Layoffs and closures have been coming and going with particular frequency in the video game industry for some time now. However, some refuse to put their ambitions on hold and decide to try their luck on their own. We have further proof of this with the opening of a new studio by a PlayStation veteran who notably produced Bloodborne. We will now have to rely on Sirius Studio, and it already promises great things for the future.
From Bloodborne to Sirius Studio
Teruyuki Toriyama is a key figure in the Japanese video game industry. A long-time producer of Bloodborne, he also contributed Toriyama has been involved in the launch of well-known games in the PlayStation ecosystem. These include Demon's Souls and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, from his time at Japan Studio. In 2020, he left the studio to join Thirdverse and its team specializing in VR. However, he closed this parenthesis on January 31st to found his own structure: Sirius Studio, a subsidiary of the Gz group.
But, the man is not alone in this endeavor! While Toriyama takes on the role of general producer, Sirius Studio will be headed by Tomohiro Suzuki, who also happens to be the president of Gz, and Hideki Irie, also a former Thirdverse employee who previously worked at Platinum Games and Sega.
So, after working on Bloodborne and Astro, diametrically opposed titles, What can we expect from these industry veterans? As they announced in an interview with Famitsu, the former Thirdverse employees preferred to leave the studio due to the current shift towards a more "casual" style. At Sirius Studio, on the contrary, they want to "create ambitious games capable of reaching a global audience," as Irie explains.
To date, Sirius Studio is said to be made up of around twenty people. It is still unclear whether their future will be more Souls-like or Astro Bot, but the team is not lacking in enthusiasm. Toriyama does not hide a desire to innovate, particularly with new licenses. Likewise, it is looking ahead by considering producing console games and VR. This is a new structure that will be worth following closely in the years to come.
Source: Sirius Studio and Famitsu.
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