Perfect Dark developer The Initiative pulls in Crystal Dynamics to help make the game
When Xbox Game Studios announced they were founding a new studio with the name The Initiative, many were eager to see what they would create, at The Game Awards 2020, we got confirmation that the game was a reboot of Perfect Dark.
Now not even a year later, it seems that the team needed some additional support, as they have partnered up with Crystal Dynamics, the studio that rebooted Tomb Raider, to help bring Joanna Dark back to gamers around the world.
The teams couldn’t pass up a chance to work together. We’re still early in development, but incredibly excited to use this unique opportunity to deliver on the vision for Perfect Dark!
— TheInitiative (@TheInitiative) September 24, 2021
Here is what Crystal Dynamics had to say on the matter.
We’re thrilled to add Perfect Dark to our development efforts alongside Marvel’s Avengers and Tomb Raider.
— Crystal Dynamics (@CrystalDynamics) September 24, 2021
There are a few interesting things with this, the first is that developers of massive games, almost always use smaller studios to help with development, sometimes it is as minor as creating assets and other times it is entire game modes.
But this is the first time, at least as far as I can recall, where a studio has had to reach out to another company to help with development. To put things into context, The Last of Us Part II had support from other studios in its creation, some of those were smaller external groups and some were sections of PlayStation Studios teams. This deal for Microsoft would be the same as if Naughty Dog had reached out to Infinity Ward, or any other major studio you can think of, it is just not heard of.
There could be a number of reasons as to why, they needed extra staff due to needing to hit a release date they know, the pandemic has caused their hiring to go slower than expected, or something else entirely. There is also the the fact that studio head Darrell Gallagher was the man who lead the team at Crystal Dynamics when they rebooted Tomb Raider, so that may be another reason. Finally the studios are somewhat close together, both being Californian, opposite ends of the state, but still in the state.
Whatever the reason, Crystal Dynamics have proven they know how to reboot a female led series, so no matter the force that brought the two studios together, things are looking up.
As for when Perfect Dark is set to release, there is no date for that yet, if you missed the trailer last year, you can watch it below.
