Lightbox Interactive, the studio behind Warhawk and Starhawk on the PS3, has announced that the company is leaving the console games market to become an iOS developer.
The “shift in product strategy” has resulted in the layoff of 24 employees this week as the developer moves towards a “small, focused indie-style team” geared to the mobile market.
The studio’s founder Dylan Jobe confirmed the news to Polygon, saying:
“All of the guys at Santa Monica Studio and Sony Computer Entertainment are fantastic people and great to work with. We have had and will continue to have a great relationship with everyone over there. Hell, the PlayStation is why I got into games in the first-place! But now, we’re just that we’re taking LightBox Interactive in a new direction.”
A SCEA spokeperson confirmed the news issuing a statement saying that the the multi-title agreement between the two companies has “amicably ended”, and that Sony wishes them “the best success in their next endeavor”. The spokeperson added “Starhawk and Warhawk will continue to be supported by Santa Monica Studio,”.
Lightbox Interactive did not announce what the studio is planning for their first iOS project.
