Google has hired Shannon Studstill, former head of God of War’s Santa Monica Studio, to head up a new Stadia game studio in Playa Vista.
Google has been moving into the cloud gaming market with its Stadia gaming platform. Cloud gaming is widely considered to be the next battleground for gaming companies, tech and cloud companies alike. Apple launched Apple Arcade to generally good reviews, Microsoft is increasingly moving the Xbox into cloud gaming and Google’s Stadia is working to carve out its place in the market.
“Stadia Games and Entertainment is setting out to change the way we play, enjoy and create video games,” writes Jade Raymond VP and Head of Stadia Games and Entertainment, in a company blog post. “With Stadia, the creative possibilities are limitless. But we can’t build those experiences without a talented team of game designers, artists and storytellers. We started that journey with the opening of Stadia’s first original games studio in Montreal late last year. Today, we’re adding a new Stadia Games and Entertainment studio in Playa Vista, California, which will be led by an industry veteran, Shannon Studstill.
“The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we’re just starting to explore. While we’re not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences.”
Studstill’s addition to Google Stadia will likely be a significant help to the platform as it competes with its rivals.