a lot of sense to fuse them rather continue to upkeep of 2 racing game studios in separate complexes.
 
FunkyPajamas said:
Seconded.

A bit off topic, but have there been any news coming out of Cambridge studio this generation? I'd love a current gen update for Primal/Ghosthunter.
Click to expand...

They have a PS3 game in the works.
 
Dang, I always hate to see people lose their jobs, but on a more selfish note, I hope this doesn't effect the Wipeout or Motorstorm series. Probably my 2 favorite racing franchises this gen.
 
Oh no! Wipeout is one of the main reasons of why I purchased a PSP and a PS3. And Motorstorm 2 was really fun too :/

FunkyPajamas said:
A bit off topic, but have there been any news coming out of Cambridge studio this generation? I'd love a current gen update for Primal/Ghosthunter.
[edit] I'm stupid, didn't realize cambridge was behind home and LBP psp, nevermind my off topic. Carry on.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCE_Studio_Cambridge said:
Studio Cambridge also contributed to the making of these titles to various degrees:

* Heavenly Sword
* Wipeout franchise
* PlayStation Home
* Killzone 2
* Passport to... franchise
* Eyetoy franchise
* PlayTV digital TV viewer and recorder
Click to expand...
 
Well, I think Cambridge and Liverpool are alright, the one that needed restructuring was SCE London.

Hopefully Evolution and BigBig were left as is as well :C
 
-viper- said:
A number of projects will cease? So they've got something in the works?

THE PROTECTOR? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-
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Yeah, they do quite a bit. They are also where the EU contact is for developing PSN games.
 
Grayman said:
I really hope that they do not throw out wipeout with the bathwater
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I really don't think so.

If they actually had that many projects running that there were 'several' around to cancel, I doubt going concerns like Wipeout (or Motorstorm for that matter) would be so affected.

I kind of have to wonder though - they had enough people there to be working on 'several' projects simultaneously? How many teams are or were there? Or were these 'mini' projects, or prototypes that were being brought to a certain stage before a smaller number of them were greenlit?
 
FUUUU, I know a few heads over there and worked with them on the LBP GOTY edition. Hopefully they don't get sacked, but they've been with Sony Liverpool since the old school Psygnosis days... so who knows. =(
 
I know someone at Evolution Studios, so I hope he keeps his job. He worked on the Motorstorm franchise so could be ok.

I'd imagine WipEout and Motorstorm teams will continue but we'll not see much else from the studio. No more G-Police :(
 
gofreak said:
I kind of have to wonder though - they had enough people there to be working on 'several' projects simultaneously? How many teams are or were there?
Click to expand...

They do have a lot of staff. They were at about 112 back in 2005 and the size of the team has gotten bigger than that.
 
Nirolak said:
It seems Sony has decided to restructure Liverpool Studio and halt several projects. Sony Liverpool is best known for WipEout and also Motorstorm as Evolution Studios was merged into the studio.
Click to expand...
When did this happen? And more importantly: why?

SecretBonusPoint said:
The studios were like right next to each other geographically, makes a lot of sense to fuse them rather continue to upkeep of 2 racing game studios in separate complexes.
Click to expand...
Oh. I guess that makes sense.
 
In an ideal bizarro world those poor people that are let go should get to take the remains of the cancelled projects with them. Yeah, naive beyond belief but it'd address everyone's two primary concerns: the staff and the "games".
 
I AM JOHN! said:
When did this happen? And more importantly: why?
Click to expand...

Geographic proximity and compentency overlap and the cost cutting that allows. Probably.

I NEED SCISSORS said:
Why are redundancies necessary? You would think that more people on board = better games, no?
Click to expand...

From the sounds of it, they need more people on other projects elsewhere, but they don't want to hire more people. Liverpool had the most 'fat', so they want to move some of it to where it's needed. In doing so, that'll require some work at Liverpool to be stopped (since - again - they don't wanna hire new people. There's probably something of a hiring freeze at the moment). If there isn't a place for everyone on the teams whose projects are being stopped, then they're redundant unfortunately. Maybe some of them might get reassigned to other internal projects at Liverpool, but if there isn't a place for them there or at another studio after their projects have been halted, then...that's kind of the definition of redundancy :(
 
You don't do that shit to the team that brought us the best racer of this gen :/

Please give us some info on Wipeout Blu-ray :(
 
Wax Free Vanilla said:
hopefully motorstorm is dead and buried.

evolution are wasted making that crap
Click to expand...

You shut your whore mouth! MS2 is still one of the best games the PS3 has to offer.
 
"due to project prioritisation"

Arc Software?

Wax Free Vanilla said:
hopefully motorstorm is dead and buried.

evolution are wasted making that crap
Click to expand...

MS2 is one this gens best arcade racers.
 
donkey show said:
FUUUU, I know a few heads over there and worked with them on the LBP GOTY edition. Hopefully they don't get sacked, but they've been with Sony Liverpool since the old school Psygnosis days... so who knows. =(
Click to expand...

Psygnosis was my favorite developer for the original Playstation! It would be awesome if Sony Europe could pump out a PS3 Colony Wars or G-Police. Even a new Crazy Ivan.
 
LabouredSubterfuge said:
Shit.

I do wonder what they've been doing. God knows their tech is awesome though.

Oh, and is anybody else getting-

Blew-500error.gif
Click to expand...
:lol @ gif.

Someday I'll buy Motorstorm 2. I liked the demo, beautiful graphics.
 
As long as WipEout and Motorstorm are left alone, I'm okay... I guess. I'd prefer not to know what was being worked on so I don't end up feeling sad about this.
 
Galvanise_ said:
They do have a lot of staff. They were at about 112 back in 2005 and the size of the team has gotten bigger than that.
Click to expand...

That still seems like not a lot of staff if spread around several + titles.

Although I've just noticed now that the article doesn't say 'several'. Where did that come from?
 
Liverpool will probably have to waste their time working on that motion controller like Cambridge until Sony realizes that it's not going to float.
 
LabouredSubterfuge said:
Shit.

I do wonder what they've been doing. God knows their tech is awesome though.

Oh, and is anybody else getting-

Blew-500error.gif
Click to expand...
What the fuck is going on in this gif? What did this idiot do to his computer and how is he doing it?
 
SolidSnakex said:
Liverpool will probably have to waste their time working on that motion controller like Cambridge until Sony realizes that it's not going to float.
Click to expand...

I believe/hope that the motion control crap is part of the canned projects.
 
I can't believe some people didn't like MS: Pacific Rift. The first game, I can maybe understand, but Pacific Rift was an improvement over the original in just about every way.
 
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