PixelOpus closing

the-pi-guy · May 05, 2023, 07:26 PM

Dear friends, our PixelOpus adventure has come to an end. As we look to new futures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the millions of passionate players who have supported us, and our mission to make beautiful, imaginative games with heart.
We are so grateful! ?????? pic.twitter.com/rQO2Cgvhnq
— PixelOpus (@Pixelopus) May 5, 2023

Legend · May 05, 2023, 07:30 PM

That sucks. Never played a game from them but I loved the concept.

the-pi-guy · May 05, 2023, 07:45 PM

I was only @Pixelopus since Jan, but it has been some of the most creatively fulfilling work of my career. The talent at this studio really blew me away. I’m grieving right now at the loss of a great team, and a great project. I hope we all land on our feet, preferably together. https://t.co/wcoghzz7B6
— Mark Vernon (@TheMarkVernon) May 5, 2023

kitler53 · May 05, 2023, 07:48 PM

i played both their games. both were fine. neither were great.

i love the idea that sony had a studio to allow inexperienced student developers a chance to learn the craft by making an actual game. ...but maybe in execution its not the best idea and it would be better to just have interns work at any of the 1st party studios. i mean,.. that at least puts them in regular contact with experts.

it's been 5 years since their last game. i have to imagine whatever they were making just got canceled and the studio with it.

the optics of this sucks for sony right now. they need to be growing not closing more studios.

the-pi-guy · May 05, 2023, 07:49 PM

Any game that ships is a miracle.
— Mark Vernon (@TheMarkVernon) May 2, 2023

I imagine it might have gotten cancelled that day.

kitler53 · May 05, 2023, 08:20 PM

Quote from: the-Pi-guy on May 05, 2023, 07:49 PM
Any game that ships is a miracle.
— Mark Vernon (@TheMarkVernon) May 2, 2023

I imagine it might have gotten cancelled that day.

sony probably took at look at what they were making and realized it was a port of redfall....

the-pi-guy · May 05, 2023, 08:32 PM

Sony has confirmed in a statement to IGN that PixelOpus will be shutting down on June 2. https://t.co/171boKqvN3
— IGN (@IGN) May 5, 2023

QuotePlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization's short and long-term strategic objectives. As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.

Horizon · May 05, 2023, 08:57 PM

Sony are only interested in AAA games. This isn't surprising to me sadly. London, Media Molecule, Bluepoint and Housemarque are all staffing up as Sony is all on AAA games. They'll also be asking why invest in 20 people in Pixelops when we could put that funding to ND,SM,GG or Insomniac.

the-pi-guy · May 05, 2023, 11:37 PM

This was kind of weird. Out of nowhere tweet and it took like an hour before it started getting reported by IGN and the like.

On the one hand this isn't a huge loss in my book, on the other hand, it's disappointing. I'd like to see Sony expanding more.

Legend · May 06, 2023, 12:37 AM

Quote from: the-Pi-guy on May 05, 2023, 11:37 PMThis was kind of weird. Out of nowhere tweet and it took like an hour before it started getting reported by IGN and the like.

On the one hand this isn't a huge loss in my book, on the other hand, it's disappointing. I'd like to see Sony expanding more.

I really dislike how Sony is exclusively AAA focused, as Horizon mentioned. Their AAA games are incredible but Sony isn't hurting for cash. Why can't we have those games and smaller experimental games?

kitler53 · May 06, 2023, 01:08 AM

Quote from: Legend on May 06, 2023, 12:37 AMI really dislike how Sony is exclusively AAA focused, as Horizon mentioned. Their AAA games are incredible but Sony isn't hurting for cash. Why can't we have those games and smaller experimental games?

The answer is obvious no? $$$

its a shame and I'm disappointed too but concrete genie wasn't very good. I'll agree with sony that its not worth making a game unless its good. ...but good doesn't have to mean huge. Journey was good. Hades was good.

Maybe its just not easy to get really good people to want to work on really small projects. Kind of the same issue as no one wanting to work on psp.

I mean resogun was good and then we got returnal...

Legend · May 06, 2023, 01:20 AM

Quote from: kitler53 on May 06, 2023, 01:08 AMThe answer is obvious no? $$$

its a shame and I'm disappointed too but concrete genie wasn't very good. I'll agree with sony that its not worth making a game unless its good. ...but good doesn't have to mean huge. Journey was good. Hades was good.

Maybe its just not easy to get really good people to want to work on really small projects. Kind of the same issue as no one wanting to work on psp.

Hades is a great example. It was a much smaller game yet had more discussion and critical success than many AAA titles. It'd be amazing if Sony made games like that.

PixelOpus probably wasn't the studio to do it, but I don't know whose fault that was. Concrete Genie was just a generic indie game and it needed to be much much more.

the-pi-guy · May 06, 2023, 01:31 AM

Yeah it'd be great if they made games like Hades.

I think with Uncharted TLL and Spider-Man MM, I think Sony will push more games like that. Half sized "AAA" outings.

kitler53 · May 06, 2023, 01:35 AM

Quote from: Legend on May 06, 2023, 01:20 AMHades is a great example. It was a much smaller game yet had more discussion and critical success than many AAA titles. It'd be amazing if Sony made games like that.

PixelOpus probably wasn't the studio to do it, but I don't know whose fault that was. Concrete Genie was just a generic indie game and it needed to be much much more.

and I'd love it if Sony was trying to make the next hades. but clearly they don't think it is worth it.

I think from Sony's perspective it is easier and more profitable for their "small games" to be dlc expansions to their major games.

gamers seem to expect $70 to be major efforts in both game effort and new gameplay features. ..but when Sony turns around and has a $20 expansion no one seems to care that it's just more of the same and then it goes on to sell millions.

seeing as most of Sony's games have an expansion I'll just call this Sony's version of an indie game.

still,.. I'll miss the likes of echochrome, fat princess, unfinished swan, journey, ect. I wish Sony could see their value in the form of ps+ releases.

SWORDF1SH · May 06, 2023, 10:03 AM

11 years, one bad, one ok game and 4 years since last game. Sounds like Sony gave them a fair opportunity but they just weren't the "indie" team Sony hoped they'd be.

Either that or Sony tried to transition they to bigger projects and they weren't to standard but PixelOpus don't seem that productive.