{
  "id": 2183685,
  "title": "\"Do questions like that create a self-fulfilling prophecy?”: Dishonored director Harvey Smith on the fear of asking if immersive sims are dead",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/do-questions-like-that-create-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy-dishonored",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-20T17:05:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
    "slug": "rock-paper-shotgun",
    "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/do-questions-like-that-create-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy-dishonored-director-harvey-smith-on-the-fear-of-asking-if-immersive-sims-are-dead"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Harvey Smith, director of Dishonored, has launched a new studio called Black Pony Immersive with executive producer Ben Horne. The studio aims to design and develop first-person action RPGs with emergent game systems, allowing players to approach challenges creatively. According to Smith, the studio's goal is to reward players for their curiosity and exploration.\n\nSmith's new studio features a development team built around personnel from Arkane, Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition, including his long-time collaborator Ricardo Bare. The studio's focus on immersive sims comes at a time when the genre is considered to be in a rough place.\n\nWhen asked if immersive sims are dead, Smith expressed concern that questions like that could create a self-fulfilling prophecy. He emphasized that his favorite gaming memories come from seeing players approach challenges with creativity and deep-diving into world-building, which his studio aims to encourage.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GamesIndustry",
        "title": "\"We chose the worst time in history\" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/we-chose-the-worst-time-in-history-harvey-smith-on-starting-his-own",
        "published": "2026-08-19T13:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
        "title": "\"Through the looking glass\": as Arkane fight for their future, Dishonored veteran Harvey Smith reveals new studio dedicated to immersive sims",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/through-the-looking-glass-as-arkane-fight-for-their-future-dishonored",
        "published": "2026-08-19T13:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}