Google announced today that it has acquired Typhoon Studios, the independent game studio currently developing Journey to the Savage Planet.
Google announced the acquisition via Stadia's official blog. Jade Raymond, Vice President and Head of Stadia Games and Entertainment at Google, wrote in the blog post,
Working with some of the best game creators in the world, we’ve learned that a successful studio comes down to great people who have a vision to execute on the best ideas. We’re always looking for people who share our passion and vision for the future of gaming, which is why I’m so excited that Typhoon Studios, the independent developers behind the upcoming Journey to the Savage Planet, is joining Stadia Games and Entertainment.
Typhoon Studios will be among the first to join Google's Stadia Games and Entertainment branch as the tech giant seeks to carve a place for itself within the video game industry. Google's Montreal-based game studio was first announced back in October, though details on its staff and future projects were scant at the time. Montreal nevertheless seemed like a prime location thanks to its proximity to numerous other AAA game studios to pull talent from, such as WB Montreal, EA, Square Enix, and Ubisoft. With this acquisition, Google bolsters its ability to create new titles for Stadia's library, though any new project is unlikely to see the light of day anytime soon.
Typhoon Studios, also a Montreal-based studio, was founded in 2017 by industry veterans Alex Hutchinson and Reid Schneider. The studio announced its first game, first-person space adventure Journey to the Savage Planet, at The Game Awards 2018. Journey to the Savage Planet was scheduled to release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on January 28, 2020, and according to Google's blog post, this date will not be affected.
What do you think of this acquisition? Is Google on the right track to make Stadia a success? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
