Company:London Studio
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Team Soho |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | , England |
Key people |
|
| Products |
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| Parent | PlayStation Studios |
| Website | playstationlondonstudio |
London Studio is a British video game developer based in London. Founded in 2002, it is a first-party studio for PlayStation Studios. The studio was most known for developing the SingStar series, as well as games for PlayStation's external peripherals including the EyeToy camera and the PlayStation VR virtual reality headset. The studio has created more than 60 titles since it was established.[1]
History
SingStar and EyeToy
London Studio was established in 2002 following the merger of Psygnosis's Camden studio and Team Soho, the developer behind The Getaway.[2] As London Studio, the studio developed the SingStar series, which became extremely popular and helped broadened the appeal of the PlayStation 2 beyond the typical demographics of young male gamers. The series sold more than 20 million copies within 6 years.[3] It also created a lot of games for Sony's EyeToy webcam, and assisted the development of other Sony titles, such as Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet.[4] The studio was working on two AAA exclusives for the PlayStation 3 including Eight Days and the sequel to The Getaway, but both were cancelled by Sony Europe as Sony wanted to reallocate resources to other first-party games.[5]
Virtual reality
London Studio developed a virtual reality (VR) rendering technology, called LSSDK, which supports PlayStation 4 and PC. This engine was first used in PlayStation VR Worlds, which contained five virtual reality experiences: "The London Heist", "Into The Deep", "VR Luge", "Danger Ball" and "Scavenger's Odyssey".[6] While VR Worlds received mixed reviews, "London Heist" was critically acclaimed, and the game was commercially successful. Developing titles for the virtual reality headset became the company's main focus.[7] The studio's next game was Blood & Truth, which serves as the successor to the London Heist level. It became the first VR title to reach number 1 on the UK's retail sales chart when it was released in May 2019.[8]
Upcoming game
The studio is currently working on a cooperative multiplayer game for the PlayStation 5. Set in a modern fantasy London, it was described by studio head Tara Saunders as the company's "most ambitious project to-date". Players do not need to use a virtual reality headset to play this game.[9]
Games developed
| Game | Year | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| This is Football 2003 | 2002 | PlayStation 2 |
| Hardware | ||
| This is Football 2004 | 2003 | |
| EyeToy | ||
| This is Football 2005 | 2004 | |
| EyeToy | ||
| SingStar | ||
| The Getaway | ||
| SingStar Party | ||
| EyeToy: Chat | 2005 | |
| World Tour Soccer | PlayStation Portable | |
| Fired Up | ||
| SingStar Pop | PlayStation 2 | |
| EyeToy | ||
| EyeToy | ||
| SingStar '80s | ||
| EyeToy | ||
| EyeToy | ||
| EyeToy: Kinetic Combat | 2006 | |
| EyeToy: Play Sports | ||
| SingStar Rocks! | ||
| SingStar Anthems | ||
| Gangs of London | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar Legends | PlayStation 2 | |
| World Tour Soccer 2 | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar Pop Hits | 2007 | PlayStation 2 |
| SingStar 90s | ||
| SingStar Amped | ||
| SingStar Rock Ballads | ||
| Aqua Vita | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar R&B | PlayStation 2 | |
| Beats | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar Summer Party | 2008 | PlayStation 2 |
| SingStar Vol. 2 | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar ABBA | PlayStation 2 & PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar Vol. 3 | PlayStation 3 | |
| PlayStation Home | ||
| SingStar Queen | 2009 | |
| SingStar Pop Edition | ||
| SingStar Motown | ||
| EyePet | PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar Take That | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar Guitar | 2010 | |
| SingStar Dance | ||
| DanceStar Party | 2011 | |
| EyePet & Friends | ||
| DanceStar Party Hits | 2012 | |
| Wonderbook | ||
| SingStar: Ultimate Party[10] | 2014 | PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 3 |
| PlayStation VR Worlds | 2016 | PlayStation VR |
| SingStar Celebration | 2017 | PlayStation 4 |
| Blood & Truth | 2019 | PlayStation VR |
| Erica | PlayStation 4 |
References
- ↑ Avard, Alex (October 4, 2020). "Here's every PlayStation Studio, and the games they're currently working on". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/playstation-studios-sony/.
- ↑ Exposed, Marco (May 25, 2019). "Blood & Truth: who are the guys from London Studio and what The Getaway was". IGN. https://it.ign.com/blood-and-truth-ps4/154913/feature/blood-truth-chi-sono-i-ragazzi-di-london-studio-e-cosa-e-stato-the-getaway.
- ↑ Handrahan, Matthew (October 16, 2019). "Sony will close down SingStar servers in January 2020". Gamesindustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-11-06-sony-is-closing-down-singstar-servers-in-january-2020.
- ↑ Boxer, Steve (April 28, 2008). "Inside Sony's Secret Powerhouse". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/apr/28/sonylondon.
- ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 2, 2011). "Cancelled Eight Days was "jaw dropping"". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-01-cancelled-eight-days-was-jaw-dropping.
- ↑ Answer, James (March 2016). "Fast and Flexible: Technical Art and Rendering For The Unknown". https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023665/Fast-and-Flexible-Technical-Art.
- ↑ Lang, Ben (November 8, 2017). "Sony's London Studio Doubles Down With VR as Its Top Priority". RoadtoVR. https://www.roadtovr.com/sony-london-studio-doubles-down-psvr-playstation-vr/.
- ↑ Dring, Christopher (June 3, 2019). "UK Charts: Blood & Truth is the first VR game to claim No.1". Gamesindustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-06-03-uk-charts-blood-and-truth-is-the-first-vr-game-to-claim-no-1.
- ↑ Dring, Christopher (October 27, 2022). "Why PlayStation London Studio is leaving VR to create a fantasy online combat game". Gamesindustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/why-playstation-london-studio-is-leaving-vr-to-create-a-fantasy-online-combat-game. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ↑ "SingStar coming soon to PS4 with free microphone app". blog.eu.playstation.com. http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/05/21/singstar-coming-soon-ps4-free-microphone-app/.
External links
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