Liverpool, UK: the city of The Beatles, Cilla Black, and meaning more. It’s also the home to some of Sony’s central operations, including its XDEV division which works with external developers on PlayStation Studios projects. But now it’s moving to a new office, having been situated at Wavertree Technology Park since the PS1 launched.
The company’s new 65,000 square foot campus will bring it into the bosom of the city, and will boast some swish perks like a café, staff gym, and rooftop terrace. It’ll open later this year, sometime in the Spring, and we’re sure staff are rubbing their hands together at the prospect. According to Sony, the move is designed to attract and retain employees, while also helping to “better connect with tech companies, business partners, and academic communities”.
The city is becoming something of an epicentre for PlayStation in the UK, as the company recently acquired developer Firesprite, which is also situated in Liverpool and has grown to become one of the company’s biggest first-party studios in Europe, behind only Horizon Forbidden West developer Guerrilla Games.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 36
Lol Boris can claim it's s part of his levelling up plan
Eeww Liverpool. Go ahead and walk alone Sony
Guess I'm gonna have to buy an xbox now
Excellent!
I was part of Psygnosis/ Sony back in the original PSX days and attended many a launch party in Liverpool.
How lovely that things have turned full circle and another large campus will rise in Liverpool. Made my day reading this.
I wander if any old devs I knew will be in the new studios... probably not, they are probably geriatrics like me now xD
They should open up a Studio in Japan...
Yep, would have been even better if they didn't shut down the old Liverpool dev team. Good new though.
Another job application will be getting made soon then 😂
@Apfelschteiner They already have several studios in Japan, but if you're becrying the closure/restructuring of the game dev Japan Studio, I share the sentiment.
And article mentioning Liverpool...now wait for the mature discriminatory comments...oh damn I was beaten to it.
Not much to the article really other than it makes me jealous that I don't work in a great office in a great city on a likely awesome project! Anyway back to work
@StonyKL could be worse chum, you could have to work in Liverpool...🤢
Hmmm I wonder if they need a video editor. Not too much of a commute for me...
Great news for the team I'm sure, nothing like fresh paint and new toilets to get those creative thoughts flowing.
@Wolfie_Pie
I was only ever visiting - I worked in Psygnosis Camden studio at the time, so I don't remember a smell! I'm betting the new offices will be pretty swish....
Come further south please Sony
Liverpool is a great city. Lived here most of my life and was born here.
Cilla Black was vile though. Nasty piece of work who looked like Ronald McDonald after a three year drug binge and sounded like a goat gargling marbles. Horror.
Anyway, this is really good news for the staff and it's nice to see some investment round here. For anyone who's never even been, try to keep your mouth shut before making tired jokes, and remember that there's a lot more to the place than pathetic football rivalries.
It's similar to Manchester, amazing city which us scousers are apparently feuding with despite them giving us Joy Division and some of the best nights out of my life.
@Johnnycide I had a great day out in Liverpool a couple of years ago. I'd always wanted to go to the Cavern Club, so I was very happy!
Giz a job, Sony.
@get2sammyb my old band played in there a few times! It's a good laugh the Cavern. They had some weird bands on at times too. I remember correctly ending up onstage with a load of people skanking to some ska punk band years back. Good times!
@Wolfie_Pie ok that's mad. It's likely we've met as I'm sort of classed as furniture in the Swan. Pint of warm trooper on me if you ever come back!
@Wolfie_Pie that stuff is lethal! Used to drink that in my late teens and spend less than twenty quid on a night out in the krazyhouse. Marvelous times.
@StonyKL @Johnnycide
Christ almighty
Negative football banter =/= negative view of the actual city =/=
DISCRIMI-FREAKING-NATION!?? Lol
@BoldAndBrash eh! Calm down, calm down..!
@Wolfie_Pie
I used to attend ECTS trade show in London every year - I still have a t-shirt drawer full of gaming T shirts form the 90's, most of them handed to me by 'Booth Babes'. I still have all my old bullfrog stuff too, including a rather funky Bullfrog Productions football team shirt. Too many memories for me to ever get rid of them
@BoldAndBrash judging by your previous comment I'm not going to bother indulging you.
@Futureshark how very original. Some of the greatest history and science institutions on the planet, a city that went from "managed decline" to being at the forefront of business and culture in the north but no, it's just full of people who look like a sketch from twenty odd years ago that wasn't even that funny.
@AK4tywill Yes, I'm definitely getting at Japan Studio. As far as I can tell, Sony only have Polyphony and Team Asobi, am I missing something? They really should have a powerhouse Japanese developer. It would make sense for them to start a new Studio and just call it Studio Japan.
@get2sammyb I studied in Liverpool & lived there for 5 years. Really great experience.
Love the Cavern Club just mind the stairs after a night out! I think people have tumbled down them stairs at more than one occasion…👀
If it’s in town I’ll make sure to visit the new office once I’ll go back
@riceNpea the 80's wants it jokes back?
@Johnnycide absolutely. It's not like Sony has been a part of Liverpool since the inception of PlayStation?
@Scouse_Pirlo you're going to have to hand the 80s that back too 😊
@Johnnycide Similar to Manchester? Yes. Better than Manchester? No
It's a funny old rivalry given how similar we are...
@Johnnycide love the cilla black analogy..classic..stockport lad myself although i moved waaaay down south many moons ago...
@Marquez well I have to disagree for obvious reasons but it's true, Manchester is great! It's so nice to see how it's been developed around the canals etc and all the work that's gone into the Salford end.
Spent 20 years in Liverpool, now live over the water. Fantastic city, great news this. Also agree Manchester is a great city and the fact is that Scousers & Mancs are more alike than any others in England once you put the football aside.
We tend to find it's those Utd fans born outside of Manchester who have this hatred for Liverpool thing as a way to perhaps try to be accepted by the real local Utd fans, bit sad really.
I'm probably get my Manc citizenship revoked for this (already on shaky ground from only being born in Stockport) but once you take the football out of it, Scouseland isn't too bad nowadays.
Eeeeeeeeeehh, our @Johnnycide, calm down, calm down will ya!
I got that pic from a guide about your fair city.
https://theguideliverpool.com/your-guide-to-liverpool-ket-wigs/
Mark Moraghan, Joe McGann and Gary Bleasedale obviously thought it was funny.
Tap here to load 36 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...