TGS: Sony buys MotorStorm dev

By Games Industry.biz Published 20 September, 2007

And Pursuit Force team.

Sony has acquired MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios along with Pursuit Force subsidiary Bigbig Studios, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

And GamesIndustry.biz can reveal that co-founders of Evolution Studios, Martin Kenwright and Ian Hetherington are to leave the company, with managing director Mick Hocking taking on the role of group studio director responsible for Evolution Studios, Bigbig Studio and Sony's Liverpool Studio.

"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 exclusively 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 said that both development studios would be free to manage their day-to-day output, and there were no intentions to make changes to the current workforce.

"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 was established in 1999 and has worked on five versions of World Rally Championship for Sony's PlayStation 2. It's most recent title, MotorStorm, has been one of the biggest-selling games for the PlayStation 3.

As well as content expansions for the off-road racer, Evolution is also working on the next instalment of MotorStorm for release on Blu-ray disc in 2008.

Bibig Studios, based in Leamington Spa, was founded in 2001, and developed the 800,000-selling Pursuit Force for the PSP. It is also working on a sequel, Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice, due for release this year on PSP and on PS2 in early 2008.

The acquisitions bring the total number of development studios in the SCE Worldwide Studios group to 15, with over 2,500 employees.

The full interview with Michael Denny, where he discusses future plans for Evolution Studios, can be read here.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Atari_Boy #1 4 years ago

    Hmmm, interesting...

  • kissthestick #2 4 years ago

    Nice, good luck to Evo

  • Triggerhappytel #3 4 years ago

    This shouldn't really change things as far as we consumers are concerned, but good puck to Evo and Bigbig, and it must be nice to have a bit of definite financial security.

  • belziah #4 4 years ago

    Didn't see that one coming.

  • BartonFink #5 4 years ago

    Very interesting I wonder will this article turn into one of those spit and bile fests we ususally get if this was Microshaft doing the buying?

    Nice to see some of the little guys being brought under the wing to secure their future. Hopefully it won't stifle them.

  • BartonFink #6 4 years ago

    Yup and Sony have been doing it quite a bit longer. I guess some people see it as MS continuing their practices from PC OS and software and bringing it to the games industry.
    Edited by 1 at 20/09/07 @ 08:43

  • Steroyd #7 4 years ago

    I think the only big gripe was Rare's acquisition, which pissed me off because I didn't see anything anything worthy of their name for years.

    And the Xbox practically killed the Abe's Odysee devs I'm bringing back painful memories now. :(

  • penhalion #8 4 years ago

    The management team responsible for the development and implementation of Motorstorn is leaving. Er yea I think it will affect the studios somehow! After all it was these guys who approved the "head to the desert to film some mountains" and get the dirt looking just right style of motorstorm. I suspect the sony bigwigs are not so liberal with the funds.

  • lambtron #9 4 years ago

    "And the Xbox practically killed the Abe's Odysee devs I'm bringing back painful memories now. :("

    I think it was more the transition from 2D-3D. No one can honestly say the first 3D Abe game was anywhere near as good as the first two 2D ones.

  • Ryze #10 4 years ago

    This is a wise move for Sony.

    /begins reading article

  • Ryze #11 4 years ago

    Yep - wise for Sony.

  • BadBoyBonner #12 4 years ago

    With SONY & MS holding so many staff you would think a few more stellar games would come from either of them directly - does the security actually lead to less creativity? Maybe they are not tired enough to come up with the crazy idea's! lol

  • GamesConnoisseur #13 4 years ago

    Sony pulls ahead much further in numbers of devs they own compared to the other two then innit?

    No difference to us consumers but good for em.

  • pinchofsalt #14 4 years ago


    All those employees laid off from UK internal development studios earlier this year will be looking at this with some bitterness I'm sure.

  • Freek #15 4 years ago

    The reason people are calling MS out on it and not Sony is because the studios MS bought made titles for other platforms. Halo was originally a PC/Mac project untill MS came along, Rare made Ninty titles.
    Sony tends to buy out studios that already make Playstation exclusives, annoys less people because it doesn't change anything.

  • Les #16 4 years ago

    "All those employees laid off from UK internal development studios earlier this year will be looking at this with some bitterness I'm sure."

    Why? They should have created something that actually sold. Just simple capitalism.

  • THATinkjar #17 4 years ago

    Err... the news here is that a MotorStorm sequel is in the works. Everything else matters not. Good news!