Even a consolidated and appreciated reality like PlayStation Studios unfortunately could not avoid thewave of layoffs which has been affecting the entire gaming industry in the last year. According to the news of the last few days, among the most affected teams is that of Bungiethe pinnacle of gaming-centric strategy live service of Sony, with rumors from reliable sources that also speak of postponements of important projects, such as the latest expansion of Destiny 2.
It all started yesterday, with Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, a source considered very reliable in the gaming scene, who reported a wave of layoffs within the Bellevue studio, later confirmed by CEO Pete Parsons. So far, unfortunately, nothing new: other PlayStation studios have also been hit by staff cuts and, in general, 2023 is a year full of high-profile releases but also disastrous for the industry, with over 6,000 employees sector who lost their jobs this year alone.
However, it is worrying that among the list of those fired there are also important names like that of Michael Salvatori, the famous and historic composer who created the soundtrack of the Halo series and that of Destiny, considered by many players to be a real flagship of the MMO. Schreier then threw further fuel on the fire, reporting that Bungie would be forced to postpone Destiny 2: The Ultimate Forme by a few months, while Marathon would even be postponed to 2025.
Elements that outline a picture considered worrying, both by Destiny players and PlayStation players in general, considering the importance of the team in the company’s live service aims.
Bungie and Sony’s live service plans
The 3.6 billion dollar acquisition of Bungie has not convinced the entire PlayStation community, as it is a studio specialized in a type of experience far removed from the narrative-focused single player ones that have characterized PlayStation Studios so far, however it is undeniable there great strategic importance which covers Sony’s future plans, which has made no secret of wanting to diversify its offer by investing heavily in GaaS (acronym for Game As a Service).
The experience gained with Destiny, one of the most successful MMOs of the last decade, should in fact prove essential in helping the other PlayStation Studios teams less experienced in the field of live services, or in some cases completely novices. In this sense, Bungie is also playing the role of supervisor for each GaaS within Sony’s studios. For example, according to Bloomberg’s reliable sources, it was Bungie itself that imposed a brake on the development of the multiplayer game of The Last of Us at Naughty Dog, after evaluating it negatively.
Bungie therefore represents an important piece in Sony’s strategies, yet the news of the last few days paints an internal situation that is less rosy than one might hope for and perhaps the result of short-sighted management from the top of the studio itself, according to Forbes sources.
As we know, the studio currently has its hands in the dough in a considerable number of projects. In addition to the Ultimate Form of Destiny 2 and Marathon, the studio is also working on “Gummy Bears”, the code name of a very colorful MOBA in Unreal Engine 5, while rumors and documents filed by Microsoft during the lawsuit against The FTC also claims the existence of a mysterious game called Matter, which could be released during 2025. At this point it is not excluded that one of the games in question has been cancelled, which would partly explain the layoffs.
Let’s be clear, it would be far too catastrophic to talk about “crisis”especially when the information is fragmented and unofficial, however the impression is that something has not been working as it should in Bellevue for a few years now, also in light of the strange case of Destiny 2: The Eclipse, the expansion with the most commercial success but also the one most criticized by players.
This is an editorial written by a member of the editorial team and is not necessarily representative of the editorial line of Multiplayer.it.
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