PixelOpus is closing its PlayStation studio, responsible for Entwined & Concrete Genie on June 2nd.
The developers announced that the PixelOpus story had ended. tweet Opens in a new tab Today was earlier. As we look towards the future, we would like to express our gratitude to millions of passionate gamers who have supported us and our mission to produce beautiful, imaginative games that are filled with heart. “We are so grateful!”
Sony has not revealed the exact reason for the shutdown, but IGN reports that it is unclear. Opens in a new tab It was strictly a business decision. “PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives. PixelOpus is closing on June 2, as part of the recent review process.
In 2021, it was reported that PixelOpus worked on an unannounced PS5 title in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation. Senior game designer Mark Vernon said on Twitter Opens in a new tab He said today that “he is grieving right now over the loss a great team and great project.”
In 2014, Sony launched PixelOpus as a result of its efforts to build on the success Journey. Sony wanted to hire nine students and two veterans from the industry to form PixelOpus, a small development team that would create similar hits.
Some PlayStation fans worry that, since the restructuring Japan Studio in 2021 that took place, the quirky, innovative first-party games which helped define the PlayStation brand throughout the 2000s, may be lost forever. Losing another highly creative, small studio won’t change that perception. PlayStation Studios is still home to many developers that have an established track record of innovation, such as Media Molecule and Housemarque. But even these names, which were once considered experimental, are now regarded as hitmakers.
The Concrete Genie was described as “a unique heartfelt story full of imagination” in our review. But, it appears that we won’t see anything like it again – at the very least from Sony.
There are plenty of quirky PlayStation 5 games to be releasedEven if they don’t come directly from Sony.