Sony has announced a committed expansion into mobile gaming by establishing the PlayStation Studios Mobile Division and acquiring the untested Savage Game Studios to develop “a AAA mobile live service action game”.
The new division will develop “innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP that meets PlayStation Studios’ high-quality standards” and will operate independently from console game development.
“This acquisition reaffirms Sony Interactive Entertainment’s commitment to delivering innovative experiences to new players around the world by expanding to additional platforms,” said head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst. Sony announced back in May that releasing games on new platforms was now a key part of its business strategy, but this was largely thought to be in reference to its recent expansion into PC gaming rather than a mobile push as well.
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“PlayStation Studios must continue to expand and diversify our offering beyond console, bringing incredible new games to more people than ever before,” continued Hulst. “Acquiring the talented team at Savage Game Studios is another strategic step towards that goal.
“I’m really excited about what Savage is working on and I’m confident they will deliver a high-quality experience. Our move into mobile, like our expansion into PC and live service games, strengthens our capabilities and our community, and complements PlayStation Studios’ purpose to make the best games that we can.”
Savage Game Studios – which is yet to release a game – was founded in 2020 by veteran developers Michail Katkoff, Nadjim Adjir, and Michael McManus, who collectively have decades of experience working at developers including Spider-Man’s Insomniac Games, World of Tank’s Wargaming, Clash of Clans’ Supercell, Farmville’s Zynga, and Angry Birds’ Rovio.
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It’s unclear if Savage Game Studios’ game will see the creation of a new PlayStation IP or be incorporated into an existing franchise, but as it was in development for two years ahead of the PlayStation acquisition, it’s perhaps more likely that we’ll see something brand new.
On the other hand, Sony’s PC publishing is so far only concerned with porting pre-existing console games, with God of War and Spider-Man proving the most successful so far. It recently purchased PC ported specialist Nixxes and established a new PlayStation PC label, expecting to make $300 million from PC games alone in its next fiscal year.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.