According to Sony's keynote address at TGS and a recent article at GamesIndustry.biz, Sony has acquired MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios along with Pursuit Force subsidiary Bigbig Studios.
Evolution co-founders Martin Kenwright and Ian Hetherington will be leaving the company, but managing director Mick Hocking will assume the role of group studio director "responsible for Evolution Studios, Bigbig Studio and Sony's Liverpool Studio." It's a big move for Sony, and it's especially positive for those of you who just adored MotorStorm .
"Our strategy with our studios is to create the best games by working with the best talent," said Michael Denny, vice president of SCE Worldwide Studios, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz. "We've enjoyed a highly productive and commercially successful relationship with Evolution and Bigbig and now there's a great opportunity in bringing them into part of the family to share further in terms of technology, production methodology and creative goals to make the experiences that these teams are creating even better."
Denny added that both development studios would be able to manage their own daily output, and there are currently no plans to alter the workforce in any way. Well, that's probably good news for all the employees, huh?
"Worldwide Studio Europe management will be involved in the strategic planning and financial management of the studio but day-to-day operations will continue largely unchanged. We want to protect and enhance our investment in Evolution Studios and Bigbig, and have no plans to reduce the overall number of staff in either studio," he said.
Evolution is already hard at work on the next MotorStorm (in addition to more add-on content for the original title), and it should be ready to go some time next year. Bigbig Studios was founded back in 2001 and was responsible for the popular PSP title, Pursuit Force , which managed to sell 800,000 copies. Bigbig's next project is the sequel; Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice , which is also due out next year, and being prepared for the PS2 and PSP. As of now, SCE Worldwide Studios holds a total of 15 development studios, and that's not a small number.
So anyway, if you were thinking the next MotorStorm might go multiplatform, you can stop thinking.