(Photo : Sega, Amplitude Studios / Screenshot taken from Steam)
Sega Europe and Amplitude Studios announced that they are parting ways, which gives the indie game developer back its independence.
The news comes after a management buyout from staff members and follows a "period of close consultation" between the two parties. The Paris-based studio now plans to shift its focus on its own intellectual property (IP) moving forward as an independent developer.
Sega Splits With Amplitude Studios
The split also marks the end of the supposed "structural reforms" that have been happening at Sega's European branch. Amplitude Studios studio director Romain de Waubert de Genlis said that the developer has in its arsenal strong and meaningful franchises.
He noted that the development team is now committed to creating the best games possible for players to enjoy. Genlis added that the split will let Amplitude Studios become more agile in its approach.
But it would still let the indie developer shape the vision that it has had from the beginning. This is what empowers the team to push boundaries and get closer to its video game community, according to Games Industry.
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COO of West Studios Jurgen Post added that the last eight years of collaboration between the two companies had them working on various exciting projects. The development now lets Amplitude Studios continue to thrive while Sega shifts its focus on pursuing its long-term business goals.
The Japanese company acquired Amplitude Studios in 2016. The reason for the deal at the time was a result of wanting to get more support and an opportunity to reach a wider audience. In the past few years, Sega has experienced various meaningful changes in its European business.
Delivering Amazing Gaming Experiences
The announcement of the split between the two parties also noted that the decision was made while everyone on both sides was on good terms. But another reason that could have sparked the development is that Sega has been trying to reduce the number of its European games studios since last year, Rock Paper Shotgun said.
Amplitude Studios was founded in 2011 by a team of former developers at Ubisoft. With the help of Sega since 2016, it has released various titles, such as Humankind and Endless Dungeon. The split was also described as the indie developer "Returning to our Roots."
Genlis added that they have two exciting titles in the works and they are confident that they can deliver amazing gaming experiences to players moving forward into the future, according to PCGamer.
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