Former Quantic Dream and Sony designer opens new London studio

Former Quantic Dream and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe designer Caroline Marchal has cut the ribbon on a new game studio in London. 

As explained in a press release, the new opening is called Interior Night and will focus on creating "innovative and accessible" narrative titles. 

The studio is comprised of ex-staffers from Sony and Quantic Dream, and currently only employs a few people.

Marchal, who was the lead game designer on Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, hopes to recruit a few more, but wants to cap the employee count at 20 to keep the company "lean and agile."

She believes Interior Night's projects will appeal to television addicts, specifically the sort of viewers who love shows like "Breaking Bag or Fargo."

"At Interior Night, we want to attract a mature TV audience with original interactive stories" explains Marchal. “I think narrative games are the best genre to reach a broad audience because stories, when done well, are universal."

"We want to offer bold and broad experiences where people can forget about the mechanics and focus on their emotional connection with the characters and the story."

The opening is a good sign for the UK games industry, which has entered a period of uncertainty following last year's Brexit vote. It's also an encouraging move in terms of the gender imbalance in games, with the industry in sore need of more women in prominent roles.