Even though the announcement had been heavily rumoured for some time, it was strange seeing Insomniac Games announce Sunset Overdrive as an Xbox One exclusive earlier today. Company gaffer Ted Price has always been a regular on Sony’s stage, so seeing him – along with Phil Harrison and Hideo Kojima – promoting Microsoft’s machine felt a bit like seeing your ex-girlfriend kissing a new beau.
Still, despite switching allegiances, the studio has not ruled out the possibility of working with Sony on future PlayStation titles. In a candid blog post, Price explained that the Burbank-based developer was “hesitant to shift back into an exclusive arrangement”, but it felt that the title was a perfect fit for the Xbox One. Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s “abandoning” its PlayStation heritage.
“Insomniac has been, is, and will continue to be 100 per cent independent,” said Price. “We have treasured that independence for the last 19 years. It now allows us to own and control our IP, and find the most suitable partners to make those IP a reality. While we are excited about partnering with Microsoft on Sunset Overdrive, that doesn’t mean that we can’t or wouldn’t make games with our long time friends at Sony. That’s the magic of being an independent developer.”
Speaking with IGN in a separate interview earlier today, Price added that the studio definitely “is still working with Sony”, so whether we’ll get that Ratchet & Clank movie tie-in remains to be seen. Honestly, we feel like Insomniac Games is going through a bit of an identity crisis at the moment. Despite indications to the contrary from the company, it just doesn’t seem to know what it wants.
[source insomniacgames.com]
Comments 7
Yeah...I really do feel like this is an act of betrayal. Going multi-system was bad enough (and the quality of the game they squeezed out proved it was a bad idea), but this is even worse.
@Stuffgamer1 They're an independent company so they can do what they want, but let's hope that things don't go sour. They've isolated every single one of their fans at this point.
Mr. Zurkon does not approve.
@get2sammyb: Of course they CAN do what they want...but that doesn't mean they SHOULD. They really are turning off their existing fans, and that's never a good thing.
@Stuffgamer1 I tend to agree with you on this one. Sure their an independant studio, but a little bit of loyalty wouldn't go amiss. So soon after going multi-system they are now working on an exclusive title for Microsoft. As a long time fan of Insomniac, its a bitter pill to swallow.
I'm just glad I wasn't overly impressed by the game. I like the funky art style, but it kind of reminded me of Joe Danger meets Jet Grind Radio, like a $15 DL. This and Fuse, growing old and disappointed.
I can't get too mad at Insomniac considering the great memories some of its games have given me. I just wish this new one was coming to a console I plan to buy. Kojima being there bothered me more actually because he had always been a proponent of the PS brand and his team got more out the PlayStation systems than any developer except maybe Naughty Dog. I still can't wait for MGS 5 but I can't help but wonder if it will suffer a bit from the move to multiplat.
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