Today, Dino Patti, co-founder and former CEO of Playdead (the developer behind Inside and Limbo) announced that in collaboration with feature film animator Chris Olsen, he has founded a new studio in the UK called Jumpship.
In addition to announcing the new studio, the studio's debut game has also been revealed: a sci-fi action adventure called Somerville, a long-time "passion project" of Olsens.
Beyond the initial reveal, not much has been offered up about Somerville beyond the following brief excerpt:
A Sci-Fi Action Adventure that chronicles the lives of key individuals in the wake of a global catastrophe.
The project apparently began work back in 2014 as a side-project of Olsen, whose first professional job was as a character animator on Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword, and who more recently has been working on blockbuster films like Thor, Skyfall, and The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. Fast-forward to 2016, Olsen built a proof of concept trailer and playable prototype, and not long after Patti and Olsen began talks about coming together on the project.
Olsen accompanied the announcement with the following statement
"It's taken many early rises and late nights crafting this passion project of mine, and it's a dream come true to be given the opportunity to bring others on who can help to make Somerville everything it can be. Dino is a great collaborator and his pedigree challenges every facet of the process. We're excited to show you what Jumpship has to offer."
As you may remember, Patti left Playdead last July after more then 10 years with the studio which has made it's name for itself for some of the best independent games available.
As mentioned above, details on the studio's new project is scarce; however, the following breakdown of the company's philosophy provides more insight into what it's striving for:
"Our philosophy is to break preconceived notions of what games can be by exploring the creative possibilities of the medium. We believe in games as a legitimate and positive endeavor; with potential not only as an entertainment medium, but as a tool to question the human condition. We strive to support our intent with an unwavering ethic in all facets of the process.
This unwillingness to take the path well-trodden, to aim for standards seemingly out of reach and meticulously handcraft every aspect is where the weight of value lies for us as a studio. It raises entertainment to something deeply personal."
Jumpship is expecting to grow to eight people by the end of the year. Below, you can check out the first teaser trailer for Somerville. At the moment platforms nor a release date/window have been provided for the game.