Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games has carved a unique niche in the video game world, becoming synonymous with thrilling interactive horror experiences where every choice can mean life or death for its characters. From humble beginnings developing for motion controllers to crafting critically acclaimed narrative-driven titles, their journey has been one of innovation and suspense. Explore how this British studio mastered the art of digital frights, captivating players with stories that unfold based on their decisions. Supermassive Games initially developed for PlayStation Move before hitting breakout success with the narrative-driven horror game, Until Dawn. The studio became a master of interactive horror, allowing player choices to deeply impact branching storylines and character fates. After becoming a fully acquired subsidiary of Nordisk Games, the company experienced significant organizational changes, including co-founder departures and layoffs.
AI Summary
Supermassive Games has carved a unique niche in the video game world, becoming synonymous with thrilling interactive horror experiences where every choice can mean life or death for its characters. From humble beginnings developing for motion controllers to crafting critically acclaimed narrative-driven titles, their journey has been one of innovation and suspense. Explore how this British studio mastered the art of digital frights, captivating players with stories that unfold based on their decisions.
- Supermassive Games initially developed for PlayStation Move before hitting breakout success with the narrative-driven horror game, Until Dawn.
- The studio became a master of interactive horror, allowing player choices to deeply impact branching storylines and character fates.
- After becoming a fully acquired subsidiary of Nordisk Games, the company experienced significant organizational changes, including co-founder departures and layoffs.
Crafting Interactive Nightmares
Supermassive Games, a British video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey, has built a reputation for crafting unique interactive horror dramas. Think of them as digital slasher films or choose-your-own-adventure stories, where your decisions directly impact the fate of the characters.
From Humble Beginnings
The studio was founded in 2008 by Pete Samuels, who brought a wealth of experience from his time at industry giants like Psygnosis and Electronic Arts. Their initial strategy involved becoming a second-party developer for Sony, focusing on supporting PlayStation platforms.
Early projects included downloadable content for the beloved platformer LittleBigPlanet and several games leveraging the PlayStation Move motion controller. Titles like Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves and Start the Party! showcased their ability to create engaging experiences within new technological frameworks.
This early focus proved successful, with the studio reporting strong sales in 2011. However, not every early venture was a hit. A partnership with the BBC for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, intended to be the first of a trilogy, was poorly received, leading to the cancellation of future installments.
The Breakthrough: Until Dawn
Supermassive's fortunes dramatically shifted with Until Dawn. Initially conceived as a PlayStation Move title, the game underwent a complete retooling, emerging as a PlayStation 4 exclusive that dropped motion controls in favor of a cinematic, narrative-driven experience.
Released in 2015, Until Dawn drew heavy inspiration from classic slasher films, putting players in control of a group of young adults trapped in a remote cabin. Its innovative 'butterfly effect' system, where even minor choices could have significant consequences, made it an unexpected success for Sony.
Venturing into VR and Anthology
Capitalizing on Until Dawn's popularity, Supermassive expanded its universe with PlayStation VR spin-offs like Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and The Inpatient. While these explored new immersive possibilities, another VR title, Bravo Team, struggled with development and received a critical panning.
Recognizing their strength in horror, Supermassive then partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment to launch The Dark Pictures Anthology. This ambitious series promised multiple standalone horror stories, each inspired by different subgenres of fright, and marked their expansion beyond Sony platforms to include PC and Xbox.
The first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology delivered four distinct tales of terror: Man of Medan (2019), Little Hope (2020), House of Ashes (2021), and The Devil in Me (2022). The goal was to release a new entry roughly every six months, creating a steady stream of interactive scares for fans.
In 2022, Supermassive also released The Quarry, a standalone title that many considered a spiritual successor to Until Dawn. It blended classic teen slasher tropes with monster movie elements, further cementing their reputation for high-stakes, choice-driven horror narratives.
Evolution and Recent Shifts
The studio's growth and success eventually caught the attention of Nordisk Film. In March 2021, Nordisk Games acquired a significant 30.7% stake in Supermassive. Just over a year later, in July 2022, Nordisk Games completed a full acquisition, making Supermassive Games a wholly-owned subsidiary.
More recently, the company has undergone some notable transitions. In early 2024, reports surfaced that both co-founders had departed the company. This was followed by a restructuring effort, which regrettably included informing 150 employees of potential layoffs, with 90 personnel ultimately being impacted.
Despite these recent changes, Supermassive Games continues to be a prominent name in the horror genre, with upcoming titles like The Casting of Frank Stone maintaining their commitment to chilling, player-driven interactive experiences that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Article
Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey. The studio is known for developing horror games such as Until Dawn for Sony Interactive Entertainment, The Dark Pictures Anthology for Bandai Namco Entertainment, The Quarry for 2K Games, and The Casting of Frank Stone for Behaviour Interactive.
History
Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games was founded in 2008 by Pete Samuels, who had previously worked at Psygnosis and Electronic Arts. The company signed a contract to serve as a second-party developer for Sony. The studio first worked on downloadable content for Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet, and games utilizing the PlayStation Move motion controller including Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves and Start the Party!. The strategy was a success initially, as the studio posted full-year sales of £5.7 million in 2011. In 2012, the studio partnered with BBC and released Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock. It was intended to be the first game of a trilogy, but the game was poorly received. BBC then announced the decision to cancel all other games in the trilogy in the following year. Another partnership game with BBC, Wonderbook: Walking with Dinosaurs, was released in 2013.
The studio's breakout title, Until Dawn, was also initially envisioned as a PlayStation Move title, though all motion controls were dropped when it was retooled into a PlayStation 4 game. Until Dawn is a survival horror interactive movie inspired by slasher films, and it became an unexpected success for Sony when it was released in 2015. With the success of Until Dawn, the studio continued to expand the Until Dawn universe, releasing spin-off titles including Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and The Inpatient for PlayStation VR (PS VR), Sony's virtual reality headset. The studio also released the critically panned Bravo Team for PS VR. Supermassive initially wanted it to be "the game which defines shooters on VR", but it faced various development challenges throughout its development cycle.
Supermassive returned to the horror genre when it partnered with publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment to create an anthology series called The Dark Pictures Anthology. The first game in the series, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, was released in August 2019. Unlike Supermassive's previous titles, which all but two were available exclusively on Sony platforms, all games in the Dark Pictures series will also be available on Microsoft platforms including Windows and Xbox One. Supermassive plans on releasing a new entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology every 6 months, with a total of 8 games in the series, though more could be added if the series succeeds in sales. Man of Medan was followed by Little Hope (2020), House of Ashes (2021) and The Devil in Me (2022), which concluded the first season. Supermassive also released The Quarry in 2022, a standalone game envisioned as a spiritual successor to Until Dawn inspired by teen slasher and monster films.
In March 2021, Nordisk Film, under their Nordisk Games division, purchased a 30.7% stake in the studio. In July 2022, Nordisk Games fully acquired Supermassive Games, making Supermassive a subsidiary of the Denmark-based company.
In January 2024, it was reported that the company co-founders left the company. In February 2024, Jason Schreier of Bloomberg News reported that Supermassive Games had informed 150 employees that they were at risk of layoffs, ultimately cutting 90 personnel.
Video games
Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games has produced interactive horror dramas including Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and The Quarry.