Sony’s Liverpool And Evolution Studios To Merge, Share Resources

There's always plenty of fresh business news to start a new year, and here's another update from Sony.

Two of Sony's internal development studios – Liverpool and Evolution – will be "fully merged" and placed in a "single geographic location." The news comes courtesy of vice-president of Worldwide Studios Europe, Michael Denny and GamesIndustry.biz, although it might not be too surprising. Liverpool and Evolution already share a single management structure and resources, so this appears to be a logical and reasonable move. In case you weren't aware, the Liverpool Studio was responsible for last year's excellent downloadable racer, Wipeout HD , while Evolution Studios created MotorStorm and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift , which means these guys know how to make a racing game. Therefore, when they do merge, we'll be hoping for something pretty darn special… Added Denny:

"Each studio has its own internal concepting group which will always be looking at new opportunities and new IPs, and we'll continue to extend and innovate within our existing franchises as well."

He clarified that this move wouldn't happen "overnight," so it'll take some time before everything is solidified. We'll keep an eye on things and let you know what happens; we'll be anxious to see what type of project the new Liverpool/Evolution studio will develop. Let's see…add blazing speed to off-road vehicles that now have weaponry? How about WipeStorm ? Sweeeet.