Many developers’ dream is to break into the game industry, gain experience, then set out to pursue their own ideas. A former member of Playground Games has reached this point in founding a new studio called Lighthouse Games Studio. Best known for his work on the Forza Horizon series, Gavin Raeburn co-founded Playground. Now, he’s pursuing a new game and new IP with other former members and new blood. Though the details of the IP have yet to be revealed, it looks like the Lighthouse Games Studio team is shifting gears and preparing to accelerate toward a new project.
Gavin Raeburn founds Lighthouse Games Studio
Fast cars are popular in any context, with the possible exception of literature. This is why Forza Horizon did so well when it was released in 2012. Playground Games took this idea and expanded on it into a full-fledged series, with Gavin Raeburn being a key part of that. However, after years of working on fast cars, he’s decided to found an entirely new studio, Lighthouse Games Studio.
According to IGN, Raeburn will be working with a “team of world-class developers” including 30 former members of Playground Games. The studio will be developing an entirely new IP, but it seems likely that with such a team, it may join the racing genre.
Racing games have mass appeal due to their simplicity and the amount of adrenaline they generate. That’s a big reason why the Forza Horizon series continues to do so well. Each installment has added something different to the base formula without losing the elements that players enjoy so much. Car customization has gotten more complex with a greater variety of tracks and events to drive them. With the introduction of online accessibility, the community has grown while also upping the competitive angle. It makes sense that Lighthouse Games Studio will try and bring this same energy to their new project.
It can be risky to pursue your own ideas which is why professionals spend a lot of time gathering the necessary experience. This is what Gavin Raeburn has done with his time at Playground Games and is putting it into Lighthouse Games Studio and a potential racing IP.
