You know the drill by now: US rapper Travis Scott has signed a deal with Sony to become a strategic creative partner for PlayStation 5. That has already resulted in the superstar getting early hands on with the console and an extremely unique unboxing video, but the partnership could be about to get even bigger. According to a report from Forbes, a source close to the website suggests the worldwide superstar could be designing his own PS5 game as well as a limited edition console.
Buried towards the bottom of an interview with the man himself, the US rapper is quizzed on the PlayStation partnership, stating: "It’s all going to roll out in the next couple of weeks". Separately, Forbes then follows up by saying: "A source later says that it’s a multiyear deal that could involve a cobranded console and perhaps even a game designed by Scott." He is expected to earn $20 million thanks to the partnership.
Given the current situation surrounding PS5 stock, we highly doubt Sony has any plans in the immediate future to release a third console model onto the market. In the second half of 2021, however? We reckon that's a possibility. All we can do for now is wait and see if the claim comes to fruition, but it's an interesting thought nonetheless.
Would you want to play a PS5 game designed by Travis Scott? Speculate what shape it could take in the comments below.
[source forbes.com, via resetera.com]
Comments 72
I’m going to say it again, who? I think it’s time to stop clicking articles about people I’ve never heard of.
Despite any purported popularity, is this still not a bit niche? Is that money really going to be recouped in sales? I’d love to be surprised and for this person/entity to be a skilled designer and come out with something highly unique, but I’m not holding out hope. Would I play a game designed by him? It would have to be something truly special.
There are many people who aspire to enter the games industry and would love to have this kind of opportunity and it’s a shame that his apparent fame appears to be a shortcut. Perhaps he won’t have much involvement at all and will just pitch an idea and it will be out of his hands for the most part.
Also, is he the kind of person who would just slap his face on a console and game and that’s it, or can the baying masses expect something altogether more thoughtful and enthralling?
Speaking of games featuring people who also represent this genre, isn’t 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand supposed to be entertaining, if perhaps for the wrong reasons?
@Vacuumator Travis Scott is one of the most well-known names and faces in the world right now. No, it's not niche.
@Vacuumator It would have taken you less time to Google his name that to type out your question about who he is...
I would say that a lot of people commenting on previous articles about this person also state that they have never heard of him. Even if he is very popular, that doesn’t necessarily mean that people will want to buy a game/console designed by him.
I am actually genuinely perplexed as to think where I might even come across this name if not for the articles on here 🤔.
I believe they will make face plates and controller as limited edition. Only for some special occasion they will make whole limited console editions.
Sony will make more money in this way. I’d buy 3 or 4 special editions face plates instead of ZERO special edition consoles.
Who? the guys a tool
@LiamCroft who?
I have no idea who he is either - and won't go chasing to find out, but its the way it is. Influencers or glorified sales reps are the future and will probably work for the kids. In fact I might ask my children if they know who he is. That'll be the ultimate test of how 'out of touch' with the youth I now am
Edit: Ok - just noticed you said rapper so just spotified his name and all his top songs are explicit so the kids won't know him and I now do, therefore I win! Anyway, never heard those songs before and not really my taste in music but must admit its not completely terrible. Have heard a lot worse in this genre.
@Vacuumator Not gonna lie, I have no clue who this guy is either...
To be fair, I don't know if that is just because I pay very little attention to stuff outside of gaming or whatever. I like to think I do pay some sort of attention but... shrug
I think he should make "his own" console. Just like Soulja Boy. Surely, it will be a quality product.
@marty8370 Calling someone you've never even heard of a "tool"...
Hopefully any Travis Scott-branded special edition PS5 won't be in the same Cockroach Brown colour as his unfortunately inaccurate 'Batman' Halloween costume.
This will be a Travisty if he does.
A Tool-designed PS5 console/game would be a different matter altogether. Adam Jones utterly bizarre designs for their videos and artwork would actually lend itself well to a surreal gaming vision.
Let’s get behind that instead?
I listen to hip-hop but even this guy I don't really know any of his songs, they're like the new kids on the block, it's old ones I know. I think his popularity skyrocketed from dating Kylie Jenner. Honestly though, rappers since forever always be giving mentions and free promo to products in their songs/videos just cause they like it - cars, video games, clothes, shoes etc. It's no surprise companies like to make deals with them.
@TheArt He was way popular before Kylie, the guy is one of the best and brightest in the US Scene, say what you want about his use of autotune but no-one does it better and the guy is a talented mofo! Made his name by doing production work for Mike Dean, Kanye West and others before making his own stuff with his debut album Rodeo still being one of the best albums of the 2010s, he deserves praise and attention, Andre 3000 (one of the goats of Hip-hop imo) labelled Travis as one of the most innovative artists in the game and it is true.
I don't get how so many people (not you as you like rap) discredit someone based on their job, I assure you he has done more things of his value than most of you! I just don't get the jealousy.
@ApostateMage I was about to be angry, but then I noticed the pun, good pun.
@LiamCroft Maybe to Americans and zoomers but as a 37 year old English person I've never heard of him apart from you guys writing articles about him. I just did a quick straw poll on WhatsApp and no one had heard of him either. I guarantee there are literally hundreds of more famous names and faces in the world in terms of how likely people are to have heard of them.
@DonJorginho Mm I see, but I'm sure Kylie pushed his popularity to a point, can't deny that. I'm more of the 90s and early 2000s rappers kinda guy. These new guys... not really been checking for them. And I see you're a mad Kanye fan, but these days it seems the old guys all sound okay nothing extraO, it's the new guys running the scene and I'm not really a fan.
Serious question: did he have any involvement with designing the visuals of his Fortnite concert? If so, I wouldn't mind him being a consultant on a PS5 new IP as far as art direction and style goes. I thought the visuals of his Fortnite concert were spectacular.
Also, for what it's worth, I dig him as a musician. He's got some really good songs under his belt.
@StonyKL "all his top songs are explicit so the kids won't know him"
That's some odd logic. I mean, not only would kids actually be drawn more to stuff like that, it's not as if you don't get to hear swearing in songs until you're 18. On a vaguely related note, I remember reading Jurassic Park after the film came out. I was 10 and thought it was funny how much swearing there was in the book so I took it into school. We took it in turns to read out different bits, which we all found hilarious, being the dumb kids we were. In the end the teacher confiscated it off me and I feel like he never actually gave it back... 🤔
Maybe his song will be in the game? Or it's a performance in-game like in fortnite, I don't think sony will develop travis scott games lol.
Or maybe it's a music games like parappa the rapper but with travis scot, that's seems fine.
ps. Why some people clicking on news only to say "who"?, searching on google only take 2-3 second, ignorance isn't cool 😕
ITT: people flaunting their ignorance
I mean - I've barely heard the name Travis Scott before the PS5 thing either but it took me a few seconds to find out he's a actually a best selling artist, just in a genre I don't follow at all.
@DonJorginho so thats what that is. I thought he was a robot but you're saying he gets auto-tuned? very odd. This music is like the Phil Collins of the 2020's. Easy listening, although throwing in some swear words to make it sound edgy. Wow how old do I sounds now!
@RBMango He did, he loves trippy spacey visuals, just watch his videos and you will see what I mean.
@StonyKL He uses autotune along with traditional rapping yes, most people will always lap that combo up.
But I love Travis' music for his production, his ingenuity and his flair.
He is no Phil Collins, he will not go down as one of the greatest musicians ever to come about, nowhere near. But he is one of the best in the Hip-Hop genre.
@TheArt Oh yeah for sure Kylie catapulted Trav into the mainstream mainstream sections of the industry and all the casual fanbases who will attach themselves to whatever is big, he ain't with Kylie anymore thankfully!
And yes I adore Kanye, hands down the GOAT for me, although his quality is seeming to diminish with JIK which was a very middling release, hoping for something better with DONDA if it ever drops!
I dislike most new era rappers as they are all the same, so generic and grating, but the likes of Travis, 21 Savage, Carti, Gambino, Slowthai. Those are some good talents.
@StonyKL I don't know Scott's work but auto-tune and similar tools can be used in a number of ways - sometimes it will be to fix less-than-great intonation but it can also be an artistic measure when made very audible. I'm not a fan personally but if it fits, it fits - and doesn't necessarily mean a person can't sing (although tbh it's probably most of the cases lol).
Look, I hate rap, and I know who this guy is. I also don’t like Fortnite but even I know about the Travis Scott experience in Fortnite. People saying they don’t know him are probably just racist or don’t know social culture or don’t know gaming.
@LiamCroft Coment stands he is a tool
@Culjoseth wow - I guess I'm a bad person then? To be honest I have no idea where I would ever have heard of him before this article. I just listened to some of his music and don't recognise it from anything mainstream (sometimes you didn't realise you knew someone from the radio or adverts). At least now I can say I know who Travis Scott is. Guess I'm no longer the bad guy. Woohoo!
@marty8370 Nah, no it doesn't. Consider being more respectful next time.
I first heard of him when he had a McDonald's promotion a few months ago (apparently it became a thing for kids to try & order the associated combo meal by blasting his songs at high volume when they were at the drive through, and a few even trolled other fast food joints by doing the same thing elsewhere).
No idea who this is.
@Matroska My logic is I don't let my kids listen to explicit music. Actually technically I do but their Alexa has the explicit filter on so his music won't be available to them - so they blame Alexa and not me. Secondary school next year so pretty sure they'll pick up on it all soon enough then they can start swearing at me when they're grumpy. A day I can't wait to come!
Thanks for the heads up on JP - will make sure they don't get hold of a copy 🤣
@marty8370 And it still stands that you're a fool.
@LiamCroft To who?, he's a nobody in my eyes
@DonJorginho Likewise
@StonyKL In all honesty a game he would make would likely be kid friendly just like the Fortnite concert where he did special edited songs that no adult references or swearing at all.
He is definitely a lot less vulgar than most hip-hop artists!
Travis Scott. No idea who this guy is and from that pic I have Zero interest tbh. I don't think he is aimed at my demographic.
@YETi What's wrong with the picture? I am sensing some judgemental vibes from you matey.
@DonJorginho We are all judged. The pic has a horrible cocky expression and his shirt needs pulling down .
@YETi He was told to do that face for a PS5 advert, his shirt is going up due to fans that Sony aimed at him to resemble the power and amazement of the PS5.
@DonJorginho I have no problem with him being vulgar or swearing and have no problem with him making a game.
I had no idea who this guy was before this article but why can't he make a game or at least help make a game. Might bring something different to the table, who knows. If it fails then it fails but no skin off my nose - he could be a gaming genius trapped inside a Hip Hop star's body. We've all been there....
No thank you to celebrities.
@Matroska
I completely agree. There will always be a demographic who will never come across certain people in the media. It goes the other way too, as it’s also likely that many younger people will not have heard of certain artists, authors, musicians etc from the past (I certainly hope Orwell is still taught in schools!), some things just don’t enter your sphere of interest. I honestly have no clue where I would come across Travis Scott, and it seems apparent that despite him being well-known, many people here have never heard of him.
I would still question how great his crossover appeal is. He may be popular in his field, but how many people with a PS5 like him and how many of those are interested in a custom Travis Scott PS5?
It would truly be interesting if he came out with a game that wasn’t a GTA-inspired slaughter-fest. Perhaps something a little stranger, Lynchian perhaps, that played with and distorted his persona? That would be a brave and interesting approach, but not an option if it has to have mass-market appeal and cater to his fan-base. Even if it did go down a more generic route, it would benefit from not taking itself too seriously.
I’m also off to eBay to look for the Blood on the Sand for PS3.
@Vacuumator if you used that time for positivity rather than hate you'll be an overall happier person.
@Masenko
Can I query as to what I’m supposed to be hating here?
Yea not interested either. And I don't need to be told to respect this guy. If he helps Sony sell some consoles then good for them, it is their commercial decision after all. Just saying this type of "edgy" ego-driven celeb based marketing backfires on me.
I really hate this kind of cross promotion, but unfortunately that's not only the future, but the present too.
From huge ads disguised as movies (e.g. the Transformers cinematic franchise), to every song being a collab cause "why do it alone when more people can get visibility from that one song?", to trendy trappers dictating fashion and lifestyle.
This is just another example of the homogenized, bland future we're heading in, where everyone likes the same four things cause they're the only things advertised, and advertising each other.
I'm almost certain an Azur Lane limited edition console would generate more interest than Travis.
I'm not just saying that because I want Azur Lane themed side plates.
I find it strange that this is considered by some as a discussion about ignorance. It’s not simply a case of saying “Who?”, as if that’s supposed to be a clever statement. It’s not. It actually shows that many people have not heard of this person and the reality is that more people haven’t heard of him than those that have. Despite him being well-known, that doesn’t mean that everyone has to have heard of him. Stating that you are not aware of him is not ignorant, it’s stating a fact. Why does everyone have to rush off to Google to find out more about him? This site has made me aware that he is a rapper and rap is not a musical genre I have any interest in, so I don’t necessarily feel the need to find out more information about him. People can’t inform themselves about every last thing. If you don’t watch television, listen to mainstream radio or are subject to much in the way of advertising, it’s likely that you will come across less outside of your sphere of interest. I’m as likely to have heard of Travis Scott as a Travis Scott fan is to have heard of some obscure artist.
This discussion is more interesting if viewed as an insight into the kind of demographics that Sony are targeting with its products and promotional material. It’s also interesting to hear that Travis Scott’s music contains explicit lyrics, so it is perhaps a little more surprising that Sony have partnered with him.
Too much lol. He’s got so much popularity, while simultaneously nobody cares and seeing some of this stuff makes him seem more like a joke.
Not really a big fan of his stuff but he’s undeniably one of the biggest stars in rap. I want a game where we play as his leather trousers.
This is just cold hard business. Not to discredit Mr. Scott, whom I’ve never heard of, if this is Sony’s approach going forward I would be incredibly curious to see what Matt Bellamy and company could do with the keys to this kingdom. Seems a good artistic fit. Maybe not so much on themes and principles...
Real rap music....
https://youtu.be/fXJc2NYwHjw
@ApostateMage
That’s uncanny. I was thinking just before I clicked the link that the only track in this genre that I really like is... well exactly this. It has an absolutely great rhythm to it, I recall a friend playing this a lot back in the day when it came out.
@ApostateMage MF Doom, Outkast, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West >>>>>
@clvr
Yes to what you said.
@clvr The fact is, society has always been this way. People really are sheep. And there is always someone with more power and more money to exploit the herd. It’s not so much about ‘them’ informing us what to like as it is ‘us’ informing them what’s gonna make em a ton of money.
Growing up, I was mocked for my love of comics, superheroes and even video games, yet here we are 30 something years later and I’ve never felt so alienated within these over saturated markets from the very thing I once revered. The thing is, I don’t let big business or broader society negatively affect my interest and enjoyment of the aesthetics and philosophies that fuel my love of art.
The truth is, with the advent of the internet, we as society have never had more diverse access to art, nor have we had more platforms to speak our unique truths. “Cross promotion” is actually a legitimate path to success for for small collectives to accomplish their goals.
Anyways, this is quite the meandering thing and as I share your frustrations, I just think it’s better to search for solutions than grumble in the corners of the web. We have more opportunity and power now than ever to make a change. Have a good one!
Rubberbandits or no go.
@Vacuumator yes Tool the game. Im down for that. And ive heard of tool so thats a plus.
@LiamCroft If you are 14 and/or have ***** taste.
Cardi B would have been a better choice for garbage rap music.
Sony California at work. Sony Japan are probably committing seppuku as we speak.
@Culjoseth Now that is seriously stretching it. I had never heard of this fella before this article and I don’t play Fortnite. I am fascinated to hear how’s this equates to racism. I know who Dr Dr Dre is. And though they are of a different genre, I know who Dizzy Rascal and Stormzy are. Maybe, just maybe, some people aren’t aware of the same people that you are aware of.
@LiamCroft Still never heard of him either populair or not. I hope Sony wont waste money on a Special Edition console from this guy. I think its a waste spending cash on celebs i rather see them use it too make great games. Lets start with Legend of Dragoon this one is overdue.
@LiamCroft
sorry like a lot of people who have posted have no idea who he is.
think the statement he is one of the most famous faces in the world is bit of a exaggeration, if this site is anything too go by, asked some friends out out of about a dozen only two had heard of him.
might be different if you are into rap, but for the masses its a different matter
I'll also say "who?"
Some unknown guy gets his own limited edition console? Maybe my uncle Ralph can get his own limited edition console too!
Ok... Seeing as this fella is absolutely massive and for better or worse, young people (as in under thirty. Yes. I'm old) care what he thinks, this is a good move by Sony.
I'm not that keen on his music even though I do like a lot of hip hop, and I'm not really the right demographic, but calling the man a tool or a nobody is just daft.
It's the kind of gatekeeping nonsense which feeds the horrible "gamers rise up" stereotype. Come on lads, let's keep our heads on here.
@IMustardMitt Maybe. I didn’t call u out, so not sure why it bent ya. However, the people on here making it very clear that they have a problem with his race or just outright dislike of anything opposite of them is what I was referring to.
@Culjoseth
From reading the comments, it doesn’t appear that either of those points are true. Not once has race come into it, nor has anyone expressed much more than saying they’ve not heard of him and at the most that it’s not their type of music.
If the comments in this thread are anything to go by, this person doesn't sound that well-known - the majority here seem never to have heard of him. I can speak with some certainty when I say that everyone I know will not have heard of him either. Perhaps to say that he is popular, or even extremely popular in his field would be more accurate?
The mainstream doesn't permeate everywhere, thankfully. There are vast swathes of society who are unconcerned with what is popular. Hopefully it is realised that to a great number of people, the amount of views someone has on YouTube is completely meaningless and irrelevant.
@Culjoseph No one is getting bent out of shape, I was merely saying that to eqaute not knowing who a particular person is, makes one racist, doesn't make sense. It's more a matter of taste, and/or what news puts certain people on ones radar.
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