The Chinese company NetEase continues its expansion in the United States with the opening of Jar of Sparks, a first-party studio based in Seattle (Washington) led by Jerry Hook, an Xbox veteran. This is the second team that NetEase establishes in North America. The first was Jackalope Games, a studio led by Jack Emmert, an experienced developer who has been involved in titles like City of Heroes, Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online.
Jar of Sparks’ mission is to create a new generation of action games with narrative-driven worlds. Jerry Hook, CEO and head of the studio, is a video game industry veteran who during his time at Microsoft helped launch the first Xbox and get Xbox Live up and running. He also worked on Halo. He was later hired by Bungie, where he ended up as the business director for the Destiny 2 franchise. Jerry Hook’s last job before being hired by NetEase to lead Jar of Sparks was at 343 Industries, where he served as the lead designer on Halo Infinite. .
Jar of Sparks’ second-in-command is Creative Director Paul Crocker, who served as Narrative Director on Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham trilogy and later held the same role at Warner Bros. Games Montreal (Batman: Arkham Origin) and 343 Industries (Halo). Infinity). Notable members of the studio also include Executive Producer Greg Stone, who produced Doom (2016) and Halo Infinite, and Steve Dyck, Gameplay Director whose last job was as Halo Infinite’s combat and character director. There are not a few former employees of 343 Industries that Hook has taken.
Jar of Sparks template is not closed yet. Speaking to IGN, Jerry Hook says that his first work will be available in three or four years and for now the only thing he can say is that it will not be a game as a service. Hook says that from his own experience working on these types of titles is too complex for a newly formed studio. Regarding the budget, Jar of Sparks claims to be a AAA studio, but its budget does not reach double figures. In Hook’s opinion, to be successful you don’t need to have a budget of 100 million euros as V Rising and Valheim have already shown.
As for NetEase, it is a name that we are increasingly seeing operating outside of China. This company has bought Grasshopper Manufacture (No More Heroes), has taken over the services of Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of Yakuza, to open a new studio, is also part of the Quantic Dream shareholding, has participated in the development of Diablo Immortal, he put $30 million into Second Dinner (Marvel Snap) and invested $100 million into Bungie, now part of PlayStation Studios, to work on a new title (rumored to be Destiny for mobile).