Returnal developer Housemarque has revealed that Sony wasn't the only studio interested in acquiring it.
Housemarque's CEO Ilari Kuitti and marketing manager Mikael Haveri sat down for an interview with Yle, where they talked about the recent acquisition from Sony.
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One of the most interesting reveals from the interview is the fact that Sony wasn't the only party that was interested in acquiring Housemarque, and that there were offers from "major players" in China, the United States, and Sweden.
Ilari Kuittinen said, "Usual Suspects, ie major players in the field from China, Sweden and the United States. I have to say that there is a very special spring behind us and the fact that we have been competing even feels a little surreal. In our discussions, it became clear that Sony wanted to buy us because we are doing something that others are not doing. Their starting point has not been that we would start making games according to the formula defined by Sony.”
It's not uncommon for a studio to receive multiple acquisition offers, especially one like Housemarque that has made several well-received titles. It's possible that these offers are what pushed Sony to make the push itself, as gamers have been quick to point out several examples in the past where Sony has had studios taken away from not making offers, such as Ready At Dawn and Sanzaru Games.
Although it's all speculation at this point, one of the biggest players in China is Tencent, who could have reached out to Housemarque. Sweden has Embracer Group which is arguably the biggest name there, whilst studios in the US would include big names like Microsoft and even names like Epic or Blizzard.
It's not surprising that Housemarque went with Sony in the end though, as the studio has made the large majority of its games exclusive to PlayStation platforms, and made its biggest game, Returnal, an exclusive to the PS5.
NEXT: Pushing Back Plans To Make Time For Returnal Highlights Its Save Issues
