Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment initiated a reduction in our workforce – including within PlayStation Studios – and I wanted to talk about the impact that will have.
These decisions have been extremely difficult, but they are necessary, and I think it’s important to be transparent:
The following US-based studios and groups will be affected by a staff reduction:
Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, as well as our Technology, Creative, and Support teams
In UK and European based studios, it is proposed:
that the London Studio of PlayStation Studios will be shut down completely; That there will be reductions in Guerrilla and Firesprite
In addition, PlayStation Studios has made a few other smaller cuts in other teams. Our mission at PlayStation Studios has always been to create the best games for PlayStation fans, and our global studio community includes some of the gaming industry’s most innovative and talented teams. Now that PlayStation 5 is in its fourth year, we need to take a step back and think about what our business needs. At the same time, our industry has experienced continuing and fundamental change which affects how we all create, and play, games.
Delivering the immersive, narrative-driven stories that PlayStation Studios is known for, at the quality bar that we aspire to, requires a re-evaluation of how we operate.
It takes a different approach and different resources to launch games on additional devices like PC and mobile, as well as to provide social, online experiences that allow PlayStation gamers to explore our worlds in different ways. PlayStation Studios needed to expand in order to meet these challenges. We now have a family of brilliant and successful Studios. We have made investments in partnerships and new technology. We have hired people from our industry and elsewhere. But growth itself is not an ambition. PlayStation Studios is committed to constantly finding ways to collaborate, combining our efforts to create games that push the boundaries of play and meet your expectations.
We evaluated projects in various stages of development in our studios and portfolio, and we came to the conclusion that some of those projects will not proceed. I want it to be clear that the decision to stop working on these projects does not reflect the team members’ talent or enthusiasm. We have always believed that creative experimentation should be allowed. Great concepts do not always translate into great games. Occasionally, a project is initiated with the best intentions before market or industry changes necessitate a revision of the plan. I am deeply saddened by the departure of talented employees. Their work has earned me a great deal of respect, admiration, and admiration from me. PlayStation Studios will continue to be a creator-led organization that is driven by improving our beloved franchises and providing our fans with high-quality new gameplay experiences.
