Latest news with #DaysGone
Business Insider
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Sony Stock Dips as Bend Studio Lays Off Game Developers
Sony (SONY) stock slipped on Wednesday after the video game developer confirmed layoffs at Days Gone developer Bend Studio. The entertainment company didn't say how many employees were affected, but reports claim roughly a third of the studio's approximately 150 members were laid off. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter The Sony layoffs came after the company canceled a Bend Studio live-service game that was in development. The concept for the game was finished, but Sony pulled the plug on it earlier this year. That came around the same time a game being developed by Sony studio Blue Point was also canceled. Days Gone fans worried about the fate of Bend Studio have nothing to fear. Sony said these layoffs 'better position the studio for long-term success' and that it remains 'confident in its future and creative direction.' SONY Stock Movement Today SONY stock slipped 0.52% as of Wednesday afternoon, but remains up 23.18% year-to-date. Bend Studio is only one of several game developers under the PlayStation brand. That, combined with the limited nature of the layoffs, explains why SONY stock didn't experience a more significant impact from today's job cut news. Bend Studio also lacks the big-name successes of other PlayStation studios, such as Naughty Dog or Insomniac. Is Sony Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Sony is Strong Buy, based on three Buy and one Hold rating over the past three months. With that comes an average SONY stock price target of $29, representing a potential 11.26% upside for the shares. Spark, TipRanks' AI analyst, rates Sony an Outperform (79) with no price target. The AI analyst points to a 'strong financial performance with robust growth and efficient operations' as a reason for the bullish stance.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sony's Bend Studio announces layoffs: Read what the company said
Sony's Bend Studio, the acclaimed developer behind popular titles like Days Gone and the Syphon Filter series, has announced fresh round of layoffs. The company is reportedly undergone substantial layoffs, with approximately 30% of its staff impacted. This move comes after the cancellation of an unannounced live-service game that the studio had been developing. Bend Studio had been working on an unannounced live-service game, which was scrapped earlier this year. The studio is now focusing on a new, unnamed project, though details remain scarce. Bend Studio layoffs: Here's what the company said Bend Studio confirmed the layoffs in a statement, acknowledging that Bend Studio had been working on a live-service concept earlier this year but decided "not to move forward with it" after careful consideration. The company stated that these "strategic changes" are being made to "better position the studio for long-term success" as the team shifts focus to its next project. 'Today, we said goodbye to some incredibly talented teammates as we transition to our next project. We're deeply thankful for their contributions as they've shaped who we are, and their impact will always be part of our story. 121772998 Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mai puține griji la pensionare Pensia Facultativă NN Vezi oferta Undo This a difficult moment for our team, but we hold immense respect for everyone who got us here. As we move forward, we remain committed to building the future of bend Studio with creativity, passion, and innovation in the titles we craft,' reads the statement posted by the company on X. This round of layoffs at Bend Studio is the latest in a series of workforce reductions across PlayStation's first-party developers. Sony has been making significant strategic adjustments to its live-service game ambitions, which initially aimed for a large number of releases by 2025. Several live-service projects, including a God of War multiplayer title at Bluepoint Games and The Last of Us Online from Naughty Dog, have reportedly been canceled or shelved. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Days Gone Developer Hit with Layoffs After Cancelling Live Service Game
According to a new report, , the PlayStation developer most known for its games Days Gone and Syphon Filter, has been hit by layoffs. This comes just a few months after cancelling a live-service game. This news comes from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. In a post on BlueSky, Schreier reports that the studio is laying off 30% of its staff today. This adds up to around 40 employees at Bend Studio. He also confirms that the studio has started a new project following the recently canceled live-service project. 'Sony's Bend studio, which canceled a live-service game earlier this year, is laying off 30% of staff today (around 40 people), Bloomberg News has learned,' says Schreier in his post. 'The studio has been spinning up a new project following the cancelation.' Another BlueSky user named solidjaum replied to Schreier's post, asking if Bluepoint Games, another studio that recently canceled a live-service project, was impacted by layoffs. Schreier confirms it is not. Back in January, it was reported that both Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games had canceled live-service projects. This was due to the troubled launch of Concord, which was live for just two weeks before being shut down. Bluepoint Games was working on a God of War multiplayer game. Details about Bend Studio's project are not known. This is just one of many rounds of layoffs happening throughout the games industry. Back in February, PlayStation was reportedly hit with layoffs. More recently, EA saw mass layoffs in April, which reportedly saw 300 to 400 employees impacted. The last project Bend Studio released was Days Gone Remastered, a visually improved version made to take advantage of the technology of the PS5 and PS5 Pro. It is available now on the PS Store for $49.99. The post Days Gone Developer Hit with Layoffs After Cancelling Live Service Game – Report appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Days Gone Studio Hit With Mass Layoff After Live Service PlayStation Game Canceled
Days Gone maker Bend Studio has been hit by layoffs. Roughly a third of the first-party PlayStation team was cut following the recent cancelation of an unannounced live service project, but Sony confirmed the studio is working on a new project now and it remains 'confident in its future and creative direction.' 'Earlier this year, Bend Studio wrapped development on a live service concept. After careful consideration, we chose not to move forward with it,' a spokesperson for Sony confirmed to Kotaku in an email. 'As the team shifts focus to its next project, we've made strategic changes to better position the studio for long-term success. As part of this transition, a workforce reduction has taken place at the studio. This decision was not made lightly, and we are extremely grateful for the meaningful contributions of all those impacted. Bend Studio has been a valued part of PlayStation Studios for decades, and we remain confident in its future and creative direction.' About 40 developers at the Oregon-based studio were laid today, as first reported by Bloomberg. The project they were previously working on was canceled earlier this year amid a purge of some internal live service projects, including an online God of War spin-off at Bluepoint Games. 'Bend Studio laid off a bunch of people today,' senior animator Robert Morrison posted on X. 'I was a part of the layoffs. I did my best. Hopefully I can find a new team to join.' Best known for the Syphon Filter espionage games in the PS1 and PS2 eras, Bend Studio later moved on to developing handheld ports of first-party franchises like Resistance and Uncharted before eventually making 2019's open world zombie blockbuster Days Gone. The game didn't review as highly as some PlayStation exclusives but still sold well. While fans pined for a sequel, the studio hasn't released a game since. Days Gone received a PS5 version earlier this year but has otherwise laid dormant as Bend Studio reportedly worked on a new live service IP. Leaked images made it appear like the now canceled game was an online multiplayer loot shooter of sorts, though no official details about the project were ever shared publicly. The Bend Studio cuts are the latest self-inflicted wound of a PS5 generation live service pivot that's left Sony conspicuously short on big first-party blockbusters. Live service spin-offs of Twisted Metal and The Last of Us were also canceled, while Concord's launch went so poorly the company refunded the game and shutdown the studio behind it which had acquired just a couple years prior. Another upcoming online shooter, Fairgame$, was recently delayed according to Bloomberg after it received negative feedback from external testing. That studio's head, Jade Raymond, departed around the same time. Update 6/10/2025 5:06 p.m. ET: Added statement from Sony. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tom's Guide
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I just beat Days Gone Remastered on PS5 Pro — and it's one of the most underrated PlayStation games
In a lot of ways, Days Gone is the black sheep of the PS4 library. Released in 2019, at a time when PlayStation Studios was dropping critically acclaimed gems on the regular, it landed with a bit of a dull thud. The Bend Studio-developed open-world zombie game didn't reach the same heights as its contemporaries like God of War, The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima. But Days Gone Remastered has now arrived on PS5, and represents something of a second chance for the game to find a bigger audience. While I doubt this remastering points to a full sequel (reportedly, plans for one were scrapped after the underwhelming reception of the first game), it does offer gamers who skipped Days Gone the first time a perfect excuse to see what they missed. And if you were one of the many who glossed over the game upon its initial release, I implore you to circle back, because Days Gone Remastered really is worth experiencing. The best way I can describe Days Gone is that it's pretty much 'Sons of Anarchy' mashed with 'The Walking Dead' in video game form. And come on, try and tell me that doesn't sound appealing! You play a drifter named Deacon St John, who trudles around a zombie-infested Pacific Northwest, taking on bounties and trying to find out what happened to his missing wife. Your main means of traversing the game's sizeable open-world setting is via a motorbike, and it's this inclusion that really makes Days Gone so compelling. Your bike is essentially a roving base; you can only save when you're nearby, and you can store additional supplies in its various compartments. The bike is also upgradable. It starts barely roadworthy, but by the endgame, you have a powerful hog that purrs with ferocity. Getting the additional reputation points required to unlock each new series of bike upgrades made me want to complete as much side content as possible. But outside of its predictable open-world trapping — you'll find the usual assortment of bandit camps and zombie (called 'Freakers' here) nests — Days Gone's meaty main campaign is the real draw. You get plenty of bang for your buck. Even a rushed run will take you 30 hours. If you want to see everything on offer, expect to double that playtime. A common complaint at launch was that the story meanders in its first act. I can't counter this. The core narrative takes a while to get going, but once you unlock the second region, things start to click into gear, and the finale builds to something quite exciting. I do wish my companions would cool it with the radio calls, though, as you're constantly interrupted, which gets annoying. Admittedly, there's a slightly generic quality to Days Gone. It's third-person action combat, which mixes stealth with melee brawls and shoot-outs, is routine, and it launched into a media landscape oversaturated with zombies. Nevertheless, generic doesn't mean bad, and I maintain that Days Gone remains just as enjoyable to play in 2025 on PS5 as it did back in 2019 on PS4. Perhaps the bigger question with Days Gone is whether it even needed remastering in the first place. Sony has taken plenty of online flak in recent years for its habit of remastering titles that still hold up to a modern standard (Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered is the most egregious example). Days Gone probably falls into the category of games where a remastering was largely unnecessary. While it was a native PS4 release, it was fully playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility, and its original visuals hold up extremely well. Plus, it already received a free update that enabled the game to run at a smooth 60 fps on the PS5 console. The Remastered edition does at least add a small smattering of additional content, including a permadeath option and new mode called Horde Assault (though to be honest, the battles with vast hordes of zombies never quite appealed to be in the base game). It also beefs up the game's accessibility settings (always a good thing) and adds full DualSense controller support. If you're playing on PS5 Pro, the remaster adds a new visual mode and takes advantage of the premium console's PSSR capabilities. So while I doubt many players were crying out for the remaster, it's now the definitive way to play the game, and it gave me an excuse to return to a title that had been in 'I really need to replay this' backlog for more than five years. Which is enough for me. I'll also give Sony credit for creating an upgrade path for pre-existing owners of the original. If you already own Days Gone on PS4, you can upgrade to the Remastered edition for just $10, which feels like a pretty reasonable price point for the extra bells and whistles. Whether you're returning to the broken road or you've never driven down these apocalyptic streets before, I encourage you to give Days Gone Remastered a shot. Who knows, perhaps if this remastering sparks enough renewed interest in the IP, we'll get that sequel after all. I certainly hope so.
