Skip to main content

Former Wipeout developers strike out on their own to form new studio Sawfly

For all the myriad studio closures that have hit the video game industry over the past twelve months, there has been at least some good news. The dissolution of 38 Studios saw Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer Big Huge Games without a home until Epic Games swung in, saved the staff, and formed Impossible Studios. On Tuesday, Crytek opened Crytek USA, a studio made up in part of staff from Vigil Games, the Darksiders studio that didn’t find a buyer during THQ’s bankruptcy proceedings. For Wipeout creator Sony Liverpool, which Sony shuttered in August, there has been no savior. There is, however, a new beginning of sorts for Sony Liverpool in the new studio Sawfly.

Sawfly is a for-hire study based in Liverpool, staffed by four key staffers from Sony Liverpool, including Wipeout Pulse designer Karl Jones, programmer Andrew Jones, and artist Jon Eggelton. The studio’s managing director is Mike Humphrey. Before Wipeout fans get their hopes up, they should know that Sawfly doesn’t plan to get into the racing game business any time soon.

Related Videos

“There are so many great racing franchises out there, but for one reason or another they just aren’t selling as well as they used to,” Humphrey told Gamasutra, “We still love racing games, but our focus is elsewhere right now.”

Sawfly’s focus is on a “cheeky, irreverent” game it’s building for publisher Ripstone ,which has put out some impressive PlayStation Network content for both PS3 and PS Vita, including Knytt Underground and Big Sky Infinity. It’s also working on an original title that it’s still trying to find a publisher for. “We have an idea of the kind of experiences we would like to make, and we thought the best way to make this a reality was to go it alone.”

Of the handheld Wipeout games, Pulse is arguably the best, and many of its best attributes were preserved in Wipeout HD and Wipeout 2048 on PS Vita.

When Sony Liverpool was closed, the studio was reportedly working on a new Wipeout for Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 4 or Orbis as it’s sometimes called. 

Editors' Recommendations

The best indie games on Nintendo Switch
hades best builds key art new cropped hed 1244036

Although the Nintendo Switch has some of the best AAA titles, the system has become known as an indie machine to many people. The portability of the Switch and Switch Lite makes them ideal for some of the best indie games, and dozens of small developers seem to love releasing their games on the hybrid console.

Better yet, plenty of previously released indie games, such as Hollow Knight, have received increased attention and acclaim after landing on the Switch. It's become a win-win for developers and Switch owners. If you're a new Switch owner or are simply looking for the best Switch games to play during your morning commute, we've put together a running list of the best indie games on the Nintendo Switch.
Action

Read more
Crash Team Rumble is coming out sooner than you think
Other players attack Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Rumble.

The release date for Crash Bandicoot's competitive multiplayer game Crash Team Rumble has been revealed, and it is not that far away. The game will launch in just three months, on June 20, and a Closed Beta for it will be held in April.
Video Games Chronicle confirmed this date and additional launch details following years of leaks surrounding the game and its official announcement at The Game Awards 2022. Crash Team Rumble is a 4v4 multiplayer game where players fight to get more Wumpa Fruit than their opponents, clashing with each other in the process. Ultimately, it looks like Crash Team Rumble is trying to spice up Crash Bandicoot's trademark collectible-driven 3D platforming with elements that would not be out of place in a competitive hero shooter. Not much of the game has been seen since its announcement, but we have a clear idea of when and how we'll see it in action now.

VGC's report also confirms that Crash Team Rumble will support cross-play, have at least two seasons with premium battle passes, and let players who preorder play a Closed Beta featuring Crash, Coco, Tawna, Neo Cortex, and Dingodile between April 20 and April 24. The Standard Edition of the game will cost $30 and comes with the first season's battle pass. There will also be a $40 Deluxe Edition, which instantly unlocks 25 tiers of that Season 1 battle pass, comes with Season 2's battle pass, and gives players "Blocky skins and items from the Digital Proto Pack DLC. 
Crash Team Rumble will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on June 30.

Read more
Atari is publishing its first VR game, and it’s coming to PSVR2
Hands in VR control an Atari 2600 joystick in Pixel Ripped 1978.

Legendary game giant Atari is breaking into VR. This summer, the company will publish Pixel Ripped 1978, the third entry in the standout VR Pixel Ripped series. It will launch on PC and PlayStation 5 and be compatible with both PlayStation VR 2 and Meta Quest 2.

Pixel Ripped 1978 - Announcement Trailer

Read more