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God Of War Dev Working On New “Unannounced IP”

Ben-Dutka September 21, 2011 Archive 17 Comments

After God of War III released, developer Sony Santa Monica said they'd be taking a break from Kratos. But they're definitely working on a new project…what is it?

More evidence has arisen at Gamasutra , where we find a job listing for a Senior Level Designer. As expected, they're not telling us the game in question, but they do tell us it's an "unannounced new IP."

So given their expertise in the action genre, is it safe to assume we'll see something similar to God of War ? Well, maybe not. The Santa Monica studio is seeking someone who has "experience in designing or contributing to the development of an 'open world' game," so we're at a loss. They couldn't be making a wide open RPG like The Elder Scrolls , could they? Or is it more likely to be closer to inFamous or Grand Theft Auto ?

Well, either way, we hope they return to GoW at some point. It's one of Sony's signature franchises; it just can't go away.

Rumor: Four Sony Exclusives Yet To Be Announced

Ben-Dutka August 15, 2011 Archive 43 Comments

Sony's first-party studios know how to make unbelievable exclusives. And it seems four more are on the way.

In addition to working on the new God of War (or so we all assume), it appears a Sony Santa Monica employee is working on no less than four currently unannounced games. As cited by Vicarious Games , studio sound designer Steve Johnson is working as the Audio Lead for Journey , plus helping with four other titles that haven't been revealed. Of course, it isn't abnormal for internal employees to help at other studios, which is why you see Johnson's experience with games like inFamous (Sucker Punch) and Twisted Metal (Eat Sleep Play), so we may not be talking about four Sony Santa Monica productions. Still, it's clear that all four are from Sony's internal teams so we should be dealing with four exclusive projects.

So when might curtain lift? Are we looking at Vita or PS3 games? Or perhaps more PSN exclusive digital offerings?

Sony Santa Monica’s Mystery Project: Is It Heartland?

Ben-Dutka May 12, 2011 Archive 26 Comments

We're all wondering what Sony Santa Monica's mysterious new project might be; multiple job opportunities have presented us with information that just doesn't jive with God of War .

Of course, a new GoW will come at some point (the latest rumor puts God of War IV in September of 2012) but could there be another project? Why are they asking for people with experience in first- and third-person shooters? And what's this about Quantic Dream's David Cage being asked to advise on a modern-day FPS for the PlayStation 3? Well, normally I don't click on random blogs but I do remember the name, "Heartland." And as you can see , there may be reason to believe that the canceled PSP game is indeed Sony Santa Monica's new project.

At the time, GoW guru David Jaffe was collaborating with Incognito on the game; it had been described as an "emotional FPS" that featured the Chinese invasion of the U.S. This sounds suspiciously like Homefront , by the way. We had also learned about the use of QTEs and Sony was pushing Jaffe to make the game for the PS3. Now, considering all the gathered evidence, it's not a totally ridiculous guess to think of Heartland but even so…is it possible?

We kinda just want GoWIV. Anything else could be super risky at this point.

What Is Sony Santa Monica’s New Mystery Project?

Ben-Dutka April 28, 2011 Archive 30 Comments

Okay, what are you guys working on?!

Sony Santa Monica, the team behind those amazing God of War titles, is believed to be at work on God of War IV , which will likely be outed within the next few months (just trust us on that). However, recent job postings have raised plenty of questions: several weeks back, we heard about a job listing for a Senior Online Programmer, and that caused everyone to assume the new GoW would boast online multiplayer. But now, the Superannuation Twitter page has turned us onto two new job listings for the studio: a Level Designer with experience in "open world games" and a Senior Combat Designer that has experience in "both first- and third-person shooters" and "working with, developing or designing vehicle combat." Heck is that? A GTA knockoff? Anybody have any bright ideas?

We all know the fourth God of War will arrive at some point, and we're fairly certain Sony Santa Monica will develop it. But they have to be working on something else, don't you think…?

Evidence Of God Of War 4 Spotted?

John-Shepard March 29, 2011 Archive 62 Comments

God of War IV is coming. …well, we assume so, and recent evidence has hinted at a possible unveiling in the near future.

A mistake on an animator's resume may have spilled the beans early: SystemLink spotted the resume of someone who did some freelance work for Motion Logic Studios. Although the reference has been replaced with "unannounced PS3 game," it initially mentioned "God of War 4," so perhaps the cat is already out of the bag. Even the animator's personal site doesn't have any evidence of the game anymore…sounds to us like someone somewhere contacted him with an e-mail that might've read, "Yeah, maybe nobody told you, but you can't go talking about a new GoW yet. Get rid of it." However, it could also have been a mistake: when contacted by GameSpot , the animator said he merely used God of War as inspiration when taking the test for Sony.

He went on to say he is not aware of any existing GoW project. Well, we might believe him but even if we do, isn't it still fun to talk about Sony Santa Monica's next project?

God Of War Rumblings At Sony?

Ben-Dutka February 6, 2011 Archive 50 Comments

After completing the epic God of War III , Sony Santa Monica wouldn't say anything concrete about the future, but they have said they don't want their award-winning franchise to become an annual occurrence.

However, are we already seeing evidence of a new God of War project? All the rumors and speculation you've heard likely started with new job listings at Sony Santa Monica; those jobs can be found at the Playstation Careers website . You can also see a screen capture of several of those jobs at GamerXChange . It seems they're hiring for the following positions:

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean the new employees will be working on a new GoW title, but Sony Santa Monica is certainly best known for one of gaming's series. We have no idea if Kratos will be back and in truth, considering the ending of GoWIII, there's no knowing where the team will go for the fourth installment.

It seems HipHopGamer may have some inside info as well; GoWIV will feature 3D, co-op, and "better visuals" (as if that's any huge shock). But right now, we know nothing and we have to admit that. Perhaps we'll get a huge unveiling at E3.