Midsummer Studios has closed, but not before giving a look at a life simulator that the team was working on.
The studio was founded by XCOM designer Jake Solomon, and it was Solomon who shared on social media that the studio was closing its doors but wanted to provide a look at a game called Burbank. According to Solomon, the game was a mix of The Sims and The Truman Show, the film starring Jim Carrey that focused on a man discovering that his life was a television series.
“We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m really proud of both,” wrote Solomon. “This game was a dream of mine, our team made it come true, so watch and dream with us,” he said in his post.
Generative AI Was Used in Burbank Footage
Jake Solomon later stated in a social media post that the characters in the pre-alpha trailer he shared were generated by AI. However, he insists that the studio had no intention of replacing any developers with AI.
“Our characters use AI for memory, reasoning and speech. That’s what let’s you create anyone you want and drop them in any story you write. But all of our art is created by our talented artists. We had no interest in replacing any developers with AI,” he wrote.
History of Midsummer Studios
The studio opened in 2024, with Solomon partnering with Will Miller, the lead designer at Firaxis Games, and Leslie Birch. Less than 2 years later, it is closed. The studio launched with $6 million in funding from investors.
The initial press release announcing the company states that Transcend Fund led the way, with participation from Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1 Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Krafton, and Day Zero Productions.
The major life simulator was the company’s main game.
There are even more major shakeups in the game industry. Recently, Ubisoft Toronto confirmed that it had laid off 40 employees.
Xbox is also undergoing a massive restructuring, following Phil Spencer’s recent retirement and Sarah Bond’s resignation from the company. Learn more about that restructuring here.
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