Bend Studio is a PlayStation first-party AAA game developer. Little is known about their next project after shipping Days Gone in 2019 on PS4 and PC. However, a new career listing that popped up recently suggests the studio may be working on a live-service AAA game.
Not much is known about the new game currently under development in Bend Studio. However, tidbits of information have surfaced online in the form of rumors. One popular rumor was that the company was using Guerrilla’s Decima Engine for their next game.
At some point, it was believed the studio was working on Days Gone 2. Following the mixed reception of the game, it is unlikely that the studio would risk a sequel. On Metacritic, Days Gone’s best average score was 76 on PC and the number fell to 71 on PS4.
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At that time, some players criticized the game for not doing enough to stand out in the zombie genre and for feeling like a game that had already been played from the beginning. Others said it was padded out with tedious unnecessary quests to justify the price tag.
For most, it was the bugs that they found distressing. However, Bend Studios did its best to address most of the bugs through post-launch patches. Although Days Gone was praised for not having a live service element or loot boxes, its rating did not improve because the players’ experience had been ruined by the bugs.
Although the live service realm is something that Bend Studio has yet to explore, it is still possible that the studio is trying to create a new live service game that is built on the Days Gone universe. Perhaps, an open-world zombie survival game.
Bend Studio has a vacancy for a lead project manager with live service experience
A new job listing recently surfaced on Bend Studio’s career page for the role of lead project manager, game development. “We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team,” said Bend Studio in the intro section of the job description.
Those interested in sending in their application must know that this position is not remote. The studio has a strong preference for someone ready to “sit in-studio in Bend,” Oregon. However, that is not all that would be required from the preferred candidate.
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Scrolling down to the requirements, there were two mentions that the right candidate should be experienced in a live service game. One of those mentions emphasized it even. The two mentions are as follows;
- Proven experience (5+ years) in project management within the gaming industry, a deep understanding of game development cycles, processes, and latest trends with an emphasis on live operations
- Hands-on game development experience in leadership roles shipping AAA live service games
Another requirement that will strengthen the chances of landing the role is that the preferred candidate should have “Experience redefining studios from traditional “boxed product” focused game development into live service development studios in a key leadership role”.
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These mentions clearly show the direction that Bend Studio plans to go with its next project. This is coming at a time when there has been lots of criticism against the live service game model with lots of games in that genre either failing on launch or losing 70 to 90% of its players in less than a year.
Founded in 1992 by Marc Blank and Michael Berlyn, the company was called Blank, Berlyn & Co. In 1995, the studio was renamed Eidetic, Inc. following the founders’ expansion plan. It was acquired by Sony on December 1, 2020, after which it was renamed Bend Studio.
