Since an employee at PlayStation Japan mistakenly “welcomed” Bluepoint to the platform holder’s first-party family, Sony has acquired two teams that very few expected: Nixxes and Firesprite. And yet, we’re still waiting for confirmation of whether the Demon’s Souls developer has actually joined the PlayStation Studios family or not.
Following the error, the Texas-based developer updated flavour text on its Twitter account to state that it’s “fully independent”, but neither party has outright denied the speculation. Yet, we’re still waiting for any kind of confirmation about what’s going on. We contacted the manufacturer earlier in the year, but received no response.
It’s a strange one because clearly someone at PlayStation’s marketing department created a graphic to announce the acquisition: both the logo and key art from Demon’s Souls are included, alongside imagery from Returnal, suggesting the announcement was planned after the firm’s Housemarque buyout.
But still there’s no word on what’s going on. Perhaps, at one point, discussions were taking place but have fallen through? Or maybe it’s waiting for Bluepoint to reveal its next project – although that hasn’t prevented it from confirming its purchase of Firesprite, has it? A very strange situation: perhaps one day we’ll get the full story.
[source News: Sony Acquisition of Bluepoint Games Supposedly Leaked by Image Mistake]
Comments 44
At this point I fear the mistake on the part of Playstation Japan's Twitter (who posted the graphic) may have scuppered the likely late stage discussions and given Bluepoint cold feet.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time hubris has ruined a deal.
I suspect we’ll get it followed by a metal gear solid remake announcement. I can already hear the “Kept you waiting huh?” Opening 😂😅 one can hope any way
I agree. If not BluePoint getting cold feet about the deal, it might have not been a thing at all and somebody at PlayStation just made a random graphic for fun which got mixed up. This wouldn’t be the first time Sony let an important studio go. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft saw the writing on the wall and offered BluePoint twice as much money or something.
This would be a catastrophic loss for Sony if acquisition talks fell through.
Yes, inquiring minds would like to know. This should be a no-brainer for both parties.
Yeah, I would guess it’s delayed until they have something ready to show. Hopefully Metal Gear Solid.
They released Demons Souls recently. Can afford to wait a bit. A new game likely will take some time to release unless they had another team working on it while developing Demons Souls.
I don't see MGS being the next project. It would require Konami's cooperation and also a total remake from a fixed camera game to a more open world one. If you were to transfer them directly into MGSV the environments would feel tiny. So far BP have been more about re-skinning games (in the best manner possible) and leaving the gameplay mostly intact.
Myself I'd love to see them reboot the Motor Storm series, especially Pacific Rift. Give me that in VR and it's a day 1 purchase!
@Shstrick absolutely. I really don't know the details of how these deals come about, but I could envision a scenario where the image went up before the ink was dry, and MS swooped in with a better deal.
If that happened, how much of a kick in the nuts would it be if MS announced it last night? Even though I tend to sway towards Sony, the gall of such a movewoild make me laugh!
@themightyant Exactly my thoughts
Has the Tokyo game show already happend ? I wonder if not they could have some anoucments there. Konami is doing something if I'm not mistaken maybe there was some kind of deal where Konami is going to introduce some form of partnership. That gives them a bit of good will as well as pleases stockholdes .
What supposed acquisition of blueprint? All I’ve seen is one mistake on a slide and a lot of wishful thinking.
There’s still the possibility this is tied into the whole Blue Box Game Studios thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the acquisition has happened and it’s going to be announced at the end of the marketing slog Abandoned has been. Real-time Abandoned experience. Yeah, no kidding.
Massive applause from me for the ‘blue balls’ caption. 10/10. 😂
I think it will be announced with Bluepoint's next game. Would make logical sense
@WCB "This should be a no-brainer for both parties."
It's seemingly known in the industry that Bluepoint want to try their hand at making their own games not just remastering others games.
It's likely they were in late stage of discussions, late enough that Sony prepped multiple acquisition graphics including Bluepoint, perhaps this was one of the sticking points that they ended up not resolving, hence no deal. Sometimes companies do not want to acquired, or not under the terms offered.
@Perturbator agreed also not a fan of a MGS remake for Bluepoint. Exactly what you said Bluepoint usually runs the old engine code alongside their own 'Bluepoint' graphics engine so that gameplay is basically the same. I replayed MGS recently and the gameplay has aged poorly imo, it needs more than just a lick of paint. The same didn't apply to Shadow of the Collosus or Demon's Souls.
But I love @Traman500 idea of 'kept you waiting, huh?' that would be simply brilliant marketing!
@Perturbator Still feeling the draught left by the dumb closures of Evolution (now part of Codemasters?), Japan (no more Everybody's Golf, folks) and Studio Liverpool (might be some hope in Firesprite?)
Given how blueprint clarified on their recruitment page that they are entirely independent, a place that is very odd to clarify that at, I have a feeling that any negotiations for an acquisition simply fell through at the last minute.
@mrtennis1990 it would only be a catastrophic loss if someone else acquires them, but refusing an offer, and their public statements, sound to me like they just want to remain independent for the time being. Maybe the owners feel the studio can still grow more and get a bigger check in a year or two, or maybe they like their independence.
@itsfoz
Agreed. You might say it bordered on edging, I mean being edgy 😁
Come on sony everyone is ready for this aquisition.it will happen.word up son
Yeah it would be a shame if nothing came of this. As others have said, there's no actual real evidence of an acquisition, just ongoing uncorroborated rumours and a graphic that could easily have been a dumb oversight on someone's part at Sony. BluePoint have a long running relationship with PlayStation and they've made brilliant games over the years - I do think it'd be stupid if Sony doesn't snap them up and make them part of the family (this assumes of course that BluePoint want to be acquired). I'd love to see a remake of the original MGS, reimagining and expanding on parts to make it compatible with modern game sensibilities and design, and BluePoint would be the ideal studio to bring it to life - the perfect balance of remake and some original design, which would be a logical next step for the developer. But it's looking shaky that they will be bought by Sony, and even less likely, sadly, that I'll get my wish and see MGS come back.
I genuinely see no upside for Bluepoint being acquired by Sony. They're a remaster dev first and foremost so tying themselves to Sony only hinders them. Hopefully they stay independent and go wherever the work takes them.
Sony/PlayStation does not like announcing studio acquisitions as part of press conferences or shows. Every studio they announced recently has been by press release, tweets, or other means. Why would Bluepoint be any different? They also want to give their last acquisition time to breath and the marketing from this show time to breath. Give it a few weeks and hopefully we see something.
I would assume they're going to announce it when MGS remake is ready to show. I'm sorry but they wouldn't have someone make a picture with the acquisition announcement unless it was pretty much confirmed. They could be just tying up legal ends at the moment.
There is no MGS remake by Bluepoint. Please stop.
I think if Bluepoint got cold feet, it could have been Sony not letting them make their own IP. I believe they have wanted to make their own game from the ground up for quite some time now. Could be a good reason it fell through, if it did.
Couldn't Microsoft just offer them insane amounts of money just to keep them from working for/with Sony? Can that be legally challenged?
I have no idea what’s going on with the acquisition, but I just want to see what they’re working on next after the amazing Shadow of the Colossus remake and the incredible Demon’s Souls remake.
They can do no wrong in my book.
Hasn't it already been established that the original post was a typo?
@sanderson72 Yeap most At Codemasters and some at. Playground Games.
Maybe this will happen. Maybe not. There is literally no evidence that it is planned. There are no official statements claiming anything.
I think it will still happen. The deal probably hasn't finished yet so until then they could still be independent as they say. Or perhaps they have reached a deal and the error has set them back from the reveal as it ruined the surprise or they just didn't want us talking about them instead of Housemarque.
Or it could be possible PlayStation Japan got the wrong studio in translation.
@Milktastrophe
It's more than just a "typo" when you have a marketing department's graphics team create an image incorporating the studio's logo and make room for a snip taken from their most recent PlayStation exclusive. Deliberate work went into this...
Having gone through the M&A process where the company I worked for was having it's assets obtained (not purchased, assets obtained), the process is very time consuming. I work with contracts, and we had to have each and every contract that was in place fully vetted. The Due Diligence required for a M&A is exhausting.
It's like when you and another person are totally in love and one of your buds call it out and you guys are like, "no, no, n n n no, we never said that. There's nothing going on." But inside you're both like, "do they really feel nothing?".
How many people would lose their shyte, if bluepoint's next game was multiplat. Or, gasp, xb exclusive.
@Otherbarry Tokyo Games Show has not happened yet.
That event lasts from September 30th to October 3rd.
I wonder if they're waiting for Bluepoint to be ready to at least tease their next project alongside the official acquisition announcement. The other two were surprises but Bluepoint being acquired as been a long time coming and expected so the announcement deserves a bit more ceremony... or so both parties thought.
I do hope the mishap didn't throw too big a spanner in the works.
@KidBoruto ah ok . I didn't think it happend yet but with so much going on its tough to keep track of everything . Thank you.
@Otherbarry You're welcome! Here's a handy article that keeps track of all upcoming gaming events (that will cover PlayStation games).
https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/all-upcoming-ps5-ps4-events-live-streams-and-press-conferences
Given it’s meant at ‘News’ I expected something new in the article (or at least some answer/educated speculation) but no… it’s just the headline 🤷🏼♂️ (‘What’s going on?’)
@KidBoruto oh sweet man thanks I don't know how I missed this article is the first place .
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