London Studio

SingStar and EyeToy

London Studio was established in 2002 following the merger of SCEE Studio Camden (formerly a division of Psygnosis) and Team Soho, the developer behind The Getaway.[2] As London Studio, the studio developed the SingStar series, which became extremely popular and helped broaden the appeal of the PlayStation 2 beyond the typical demographics of young male gamers. The series sold more than 20 million copies within 6 years.[3] It also created a lot of games for Sony's EyeToy webcam, and assisted the development of other Sony titles, such as Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet.[4] The studio was working on two AAA exclusives for the PlayStation 3 including Eight Days and the sequel to The Getaway, but both were cancelled by Sony Europe as Sony wanted to reallocate resources to other first-party games.[5]

Virtual reality

London Studio developed a virtual reality (VR) rendering technology, called LSSDK, which supports PlayStation 4 and PC. This engine was first used in PlayStation VR Worlds, which contained five virtual reality experiences: "The London Heist", "Into The Deep", "VR Luge", "Danger Ball" and "Scavenger's Odyssey".[6] While VR Worlds received mixed reviews, "London Heist" was critically acclaimed, and the game was commercially successful. Developing titles for the virtual reality headset became the company's main focus.[7] The studio's next game was Blood & Truth, which serves as the successor to the London Heist level. It became the first VR title to reach number 1 on the UK's retail sales chart when it was released in May 2019.[8]

In 2022, the studio was working on a cooperative multiplayer game for the PlayStation 5. Set in a modern fantasy London, it was described by studio head Tara Saunders as the company's "most ambitious project to-date". Players wouldn't need to use a virtual reality headset to play this game.[9]

Closure

In February 2024, Sony announced that it was proposing the closure of the studio as part of wider layoffs that includes 8% of the company's workforce, or 900 employees.[10] The studio closed in May 2024.[11]