Former Xbox boss opens game studio with Chinese mega-firm

Xbox veteran Jerry Hook is launching a new game studio, Jar of Sparks.

Jar of Sparks is a new studio led by Xbox veteran Jerry Hook. Picture: Jar of Sparks

Jerry Hook, a Microsoft veteran who helped create Xbox Live during the original Xbox days, has teamed up with industry veterans to found a new studio in Seattle named Jar of Sparks. Funded by NetEase, one of the largest gaming publishers in the world, Jar of Sparks aims to “take a shot at putting our own personal lightning in a bottle.”

Hook is joined by former Rocksteady Narrative Director Paul Crocker and id Software producers Greg Stone and Steve Dyck. Collectively, the number of major triple-A titles shipped under their leadership includes Halo Infinite, Doom, and Batman: Arkham’s Asylum, and they aim to build a studio where they can “create a new generation of narrative-driven action games.”

“I took a step back and really wanted to take a look at what is the impact I wanted to have moving forward,” Hook stated in an interview with IGN. “How could I build a home for creators and content creators who could really flourish and specifically help them grow so that they can put their entire passion against a project.”

While still early in the company’s lifespan, they already have a few ideas of what their first game will be — but primarily what it won’t be. “There’s only so much risk you can take on with a new studio,” Hook said in the interview. “Live service adds more complexity on top [of new studio problems] and the amount of work you need to do to make a live-service work is pretty tremendous.”

Regarding their partnership with the Chinese gaming giant NetEase, Hook had this to say: “One of the key conversations I had with NetEase, which is you need to prepare for slipping if we’re going to go and innovate; if you’re on board with us innovating, you know the risks, and they were very clear with me.”

NetEase, for its part, has stated that Jar of Sparks is “a new first-party studio that will enjoy full creative freedom.” NetEase is no stranger to acquiring and investing in new and unique gaming studios — NetEase acquired Grasshopper Manufacture (of No More Heroes fame), opened a new Japanese development studio formed by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, and expanded into the US market with new studio Jackalope Games.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.