- Housemarques CEO basically said Saro would not happen without Sony’s acquisition
- Saros probably has a big budget behind it, which means it could see and play wonderful
- It’s positive news for a PS5-exclusive game, and Saros can be one to look closely with
If the last few years have been something to pass by, Game Studios bought by big publishers has not been a walk in the park for them, with closures and canceled games. But Return Developer Houseemarque tells another story.
In an interview with the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat, as marked by VGC, the developer’s CEO Illari Kuittin is basically that Housemarques next game Saros Wouldn’t have been off the ground if it hadn’t been for PlayStation Studios who acquired the business.
While we don’t know how much is put into the development of Saros -An action-adventure game based on the lost off-world colony on planet Carcosa while under a ominous eclipse- suggested Kuittin it could be compared to the remedy Alan Wake 2which had an “estimated development and marketing budget of about 70 million euros”.
Kuittin noticed that you, as an independent “you could not have made such investments” and discussed the challenges of a small developer in wondering how long the company would survive in the gaming world.
“We had the feeling that it was better to try to get into a large family than to remain independent in the next few years,” Kuittin said. “We thought we had to do the deal now.”
A positive change of change?
Look at
After the shut down of Sony-owned developers Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios in 2024 and Microsoft’s closing by Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Games and Roundhouse games in the same year, it’s been a rocky path for developers acquired by Gaming Giants.
So the words of the kuittin are refreshingly positive. And in view of how Saros seems to be a more ambitious title than Returnwith actors like Rahul Kohli from Midnight mass Fame, and probably be a game that drips in visual effects that really push the PS5 and potentially PS5 Pro, it’s a good sign that the developer feels supported by its PlayStation Overlord.
Likewise, the recent news about Fable 4 To be delayed until next year is, I hope a sign that Microsoft is also willing to deliver the means to developers to really polish their games and make sure they have the best chance of having a serious influence in a gaming world dominated by them like Fortnite and Call of Duty.
I cross my fingers that all this is a positive indication that there is still room for large budgets that can explore interesting settings and mechanics without needing an existing franchise or basically GTA 6.
