Another rather sad bit of news today as Evolution Studios, developer of DriveClub and MotorStorm, has been shut down. MotorStorm was one of the few titles early on after the PS3’s initial launch that really showcased the power and potential of the system. For many of you, especially the racing fans, this was the first must-own PS3 game. DriveClub , on the other hand, experienced a really rocky launch on the PS4 due to server issues, but has since become a fan favorite. The same people who complained about dashed expectations at launch now vehemently defend the game as one of the best racers out there.
While we were looking forward to a PlayStation VR version of DriveClub at the end of the year, it seems that dream may have to be put on hold – possibly indefinitely – as Evolution was suddenly and unexpectedly shut down. Because Evolution Studios was a subsidiary of SCE, Polygon reached out to Sony for comment on the matter. Its response was a bit wordy, but it all boils down to this: “…we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and plans for the short and medium term and… it has been decided that Evolution Studio will close. We accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff but by focusing on other studios that already have exciting new projects in development we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality for our customers.”
Sony also mentioned that it would do everything possible to reallocate people to other projects, or else provide great recommendations to help displaced developers land a job elsewhere. I wish everyone at Evolution the best of luck moving forward; I’m sure we’ll see great things from these devs in the near future.