Saros Developer Housemarque Aims for a Similar Growth Path to FromSoftware
Saros developer Housemarque is hoping to follow a similar trajectory to Elden Ring creator FromSoftware. In a recent interview with The Game Business, the team behind Saros shared their ambitions for the future. They acknowledge that Saros hasn't reached the same level of commercial success as other first-party PlayStation games, but believe their titles find an audience over time rather than at launch.
Housemarque recognizes that it operates in a niche market, but has observed how this approach has worked for studios like FromSoftware. Founded in 1986, FromSoftware initially focused on business software. The studio's first action RPG, King's Field, was released in 1994 on the original PlayStation. After two more King's Field games, FromSoftware established the long-running mecha series Armored Core and developed various action RPGs throughout the late '90s and 2000s. However, it was Demon's Souls (2009) and the subsequent Dark Souls trilogy that became the studio's breakout hits, paving the way for even greater success with Bloodborne and Elden Ring. This slow rise to prominence meant FromSoftware didn't become a household name until decades after its founding.
"FromSoftware has been doing a similar genre for a very long time and built up its fan base over that period," said Housemarque studio head and co-founder Ilari Kuittinen. "We have two unique games out: Returnal and Saros. It's kind of a new thing that you need to educate the market about, so that people say, 'Hey, these flow states are really cool.'"
Housemarque isn't claiming to believe it will match FromSoftware's exact heights, but hopes to follow a similar long-term trajectory. "FromSoftware's journey from King's Field to what it is today… We're not presuming that we would be anywhere close to that," Kuittinen continued. "But, like FromSoftware, we will keep our core, keep educating the market that these are the coolest games you can play. That's our goal."
Housemarque has been around for 30 years, but really began to find its voice as a studio in 2013 with the development of Resogun. Since then, the team has focused on fast-paced, intense shooters that have received critical acclaim. The success of the studio's first PS5 game, Returnal, even led to PlayStation acquiring Housemarque in 2021.
While it remains to be seen what's next for Housemarque, it does seem like the studio will continue to lean into its strengths by making highly replayable and difficult shooters.
