HERMEN HULST TO HEAD WORLDWIDE
The Guerrilla Games co-founder takes top spot at Worldwide Studios; Shuhei Yoshida spearheads Sony’s work with indie studios.
Company shuffles aren’t always a bad thing. Some of the recent changes at Sony only hammer home the company’s fundamental dedication to games. These moves include Guerrilla Games’ Hermen Hulst being promoted to head of Worldwide Studios (Sony’s amazing suite of talented first-party developers), and former head and Sony veteran Shuhei Yoshida moving to spearhead a “new initiative” to work more closely with independent developers.
A press release issued by Sony makes clear the long history
Guerrilla Games has shared with PlayStation. The development studio had a very friendly relationship with PlayStation even before it was purchased by Sony in 2005. “I have worked closely with PlayStation and the entire Worldwide Studios family since 2001,” says Hulst. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for the creative talent and ambitious ideas within the network of studios across the
US, Europe, and Japan.”
During his time at Guerrilla Hulst helped make the Killzone series, which made it famous, from 2004 to 2013 (see p106), and then the fantastic Horizon: Zero Dawn in 2017. “I am beyond excited to have the opportunity now to lead such an inspired and talented team whose singular mission is to build amazing games for PlayStation fans”, he says. He and Guerrilla have already brought a lot to the table for PlayStation. Guerrilla’s proprietary Decima Engine was used to create Killzone: Shadow Fall and then Horizon: Zero Dawn, and is so good Hideo Kojima used it for Death Stranding, his collaboration with Sony. By promoting Hulst to head of Worldwide Studios, Sony ensures his eye for collaboration and proprietary tech will benefit all first-party studios.
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But it’s not only good news for the big-budget first-party games. Yoshida’s appointment as part of Sony’s brand-new scheme to link more closely with indie studios is an exciting one. “Everybody knows just how passionate Shu is about independent games – they are lifeblood of the industry, making our
I AM BEYOND EXCITED TO LEAD SUCH A TALENTED TEAM.
content portfolio so special for our gamers,” says Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, on the appointment. “These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organisation works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms.”
Since the launch of PS4 the platform has had strong ties to indie games, and they’ve become a big focus for PS VR too. This twopronged approach, focussing on both indies and strengthening Worldwide Studios, should spell instant success for PS5.
What first-party games are you hoping for next year? Let us know: @OPM_UK.