Reply Game Studios Aims to Become Italy's Answer to PlatinumGames

Reply Game Studios is an offshoot of the massive Reply Group, a corporation that provides digital services to various industries. The studio was formed when the group's clients sought to develop B2B experiences, particularly in VR and AR. Over time, the team split into two, with one group focusing on B2B experiences and the other becoming Reply Game Studios, a consumer-facing developer. The studio's first major release was the 2022 action game Soulstice, which was heavily inspired by Japanese action games like Bayonetta. According to Samuele Perseo, product manager at Reply Game Studios, the game's development took four years and nine months, and its release on PS4 coincided with its addition to the PlayStation Plus subscription service. This helped the game reach a larger audience on all platforms. Perseo notes that the studio's role model is PlatinumGames, and they hope to emulate their signature style and ability to collaborate with other developers. The core Reply Game team consists of around 30 people, but with contractors and outsource partners, over 70 worked on Soulstice. The studio aims to create games that are distinctly Italian but with international appeal, and they believe that their experience growing up watching Japanese anime and cartoons has influenced their work. While Soulstice was inspired by Japanese games and anime, the studio also sought to create its own unique style, incorporating elements of realism and European influences. The studio's long-term goal is to become Italy's answer to PlatinumGames, but they recognize that this will take time and a focus on maintaining quality and preserving their collaborative and sustainable approach to game development.