The name at the top of the page might say Rogueliker, but I don’t mind admitting, just between the two of us, that I have a huge soft spot for immersive sims, or immsims as people fancier than me call them.
Of all the immersive sims ever made (that I’ve played), Dishonored 1 and 2 are my absolute favourites – the first for impact and the second for refining the formula to perfection.
The creative director on the Dishonored series was a game developer called Harvey Smith, and when you see his resume, both his work at Arkane and everything before that, it becomes clear why I’m very interested in what he’s up to next.
Smith’s new studio is called Black Pony Immersive, and the company’s new site doesn’t give much away, while also hinting quite clearly about what we can expect.
“Black Pony Immersive exists to design and develop imaginative, narrative-rich games set in well-realized worlds, where players create their own memorable experiences with expressive, emergent game systems,” the studio states.
“Through the looking glass, we’re chasing a dream of mystery, meaning, and creative play.”
I’m guessing that last comment alludes to Looking Glass Studios, which pioneered the Thief franchise back in the day, and which provided the starting point for many of the most prominent game devs in the genre.
I actually had the pleasure of meeting Harvey about a decade ago, when I was reporting on QuakeCon in Dallas, back before Microsoft got their grubby little hands on Bethesda. I interviewed him about Dishonored 2, which turned out to be a masterpiece.
“During a time of industry volatility, I’m proud to announce the next step in my video game journey with the reveal of our new studio,” Harvey Smith wrote in a press release.
“This effort reflects everything we’ve learned, and all we hold dear. My favorite gaming memories come from seeing players approach challenges with creativity, deep-diving into our world-building. We try to reward players for their curiosity and exploration. At our new studio, we’re building exactly the kind of single-player games we’re most passionate about.”
That studio includes talent from Arkane, Avalanche, Epic, Insomniac, and Volition, including exec-producer Ben Horne and Smith’s long-time collaborator Ricardo Bare (who I’ve also interviewed).
I, for one, can not wait to see what Black Pony has in store for us, and when so many industry stories are focused on closures and lay-offs, it’s nice to be able to write about something optimistic for a change.
Now, if you haven’t already, go play the Dishonored series through.
