Coming off of the recent purchase of Housmarque, developer of the recently released PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal, Sony has announced yet another purchase for the company. This time, Sony has announced that they will be purchasing Nixxes Software, a Dutch company that describes themselves as an “industry-leading Dutch company specializing in video game design, development, and porting.” The deal was struck for an undisclosed amount.
Unlike the other purchase, Nixxes is not a developer, often working with other studios to help achieve a better quality product. Previously they have worked with Crystal Dynamics on Marvel’s Avengers, as well as Eidos Montreal on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. It is important to note they do not write or direct these games, simply help work on them.
What exactly Nixxes role will be as part of the Sony family remains to be seen. With companies like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guerilla, and Santa Monica Studios under the banner there are plenty of studios that might benefit greatly from the support of the Dutch Company.
As far as purchases go, this was not even the one most of us were probably expecting. When announcing the purchase of Housemarque, the Twitter account of PlayStation Japan accidentally posted a picture congratulating Bluepoint games for joining the family. The studio has had a good relationship with Sony, working on remakes for Shadow of The Colossus and Demon Souls. Based on the mistake it seemed that the announcement might have only been a few days away.
While technical companies like Nixxes might not be the most glamourous to talk about, they are important for any major publisher. These companies often come in on triple AAA games, working under tight constraints, to help make sure games release on time.
It will be interesting to see how Nixxes contributes going forward.
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