Harvey Smith Launches Black Pony Immersive
Former Arkane Austin creative director Harvey Smith has announced his new studio, Black Pony Immersive, dedicated to reviving the immersive sim genre that defined titles like Deus Ex and System Shock. While the concept is exciting, concerns remain about its commercial viability.
Smith isn’t new to taking a risk on immersive sims. His studio’s breakout hit Dishonored emerged from a desperate need to escape a cycle of contract work that threatened the studio’s survival.
In an interview with The Game Business, Smith recalled how Arkane once faced a cash crunch, with only four months of funding left while juggling nine projects, including a cancelled Half‑Life 2 episode and a pitch to Ubisoft. “We were on the brink,” he said, “and we realized we had to stop taking any third‑party work just to survive.”
That resolve led Arkane to focus on Dishonored, a turning point that saved the studio and cemented its reputation as a leader in immersive sim design.
Now, Black Pony Immersive says it will avoid chasing trends — a lesson learned from Arkane’s misfire Redfall — and will ignore industry fears that stifle creative risk. Smith believes the best path to success is to make games he truly believes in.
Fans can look forward to new projects emerging from this renewed focus, alongside titles such as Gloomwood from New Blood, Fallen Aces, and an upcoming first‑person RPG from WolfEye, founded by Arkane co‑founder Raphaël Colantonio.
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