- Housemarque’s CEO basically said Saro wouldn’t be happening without Sony’s acquisition
- Saros likely has a big budget behind it, meaning it could look and play wonderfully
- That’s positive news for a PS5-exclusive game and Saros could be one to watch closely
If the past couple of years have been anything to go by, game studios being purchased by big publishers hasn’t been a walk in the park for them, with closures and canceled games. But Returnal developer Housemarque is telling a different story.
In an interview with Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat, as flagged by VGC, the developer’s CEO Ilari Kuittinen basically indicated that Housemarque’s next game Saros wouldn’t have gotten off the ground had it not been for PlayStation Studios acquiring the company.
While we don’t know how much is being put into the development of Saros – an action-adventure game based on the lost off-world colony on the planet Carcosa while under an ominous eclipse – Kuittinen suggested it could be compared to the Remedy’s Alan Wake 2, which had an “an estimated development and marketing budget of around €70 million”.
Kuittinen noted that as an independent “you couldn’t have made such investments”, discussing the challenges for a small developer in wondering how long the company would survive in the gaming world.
“We had the feeling that it was better to try to get into a big family than to stay independent for the next few years,” Kuittinen said. “We thought we had to do the deal now.”
A positive wind of change?
After the shutdown of Sony-owned developers Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios in 2024, and Microsoft’s shuttering of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Games in the same year, it’s been a rocky road for developers that have been acquired by gaming giants.
So Kuittinen’s words are refreshingly positive. And given how Saros looks set to be a more ambitious title than Returnal, featuring actors like Rahul Kohli of Midnight Mass fame, and likely to be a game dripping in visual effects that really pushes the PS5 and potentially the PS5 Pro, it’s a good sign that the developer feels supported by its PlayStation overlord.
Equally, the recent news of Fable 4 being delayed until next year is, I’m hoping, a sign that Microsoft is also willing to provide the funds to developers to really polish their games and ensure they have the best chance to have a serious impact in a gaming world dominated by the likes of Fortnite and Call of Duty.
I’m crossing my fingers that this is all a positive indication that there’s still room for big-budget games that can explore interesting settings and mechanics without needing an existing franchise or basically GTA 6.
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