Sony Reveals Evolution/BigBig Acquisition Details

After Kaz Hirai's Tokyo Game Show keynote revealed that the company has acquired British developers Evolution Studios (MotorStorm) and BigBig Studios (Pursuit Force), Sony officials have revealed more details on the move, including confirmation of a MotorStorm sequel. The two studios will become part of the Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS), overseen by regular SCE figurehead Phil Harrison. All the WWS studios share technology and production methodology, with a total of 2,500 employees in fifteen different studios in Japan, the U.S., UK and The Netherlands. Following the acquisition, Mick Hocking, managing director of Evolution Studios, will also be appointed group studio director for not just Evolution, but also BigBig and SCE WWS Liverpool Studio (formally Psygnosis, and best known for the WipEout series). Hocking will report director to SCE WWS vice president Michael Denny. Evolution Studios is based in Runcorn, England and is responsible for MotorStorm on the PlayStation 3 and the World Rally Championship (WRC) series on PlayStation 2. Established in 1999, Sony has for the first time confirmed that the studio is working on a sequel to MotorStorm, due for release in 2008 – as well as “content expansions” for the original game. BigBig Studios is based in Leamington Spa, England and was founded in 2001, with backing from both Evolution Studios and SCE. The studio is best known for the title Pursuit Force on PSP, and is currently working on Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice for PSP in October and for PlayStation 2 in early 2008. ”Our strategy is to create the best games by working with the best talent and Evolution and Bigbig are world-class additions to our team,” said Phil Harrison, president of SCE Worldwide Studios. “The incredible people in these studios further extend the depth and skill of the industry's largest platform-exclusive development resource”.