Bucking the trend: Housemarque defends story-driven games amid Sony's service issues

While Sony has been actively promoting the strategy of game services in recent years, the developers of Returnal, the Finnish studio Housemarque, are adamant that they will continue to remain "fully focused on single-player and premium projects", at least for the foreseeable future.

Here's What We Know

Speaking to Eurogamer last week at the studio's 30th anniversary event, CEO Hilari Kuittinen and creative director Gregory Lowden explained that "as long as people buy premium games", the studio will continue to create them. A new standalone Saros adventure is already planned for 2026, confirming Housemarque's commitment to this direction.

All this is obviously connected to the studio's philosophy, which sees its games as "experiences for a certain period of your life". Instead of spending "the rest of your life" in a single game, the team believes that players should experience their games "over a few days, weeks, or other period", similar to "films or TV series".

"It's a unique experience. You get it, you get something out of it. You might come back to it, but you don't have to play it for the rest of your life," says Kuittinen.

The team hopes to keep this momentum going for decades, but also recognises that it is only as strong as its latest game, and it still needs fans (and players in general) to continue to show their support for these "premium" types of gaming experiences.

Source: Eurogamer