London Studio was a British

video game developer A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with em ...

of PlayStation Studios based in London. Founded in 2002, it was best 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 Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

headset. The studio created more than 60 titles since it was established.

History

''SingStar'' and EyeToy

London Studio was established in 2002 following the merger of SCEE Studio Camden (formerly a division of

Psygnosis Psygnosis Limited (; known as SCE Studio Liverpool or simply Studio Liverpool from 1999) was a British video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher headquartered at Wavertree Technology Park in Liverpool. Founded in 1984 by Ian Het ...

) and Team Soho, the developer behind '' The Getaway''. As London Studio, the studio developed the '' SingStar'' series, which became extremely popular and helped broaden 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. 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''. The studio was working on two AAA exclusives for the

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

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.

Virtual reality

London Studio developed a

(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". 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. 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. In 2022, the studio was 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 wouldn't need to use a virtual reality headset to play this game.

Closure

In February 2024, Sony announced that it was proposing the closure of the studio as part of wider layoffs that includes 8% of the company's workforce, or 900 employees. The studio closed in May 2024.

Games developed

References

External links

* {{PlayStation Studios 2002 establishments in England 2024 disestablishments in England British companies disestablished in 2024 British companies established in 2002 Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom First-party video game developers PlayStation Studios Software companies based in London Video game companies disestablished in 2024 Video game companies established in 2002 Video game companies of the United Kingdom Video game development companies