All articles tagged with #midsummer studios
XCOM designer Jake Solomon announced that Midsummer Studios is shutting down and canceling the unreleased life-sim Burbank, sharing pre-alpha footage of an AI-driven storytelling system. The small studio (reported to be about 11 employees) expressed pride in what it built, even as industry closures continue to affect the games sector.
Former Firaxis lead Jake Solomon closes Midsummer Studios after a brief run, sharing pre-alpha footage of the unreleased Burbank project; he notes AI-assisted character memory, reasoning and speech, while insisting art was fully created by human artists and the team had no intention of replacing developers, following a $6 million funding round from Transcend Fund and others.
Veteran designer Jake Solomon shared early footage of Burbank, his AI-driven life-sim project, while revealing that his studio Midsummer Studios is closing and may never release the game. Described as a blend of Life Sim and The Truman Show, Burbank would let players craft their own TV show within the game, with AI handling memory, reasoning, and speech for characters—though Solomon stressed AI would not replace developers. Midsummer had raised over $6 million, but the studio is shutting down without releasing a title.
Midsummer Studios, founded in May 2024 by veteran developers from Civilization, XCOM, and The Sims, announced it will shut down. Co-founder and creative director Jake Solomon shared a final look at the studio’s in-development game, Burbank, described as a “Life Sims + The Truman Show” concept with storytelling at its core. The team released pre-alpha footage and expressed pride in what they built, though no detailed reasons for the closure were provided.