Bend Studio is an American game development studio based in Bend, Oregon. It was founded in 1992 under the name Blank, Berlyn and Co. and was later renamed into Eidetic before getting acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment and rebranded into its current name in 2000. Since 2005, Bend Studio operates under PlayStation Studios.
The company's debut game was the critically-panned PlayStation 1 title Bubsy 3D. Despite the maligned reception to the game, Eidetic was approached by Sony to work on an espionage video game which morphed into the Syphon Filter franchise; it saw six installments under the rebranded Bend Studio between 1997 and 2007. After the release of Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (2004), largely focused on Sony's handheld consoles. After moving from Syphon Filter, Bend worked on IPs created by Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog; it released Resistance: Retribution (2009) and Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2012).
Bend Studio unveiled their second original property, Days Gone, in 2016. The game was eventually released in 2019 to mixed reviews, but saw commercial success. It was the final game developed by Bend's creative heads John Garvin and Jeff Ross before their departure from the studio. The studio faced turmoil following the release of Days Gone, exploring several concepts and providing development support on external projects before managing to greenlight a new intellectual property in early 2021.
Reception to Bend Studio's games has been largely positive, with favorable remarks towards the studio's contributions to the PlayStation library and action-adventure genre. Their work on Syphon Filter was met with acclaim, particularly the first game and its PlayStation Portable sequels, while the studio's work on borrowed IPs such as Resistance and Uncharted was well-received for their authenticity and quality. Their work on Days Gone received mixed reception, but developed a dedicated fanbase.
History[]
1993-1996: Beginnings[]
1996-1999: Creating Syphon Filter[]
1999-2007: Acquisition by Sony, Syphon Filter sequels[]
2007-2012: Resistance and Uncharted[]
2012-2019: Later game pitches, Days Gone[]
In late 2013, Bend Studio began pre-production on a new title, which progressed into active development by January 2015.[1] Sony and Bend Studio officially announced the game as a post-apocalyptic open world title called Days Gone, at Sony's E3 conference in June 2016.[2] Originally slated for 2018, Days Gone was delayed several times until it was released on April 26, 2019.[3] Reception to the game upon release was mixed,[4] though it was commercially successful and outsold the studio's previous titles.[5]
2019-current: Internal turmoil, new projects[]
In 2019, following the release of Days Gone, Garvin departed Bend Studio; in December 2022 Garvin would later claim he was fired due to his "disruptive personality".[6][7] This was followed by Ross's departure from the studio in December 2020.[8] An April 2021 report conducted by Bloomberg claimed that a sequel for Days Gone was pitched by Bend but it was rejected; according to Bloomberg, Bend temporarily worked on a new Uncharted title and Naughty Dog's multiplayer The Last of Us title before shifting to work on a new intellectual property in March 2021.[9] Later that year, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst confirmed that Bend was working on a new property, that will build upon the game systems of Days Gone.[10]
According to Ross, following the rejection of a Days Gone sequel, the studio explored work on other franchises, including Insomniac's Resistance and Bend's own Syphon Filter franchise. Ross claimed to have pitched an open-world Resistance game, but it was rejected by his superiors, while he had no interest in reviving Syphon Filter due to lack of ideas.[11]
In December 2022, Bend Studio distanced itself from Garvin after the former creative director blamed "woke" reviewers for Days Gone's mixed reception.[12] In June 2022, Bend unveiled a new logo, replacing the one it has been using for over two decades; associate art director Shay Casey that the studio searched for a new identity that would be "cutting-edge, abstract, and minimalist".[13]
Notable personnel[]
Current[]
- Christopher Reese, studio head, former technical director (since 1993)
Former[]
- Michael Berlyn, co-founder (1992 - 1998 or 1999)
- Marc Blank, co-founder (1992 - 2004)
- John Garvin, art director, writer and creative director (1997 - 2019)
- Jeff Ross, game designer and game director (2006 - 2019)
Former[]
Relationship with other studios[]
Guerrilla Games[]
Bend Studio provided support on Guerrilla Games' 2022 title Horizon Forbidden West.
Insomniac Games[]
Bend Studio developed 2009's Resistance: Retribution for the PlayStation Portable, based on the Resistance series of shooters created by Insomniac Games. Insomniac Games aided Bend Studio during the game's initial development progress.
Naughty Dog[]
Bend Studio developed 2011's Uncharted: Golden Abyss and its spin-off Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, both developed for the PlayStation Vita and based on Naughty Dog's Uncharted franchise. Naughty Dog acted as an overseer for the project.
Kojima Productions[]
Bend Studio had an unspecified support role in the development of Kojima Productions' 2019 Death Stranding for the PlayStation 4 and personal computers. Following Death Stranding's release, Bend Studio added downloadable content based on the game into their title, Days Gone.
Games[]
Main developer[]
| Game title | Release | Platform | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syphon Filter | 1999 | PlayStation | n / a |
| Syphon Filter 2 | 2000 | PlayStation | n /a |
| Syphon Filter 3 | 2001 | PlayStation | n / a |
| Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain | 2004 | PlayStation 2 | n / a |
| Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror | 2006 | PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 | n / a |
| Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow | 2007 | PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 | n / a |
| Resistance: Retribution | 2009 | PlayStation Portable | n / a |
| Uncharted: Golden Abyss | 2011 / 2012 | PlayStation Vita | n / a |
| Uncharted: Fight for Fortune | 2012 | PlayStation Vita | Co-developed with One Loop Games |
| Days Gone | 2019 | PlayStation 4, PC | n / a |
| Untitled AAA video game | TBA | PlayStation 5 | n / a |
Other projects[]
| Game title | Release | Platform | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 13 | 2012 | PlayStation Vita | Special thanks; developed by Zipper Interactive |
| Resistance: Burning Skies | 2012 | PlayStation Vita | Special thanks; developed by Nihilistic Software |
| Death Stranding | 2019 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC | Additional support; developed by Kojima Productions |
| Horizon Forbidden West | 2022 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | Additional support; developed by Guerrilla Games |
| Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores | 2023 | PlayStation 5 | Additional support; developed by Guerilla Games |
| Spider-Man 2 | 2023 | PlayStation 5 | Costume design; developed by Insomniac Games |
References[]
- ↑ https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/sponsored-sony-bend-studio---benefits-brews-and-a-really-big-game
- ↑ https://www.vg247.com/days-gone-brings-hard-times-to-the-ps4
- ↑ https://kotaku.com/days-gone-drops-out-of-february-s-hell-week-will-relea-1829862102
- ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/days-gone-review-roundup-heres-what-critics-think/1100-6466489/
- ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/director-confirms-days-gone-2-was-pitched-but-wont-verify-sony-rejection-report
- ↑ John Garvin's Twitter
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/bend-studio-distances-itself-from-former-director-after-twitter-rant-about-critical-reception
- ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/days-gone-directors-jeff-ross-john-garvin-leave-bend-studio/
- ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-09/sony-s-obsession-with-blockbusters-is-stirring-unrest-within-playstation-empire
- ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/02/hermen-hulst-qa-whats-next-for-playstation-studios/
- ↑ https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/01/07/bend-studio-pitched-an-open-world-resistance-game-after-days-gone-2-was-rejected
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/bend-studio-distances-itself-from-former-director-after-twitter-rant-about-critical-reception
- ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2022/06/07/a-new-look-for-bend-studios-future-and-a-look-back-at-its-past/