The head of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS) has refused to rule out a possible revival of the much-loved WipEout franchise.
Speaking during a recent interview, Shuhei Yoshida noted that the platform holder needs to strike a fine balane between fresh IP and churning out sequels to some of its historical franchises.
“Never say never,” said Yoshida-san, in regards to whether WipEout could make a comeback. “There are many IPs that we kind of stopped iterating with new games. One of the reasons is we always love to work on new IP.”
“From my standpoint I try to balance the number of games in a franchise. In the future there might be a chance to come back to a game like Wipeout,” he said.
Elsewhere, the executive also teased a new project from the chaps at Sony Bend, best known for their work on the stealth-action series, Syphon Filter.
“Sony Bend exists. They are making some awesome cool game that we have not announced. I’m not allowed to say,” he said.
The original WipEout was released in 1995 and was among the first games available for the then-new Sony PlayStation console. Developed by Psygnosis (later SCE Liverpool Studio), the game built a loyal following with its adrenaline-packed futuristic racing, as well as its use of electronic dance music from the likes of Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. WipEout was marketed largely towards adults aged 20-30, with Sony taking its marketing for the game to nightclubs across the U.K. in the mid-90s.
WipEout 2097 followed in 1996 and was considered an emphatic leap over its predecessor, refining the gameplay experience with improved AI, new tracks and the chance to wield weapons to knock other races out of the competition. Sony partnered with Red Bull during the marketing cycle for WipEout 2097.
Numerous sequels would follow the critically acclaimed WipEout 2097 over the years. WipEout 3 arrived in 1999 for the PlayStation, and before that, WipEout 64 graced Nintendo’s cartridge-based console prior to its demise. WipEout Fusion was the series’ first instalment on PlayStation 2, with WipEout Pure and WipEout Pulse later arriving for PlayStation Portable.
Fast forward to 2008, and WipEout entered the high-definition era with the PlayStation 3 offering, WipEout HD. Sadly, this would be the last console title in the franchise to date, with the franchise bowing out with WipEout 2048 for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Still, there’s always Formula Fusion to play while you wait.
Prior to SCE Liverpool’s closure a few years ago, it was confirmed the studio was indeed working on a PS4 entry in the WipEout franchise. Sadly, an ex-employee of the company has said it is unlikely WipEout will make a comeback, although this was a few years back so things have possibly changed since then.
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