The past 12 months have been strange and difficult. The pandemic, social injustice and the elimination of jobs have impacted many of my friends, family and closest colleagues. All of these factors, coupled with an inability to see friends and family face to face, plunged me into a sort of self-reflective cocoon where I had to ask myself tough questions about what really matters.
I’ve been making games for a long time – over 25 years now! I had the opportunity to lead the creation of two very successful original IPs and build several teams and studios from scratch. Some of these adventures have been more successful than I could have ever imagined, and others not.
Several people have asked me recently, “After all these experiences, do you still want to be in the games industry?” The answer is always an unwavering YES! The gaming industry is my place!
Whether it’s playing Settlers of Catan with my kids or Valheim with my team, games continue to bring me joy. It’s a way to relax, connect and share experiences with people I care about. And making games is, in many ways, even more fulfilling. Bringing together experts from so many different creative fields – from music composers and designers to programmers (yes! Programmers are creative too!) Into a perfectly synchronized orchestra that offers new worlds to explore. For me, there is nothing more fulfilling or rewarding than I can imagine doing.
As I took stock of my career over the past few years and started thinking about what to do next, I came to a very simple conclusion: I need to get back to what I love most, and do it right. ‘a way that gives our team the freedom to explore, inspire and create.
And so today, I’m announcing Haven, an independent studio where many talented game developers I’ve worked with for years (and love!) Come together to do what we’re most passionate about. It’s time for us to refocus on GAMES to a place where we can practice our craft without any barriers or obstacles. We want to create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves and find community. We want to put our passion into a project. We want to do something wonderful for people to experience. Because we believe in the power of games to bring joy to people’s lives. And Sony too. Their commitment to excellence is second to none. That’s why I couldn’t be happier for their support and support.
Together, we want to create games that are a haven for gamers, and we want to build a studio that is a haven for developers. So while we don’t have a lot of details to announce today, I want the PlayStation community to know. Haven Studios already working hard on an unannounced IP address. We can’t wait to show you more!