![Activision Is Opening A New Studio To Build 'Genre-Defining' Games At Microsoft](https://images.purexbox.com/86225c99801ea/activision-is-opening-a-new-studio-to-build-genre-defining-games-at-microsoft.900x.jpg)
Microsoft's newly-acquired Activision team has today announced the opening of a brand-new development studio in Poland. The team, which is confirmed to not be working on Call of Duty, is setting out to build a "state-of-the-art and next-generation gaming experience" at 'Elsewhere Entertainment'.
The studio also seems to be doubling down on narrative experiences, with ex-Uncharted, The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 and Destiny developers helping form the team. The plan is for Elsewhere to "craft a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games".
"Built from the ground up, Elsewhere Entertainment is a premier and standalone studio dedicated to establishing an environment that inspires bold and diverse ideas. The team’s underlying mission encourages everyone to explore and collaborate creatively to craft a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games.
The new studio has full access to Activision’s resources and tools as it continues to increase production and development. Elsewhere is opening its search for best-in-class talent from across the industry and around the world to help create a state-of-the-art and next generation gaming experience."
This is an interesting announcement in the wake of Xbox shuttering four Bethesda studios, although we're inclined to suggest that these aren't linked at all - given how huge Activision is and how long it's likely been working to build Elsewhere Entertainment over in Poland.
That's about all we know of this newly-formed studio for now, but it's certainly an intriguing development in a tumultuous year for industry layoffs. Let's hope this new Activision team gets the chance to grow and build the huge franchise that it's clearly been designed to develop.
What do you make of this latest Xbox development? Tell us your thoughts down below.
[source ign.com, via windowscentral.com]
Comments 58
This will go over well with everyone, I'm sure.
Hope they're taking resumes from Tango.
I don't care Microsoft shouldn't have closed Tango and supported the studio that had already made an award winning game. Only closed because they were Japanese.
Also whatever they make won't be exclusive as Xbox dying.
Seems very strange as you often read Xbox players don’t want/ like the Sony narrative experience games.
So sounds like they have an uphill task!
What’s that studio they created to make that game. Perfect Dark.
Hope goes better than that is.
Exciting news but it will be a very long time before we see anything from this. Maybe they will release something by the end of next gen.
The timing of this announcement sucks. But as you suggested the "new" studio has been operating for some time, this is just the public announcement.
I guess now that Microsoft's games are gonna go to Playstation, it makes sense to design the sort of games people on that platform enjoy.
I think the people that tend to say that are PlayStation gamers saying it of Xbox gamers, @PsBoxSwitchOwner. I think everyone, no matter what the platform, would happily play any quality game, no matter the type or genre. Kind of like saying well the Xbox crowd wouldn't want to play a game like Horizon Forbidden West, when in fact we would happily do so. Regardless, it is very assumptive to say that all people that game on a particular plastic box only like this or that type of game (I'm not suggesting that you are saying that. It's a royal you! '😉)...
******* hell! Makes you absolutely sick....
Hey, Microsoft, I’ll trade you this new studio for Tango back.
This is a non news story.
Once nadella finds out, he's going to close the studio.
Huh, neat. I'll say that I'm particularly impressed by Activision opening up a new studio that is explicitly not working on anything Call of Duty related. Which, of course, likely means that in 5 years or so they will be sent down into the COD mines with the rest of them. Funny how that happens.
Although, that statement made about them is a very bold claim. Not to be too skeptical of the surely talented people who are currently working there, but I will believe such statements once I hear that "so-and-so big name is now working at Elsewhere Entertainment!", or if not that, until I catch a glimpse of what exactly they are working on.
Even if this new studio predates the decision to close studios the announcement being made this week shows a lack of cohesion, leadership, and humanity from Microsoft gaming executives. This is such a bad look.
Awesome! I cannot wait to play their first game in 10 years.
games that are never coming . i swear that’s all there is to hear about is “what’s to come” . gaming is dead
@nomither6 If you play indies gaming is better than ever.
So we will get an short announcement of a game.....hear nothing for years ...hear rumours of development hell ...followed by reassurances everything is fine....before inevitably being cancelled along with the studio closing down
Aww, yeah, feel the burn!
Wonder how long they last until the next Call of Booty.
although we're inclined to suggest that these aren't linked at all - given how huge Activision is and how long it's likely been working to build Elsewhere Entertainment over in Poland
The article on Eurogamer states that Microsoft subsidiaries have separate budgets, as such is very safe to assume that the two are not linked.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy 🤣🤣
@GuyinPA75 K, I laughed out loud.... well done
Oh McActiBlizz, try reading the room for once.. ..
Kudos PureXbox fans, great cynicism!
@RBRTMNZ
I do, and I'm extraordinarily well fed😉.
Would love something like uncharted for Xbox I know tomb raider is similar but it's not the same vibe
@OldGamer999 can't get over the fact they're called The Initiative as well 😂
Gonna be 6 years old come June, if they don't show anything during the showcase I don't know what to say
Spread too thin like peanut butter on bread, eh Matt?
Microsoft: “We are closing these studios. We wish them well.”
Also Microsoft: “HERES A COMPLETELY NEW STUDIO, ENJOY!”
You couldnt make this stuff up. Is their PR team the three stooges?
Given the uncertain road ahead, you'd need to be desperate to apply and take the gamble. But there are a lot of desperate devs..
@dskatter I am pretty sure the new Activision studio was put into the works before MS bought Activision-Blizzard. It was probably more then likely one of Bobby Kotick's ideas.
@Cherip-the-Ripper
Well it’s 6 years of paycheque that Xbox has paid for, for nothing.
It’s all about micromanagement for any business and any team and any projects.
@Titntin The Three Stooges would have a 1 in 3 chance of getting it right. Microsoft doesn't have nearly those odds. I picture more the Maytag repairman.
@Tasuki I’m quite aware of this, but this just looks really, really, REALLY bad given the last couple weeks.
Calling a new studio Elsewhere doesn't give a lot of confident that their games will be exclusive
The Xbox comedy tour has come to Europe ! Should release just in time for PS6-Pro
@NEStalgia don’t you mean call from Booty!! Hahaha JIMBO!
Good to see new studios opening, the industry has talent waiting at home unless they of course decided on a career change. This won’t get everyone back to work, but it’s good to see. Exciting even!
I don't care at this point. Even before the recent closings Microsoft & Activision have always been trash at managing studios and their talent. Even if they make the actual best game ever there's a good chance they get dismantled to work on something like CoD anyways.
Hopefully not live service never ending type of games like most but sekiro, crash and spyro was appreciated though.
Expenses a lot lower in Poland than US.
At the rate things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony pays to make it a third party exclusive.
@lacerz 😆. Ghostwire Tokyo 2, made by Elsewhere. Ps6 exclusive.
@nomither6 Still plenty of great games coming out.
I don't know if it's sad or hilarious when you think what else there is in their lives, but you can find the same Xbox-is-doomed users vomiting on all the threads their negative narrative about Xbox, even when the news are positive.
On topic, I wish the best to all the studios, so we can play great games, the ones of us here that do play games, I mean.
is it a way for team xbox to put some water on the fire they ignited by closings 4 of their studios recently?
But they scraped the blizzard game
Phil will release a video telling us he hears us and he already played the games planned on released but will not rush the devs because it will be best to create something special .. then in year 2029 we get a non gameplay trailer
Closing Tango was wrong, but the new studio need all support they can get.
We can't let take Microsoft bad decisions and throw on studios that have nothing to do with it.
We need to held MS accountable but support the studios that are working hard to make good games for Xbox, despite management being totally oblivious some times.
So, Microsoft is going full Disney. Nothing but the biggest games. Forget anything medium or small scale.
I mean its working out so well for The Initiative...
@Banjo-
I don't know if it's sad or hilarious when you think what else there is in their lives
Well, shouldn't we question the assertion that they actually have lives for a start?😅
Between the concern trolls and Xbox obituary/doomsday prophets, it's difficult to discern genuine opinions on Xbox's direction. I'm still baffled (and upset) at Microsoft's decision regarding TGW and Arkane but that's probably because I don't think like a head of a trillion dollar corporation..
@TheSimulator Then in the year 3000 we finally get the game
Why can't they just stay put, it's been OK for them for X amount of years
In case everyone missed it, Infinity Ward (Activision) opened a brand new Studio in Austin, Texas last November time - that was specifically to work on CoD tech and innovative 'new' CoD experiences. As its in Austin, maybe Arkane Austin staff were offered employment here instead...
Therefore, we have seen 2 'new' Studios added under ABK since they were Acquired.
This is good news, but seriously, 50 negative comments in a row. Can nothing please you people?
Seriously. I heard a joke the other day and it made me think of the gamers now a days, "You play fantasy football and what, you think that makes you the general manager of a professional team"?
"All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again."
And yes we can be optimistic about a new startup. But i think a balance of cynicism isn't out of the question either considering the wider circumstances of what is happening.
I am frustrated with all these downsizing, studio closures, etc.
But, there is a fundamental change happening in the industry.
AAA games are costing more and taking longer to build. Inflation has happened so now games are more expensive to build and they cost more to buy. Also, because games are getting bigger they take a lot longer to build. This is not a linear thing, it is more exponential. Just play GTA III and then play GTA V, You can see there is a ton more to the game. And GTA VI will be even bigger. You look at the sheer size of games. Most great games are at least double or triple the install size the same franchise games was last generation and literally 10-50 times the size they were in the PS3/XB/Wii era. All this adds up to more to build a game.
With more to build it makes certain games not profitable anymore. I hate that Tango closed, but their games were not high profit games, they were mostly breaking even and although Evil Within and HiFi Rush were both successful games, I doubt they made much. Nobody talks about how disappointed they are to see Ghostwire gone. The studio made a decent game there but for all purposes it was a flop both financially and critically.
Shutting down Arcane Austin. Ya, that was well deserved. Redfall was a hot mess at launch, and really didn't get a lot better after the studio spending a year fixing it.
And I might add studio closures are nothing new. Sony has closed a couple studios over the past couple years and also laid off 8% of gaming staff. This is not unique in the industry. It is rumored that Ubisoft also cancelled a major game, EA has done layoffs/closures, etc. People are acting like this is all new news and XB is evil, but they are just doing what ALL other major publishers are doing.
Anyone noticed Xbox saying they want a Fortnite/Roblox/another Minecraft sort of game in the media? I think it’s pretty obvious (and sensible) that Microsoft wants to appeal to a younger gamer.
Not sure why they needed to buy and then decimate Bethesda to do that, but let’s be honest logic and Xbox don’t often go hand in hand.
Too much talk imo. Show us the games!
@MrGawain Just like Sony closing down London Studios this year and also laying off people from their most successful studios including Naughty dog, Insomniac and Gorilla Games.
Looks like Sonys sights are more on publishing 3rd party games and GAAS titles going forward.
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