London Studio
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | SCEE Studio Camden, Team Soho |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Tara Saunders (head of studio) |
| Products | SingStar series, PlayStation VR Worlds, Blood & Truth |
| Owner | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Parent | PlayStation Studios |
London Studio was a UK-based video game developer operating under the PlayStation Studios umbrella, located in London. Established in 2002, the studio gained recognition primarily for the SingStar franchise and titles that utilized PlayStation accessories such as the EyeToy camera and the PlayStation VR headset. Since its foundation, the studio delivered more than 60 game releases.
SingStar and EyeToy Era
London Studio emerged in 2002 following the consolidation of SCEE Studio Camden (previously part of Psygnosis) and Team Soho, known for developing The Getaway. The studio was responsible for creating the SingStar series, which broadened the PlayStation 2's audience beyond the typical young male segment, achieving sales exceeding 20 million units within six years. Additionally, it developed a variety of titles for Sony's EyeToy webcam and contributed to projects like Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet. The studio had two major PlayStation 3 exclusives underway—Eight Days and a sequel to The Getaway—but Sony Europe cancelled both to reassign resources toward other first-party initiatives.
Virtual Reality Development
London Studio engineered a VR rendering platform called LSSDK compatible with PlayStation 4 and PC systems. This technology was showcased in PlayStation VR Worlds, which offered five virtual reality experiences: "The London Heist", "Into The Deep", "VR Luge", "Danger Ball", and "Scavenger's Odyssey". Although VR Worlds received mixed critical reception, "London Heist" stood out with strong reviews and commercial success, prompting the studio to prioritize VR-focused projects. Their subsequent title, Blood & Truth, a follow-up to London Heist, became the first virtual reality game to reach number one on the UK's retail sales chart in May 2019.
By 2022, London Studio redirected its efforts away from VR towards creating a cooperative multiplayer game set in a contemporary fantasy version of London for PlayStation 5. Tara Saunders, head of the studio, described this as their "most ambitious project to-date," emphasizing that it would not require players to use a VR headset.
Closure
In February 2024, Sony revealed plans to close London Studio amid broader workforce reductions affecting approximately 8% of its employees, equating to around 900 positions. The studio officially ceased operations in May 2024.
Games developed
Wonderbook Diggs Nightcrawler SingStar: Ultimate Party ||2014||PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 PlayStation VR Worlds ||2016||rowspan="4"|PlayStation 4 SingStar Celebration ||2017 Blood & Truth ||rowspan="2"|2019 Erica| Game | Year | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| This Is Football 2003 | 2002 | PlayStation 2 |
| Hardware: Online Arena | ||
| This Is Football 2004 | 2003 | |
| EyeToy: Play | ||
| This Is Football 2005 | 2004 | |
| EyeToy: Groove | ||
| SingStar | ||
| The Getaway: Black Monday | ||
| SingStar Party | ||
| EyeToy: Chat | 2005 | |
| World Tour Soccer: Challenge Edition | PlayStation Portable | |
| Fired Up | ||
| SingStar Pop | PlayStation 2 | |
| EyeToy: Play 2 | ||
| EyeToy: Play 3 | ||
| SingStar '80s | ||
| EyeToy: Kinetic | ||
| EyeToy: Operation Spy | ||
| EyeToy: Kinetic Combat | 2006 | |
| EyeToy: Play Sports | ||
| SingStar Rocks! | ||
| SingStar Anthems | ||
| Gangs of London | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar Legends | PlayStation 2 | |
| World Tour Soccer 2 | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar Pop Hits | 2007 | PlayStation 2 |
| SingStar 90s | ||
| SingStar Amped | ||
| SingStar Rock Ballads | ||
| Aqua Vita | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar R&B | PlayStation 2 | |
| Beats | PlayStation Portable | |
| SingStar | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar Summer Party | 2008 | PlayStation 2 |
| SingStar Vol. 2 | PlayStation 3 | |
| SingStar ABBA | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 | |
|
SingStar Vol. 3 || rowspan="2" | PlayStation 3 | ||
|
SingStar Queen || rowspan="5" | 2009 || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 | ||
|
SingStar Pop Edition || PlayStation 3 | ||
|
SingStar Motown || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 | ||
|
EyePet || PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable | ||
|
SingStar Take That || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 | ||
|
SingStar Guitar || rowspan="2" |2010 || rowspan="7" | PlayStation 3 | ||
|
Everybody Dance (video game)|DanceStar Party || rowspan="2" |2011 | ||
|
EyePet & Friends | ||
|
DanceStar Party Hits || rowspan="2" |2012 |
||
External links
- Articles with short description
- 2002 establishments in England
- 2024 disestablishments in England
- British companies disbanded in 2024
- British companies founded in 2002
- Defunct UK video game companies
- First-party game developers
- PlayStation Studios
- London-based software firms
- Video game companies closed in 2024
- Video game companies founded in 2002
- United Kingdom video game companies
- Video game development firms
- British companies disestablished in 2024