PlayStation Shuts Down Manchester Studio

PlayStation has announced the closing of its Manchester Studio, a team that was in the process of a working on a VR title. Formed in 2015 as North West Studio, the developer never released a game before Sony pulled the plug. In a statement given to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony stated that the rationale for the move is "to close it as part of our efforts to improve efficiency and operational effectiveness." Apparently, the entire team has been "made redundant," so they won't be reassigned to other development studios. Sony has closed two other UK based studios over the last four years, including Guerrilla Cambridge, and Evolution.

Unfortunately, developer closures are becoming all-too common in the video game industry, of late. As development costs continue to increase, and budget priced indie titles compete for the interest of gamers, many studios find themselves struggling. The fact that Manchester Studio was working on a VR title could have also played a role in the studio's closing, as the technology remains costly, and still rather niche for most gamers. Both Guerilla Cambridge and Evolution were both working on VR titles when Sony opted to close them, lending some credence to that particular theory. Sony clearly still supports PS VR, but it will be interesting to see if that changes as a new console generation begins.

VR was always going to be a tough sell for gamers, which is likely why Microsoft and Nintendo were more hesitant to commit the way Sony did. On top of the cost of the technology, there are many gamers that find the experience headache-inducing, which might have scared some away without giving it a try. Sony clearly gave the technology a major push this generation, however, offering it in a number of major titles.

Regardless of Sony's rationale, the closure of Manchester Studio is still unfortunate for everyone involved. The closing leaves just two Sony owned development teams in the region: London Studio and Media Molecule. The latter team is responsible for the highly-anticipated Dreams, so they should remain safe for the time being, but it's still a very scary time for studios in the UK, and throughout the industry, as a whole. Hopefully the team at Manchester Studio won't have difficulty finding a new studio to call home.

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