Sony acquired gaming company Firesprite this week, adding a 14th studio to PlayStation’s suite.
Firesprite, known for “The Playroom” and “Run Sackboy! Run,” has over 200 employees. The Liverpool-based studio already focused on PlayStation games. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
It’s Sony’s third studio acquisition this year.
- In June, Sony bought Finnish studio Housemarque.
- It acquired Dutch studio Nixxes Software in July.
The move may demonstrate an interest in going deeper into VR gaming. Firesprite is known for VR versions of its popular titles, namely “The Playroom VR” and “The Persistence VR.”
The global VR gaming market was valued at $11.6 billion in 2019 with expected average growth of 30% through 2027.
PS5 sales topped 10 million units in July, making it the fastest selling Sony console in history and helping Sony post record operating profits of $2.57 billion in its fiscal first quarter.
Sony said in May that it expected PlayStation to be profitable by June. Microsoft revealed, through the Epic Games v. Apple trial, that its Xbox consoles have never turned a profit.
During Thursday’s PlayStation Showcase, Sony unveiled a slew of games, including a new “God of War,” Lucasfilm’s remake of “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,” and Spider-Man and Wolverine titles from Marvel.
