Why it’s still worth making immersive sims ft. Harvey Smith & Ben Horne
Black Pony Immersive co-founders Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, both veterans from Arkane Studios, are advocating for the continued development of immersive sims despite the genre’s classification as commercially niche. The pair collaborated on celebrated titles including Dishonored, Prey, and Deathloop before establishing their new studio to pursue their vision for ambitious first-person action-RPGs.
The article explores a fundamental tension in contemporary game development: the pull between commercial viability and creative vision. As financial analysts and publishers increasingly favor proven monetization models and mass-market appeal, experienced designers face a choice between following industry trends toward broader audiences or remaining committed to the immersive sim genre they helped define.
Smith and Horne’s new venture at Black Pony Immersive represents a deliberate bet that audiences still exist for complex, player-driven experiences characteristic of immersive sims. Their argument comes amid broader industry discussions about genre sustainability, artistic independence, and whether niche communities can sustain long-term game development in an era increasingly focused on blockbuster-oriented investment strategies.