Sony has revealed that it has scaled back some of its UK development efforts by shutting down PSP and PlayStation Vita developer Bigbig Studios and restructuring its Cambrige Studio, reports Develop.
The closure of Bigbig Studios comes just after the team wrapped up development on its PlayStation Vita title Little Deviants (pictured), which debuted as a launch title in Japan last month (the game will see a European and North American release in February). Previously, the studio developed PSP titles such as Pursuit Force and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge.
Elsewhere, Sony will partner Cambridge Studio with the Netherlands-based Killzone developer Guerilla Games to work on an undisclosed project. Most recently, the Cambridge team worked on the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet and the PlayStation 3 title TV Superstars.
Sony has yet to confirm how many employees will lose their jobs as a result of either of these studio changes, as the exact details have yet to be decided.
When explaining its reasoning for the studio closure and restructuring, Sony told Develop, "It was felt that by focusing on other Studios [sic] that are currently working on exciting new projects, we would be in a stronger position to offer the best possible content for our consumers."
In March 2011, Sony cancelled a number of game projects at its UK development branches, affecting its London Studio (SingStar), Studio Liverpool (Wipeout), and Evolution Studios (MotorStorm).
On the heels of launching the Walkman Z which will directly compete with the Vita, Sony closes down one of its only dedicated portable studios and restructured one that mostly did that sort of thing these days
