You have now got used to it: not a week goes by without one of the manufacturers in the industry tossing its volcano at more or less fragile prey in order to reinforce its expansion plans. But because everything is not the same in this world, sometimes you have to have the means to achieve your ambitions.
See also: Studio Takeovers: An Arms Race Between Sony and Microsoft?
Jim Ryan had promised us: Sony would not stop there, and the Japanese announced last week they would take over Housemarque, Nixxes and possibly Bluepoint, even if the blow seems to have gone by itself.
And if nothing has come of these last two acts of war, the Finns behind the much-lauded Returnal were finally able to comment on the recent events and confirm that Sony really wasn’t the only fault … hold on to it. Oh no.
The agony of choice
The Finnish side Yle was able to interview Ilari Kuitti and Mikael Haveri, both CEO and Marketing Director of Housemarquewho stated that their studio seems to have piqued the appetite of many protagonists:
They are always the same: Big players from China, Sweden and the USA. I have to say that last spring was very special for us and the knowledge that we were so coveted was almost surreal. During our conversations, we realized that Sony wanted to buy us back because we were doing something unique that others weren’t doing. There was no question that we were starting to make games on their own terms.
Like the most courted suitors House brand so had the luxury of choosing his future partner and opting a priori for the most accommodating formula, which happens to be Japanese:
This contract gives us the financial freedom to rise to the level of the best studios in the world. It gives us the opportunity to create new, bigger, and more ambitious video game experiences. It’s not an easy task: Sony now has its studio in Finland, and we’ve been partners for a long time.
The roughly 80-month structure has diversified its portfolio over the years, but the balance does not always seem to have been right. And if many players remember the Resogun Shoot’em Up, which was released in the West at the same time as the PlayStation 4, Housemarque now seems more relaxed:
Four years ago we had a tough time with the release of Nex Machina. But the future of the company seems secure. We just have to go on vacation and come back in the fall with new ideas. Something ambitious is happening.
That’s a promise that should bring a smile to returning players from Atropos, right?
