The dawn of a new console generation at hand means more games from our favourite AAA studios. It also spells an opportunity for new AAA studios to rise and bring their own titles to the mix.
One such case is that of Tencent. The Chinese publisher’s stock has been steadily rising over the years, and seems to have gotten enough clout (and cash) to make the jump from making just mobile games to fully-fledged titles on the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Tencent has linked up with former Rockstar Games producer Steve Martin to open the new LightSpeed LA studio, which is based in the US, to do just that. He will take on the dual role of studio head and executive producer of development. Having worked on the likes of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 in major leadership positions, Martin has the necessary experience to lead LightSpeed LA into the next generation of games.
And the studio’s first project? A “AAA open-world game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X” (via Games Industry).
“We’re ushering a new era of game culture by combining world-class development with a stress-free work environment,” Martin said in a press release. “From day one, our teams will be focused on building the highest caliber games while promoting integrity, proactivity, collaboration, and creativity.”
Since LightSpeed LA only just opened up shop, no announcement about the exact title and release date of the AAA project has been unveiled yet. All will be revealed in due time.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Kevin Low
Si Jia
