Activision has announced the formation of Elsewhere Entertainment, a new studio it says will focus on developing a "narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise."
Elsewhere Entertainment, which is based in Warsaw, is Activision's second Polish studio after the Krakow-based Infinity Ward Poland. The studio has been working behind the scenes up until now, and this is its first
public unveiling.
According to the blog post revealing the new studio, Elsewhere Entertainment's team includes
"storytelling experts" who have previously worked on franchises including
The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Destiny, The Division, and Far Cry. It is currently recruiting developers in hopes of creating a "state-of-the-art and next-generation gaming experience," which IGN understands is not a Call of Duty-related project.
Little else is known about
Elsewhere Entertainment's first franchise, though the post does mention that the studio hopes to
"craft a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games." That would seem to point to a transmedia franchise that will try to replicate the success of
The Last of Us and Fallout, or maybe just get its own
theme park.
To this point, Activision has mostly been known for its work on the Call of Duty series, with Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob opting to go independent following the Xbox acquisition. In addition to the
Crash Bandicoot games, Activision Publishing has also released
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and
Destiny.
It's unclear when
Elsewhere Entertainment's game will be released, though based on existing development timelines it's likely to be a few years yet. In the meantime,
Activision appears to be preparing to reveal the next Call of Duty at next month's Xbox Showcase, which is set for June 9.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/activi...d-with-creating-narrative-based-aaa-franchise
