China-based NetEase Games has established Jar of Sparks, a first-party studio in the US aimed at creating “a new generation of narrative-driven action games.”
Photo credit: Raysonho Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine
Headquartered in Seattle, the new studio is building an international team. It will be led by newly appointed CEO Jerry Hook, who was the former head of design on the popular first-person shooter game Halo Infinite. He also helped launch the original Xbox and is a founding member of Xbox Live.
Apart from Hook, who will also serve as studio head, the Jar of Sparks team includes creative director Paul Crocker, who has worked on Batman: Arkham trilogy and Halo Infinite; executive producer Greg Stone, who produced Doom (2016) and Halo Infinite; and gameplay director Steve Dyck, who helped develop the NBA Street, Halo, and SSX franchises.
NetEase Games is a subsidiary of NetEase, a Chinese internet giant that rivals Tencent. Both companies have recently struggled due to China’s restrictions on gaming. For instance, Chinese regulators have yet to approve any games recently made by the two market leaders.
NetEase has released games such as The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, and Knives Out.
In June, NetEase’s shares dipped by nearly 7% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after the company delayed the release of its game, Diablo Immortal in China.
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Editing by Samreen Ahmad and Joy Tirkey
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