Sony’s Visual Arts Services Group is one of the unsung heroes in PlayStation’s portfolio. There’s been talk about attaching a fully-fledged development team to the department for years, but its main remit is to help other studios realise their visions. And this doesn’t just apply first-party projects, as its motion capture space has been rented by various third-parties over the years.
One upcoming title that the division’s helped out on is The Callisto Protocol, with all of the cinematics being shot on location at Sony’s motion capture studio. And according to Michael Mumbauer, a former director and studio head at VASG, the collaboration runs deeper than that: “It wasn’t just the use of the mocap studio. [PlayStation] contributed quite a lot to cinematics and more. [It’s] going to be a banger.”
Striking Distance Studios, the developer of The Callisto Protocol, is a brand new team – but it really impressed us with the overall quality of its sci-fi horror in the demo we tested earlier in the year. The game, based on what we played, feels like a true AAA title – and so smart collaborations, like this one touted with PS Studios, will have helped it achieve that aim. We’re looking forward to experiencing all of the cinematics when the title drops on 2nd December, 2022.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 28
Makes sense to go to someone who is synonymous with high and consistent quality.
Well they those chose the best mo-cap guys in the business.
Future acquisition in the pipeline then 😉
UltimateOtaku91 wrote:
I have no doubt they are always laying seeds like this hoping some will take root. Like when they gave Kojima the Decima engine, or partnered with Haven studios before buying them outright.
Some will work out, others won't, but it's all smart business all the same. Get people onside, make them realise you can work together successfully towards a common, better, goal and if/when acquisitions are a possibility you will likely be top of the pile.
Meanwhile Sony get a good look at who they are working with, are they someone they actually want to acquire and work with going forward? Win-win.
@themightyant Could not agree more that is an amazing business practice that keeps things non-hostile out of the gate too. This is how you get true partners and quality work in any part of the working world.
In other news I think this game is going to kick butt
@themightyant yeah I agree, same goes for the developers as well. They work with Sony to see what they can provide them and seeing what they can achieve with sonys help. And studios like these guys might be swayed with sonys mo-cap and cinematic prowess to help achieve their ideal games.
But sometimes sony can let those devs get away, such as quantic dream.
Capcom use Sony mo-cap studio for they’re games also.
UltimateOtaku91 wrote:
Considering all the bad press Quantic Dream, and particularly David Cage, has had it may well be they didn't want to acquire them. Sounded like a really toxic workplace for a while.
Or perhaps, like Kojima, QD didn't want to be acquired.
For the gamers
@themightyant how do you reply to specific quotes?
@themightyant probably down to their toxic workplace then, as they wanted to be acquired and finally did a few months back by Net-ease
@UltimateOtaku91 yeah they will get watching this closely ,expect an announcement April next year 😂
Sony should buy striking distance studio.the callisto protocol will be a instant classic.word up son
@UltimateOtaku91 Thanks I completely missed that acquisition, looking at the dates I was on holiday! Man gotta rest
theMEGAniggle wrote:
For an attribted quote like above, so you don't need to tag them again, just use [ quote=theMEGAniggle ]how do you reply to specific quotes?[ /quote ]
For a general quote like above use [ quote ]Quote you want to put[ /quote ] e.g.
Just remove the spaces between the brackets
Keeping my eye on this one
Here come the obligatory 'Sony are so wonderful at partnering with people' comments. Snore. Zzzzzz
Tune in next week when Sony are crap again and we all hate 'em.
@ApostateMage
you missed it by one comment....look above you...lol...
Good guy Sony ensuring gamers continue to eat very well.
@UltimateOtaku91 QD is a nightmare for your PR with David Cage as a homophobe and a toxic working environment.
@__jamiie Sony is horrible is more boring with every small thing they are the worst.
@KaijuKaiser All those games were built using Windows PCs.
Is this part of the upcoming acquisitions Jim kept talking about earlier this year 😂😂😂
Jk but it's good to see Sony giving out some goodwill to smaller dev teams.
@KaijuKaiser you sound jelly mai gai.
Big boi pants time:
Investment opportunities for big companies happen all the time aquiring companies happen all the time. If sony had the capital and microsoft didn't are you sure sony wouldnt be making sound high quality investments?
I think you forget sony gates games for timed exclusivity all the time and sony also makes investments (that they can afford) all the time.
Its just business bub, dont make it personal.
Cool.
*Still buys game on Series X 😂
Actually cant wait for this, only game ive pre-ordered this year.
Hate to burst anybody's bubble, while I do think Striking Distance Studios would be a great acquisition for Sony/PlayStation, they're already owned by Parent Company KRAFTON, and the only real noteworthy game under their belt is PUBG.
So Sony/PlayStation would have to acquire KRAFTON to get Striking Distance Studios, and I can't see them wanting KRAFTON for one great studio and the PUBG IP.
Not surprised Sony played a role in bringing The Calisto Protocol to life, Resident Evil Village used Sony's Motion Capture Studio and Remedy's Control used Guerrilla Game's Decima Engine and Guerrilla Games also helped make the game as well, according to Remedy themselves.
Awesome to hear! I look forward to playing this game the weekend after release.
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