Developer Evolution Studios, who made their name with PlayStation exclusives “MotorStorm” and “DriveClub,” were shut down by Sony today.
The news comes two years after the British studio laid off 55 employees following the rocky launch of “DriveClub.” What was advertised as a PS4 launch title eventually suffered significant delays before it was released in 2014 to mediocre reviews. A PS Plus version of the game coupled with the standalone expansion of “DriveClub Bikes” was not enough to help the brand establish itself.
The latest plans for the franchise was to integrate it with the upcoming PlayStation VR.
Sony released a statement on the closure, claiming that it would do its best to reallocate some of the talent to other studios, according to gameindustry.biz.
Regular reviews take place throughout SCE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects.
As part of this process we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and plans for the short and medium term and have decided to make some changes to the European studios structure.
As a result, it has been decided that Evolution Studio will close.
It is regrettable that this decision will lead to compulsory redundancies. We accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff but by focusing on other Studios that already have exciting new projects in development we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality for our consumers.
Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects. If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies.
Evolution has been an important part of SCE Worldwide Studios for over 10 years – working on ground-breaking racing titles like WRC, Motorstorm and DRIVECLUB.
This decision should not take anything away from the great work that Evolution has produced.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Senior Community Manager for Evolution Studios Jamie Brayshaw promised that “DriveClub” would “live on under the awesome team at PlayStation.”
It’s the end of an incredible era for #EvolutionStudios. Thanks to all of you: https://t.co/YYPJNvbMxd #DRIVECLUB pic.twitter.com/ERQiQ48SGR
— Jamie Brayshaw (@PhenomEvolution) March 22, 2016
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