August 8th 2024.
Unfortunately, it seems that we won't be seeing a sequel to the popular game The Order: 1886. The talented creators behind some of the best PSP games and the visually stunning The Order: 1886 have recently closed their doors, leaving fans disappointed and wondering what could have been.
While the gaming industry as a whole has been facing its fair share of challenges lately, with declining console sales and layoffs, the situation for those involved in virtual reality (VR) is even more dire. Sony has already abandoned plans for a PlayStation VR2 and it was recently revealed that Meta, the company behind Oculus VR, has lost a staggering $50 billion in their efforts to make VR a success. It seems that even for a company as large as Meta, there comes a point where enough is enough.
As a result, Meta has made the decision to shut down Ready At Dawn, the developer responsible for the highly praised Lone Echo series of VR games and the controversial The Order: 1886. While Ready At Dawn was acquired by Meta in 2020, an internal memo obtained by Android Central reveals that the closure was not a proactive cost-saving measure, but rather to meet the new Reality Labs budgetary ceiling.
Employees are being encouraged to apply for positions at other Meta studios, but there is no indication of whether the Lone Echo franchise will continue. It seems that Meta's decision to close Ready At Dawn is part of a larger cost-cutting strategy, with plans to reduce the overall budget of Reality Labs by 20% by 2026.
Although there has been no confirmation as to why Ready At Dawn was specifically targeted for closure, it is worth noting that the studio's only release under Meta's ownership was Lone Echo 2. Despite their recent work in the VR space, Ready At Dawn is perhaps best known for their collaborations with Sony, including titles like Daxter and the two God Of War games on PSP.
Their 2015 exclusive for the PlayStation 4, The Order: 1886, gained attention for its stunning graphics but was ultimately criticized for its lacking gameplay and storytelling. Prior to its release, there was speculation that Sony was grooming Ready At Dawn to become a major second-party developer and potentially even acquire them. However, the game's disappointing reception meant that the studio never got the chance to make another console game, aside from the lesser-known fighting game Deformers.
According to industry insider Shinobi602, Ready At Dawn had plans for a sequel to The Order before being acquired by Meta, with a focus on improving the gameplay. Sadly, it seems that the series will not be continuing anytime soon, although Sony does still hold the rights to it. Perhaps we may see a reference to The Order in the upcoming Astro Bot game.
It's also worth noting that the Lone Echo series will not be moving forward, leaving fans of the franchise disappointed. If you have any thoughts or reactions to this news, please feel free to send us an email, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter. And if you have any submissions for our Inbox letters or Reader's Features, you can now use our convenient Submit Stuff page instead of sending an email.
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