Embellished veteran recreation developer Harvey Smith (Dishonored collection, authentic Deus Ex collection), most not too long ago of Arkane Austin – which Xbox shut down in 2024 following the failure of Redfall – has opened a brand new recreation growth studio. Dubbed Black Pony Immersive, it’s going to certainly focus on the “immersive sim” style that Smith helped pioneer evolve by means of his work as co-creative director on Dishonored, artistic director on Dishonored 2, and lead recreation designer on the unique Deus Ex (which, not for nothing, this explicit author ranks as a top-10 recreation of all-time).
“My favourite gaming reminiscences come from seeing gamers method challenges with creativity, deep-diving into our world constructing,” Smith stated. “We strive to reward gamers for his or her curiosity and exploration. At our new studio, we’re constructing precisely the form of single-player video games we’re most keen about.”
Smith is a disciple of immersive-sim legend Warren Spector, who simply introduced his retirement. “I labored carefully with Warren for 9 years, studying quite a bit,” Smith instructed IGN. “We nonetheless go to lunch from time to time. Not too long ago, he gave me certainly one of his guitars after we ate a bunch of Mexican meals. My emotions for Warren are deep and sophisticated, however principally I really feel admiration and gratitude. For Richard Garriott too. A lot good got here of Origin. Locations like Austin or Boston, or cities in Europe, expertise prospers from time to time, as artistic leaders get one thing going. A scene. The complete business is deeply hurting proper now, Austin included. I’m simply thrilled to be asserting Black Pony Immersive. Making one other run at making an attempt to create magic for gamers. Having the crew we have now, together with Ricardo and folks we labored with on Deus Ex, Dishonored, and Prey simply seems like a dream. We’re on hearth for single-player, narrative-driven, first-person (extremely hyphenated) immersive sims.”
I requested about classes discovered from Arkane to hopefully assist lead Black Pony to a greater destiny, and Smith stated, “In my thoughts, that is a difficult, emotional query. I cherished my time there with Raf, Ricardo, Ben, and everybody else. I labored at Arkane for 16 years. A part of the corporate remains to be round, in Lyon, the place it began. Throughout my years there, we went forwards and backwards between Texas and France. The corporate launched Dishonored, Prey, Dishonored 2, some nice Dishonored DLC, Dying of the Outsider, Mooncrash, and Deathloop. We labored on just a few different tasks too, together with Redfall on the finish. You say, ‘a greater destiny.’ However actually think about if, like Arkane, our new studio lasted 27+ years, and launched at the least 4-5 absolute bangers, on prime of being an excellent enjoyable, attention-grabbing place to work, a spot that skilled what I can solely describe as electrical fan help. If that occurs once more, I’ll completely rely myself as blessed. I’d really feel fortunate within the excessive to expertise that once more. And I do not know of many locations that get to that a lot pleasure and artistic success. It is simply so uncommon. Very laborious to pull off.”
I concluded by asking Smith if he felt a way of accountability to carry the torch for the immersive sim style. “All the time. Till I’m lifeless,” he stated. “I am enjoying the Killing Stone proper now, an excellent intelligent deckbuilder on Steam. So I’ve some vary as a participant. That stated, immersive sims are my favourite. I’m hyped for any that come alongside. Excessive hopes for Judas! Marvel’s Blade! Raf’s new recreation at Wolf-Eye! Gloomwood 1.0, Secret of Weepstone, Undertaking Shadowglass, Peripeteia, Clockwork Revolution, Distant Shore Bretagne, the one with the large Jap European cop, and perhaps even a brand new Bioshock recreation. Extra video games than I even have time to play.”
Smith is joined at Black Pony Immersive by longtime Arkane Austin collaborator Ben Horne and Ricardo Naked as they construct out their crew, whose collective resume consists of the likes of the aforementioned Deus Ex and Dishonored video games together with Prey and Simply Trigger. They promise to reveal extra about their first mission quickly.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s government editor of previews and host of IGN’s weekly Xbox present, Podcast Unlocked, and a co-host of Subsequent-Gen Console Watch. He is a North Jersey man, so it is “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.