-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Sony closes Evolution Studios (Motorstorm, Driveclub)
- Thread starter Finaj
- Start date
JordanN
Banned
While I'm not for personal badmouthing people/companies (as yeah, it does nothing), I think it's important for people to express how certain actions can be negatives. That way, it always keep a company on their toes and mounts pressure for every action they do, instead of just doing whatever they feel like with zero repercussion.
Brigandier
Member
It had a disaster of a launch though that no doubt hurt the game and I'm sure that alone made people pass on it.
You're right post launch support has been amazing but if the money isn't rolling in shit is going to get shut down.
Newtype-001
Member
Team ico hasnt been a thing for years and studio japan has released and worked on collabs with a bunch of other 3rd party stuff plz know your stuff
FeenixRising
Banned
Jesus Christ dude. Chill the fk out.
I don't get it,fuck all.first party games and some think-tank at Sony decides to close evolution go fuck off Sony
RiccochetJ
Gold Member
Oof. Good luck to everyone affected.
Maybe they can team up with ex-Psygnosis/Studio Liverpool and work together on a Wipeout/Motorstorm spiritual successor kickstarter/multiplat!
I don't think it's too hard to separate Sony's studios into branches they feel are mission critical, those that are on the edge, and those they don't.
Naughty Dog isn't going anywhere as their flagship earner.
If we look at Sucker Punch on the other hand, Sony already laid off half the studio, including a lot of 10+ year veterans, so presumably they have a whole lot riding on their next project.
Santa Monica is one of those blurrier cases where they laid off half the staff, but heavily reinvested in building them up again with new talent. It feels more like a reboot.
Again, team ICO is just a few members inside of Sony Japan, they move from game to game, why is this so hard to get.
Cheat Code
Member
Yeah I mean Team Ico created two of the most acclaimed games released for the PS2 and are working on a nine year finale that eclipsed hype as we know it. Might as well fold the team.
Sony don't give a fuck about what some angry NeoGAF members think about their business decisions.
thomasmahler
Moon Studios
God dammit. How many studios closed this month alone now?
Hope all the devs find new jobs.
Hope all the devs find new jobs.
itsbenoclock
Member
Strongly reconsidering my PSVR purchase at the loss of Driveclub. New DLC came out just today too 
Summer Haze
Banned
soundscream
Member
Should've just folded them into the GT brand to help them get up to speed. A 2 studio setup, where the workload and improvements can be shared. Kind of like what turn10 and playground are doing.
I always thought it was odd that they just didn't have the 2 racing studios working together. Why put in extra work to model cars that already exist in GT. God knows GT could have used the engine sounds from DC.
I always thought it was odd that they just didn't have the 2 racing studios working together. Why put in extra work to model cars that already exist in GT. God knows GT could have used the engine sounds from DC.
hmm, I dont know how to break this to you
Team ICO is no more (and they were never a studio, just an internal team)
Blackleg-sanji1
Banned
I wanna say fuck sony..buy i just can't here and maybe ima hypocrite because i did it to Microsoft with lionhead..but at the end of the day driveclub was delyaed a year,came out, underperformed,had issues its not the same situation for me they gave the a chance at least. Still very unfortunate i pray they all find jobs.
WTF Sony!! driveclub is one of the best games this generation with great support and now you close the studio?
I hope everyone finds soon a new job, theres lots of talent there, and let's see what happens now with driveclub, the servers, all planned future cars and dlc, this is so sad.
I hope everyone finds soon a new job, theres lots of talent there, and let's see what happens now with driveclub, the servers, all planned future cars and dlc, this is so sad.
Nightengale
Member
drotahorror
Banned
I'm actually kind of sad about this. Unbelievable. Motorstorm is the best arcade racing series ever made and Driveclub was almost just as good.
Best of luck to their team. I really hope we hear from them again. Now I'm really bummed we never saw a next gen Motorstorm.
Best of luck to their team. I really hope we hear from them again. Now I'm really bummed we never saw a next gen Motorstorm.
Primethius
Banned
Ah no, I loved Driveclub. Wonder what happens to Driveclub VR now?
MDSLKTR
Member
Now that is all sorts of fucked up. First wipeout, now motorstorm and DC. Motorstorm was my favorite franchise last gen and the post launch support of DC was more than commendable, also did some of the best games on the sony portables and were about ready for the vr phase. Some of the best tech and art wizards in the industry too. Not cool Sony, not cool at all
Team ICO doesn't even really exist anymore. Ueda is a contractor now along with other members of the team. It also sounds like TLG paused development for a good while and only came back together in recent years under the new structure at Japan Studio.
If you guys are actually lashing out on SCE reps on Twitter. You're just down right pathetic. Do you honestly think they were willing and filled with glee to close them down? Take a chill pill. Wish them the best. And hope with the pedigree and talent that these men and women have can spawn out some great racers, or just some awesome games.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Okay then yes, given they hired back up 50 additional positions, I wouldn't be worried about them near term.
Toadthemushroom
Member
Yeah, I don't think you could make a comparison with Japan Studios anyway since they co-ordinate the production of the games, rather than develop them as a team through to completion like Evolution Studios (e.g. Oreshika 2 was developed by Alfa System, Everybody's Golf 6 was Clap Handz, Bloodborne was From Software etc.)
mokalovesoulmate
Member
What the hell...yeah, shit happens, but suddenly I hate seeing my PS4 right now.
Calm down. It's a business, sometimes unfortunate things like this happen.
Man fuck, one of the best games this generation and now this. Really dissapointed and I actually thought they were save now. Hope as many people as possible can get a job somewhere else at Sony (if they even want to).
I guess this also means that some of the city tracks they were working on will also not be released ..
I guess this also means that some of the city tracks they were working on will also not be released ..
all of those had latest games as commercial failures and their next pitch did not pass the test.
Good luck to devs, I hope they are all scooped up quickly.
Khalifa Jayy
Banned
Whaaaatttttt. Admittedly, a lot of thread to go through, but wow this is shocking and sad.
D
Deleted member 10571
Unconfirmed Member
What? Fuuuuuuuuck no. Noooo.
Goddamnit!
You've done great, people at Evolution, thank you for Driveclub and everything!
Do we know what happens to Driveclub VR btw?
Goddamnit!
You've done great, people at Evolution, thank you for Driveclub and everything!
Do we know what happens to Driveclub VR btw?
CosmicQueso
Member
Exactly.
Is it a situation where if you have a bad launch there's absolutely nothing you can do to recover in this market?
Is something like Street Fighter now going to face the same challenges and outcome?
If a game has a bad launch, should a publisher just immediately cancel all post-launch DLC support?
Lots of questions that need to be figured out.
JAV Actress
Banned
Haha I saw this coming. Drive club was a cluster fuck and probably not worth the investment. Shit only had like 40 cars too right?
If they're being relocated to other parts of SCE then all is good.
If they're being relocated to other parts of SCE then all is good.