The Tomb Raider developer’s got a fancy new facility filled with state of the art tech.
Crystal Dynamics is embarking on a new adventure with The Avengers, but the move from Tomb Raider to the Marvel Universe isn’t the only change for the developer. Based in San Francisco, the company has announced it’s transferred development to a new and improved studio, and it sounds pretty snazzy:
“After months of planning, building, and some very late nights for the construction crew, we’ve just moved into our glorious new state-of-the-art studio!” revealed Scot Amos, co-studio head of Crystal Dynamics. “We have some great new amenities, from hydraulic desks for everyone to adjust as they like, to black-out shades and light absorption paint for those darkness-loving developers.”
The new studio offers a fine-tuned environment, more offices and team conference rooms, and a dedicated “dallies” review room with the “latest and greatest gear.”
“We’ve expanded to six fully equipped sound proof audio rooms too,” continued Amos. “With the growth of our team, we’ve also increased our studio meeting area and naturally outfitted it with tons of next-gen 4K screens, as well as dedicated console and PC gaming stations next to the huge new kitchen. Lastly, we’ve added two specialty rooms for optimal development efficiency: a photogrammetry capture space and our very own, on-site, fully equipped Motion Capture stage!”
That’s not the only expansion the company will see according to co-studio head Ron Rosenberg, who said, “Crystal Dynamics’ new studio is nearly double the size in order to make room for all the new positions we’re hiring over the next year.”
Those positions are pretty extensive with everything from art director to game writer and executive producer being advertised. Could Crystal Dynamics also be recruiting for a new and unannounced title?
If rumours and an apparently leaked screenshot are to be believed, Lara has already moved home and the next entry in the Tomb Raider series will be tackled by fellow Square Enix-owned studio – Eidos Montreal. Rumours that the publisher’s put the Deus Ex series on hiatus add further credibility to these claims. Dubbed Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the name suggests the game may take on a darker tone. We’re excited to see what direction Eidos Montreal could take the series in, the Deus Ex developer certainly knows a thing or two about creating games with dark and moody atmospheres.
Crystal Dynamics’ most recent effort, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, saw Lara return to her PlayStation roots in style. In the review, we described it as “a brilliant romp that fans and newcomers will want to lap up immediately”.
What series would you like to see Crystal Dynamics work on next? Let us know in the comments.