The Santa Monica based studio Thatgamecompany has been rather quiet since the release of Journey. Worry not, for they have been working nonstop on their next game.
Thatgamecompany is one of those indie studios that works at its own pace. Slowly but steadily, crafting games you would consider quite out of the ordinary, aesthetically very pleasing and original. The releases of Cloud (2005), flOw (2006) and Flower (2009) were the first examples of a game design philosophy that has remained stable across the years. But it was the release of Journey (2012) what really brought Thatgamecompany to conventions and magazines worldwide. Don’t you know what the game is all about? Ok, we are going to forgive you on that one that by leaving this fanatical video here.
“We respect our players and want to contribute with meaningful, enriching experiences that touch and inspire them”, reads Thatgamecompany website. For a lot of us, Journey was precisely that. A significant experience which relied more on inner interpretation and contemplation, rather than action and fast-paced dialogues, to touch us all. And oh boy, it certainly pulled out some strings… Ever since the release of the game, which by the way broke some PSN sales records right at the beginning, it has been revamped for PlayStation 4 (2015) and features every now and then for free in the PlayStation Plus program.
The only downside we can think of? That Journey remains, still, a console game. Something that is changing with their new title, which they have just begun to tease, Thatgamecompany style.
Thatgamecompany goes #Thatnextgame
So far, everything we have about the new game can be resumed in small sentences – and yeah, the images are just a small appetizer. This time, Thatgamecompany is taking the self-publishing route and going multiplatform. However, they have yet to comment on the platform list they’ll be using. Also, it seems the game will be ready for 2017 and, according to their Twitter page, it’s “a game about giving”. The musical aspect will fall on Vincent Diamante, who made the scores to Cloud and Flower. And just off the record: that central image has a “Miyazakiesque” vibe we cannot but cherish. Here at The Game Fanatics we are curious and eager to know more.
Did you play Journey or any Thatgamecompany titles? If so, what did you think of them? Are you looking forward to try the next one out? Let us know in the comment section!
[Source: Thatgamecompany Twitter]
