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Sony Santa Monica on hiring spree, possibly working on two projects?
- Thread starter patapon
- Start date
It's always a possibility when studios have major hirings - that being said, I dunno if those jobs alone mean it's bulking up for a 2nd project. SSM isn't that big in terms of internal staff headcount to begin with.
Maybe GOw2 being most likely cross gen means needing to get more people to ensure both versions are optimised
God of War 2 is 100% certain, but a second project would be cool too. Especially if it's an RPG.
Yes, I'm going to keep banging that drum until Sony listens.
Yes, I'm going to keep banging that drum until Sony listens.
Corey is a Messiah figure down there, I'm sure he can get new IP idea greenlit, maybe it will enter pre production now while work on GOW is the studios main focus.
It can be something as simple as SSM asking this question: "How do we top GoW in its sequel?"
People always want to keep improving.
People always want to keep improving.
I mean, don't these companies typically lose a lot of staff after a big game ships? 15+ new job placements doesn't seem that large, when they could have shed a similar number after GoW shipped and now they're ready to re-hire again in preparation of their next development.
Did they? this is the first time I'm hearing this. Do you have a list?
God of War 2018 was great but i was definitely done by the end. i hope the sequel has some changes. sure it will.
This.
God of War 2 and Spider Man 2 are guarantees for two reasons.
The first games this year sold very well so far, and.... their "secret endings" suggest next games. (TBH, they need to continue where they left off)
https://www.polygon.com/2014/2/25/5447306/sony-santa-monica-layoffs
After Ascension, Stig Admunsen worked with a big team on a new SF IP. That project failed, lots of people got fired, and all the rest were thrown to recently returned Corey Barlog, who had to scramble to give them something to do.
Stig is now at Respawn, working on a new action Star Wars game.
It was said around the time GoW released that Cory was pushing to work on a new IP but that he and the writers pretty much had the next like 4 GoW's already planned out story-wise. So this would be my guess as to the 2 teams they'd have. One for GoW and one for whatever Cory's working on.
Yeah.
Looks like Sony are expanding their studios rather than buying new ones. They are doing the same at Guerilla and they have that other mysterious studio in San Diego working with their visual arts group.
Looks like Sony are expanding their studios rather than buying new ones. They are doing the same at Guerilla and they have that other mysterious studio in San Diego working with their visual arts group.
He mentioned people leaving after GoW shipped. This was before. I was wondering if the studio had another mass reduction in force after GoW.
Hopefully that means that Cory Barlog will get to work on that project with his dad, as well as GoW 2.
Hyping up something like GoW did with it's ending should be illegal.
the idea of them not continuing what happened
and implying that Atreus and Kratos would eventually fight each other as Atreus grows as well as Thor and Odin needing to take their wraith out on Kratos and son... plus Freya being their enemy now..
if they did not continue this, that would be the crime./
Don't really care. Mass Effect knockoff, Final Fantasy-like. I just want an RPG out of Sony. Preferably with a full party of characters and lots of stuff to do.
I hope so, but it could also be just them bulking up for next gen development, they need more bodies for longer dev cycles. SSM is also known for helping smaller studios with development, it's possible they're hiring for that too. I sincerely hope they are producing 2 AAA projects, but I'm also going to remain cautiously optimistic.
Ohh ok. Yeah, Rpg has such little meaning now that it can mean anything.
Really? Was that ever confirmed? They've been helping indie studios for a long time.
You have my drum as well, I think RPG would be a great genre to invest to given that Sony's strenght is it's stories. I prefer a more 'deeper' one, Horizon is very lite in rpg mechanics even though Imlove the game
Looking at their portfolio on their webpage, it looks like the last project they helped with was in 2016. As you said, safe to assume they don't do this anymore.
This staffing is 100% going to their own homegrown game.
It's true. I'm more looking for a classical RPG experience over the "lite" RPGs we get with one playable character and no party mechanics or customization. Sony's absolutely got the talent to pull it off.
I'm pretty sure that next God of War won't release on PS4. It will be a showcase for PS5.
Is Santa Monica still doing their partnerships with indie developers that resulted in stuff like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and Bound ?
They haven't done it for a few years now, most of that team are heading up Annapurna Interactive these days.
It'd make a lot of sense for SSM to form a second team since Barlog has made it pretty clear he wants to stick with tradition and let someone else direct the next GoW and create a new IP, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if it happens. I always feel like it's important to point out it wouldn't be a full second team though, it'd be more in line with Naughty Dog's 1.5 team structure. Most of the studio would work on GoW2 while a small team headed up by Barlog begins pre-production on the new IP.