Sony Announces Plans to Close UK-based Liverpool Studio

Sony has announced plans to close its Liverpool Studio, one of its oldest development houses. The company said that while Liverpool Studio has been an important part of SCE Worldwide Studios since the outset of PlayStation, the company wanted to focus its investments on other studios.

"As part of SCE Worldwide Studios, we do regular reviews to ensure that the resources we have can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects in an increasingly competitive market place," the company said in a statement. "As part of this process, we have reviewed and assessed all current and planned projects for the short and medium term and have decided to make some changes to our European Studios."

Sony said that by focusing on other studios working on 'exciting new projects,' the company would be in a stronger position to offer customers the best possible content. Liverpool Facility will continue to operate, as it houses a number of other vital Sony World Wide Studios and SCEE Departments, and Sony told Eurogamer that it's going to try to relocate those affected to other studios. However, the company did say that there will be some necessary redundancies.

Head-quartered in Liverpool, England, the development house was founded in 1984 as Psygnosis, before being bought by Sony Electronic Publishing in 1993. The studio was rebranded as Liverpool Studio a over 10 years ago. Some of the studio's best known games include WipEout, Formula 1, and Lemmings.

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