Sony Interactive Entertainment Acquires Jade Raymond’s Haven Entertainment Studios
by Sage Ashford
Barely a year after announcing Sony was working with Jade Raymond’s newly established Haven Entertainment, Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst confirms that the developer is being acquired by PlayStation Studios.
Over at the PlayStation blog, both Hermen Hulst has discussed their trust in what Haven is doing:
“From their first pitch, we were inspired by Haven’s vision for creating a modern multiplayer experience that brings gamers together in positive and meaningful ways. We were confident in their creative and technical expertise to deliver on such an ambitious project and were thrilled to invest in their journey developing a new, original IP for PlayStation.”
Meanwhile, CEO and Founder of Haven Studios Jade Raymond had a statement of her own, which talks about what her vision of Haven’s first new IP will be. From the sound of things, it’s going to be a AAA multiplayer game with an evolving world, though these days that doesn’t really inform potential fans on what kind of game that will be:
“We’ve made amazing progress in a short time thanks to our talented, passionate team and their exceptional contributions. We established a culture at Haven grounded in kindness, adaptability and courage that unlocks creativity. Our first new IP for PlayStation is on track to deliver a AAA multiplayer experience with a vision to build a systemic and evolving world focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years.
Today, the Haven team begins a new phase of our journey, as part of the PlayStation Studios family. Working with Hermen, Connie Booth and the team at PlayStation over the past year has been a career highlight. SIE is a supportive partner that truly understands the creative process and what it takes to make a blockbuster AAA game. They have empowered and encouraged us to bring our bold vision to life and make our dreams come true and we could not be more thrilled about this opportunity to strengthen our partnership.”
Considering they’re only a year into their partnership and not very far into development, it is curious what made Sony decide to acquire Haven Studios. Perhaps concern at how quickly Microsoft has been acquiring developers, or the desire to get more studios for their rumored upcoming Xbox Game Pass-esque service?
