PixelOpus, a little in-house studio inside PlayStation Studios, is shutting down the following month. A PlayStation representative confirmed this to Engadget in a statement: “PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives.
As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.” Earlier today, the studio tweeted that its “adventure has come to an end.” PixelOpus, creator of the imaginative passion projects Concrete Genie and Entwined, reportedly collaborated with Sony Pictures Animation on a new PS5 game.
In response to the unexpected success of indie studio thatgamecompany’s Journey on the PS3, the Santa Mateo-based studio was established in 2014 under the Sony Interactive Entertainment umbrella. The two PixelOpus games sought the same original concepts: Concrete Genie is a story about using street art to stand up to bullying, while Entwined was a dual-stick rhythm game with distinctive artwork about a blue bird and orange fish flying through space. Engadget’s Andrew Tarantola saw as the last a “surprisingly pleasant and laid-back experience.”
Sadly, when mega-corporation parent companies seek to cut costs, it is frequently the experimental studios with unconventional ideas that are cut first. Concrete Genie, the original and stylish game, is still available for $30 on the PlayStation Store, despite the fact that PixelOpus will soon disappear.