Sony's London Studio, Media Molecule Were Reportedly 'Highest on the List' for Closure

The years they took to release Dreams for it to fall flat definitely didn’t work in their favor.

I imagine they have a lot on the line with their next project.

A new traditional Little Big Planet sounds like the safest bet.

If it’s quality was as good as the old games, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

If we can see this then Media Molecule can see this too. Perhaps they will be inspired by Toys for Bob and request to split off; as expensive and daunting as that might be.

Reason i’m saying this is because I feel like we’ve seen this before about MM. It feels inevitable.

Frankly, I'm surprised it wasn't Media Molecule that was shuttered, but then I had forgotten that London Studio existed at all...
Dreams was a very odd thing for MM to spend so much time on; one look should have told you that, while apparently powerful and innovative, its appeal was only ever going to be very niche. This was obvious to me and everyone I spoke to about Dreams from the very first reveal.
That being said, I think PlayStation and MM missed some obvious opportunities to give Dreams a decent shot once it launched. For instance, why wasn't it released on PC, where people are much more likely to dabble with creation engines? Second, would it really have been so hard to allow games/experiences made in Dreams to launch on PSN as standalone products, with a revenue share between PlayStation, MM, and the individual creator?
Good luck to MM going forward though. I really enjoyed Tearaway and would love to see them make a triumphant return soon.

I'm not surprised MM was considered for closing. It's honestly a bit of a miracle they didn't after Dreams. I'm not trying to sound heartless but the amount of time and money Dreams lost would have closed almost any other developer in the business.

Hopefully they can climb out of the hole that game put them in.

Thank god Media Molecule is still open, I hope their next game is just as ambitious as Tearaway and Dreams. They dodged a huge bullet there.

Considering that nobody bought dreams and sackboy big adventure im not surprised they were high on the list. They need to come up with a new aaa mature ip

To me, it seems the big Publishers have put their faith in a Live Service future - a shell of a game they hope to sell, then continue selling cosmetics, in-game currencies and other exceptionally over-priced content indefinitely.

However, the gamers themselves have made it known that this is not acceptable - many Live Service games have failed/died - especially those with $70 launch prices competing with F2P games.

When Sony announced they had 10+ Live Service games, most of the 'internet' were extremely disappointed and/or critical. Couple that with other Publishers trying and failing too - games like Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad, Skull N Bones - and several that are now gone forever.

To me, it was inevitable that something had to give - Publishers pushing for Live Service games they hope to make 'billions' on selling Cosmetics costing as much as many Indie and/or Sale complete Games with minimal effort (change colours and charge for a 'new' outfit).

It seemed that Devs were unhappy making some 'generic' Live Service game wrapped in an IP they own Skin with exceptionally bland and/or generic story, missions etc with the Sole purpose of selling 'DLC' extras indefinitely - let alone pushing them out 'unfinished/unpolished' too - and the gaming market have said 'enough' with their wallets and comments on the internet.

Would Sony of been in this position if they had announced 10+ Single Player games - even if they had a Multi-player component? I bet if they announced a Killzone 'reboot' with a Single Player Campaign and full MP suite as you'd expect from Killzone, few would complain but taking just the MP suite from Last of Us, making a Horizon Live Service etc isn't what Sony customers want or expect - which has probably led to this situation.

It's not just Sony of course - but with many F2P games, as well as a massive library (inc Backwards Compatible titles - many now 'cheap' and Sub services offering 'free' games, 'new' releases are struggling to justify their 'increased' price - especially as most are not really bringing anything 'new' - the same game-play loops, same generic mechanics etc - just higher polygon count/visual density. Gamers have been burned too many times, buying Day 1 and being disappointed the game is a buggy, broken mess, erratic performance etc that needs patching - not expected from a $70 game.

Therefore, I think it was inevitable that something had to give. Publishers can't keep trying to force games people don't really want to play, can't expect to charge $70 for 'mediocre/minimal' content with promises to drip feed content along with Season Passes, Cosmetic bundles etc and release games in 'poor' state too...

I can definitely see them getting closed by the end of the year. It's a shame as I liked their creative style with Dreams and LBP. Sony could have turned both London Studio and MM into VR devs and help put out first party support for its headset.

I miss japan studio more than london studio.japan studio was wayyyy better than london studio.a lott of really good games in Japan studio.japan studio always felt like a underated classic studio.word up son

I also don't get why Sony shut Studios down instead of selling them, MM would be a perfect fit for Nintendo or even do better on their own as an indie.

Dreams needed to go on PC. No idea why they didn't.

They definitely should be on the list. Sure Little Big Planet and Tearaway are cool I guess, but it takes more than that to keep the doors open. Taking over 5 years to create Dreams is hilarious. It shouldn't have taken them nearly that long.

@StrickenBiged can't say I agree. Remember. Something as basic and terrible as Roblox and decent as Minecraft have been hugely successful. Dreams could have been even more successful if it had taken off. Unfortunately, it never did.

If Media Molecule is on the chopping block it might behoove them to come out with a real game!

@Randinator123 They didn't make Sackboy.

@Frmknst You can add Japan Studio to that most creative list but like Media Molecule their games didn't sell 10 million copies but at the same time their games didn't cost 250 million to make 🤷

Sony needs to have studio's that can make smaller games, don't quote me on this but I saw it somewhere that Miles Morales has been more profitable for Sony than Spider-Man 2. I don't know if that's true but I don't think is sustainable for Sony to spend 200+ million on every game.

By the way, Sony allowed the Dreams project to be rebooted TWICE before MM finally settled on what they wanted to do, and the game still flopped. They will probably return to the "basics" with their next game, because it is quite possible that they will be closed if it's not a relative success.

@BAMozzy so true. I saw recently that David Vonderhaar has started a new studio called Bullet Farm. Their philosophy with no BS games, no annual releases and no battle pass, sounds Very interesting.

As a huge fan of Mm, I'm shocked they're still open. The only justification I could see is that Sony perhaps realized they have no other studios left making family friendly games besides them and kinda sorta Insomniac. I hope their next game is huge because they absolutely have the potential and talent, it seems like they just need better direction.

They should make smaller games like the games made in Dreams, but sell them

I don’t believe this one it just sounds like someone making a fairly educated guess because MM hasn’t had a hit in awhile because of dreams

@UltimateOtaku91 Do you think companies are lining up to buy unsuccessful studios?

Your alternative suggestion, continuing as an indie studio, sounds nice on paper, until your realize this is a 100+ employee studio. I don't see how that's viable without sizing down dramatically.

It's heartbreaking reading the quote from one of the London Studios developers in that tweet. Forced to make live service crap due to misguided idiots at the top, but of course the lowly employees get axed when management realise they've f-ed up. Disgusting from Sony. They're slowly closing down every creative studio they had. Everything I loved about PlayStation is completely dead. And there's really no reason to stick around...

@Juanalf it's actually hard to say what's more profitable. Had Miles been released without Spidey 1, would it have been that successful? Also, how many consoles did it move?

@naruball @themightyant Doesn't the comparison to Roblox make my point though? That had the advantages (compared to Dreams) of being on PC and allowing users to monetise their creations.

Awful mismanagement from sony.
Media molecule has always been a small team meant to create small creative titles.
But, with the shuffles at the top, no one cares anymore, it seems.

So anyone not making an action adventure title is getting murdered. Clever work Sony, with a slow degradation of varied exclusives you'll end up like Xbox.

@StrickenBiged but plenty of games launch on PC and don't take off. Perhaps it would have helped. Perhaps it wouldn't have. It's impossible to tell. But as a concept Dreams was fantastic.

Unfortunately, not all great concepts succeed. I keep saying it, but Tearaway had all the elements to be a huge success. Yet it wasn't.

@Juanalf @naruball With Japan Studios having flops like The Last Guardian that took 9yrs to release or Gravity Rush 2 that was great but no one bought were the nails in the coffin. I dont think Knack 2 Electric Bugaloo sold alot either.

Dont forget Miles Morales also released on PS4/PS5 and "re-used" the map from the 1st game so it wouldnt have the same budget.

@3Above Yup. Exactly.

Also, just wanted to say that it breaks my heart to see games like Gravity Rush (2) and The Last Guardian flopping, but it is what it is.

Gaming in general just seems to be turning to **** in so many ways. I’m more than concerned for the future of my favourite pastime.

The thing that annoys me is that budget and scope are controlled by Sony. I think that as a publisher, Sony should fund smaller budgeted games and promote them to promote the brand. A big part of any first party output is to attract gamers to the brand in the hope they spend more on your hardware and digital store.

The PS4 generation was amazing because there was a little for everyone. Great indie support, creative titles, oddities and curios like Gravity Rush, Dreams, Resogun, Bloodborne, Bound, Everybody's Golf, Concrete Genie, Deracine, Farpoint, Wipeout Omega Collection.

They padded out the library and brought a diverse group of players to the generation. I know they didn't make as much money but doesnt mean they didn't do something for Sony as a brand. If they are moving to only worrying about content that is high risk, high reward then they are lessening interest in different niches of the gaming world.

Mean while Sony is allowing FireSprite to remain open although there are a ton of reports of employee mistreatment by verbal and mental abuse within the studio.

So the source for this article quoted 'someone told him' then when he tried to get more information on the subject there was none?jesus the level of news is getting pretty desperate especially now kotaku is a shadow of its former self.Tbh pushsquare shouldn't be reporting this rubbish!

It is a sad day fir gaming indeed. There will be much less creativity and much more focus on bankable sequels and new games. Gone are the days of Little Big Pmanets, Shadow of the Colossus, Journey etc that we loved alongside our God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon etc. I loved the balance you got with Sony. This is a real shame.

@naruball Same. Hopefully the rumors of GR2 PS5 and PC port are true and might help.

Dreams was set up to fail from the start. No talented creator is going to make a game for free.... should of had a youtube like atmostphere where creators got paid for plays... and put up a few skippable ads.. but no they were closed minded from the start.

@OmegaStriver Dreams was the game, more than most, that desperately needed a PC launch and it just never got one for whatever reason. I'm glad Media Molecule didn't get closed, but I feel bad for everyone at London Studio (and everyone else laid off too).

No surprise with either.
More Tearaway please.

@StrickenBiged Because if Dreams was released on PC it would involve crossplay, users will then undoubtedly try to mod creations which would then be uploaded and break the game making crossplay useless as it would have to work on PlayStation. Personally I thought they would've put Dreams on PS Plus at least two years ago.

To me Dreams was amazing. Something completely new. It seems most people are sceptical but once you start digging into the creations you start realizing they made a platform a lot of people were waiting for. A place where amateurs can make professional games (more than you'd expect succeeded) that can be played directly by others. Some games are just as good as any top indy game.

I feel like the creativity with Xbox and PlayStation are starting to die out, especially since Sony keeps making little games, and the games they do release are either high budget titles or on a much rarer scale, smaller projects that get little to no marketing.

Even Xbox releases more smaller projects. That's sad.

Then Sony thinks about shutting down the studios that influenced their more creative side with the PS3 and PS4 era. Now it feels like only a few studios are actually passionately contributing to the PlayStation 5. Insomniac, Santa Monica, Guerrilla, Polyphony. Every other major studio is either hellbent on making remasters (NAUGHTY DOG) or are taking ages making games, which is fine if those titles are good, but those titles probably cost a lot of money and it just leaves the schedule for PlayStation titles to be barren.

There should be more lower budget titles on PlayStation, even a few small games. Some say that those titles aren't profitable, but something like Patagon, LocoRoco, Astro, Tearaway, and not Knack could make small profits, or more importantly, bring in new longtime PlayStation fans.

Also they don't cost $300 million.

So in conclusion, I spent way too much time bi--hing about Sony, and stop forcing Naughty Dog to do just remasters and remakes.
I'm gonna do play Mario Wonder now.

Dreams should have become multiplatform from the start to secure more sales on pc

I bought dreams as soon as it came out, but unfortunately I never found the time to learn how to use it properly, and ended up not playing it a lot, apart from sometimes looking at what other people have made.
Technically it is fantastic though, seems a shame to break up a team capable of making something so good just because they made something this time that didn't take off as well as they'd hoped.

@Dodoo as much as this all sucks - I think it will be good for the industry in the long run. Companies are realizing that they cant continue to put money into non-profitable / bloated games. They cant keep a bunch of people employed whenever they dont product things that sell.

Part of the issue with things not selling is that there is just too many games that get released. The flood of games makes it impossible for certain things to succeed. To me this looks like a major market correction - the execs made bad decisions and flew too close to the sun while throwing money at acquisition and hiring a ton of people. Cutting down on the extra fat isnt going to reduce the amount of revenue that comes into these companies - they'll be more profitable and hopefully keep talented people around. Less games is actually better for the industry - I think this will be good for everyone in the long run.

I could be wrong - but sometimes you have to take a few steps back and reevaluate in order to be successful.

@Ajbr8687 there are more indie games than before, but I don't think games from bigger companies has increased, if anything they have been making less lately. Putting all their efforts into making the two/three brands they hope will keep selling. The days of ubisoft/ea etc putting out loads of cool new games seem to be gone sadly.

If Media Molecule went that'd be it. Sackboy isn't enough. Asobi isn't enough for me to care about PlayStation either. Both only somewhat are. If both were gone I'd never pick up a PS5 at all even though I haven't. Their creativity at those studios is what makes me hold on besides just reading news about any of the 3 platforms in general.

Fans can love Indie style games but how many of us actually do, not a lot compared to mainstream audiences.

Big budget movies and big budget game expectations. Sigh. Give me Indies (not nostalgic game design inspired Indies though) please.

300+ million budget games, those can stay but the underwhelming studios games that cost less to make those are fine letting go. I get why but like come on they are a risk of games to make at a smaller budget of return in sales but they also cost less. Some companies want big, pay big and expect big or EVERYTHING TO SELL.

Zombi U rough sales, Rayman Legends held back logic even though a different audience. XD Got to make those financial reports look good right?

Skull and Bones took to long to be made too.

Better make sure the rumour of the Gravity Rush 2 remaster to PC sells well, is marketed well right? Sigh

Japan Studio, Media Molecule balanced out games on the platform. With them gone they offer too much of what I already have no interest in. So without a Knack, Gravity Rush or others of those types of experiences, mature, teen or kid relevant IPs Sony offers me nothing of appeal.

Bluepoint or London may have but if they didn't offer much either then why should I care.

PSVR2/PS Portal have not made me care more even though I would like to but they are just such disappointments of hardware.

I've moved away from the brand, PS4 even I've been buying up third party Indies or Japanese AAs, the odd western AA if they aren't formulaic garbage and have compelling gameplay and until third parties are cheap will I actually care about a PS5.

Prove to me gimmicky or not some actually good gameplay on these new consoles because I don't see it. Load times/ray tracing and formulaic game design is not compelling to me. Give me gimmick hard drive use. Rift Apart doesn't count it didn't even try a dynamic rift boss, it had Blizar and bleh rifts (the yellow ones are stationary, not even a gadget to control them, why?). I can play Crack in Time on a PS3 HDD, a 2009 game. Portal, Prey 2006.

I can go without WRC 2023, Ride 5 if it's not Ride 4 again like Ride 1 & 2 were similar is why I'm skeptical. Otherwise everything else I got on PS4 of Valkyrie Elysium, Diofield (they gave up after Chapter 4 of gameplay ideas, I platinumed it but what a piece of half done work and weak gameplay, eh story, Valkyrie Chronicles 4 is more compelling of changing up gameplay elements per level), Tactics Ogre (it's ok for a remake).

It's why I buy or research retro games, not the popular ones, the ones left behind by people. I have no nostalgia for them and that's what makes them great new experiences, fresh gameplay in old games.

So unless it's refreshing gameplay in new games, which only some Indies depending on the genre offer I'm not interested in many Indies like Puzzles games have been or certain other genres, not with nostalgic/inspired platformers/racing games so done to death of game design.

2016+ Sony they pushed me away. Bought up other consoles retro or a bit older and third party PS4 games instead.

My Xbox One is a blu-ray/CD player and back compat or odd Xbox One game, or certain Smart Delivery compatible games at this point.

Switch is more my go to in some cases due to the first party variety. But PS4 third parties are fair.

Not a single first party Xbox game appeals to me. Forza Motorsport 8 would have been but that's got it's own problems let alone it's marketing sucked which made me even more mad and I don't take marketing seriously but I want questions answered and they did, with a direction I don't want to play.

The PS5 console UI just offers eh navigation over PS4 or Xbox 360 and Xbox One level groups/library access I hate same with Switch, so PS4 folders any day. Even then I wouldn't buy a PS5 just for oh like Xbox One/Series consoles I can have the POST noise be turned off. I'm not buying a PS5 for that.

@Juanalf Well they have Insomniac for PC VR capable let alone they made Song of the Deep in 2016 for PS4/Xbox One. That was with a Spyro scale team. It was Gamestop published. I think it may have flopped I don't remember.

But if Pentiment or Bayonetta Origin or Hi Fi Rush fit the Indie AAA scale (like other hack n slash rhythm games haven't existed or hack n slashes have to be what an Indie genre now? unless it's DMC or Bayonetta scale of budget).

I think Sony just wants big games. I agree they need smaller ones but while they could be overlooked they need to try harder, market them better.

Dreams was like Project Spark (Xbox One game cancelled too soon) or Mario Maker, how could it fail not marketing it enough. It being too different, too broad.

Dreams and GT Sport/7 are their live service experiments after all beside the other ones that they planned/cancelled.

Last Guardian, GT5 and Dreams maybe cost a lot but put more into giving them deadlines/scaling the projects differently, instead. If they could push for Move support or PS Store support that took Insomniac till All 4 One to have a co-op game like third parties. Till Quest for Booty to be a PS Store thing the studio did. For other studios to have their Move, multiplayer modes and other things the publisher requests let alone whatever of the cinematic games they offer these days as their focus.

Why can they not market or manage the studios a bit better if they know a creative game like Dreams is a risk?

I'm glad they exist but at the same time they can't say we don't want Duke Nukem levels of not coming out and it flopping/wasting too much money but not managing their studios to go, hmm make a smaller game, scale the game differently to not be over 5 years as some cut off. For the type of game Dreams is it makes sense but what did they expect.

I do blame mainstream audiences and whatever competition comes out or broadness Dreams has that is too much for people, but if like with Gravity Rush did they put effort into marketing it well, probably not. So that PC port better sell if it is a rumour that's true or else well why bother. Just put a game out from PS4 gen because it's easy. Put out any other IP. Many deserve the support but if they want only their big mainstream appealing games to sell then do that or suit the audience they want to understand on PC.

PC players may want graphics but some still just want Indie like experiences just like console.

I mean how many first party VR did they offer that people skipped. Here They Lie being one of them, who ever heard of it besides Astro.

Jim Ryan went there a 5 to 6 weeks before and took a tour with the staff and then they get closed down has evil is that, to go in talk to them all have a laugh etc knowing they are shutting down and they have no clue.

UK gaming for Sony has always been brutal Media Molecule will be next and that's a shame because they come with some creative wonderful games for the imagination

@HotGoomba To be fair they still do with Astrobot and Sackboy.

Just most it is outsourced and (timed/console) exclusives under PS Indies resulted in: Bugsnax, Oddworld Soulsstorm, Solar Ashe, Kena, Stray, Sifu, Rollerdrome, Season's A Letter to the Future, Tchia, Humanity, Volcano High, Eternights, Ultros and the upcoming Pacific Drive from the top of my head.

The UK studios are not in great shape. Next one is MM final shot, the only reason they are still around is the BAFTA for LBP.

Japan Studio & Pixel Opus gone, Media Molecule on the chopping block. Insomniac loaded up with Marvel. Asobi stuck making the game that comes free.

don't think I'll bother with the next Playstation at this rate.

@Ephexis83 Agree. If MM had released Tren with a track creator, that would've flown off the shelves.

Hope MM can come back with a LittleBigPlanet 4 (with Stephen Fry's voice, obviously). If Sony shuts them, I think they'd set up as an independent which would leave them open to M$ buying them out.

No games no money, no money closing doors easy as that.
London Games has one game in the catalog that was good and everyone knows it. Why do Sony have to feed unproductive brand???

I.can see MM being next to go. There will be significant restructuring of the console gaming industry and things move more to cloud and mobile.