Developers working on The Agency, the upcoming massively multiplayer online shooter for PlayStation 3 and PC, have left Sony Online Entertainment to form a new studio called Detonator Games.
According to the Detonator website, Sony's Seattle studio director and executive producer Matt Wilson, art director Corey Dangel, and producer John Smith left the company earlier this month to start their new venture.
"Detonator Games takes social gameplay to new and explosive levels," the website says. "We build high-quality games that unite multiple social platforms in a common goal of fun."
But what does their departure mean for The Agency (pictured)? The MMO has been in development since the birth of Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio in 2005, which was formed from Fireant, a startup founded by Wilson and Smith.
According to Eurogamer, Sony wouldn't comment on the departures but maintained that the game was not receiving an overhaul. "The Agency is not undergoing a reboot of any sorts — that is incorrect," the Sony rep said. "The team in Seattle is still working diligently on this project and we're looking forward to showing you new content in the future." If Sony is still on track, the game will be released next year.
Wilson, Dangel and Smith aren't the only senior staffers to leave a studio to form their own startup amidst the economic downturn. Last year, senior Diablo III team members — lead producer Keith Lee, art director Brian Morrisroe and senior programmer Sam Christiansen — all left Blizzard Entertainment to form a new company called Booyah, which recently unveiled a motivational iPhone app dubbed Booyah Society.
Time will tell whether these were smart career moves or not.
Image courtesy Sony Online Entertainment
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