BUSINESS
Sony Interactive Entertainment | September 09, 2021
Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”) announced today that SIE has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Firesprite Limited, the UK-based videogame studio with a history of developing highly-polished showpieces for cutting-edge hardware. With a partnership spanning more than 8 years and a games portfolio highlighting PlayStation’s technological innovations, Firesprite will play a critical role in strengthening SIE’s exclusive games catalog in genres outside of PlayStation Studios’ core offerings.
Founded by industry veterans from SIE’s Studio Liverpool, Firesprite has a strong record of developing showcase games for PlayStation console and peripheral launches. Over the past few years, Firesprite has partnered with SIE to develop games for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®VR launch including The Playroom (PS4) and The Playroom VR (PS VR), both of which showcased unique hardware capabilities with highly-quality gameplay.
Originally a PS VR exclusive, with its most recent release, The Persistence, Firesprite pushed the boundaries of how users interact with the PS VR headset by introducing a groundbreaking virtual reality social element that further demonstrated the studio’s technical and creative capabilities. Later adapted for flat screens in 2018, Firesprite recently released The Persistence Enhanced in June 2021 which optimized the game for PlayStation®5 to include DualSense™ wireless controller haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and raytraced rendering.
“We are delighted to welcome Firesprite into the PlayStation family,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “We have a rich history of working with the founders of Firesprite and are excited to grow the PlayStation presence in Liverpool. The portfolio of titles Firesprite has developed has continually demonstrated the team’s ability to transcend traditional gameplay experiences and brilliantly showcase the potential of our hardware.”
“Creating quality, state-of-the-art games has always been at the forefront of Firesprite’s work and I’m confident they will push the bar even further as part of PlayStation Studios,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Firesprite’s ability to weave best-in-class gameplay with new technology is exceptional and I think fans will be excited about their creative vision for the future.”
“At Firesprite, we’re always striving to bring something new to a game or genre and developing for new technologies is a driving force of our passion,” said Graeme Ankers, Managing Director, Firesprite. “Joining PlayStation Studios will allow us to amplify this passion, working more closely on cutting-edge hardware without any limitations and furthering our studio’s heritage of creativity and technical innovation to offer some truly unique experiences for PlayStation fans.”
Based in Liverpool, UK Firesprite will join the global development operation of PlayStation Studios and will be the 14th studio to join the PlayStation Studios family. The day-to-day operations post-acquisition will continue to be run by Firesprite’s current management team. Terms of this transaction including the acquisition cost are not disclosed due to contractual commitments.
About Sony Interactive Entertainment
Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation5, PlayStation4, PlayStationVR, PlayStationStore, PlayStationPlus, PlayStation Now, and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and has global functions in California, London and Tokyo.
About Firesprite
Founded in 2012 by a group of creative and management veterans with years of industry experience, Firesprite is a visionary game development studio based in the heart of Liverpool’s vibrant game development hub with over 200 team members. Creating a number of showcase games for PlayStation console and peripheral launches over the years, Firesprite’s core focus is developing innovative and memorable experiences for players on cutting edge gaming hardware. At Firesprite, the end player experience always comes first and the team is passionate about how to best combine the disciplines of design, art and code to deliver experiences that surprise and delight.
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