NetEase Games, the online gaming subsidiary of NetEase (NASDAQ:NTES), has put out a new party studio called Jar of Spark, led by Jerry Hook, the former head of design on Halo Infinite.
The new party studio also includes a number of different industry veterans who have worked on some of the largest franchises in video game history. Jerry Hook also helped launch the original Xbox and did some work as a founding member of Xbox Live.
“We have built games for some of the biggest companies in gaming, and now it’s time to take a shot at putting our own personal lightning in a bottle. We want to create something new, innovative and that’s a blast to play. When looking to create a new studio the most critical part of finding the right partner was being aligned on the fundamental goals of having the freedom to take innovative risks and to put the passion of our creators first. This meant that our player experiences came before the business, which itself is a risk,” said Jerry Hook, CEO and studio head for NetEase.
NetEase Games develops some of the most popular mobile and PC games in markets including China and Japan. It’s one of the world’s largest incubators of quality online gaming content, and has displayed dedication to supporting the growth of innovative studios globally while growing on an international level itself. Netease Games also has big name partnerships, including Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft subsidiary Mojang AB, and other game developers.
Jar of Sparks itself is based in Seattle. It’s a new studio looking to build entirely new franchises with new characters, stories and worlds to inspire imaginations of players all over the world. Hook will be joined by Paul Crocker as creative director. Crocker acted as lead narrative director on the Batman: Arkham trilogy, and assistant creative director on Halo Infinite. Other names include Greg Stone, who will come as executive producer. Stone has worked as a producer on Doom (2016) and Halo Infinite
“NetEase came to the table with a strong creative first approach; they demonstrated the same passion we have for our players and building new experiences that we believe players are looking for,” said Hook.
