Sony has taken another significant step to demonstrate its desire to advance technology and gaming. The company has shown commitment by finalizing an agreement to acquire Savage Game Studios in hopes of breathing new life into it Mobile division of PlayStation Studios. The new division will help develop an “AAA mobile live service action game.”
The PlayStation Studios Mobile Division will “develop innovative on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IPs that meet PlayStation Studios’ high quality standards” and will operate independently of console game development.
Commenting on the development, PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst said: “This acquisition reaffirms Sony Interactive Entertainment’s commitment to bringing innovative experiences to new players around the world as it expands to additional platforms.”
Long associated with exclusivity, the PlayStation brand never goes beyond the console and always represents the best in narrative video games. Even the best have to diversify at some point, and it looks like expansion into PC and mobile gaming was the natural end point.
In May 2022, Sony announced that it will be releasing games on new platforms, which will be an important part of its new business strategy. However, the original thought was to refer to the recent expansion into PC gaming rather than a mobile push. It seems like Sony isn’t just limiting itself to high-end systems, but is expanding in the on-the-go gaming scenario.
“The PlayStation Studios Mobile team is focused on creating new experiences for gamers through innovative games on the go, built on new and existing PlayStation IP. PlayStation Studios must continue to expand and diversify our offering beyond console to bring incredible new games to more people than ever before.”
“The acquisition of the talented team at Savage Game Studios is another strategic step toward that goal. I’m really excited to see what Savage is working on and I’m confident they will deliver a quality experience. Our move to mobile, as well as our expansion into PC and live service gaming, strengthens our capabilities and community and complements PlayStation Studios’ goal of creating the best games possible.”
Savage Game Studios was founded in 2020 by veteran developers Michail Katkoff, Nadjim Adjir and Michael McManus, who together have decades of experience working at developers such as Spider-Man’s Insomniac Games, Clash of Clans’ Supercell, Farmville’s Zynga, Angry Birds’ Rovio and World of Tank Wargaming.
It’s unclear whether a new PlayStation IP will be created for the game by Savage Game Studios or integrated into an existing franchise. They haven’t released a game since their inception two years ago. It’s perhaps more likely that we’ll see something entirely new.
On the other hand, Sony’s PC publishing has so far only dealt with porting existing console games, with God of War and Spider-Man proving to be the most successful to date. The company recently bought PC porting specialists Nixxes and launched a new PlayStation PC label that expects to make $300 million in the next fiscal year from PC games alone.
Video game fans who don’t always have the means to buy a console will benefit quite a bit from this Sony expansion. However, the PlayStation studios have to be careful here. In the interest of expansion, PlayStation Studios can’t forget what draws gamers to their products. It must continue to deliver the exclusive titles that have become synonymous with its brand and bring the same level of craftsmanship to its mobile gaming ventures.
Let’s take a look at the 5 best PlayStation franchises that should come to mobile.
