To become a part of Sony, Housemarque, the developer of Returnal, has rejected offers from other major players in the industry. In an interview with Finnish publication Yle, Housemarque CEO Ilari Kuittinen revealed that Sony was not the only company interested in acquiring them. Other companies from Sweden, China, and the US also wanted to buy Housemarque.
According to the CEO, this spring was particularly unique as they did not anticipate competition in the sector. While negotiating with Sony, Housemarque realized that Sony wanted to have a special kind of partnership with them. Sony stood out by allowing Housemarque to develop games based on their own principles rather than imposing Sony's vision on them.
Last week, it was announced that Housemarque had joined PlayStation Studios. Herman Hulst, the head of PlayStation Studios, disclosed that Housemarque had become the thirteenth developer to be a part of the project. However, Housemarque will retain its autonomy, with an external development team from PlayStation Studios serving as a partner.
The acquisition of Housemarque by Sony for PlayStation game development is not surprising given the developer's history of creating exclusive games for PlayStation Studios, such as Resogun and Nex Machina for the PS4. Such acquisitions have proven lucrative for both the PlayStation company and the developers joining the team.
What are your thoughts on Sony's purchase of Housemarque? Do you believe that the collaboration between Housemarque and Sony will be successful? Feel free to share your comments below!
