PlayStation Studios

Logo of PlayStation Studios banner since 2020

**PlayStation Studios** (formerly known as **SCE Worldwide Studios** and **SIE Worldwide Studios** until 2020) is a division overseeing game development studios owned and maintained by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was founded in 2005.

PlayStation Studios acts as a single entity that oversees the production of first-party video games developed by SIE's internal development studios and external partners. It also focuses on software and applications developed for the PlayStation brand of consoles, as well as individual titles and ports to other consoles and platforms such as personal computers and mobile.

PlayStation Studios has housed nearly all game development teams within Sony Interactive Entertainment since its inception, as well as various support teams and technology developers. Since 2022, it also houses PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, which oversees game development for mobile titles.

## History

### 2005 - 2016: Foundation and early years

Worldwide Studios was established in 2005 with Phil Harrison as its president. At the time of its establishment, Worldwide Studios consisted of Bend Studio, Cambridge Studio, recently acquired Guerrilla Games, Incognito Entertainment, Japan Studio, London Studio, Naughty Dog, Polyphony Digital, San Diego Studio, Santa Monica Studio and Studio Liverpool, for a total of 11 studios, in addition to support teams XDev Europe and San Mateo Studio. Sony Online Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment's developer for online games on personal computers, was excluded.

In 2006, Sony acquired American studio Zipper Interactive, developers of Sony's *SOCOM* games, making it the first acquisition under the newly-founded group. In 2007, Sony acquired British studio Evolution Studios and its sister-studio BigBig Studios, developers of the *MotorStorm* and *World Rally Championship*. In 2009, Sony closed Incognito, marking the first studio shut down since Worldwide Studios' establishment.

In 2010, Sony acquired British studio Media Molecule, developers of *LittleBigPlanet*. In 2011, Sony acquired long-time collaborator Sucker Punch Productions, developers of *Sly Cooper* and *Infamous*.

In 2012, Sony closed Bigbig Studios, followed by Zipper Interactive and long-time subsidiary Studio Liverpool within the same year. In 2014, Sony founded Pixelopus. In 2015, Manchester Studio was founded to work on virtual reality games. In 2016, Sony closed Evolution Studios following several commercial disappointments as well as the mixed reception to 2014's *Driveclub*.

### 2016 - 2020: Reorganization as SIE Worldwide Studios

In 2017, Sony closed *Killzone: Mercenary* and *MediEvil* developer Guerrilla Cambridge. In March 2018, it was announced that Sony Interactive Entertainment of America's CEO Shawn Layden will become Chairman of Worldwide Studios and concentrate on in-house and external productions associated with the group.

In 2019, Sony acquired long-time collaborator and *Ratchet & Clank* developer Insomniac Games following the success of 2018's *Spider-Man*.

In February 2020, Sony closed Manchester Studio due to the studio's mismanaged work and lack of products.

### 2020 - current: PlayStation Studios, expansion

In March 2021, PlayStation Studios announced its partnership with Haven Studios, a new Canadian game studio founded by executive Jade Raymond. A month later, Sony announced its partnership with ProbablyMonsters and its studio Firewalk Studios to develop a new multiplayer intellectual property. In April 2021, with the closure of Japan Studio, Sony announced Team Asobi, originally a team within Japan Studio that was spun-off into its entity thanks to the success of its *Astro Bot* games; the studio would be formally introduced in June the same year. That same month, Sony acquired long-time collaborator and *Returnal* developer Housemarque as well as PC-porting game studio Nixxes Software. The publisher also announced another partnership, with Deviation Games.

In September of the same year, Sony proceeded to acquire Liverpool-based studio Firesprite, comprised of former Studio Liverpool developers; Firesprite would then acquire Fabrik Games, a small Manchester-based studio. Later that month, Sony acquired another long-time collaborator Bluepoint Games, whose acquisition was accidentally leaked a few months earlier. In December 2021, Sony acquired Valkyrie Entertainment as a support studio.

In January 2022, Sony announced its agreement to acquire Bungie in a deal worth $3.6 billion; while Bungie will be placed under Sony Interactive Entertainment instead of being labelled PlayStation Studio, and will continue to be an autonomous, multiplatform developer and publisher, the company will be able to share and trade information, suggestions and technology with PlayStation Studios and its subsidiaries.

In March 2022, Sony announced its plans to acquire Haven Studios. The acquisitions of both Haven and Bungie were announced as completed in June 2022. In August 2022, Hulst announced the acquisition of mobile game developer Savage Game Studio, and the formal introduction of PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, a mobile-focused game development team that operates separately from the main branch of PlayStation Studios.

In April 2023, Sony announced its intentions to acquire Firewalk Studios from parent company ProbablyMonsters. In May 2023, Sony announced it would shut down Pixelopus.

## Division structure

* Head of PlayStation Studios, also serves as senior vice president ("SVP") of Sony Interactive Entertainment: Hermen Hulst (since November 2019)
* Head of Internal Production: Scott Rhode, also serves as senior vice president of PlayStation Studios
* Vice President, Product Development: Grady Hunt
* Director, Product Development: Eric Hayashi

Prior to Hulst's appointment in November 2019, the top executive position of PlayStation Studios was referred to as President. Between March 2018 and September 2019, following internal reconstructions within SIE, a Chairman position was filled by Shawn Layden, who oversaw the President.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.axios.com/2022/10/04/playstation-hermen-hulst-pc-mobile-interview
2. ↑ https://www.sie.com/en/corporate/release/2018/180301.html
3. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/04/20/welcoming-firewalk-studios-to-the-playstation-studios-family/
4. ↑ Our Company - Sony Interactive Entertainment. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
5. ↑ https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/7/20953178/sony-worldwide-studios-shuhei-yoshida-playstation-hermen-hulst-guerrilla-games
6. ↑ https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/sony-interactive-entertainment-announces-organizational-transformation/

**Subsidiaries**
Bend Studio - Bluepoint Games - Firesprite (Fabrik Games) - Firewalk Studios - Guerrilla Games - Haven Studios - Housemarque - Insomniac Games - London Studio - Media Molecule - Naughty Dog - Nixxes Software - Pixelopus - Polyphony Digital - San Diego Studio - Santa Monica Studio - Sucker Punch Productions - Team Asobi - Valkyrie Entertainment - XDev

**Mobvile Division**
Savage Game Studios

**Defunct**
BigBig Studios - Evolution Studios - Guerrilla Cambridge - Incognito Entertainment - Japan Studio (Team Ico - Team Gravity) - Manchester Studio - Studio Liverpool - Zipper Interactive