Jake Solomon is a well-known game developer with a strong background, having worked on popular titles like Civilization 3, Civilization Revolution, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and XCOM 2 during his time at Firaxis Games. After releasing Marvel’s Midnight Suns – a fantastic but overlooked Marvel game – Solomon left Firaxis to pursue a new project. This project was a life simulation game inspired by The Sims and The Truman Show, and while Solomon shared a glimpse of it, it now seems unlikely the game will ever be released.
Solomon’s New Life Sim and Studio Are Shutting Down
It’s honestly pretty rough in the game industry right now. You’d think someone like Jake Solomon, a really talented designer, should have the freedom to make the games they want, but jobs are getting super scarce. Even big studios are closing down, which is crazy. I heard a developer who worked on huge hits like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is even struggling to find work! Solomon started a new studio to build this amazing Life Sim game, and it’s really disappointing to hear they’re shutting down now. It just feels like a tough time for developers.
Solomon announced on Twitter that his studio, Midsummer Studios, is closing. He expressed pride in building the studio and in the work they did on his passion project, a game called Burbank. He described Burbank as a unique blend of life simulation and the movie The Truman Show, with a special creative element. Solomon explained that he wanted to create a game where players could tell their own stories and bring their characters to life, and he felt Burbank achieved that, offering moments of surprising character depth. He didn’t share the financial reasons behind the studio’s closure.
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Burbank Was a New Life Sim that Combined The Sims’ Approach with The Truman Show
As the studio shut down, Solomon wanted to share a sneak peek of the unfinished game, Burbank, with the public.
Imagine a game set in Burbank where players could build their own TV shows, similar to the movie The Truman Show – where the main character doesn’t realize his life is a fabricated reality. Players could create all sorts of shows – comedies, police dramas, science fiction, medical shows, and more – and control how the characters interact, building relationships, creating conflicts, and driving the story. You’d be able to fully customize your main character and the supporting cast, giving them detailed backstories and storylines for the game. Players would essentially direct episodes, develop character skills, and create a life simulation experience unlike any other.
It appears that Burbank, like many other projects, will likely never be finished. This is a consequence of the current difficulties within the game industry. Many promising game concepts will remain unrealized, impacting developers both personally and financially. It’s especially disheartening that Solomon was able to showcase his game right as his studio shut down. Unfortunately, many other developers can’t even mention their abandoned projects when applying for new jobs, due to a variety of challenging circumstances.
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2026-02-19 20:41