PS5: 11 Second-Party Studios Sony MIGHT Buy
3. Housemarque
This Finnish developer has been around since the early 90s and is a major figure on the downloadable scene. Having tried their hand at everything from space shooter to co-op zombie action, to super-stylised platformers.
Despite the varied genres they tackle, their games have been reliably unified by tight gameplay, slick arcade action and impressively designed worlds.
Why Likely:
Despite the several platforms, genres and publishers the company has worked with over the years, their exclusive collaborations with Sony are, without contest, their peak output.
Super Stardust, Dead Nation, Resogun, Alienation and Nex Machina are all incredibly muscular and lushly designed games that shine exclusively on PSN. The dev's other efforts just lack the same level of enthusiasm and polish.
This indie dev has been living on a bumpy road for the past few years, they could do with the stability, whilst Sony would benefit from having this immensely talented (yet currently struggling) studio.
Why Not:
On the other hand, Housemarque has prided itself on collaborating with several diverse publishers (e.g. Ubisoft and Activision) despite living hand-to-mouth. Perhaps they actually prefer being free agents?
Buying Temperature: Hot