The next game from the Housemarque studio after Returnal will therefore be an unprecedented franchise. A PlayStation 5 IP that, according to the developers, is far from finished at this point.
The Housemarque developers were able to enjoy the commercial success of Returnal, but now we have to move on. What exactly does the future of the Finnish studio look like? A new PlayStation 5 franchise. A trust made during an interview with VentureBeat.
A new game that respects the Housemarque DNA
While speculation has been rife, Housemarque appears to be sweeping away the release of a DLC for their rogue-lite. The teams focus on something completely different: a new IP on PS5 that stays true to its previous productions. no return 2 but the former is self-sufficient, not surprisingly.
This confession comes fromIlari Kuittinen, the studio’s executive director, who first answered a question about the studio’s identity and development it might take at a time when Sony is investing heavily in service games. We will remember in every way that Housemarque became PlayStation Studios in 2021.
Nothing is decided yet. We are one of the very last dinosaurs to develop arcade games. A few years ago we released Nex Machina, an 80’s arcade style shooter. But it’s interesting, we thought about it. We had the opportunity to work on multiplayer games because a few years ago it seemed necessary to have such an experience. We did it but we didn’t get any results. But we are only at the beginning of the design of a new game, a new license. lets see what happens.
A Battle Royale before Returnal
The project Ilari Kuittinen is referring to is this Battle Royale shearwater, which appeared to be the game of last chance for the studio. Before exploring the world of multiplayer and its possible microtransactions, Housemarque had made the decision to stop loading arcade games for “economic reasons”. Despite the quality of their titles (Resogun, Nex Machina etc.), sales weren’t high enough.
Eventually, therefore, Housemarque chose to put Stormdivers’ development on hold to give itself every chance of success. A decision that paid off as the developers are still around and many more players wanted to break the cycle of death in Returnal.
