Looking to the future

It seems like an age since thatgamecompany's Journey released on the PlayStation Store and subsequently blew us away. A lot has changed since then, with a number of key staff exiting the developer. Now, with its three game relationship with Sony expired, the influential studio is looking to the future – and according to a report on VG247, it is in negotiations with a number of potential new partners.

Founder Jenova Chen told the website as part of an exclusive interview:

It takes us a little bit of time to basically readjust after the three game deal [with Sony]. We’re very close in figuring out what the next deal is.

We’re negotiating with various partners, so maybe within the next month, we’ll be able to determine which is the [right deal].

It’s going to be interesting to see how thatgamecompany copes without the support of partner studio Sony Santa Monica moving forward. If the developer intends to achieve its aims of reaching a wider audience, then it’s probably going to need to expand, and we wonder what that impact that will have on the pure creative process.

Regardless, Chen believes that the studio will be ready to announce its next game sometime this year:

In terms of when you’ll know about the next game, I think we intentionally announce our games very early. We announced Flower half a year after we launched Flow. We announced Journey half a year after we launched Flower. So hopefully within this year, you’ll hear from us about our next game.

Naturally, we’re excited – but we can’t help but feel the pressure is really on Chen and his team. Not only does the studio have to follow-up what is, arguably, a perfect game, but it also has to deal with the logistical problems of working with a new partner and compensate for the absence of Sony Santa Monica's technical support. Hopefully the developer is ready to face the challenge.

[source vg247.com]