thatgamecompany

TGC’s Third PSN Title: Journey

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We are really excited to officially announce our current thatgamecompany project, “Journey.”

The inspiration for Journey came from Jenova’s feeling that in the modern world where man has so much power, we have lost an integral aspect of the human experience – awe towards the unknown. And we can see this in our video games as well.  But don’t take it from me! Here’s Jenova to talk about it more:

“ In today’s society, man is powerful – We can travel at 60 mph; we can fly; we can connect with just about anyone, anywhere, at anytime. But on the street, people pass by each other ignoring the wonderful existence of other beings. We are overwhelmed by the attention needed to gain and execute our own power – just like we are in most video games. While we are doing that, we can become isolated and insecure deep inside our mind.

On the contrary, when we are hiking in the wild, we become tiny and weak again. These feelings make every other person we encounter much more important and enjoyable. We greet them, giving them genuine and useful help. We might travel together for a period, learn from and rely on each other. Struggling against the dangerous nature together, somehow, makes us warm and powerful inside. (This doesn’t make any rational sense, but somehow that’s how I feel. And I’m sure many of us do.)

While most video games offer the sense of empowerment in the online gaming experience, we felt the player will pay more attention to the other players if they are less distracted by the power, and the online gaming experience will be quite unique if it carries the feeling of awe towards the unknown. In a world where the majority of the players are distracted by technology, evoking a sense of awe and mystery could be very refreshing and powerful.”

To realize these goals, we aimed to create a world that feels vast and somewhat unfamiliar. And so the game begins with a character waking up in a desert, with no clues as to what might have happened before or what will happen later. There’s only a tall mountain in the distance, beckoning the player to set out and explore.

As you travel through the world, you may encounter a stranger who is on his or her own journey. But we don’t want to talk too much about the online experience right now. In part, because we really don’t want to inform your own experience of it; also, because we really enjoy seeing what happens when experiences come without explanation. But there’s plenty of time left for us to talk about it in the future…

One thing is for certain: we love getting to talk about a new project! It means that we can’t just navel-gaze about our own work anymore. It’s out there. You’re responding to it! And it also means we’re that much closer to getting the game into your hands.  So we’d like to extend a HUGE thanks to everyone who has already expressed words of encouragement – they really do help!

Comments

  1. ktoso says

    Very very interesting art direction! Loving it – both the art and the quotations. The lonely desert gives a “fresh” feel to the game – after some time with more “lively” themes (flower/cloud). Hopefully the soundtrack will be great as with all your games – O’m listening to flower OST just now, while learning… 🙂

  2. Michael Samyn says

    Thank for existing. And doing what you do. Few things are more important in the games industry than your work. Journey looks like another great step forward in the medium. Wonderful concept! Beautiful execution! Good luck!

  5. Despera says

    The most interesting game to emerge during this hectic week. From what I’ve read, you guys have the perfect mindset for this type of project. Journey probably made my E3.

  6. hgh says

    Sounds very interesting. I loved Flower, Flow not so much but this sounds like my thing. P.S- Hope there is also Flower 2 in work 🙂 So one – two punch next year!

  9. Aggesan says

    I just wanna say that from what I’ve seen so far from this game got me more exited than any other game presented during E3. Thank you for always trying to do something new and fresh, developers thinking like you are what keeps me hooked to gaming!

  11. Chris p.k says

    This looks and sounds like a masterpiece in the works.. That game company, quantic dream and team ico are the main reasons I hang onto my ps3.. Btw Jenova is quite right. I played Ico and felt so lonely hoping id meet another character when the girl was absent.. The idea for this game is extremely clever. I wonder if you guys will have Motion/move in this.

  14. Zaka says

    BTW, since you are in middle of development, don’t just limit it to online, sometimes total isolation in unknown works better:}, i hope there will be offline too

  18. Paul K says

    Whenever anyone talks to me about games I tell them about your work! Thank you for expanding what feelings you can have when playing a game. I just walked the floor at e3 and saw very little new ideas and feelings on display.
    Thanks for being different and inspirational! Any chance for cloud on PS3 too? Keep up the great work! Day one purchase for Journey! Your announcement made my day! Cheers! Paul

  19. Dave says

    I’m delighted to finally learn about your third PS3 title! But at the same time I’m saddened because as far as we know, it will be the last.

    It’s hard to begin expressing what PlayStation has come to represent for me over its existence (Sometime I’d like to hear your story!). There simply aren’t any other publishers as big as SCE that value diverse, innovative content. And with so many studios under their belt, there’s always been enough to go around and satisfy every kind of gamer. Yet thatgamecompany has filled another aching niche.

    I respect your independence and to some extent I can understand how valuable it is. But if your experience with SCEA has been pleasurable and given your team the freedom they desire, I think every loyal fan in the PlayStation family would be overjoyed if you stayed close with us after this next success. Even if that means just another contract.

    I’m 17 but my impressions have been made. I’m aspiring to study in California and preferably close to Santa Monica or L.A. (USC is looking like a viable choice…) Whether I pursue a career in your industry is something I haven’t decided on yet. But I want to be close to the people who have given me phenomenal experiences time after time.

    Thanks you.

  20. Nicholas says

    I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks for the many awesome games you’ve made over the years, and this one seems to have the potential to be the greatest so far, with a style that reminds me very much of Shadow of the Colossus.

    Anyway, please keep releasing your games for PlayStation, even if not exclusively.

  21. Y.S. says

    This looks stunning, I love the art style. The atmosphere those first screens convey is already more appealing to me than many games in their entirety.

    Flower truly was an unique experience, it has a special place in my heart next to the likes of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus.
    Journey reminds me of those two Team ICO games, which is a very good thing.

    I’d like to share some small ideas with you:

    Wouldn’t it be grand, if sometimes you could see sandstorms or small twisters building up from afar, approaching your character, menacing its integrity. “Will it come my way? If so where should I hide, what should I do? What will happen to me?”

    Finally a day/night cycle like in Flower but dynamic would be fabulous. I can already picture walking through the sand dunes under a starry sky with a wandering moon illuminating the landscape and covering it in dark blue / black / silver shades.

  22. Dale Luck says

    Absolutely amazing – can’t wait to try it out! Just the vastness of it conjures images of Shadow of the Colossus (a good thing, btw).

    Good luck 🙂

  23. Simon Bosvelt says

    I love the thought behind the game; and I’ll be sure to try it out as soon as you’ll lot release it. But what I love even more is that you lot never really ruin the experience with your announcements, don’t ever change that… please.

    Now on a entirely unrelated note; Cloud on PS3 or PSP? Is there ever a chance? Or is this financially unlikely? (As I’ve heard it’s not too cheap to put your game on PSN (No clue or that true though, so don’t pin me down on it))

    Also, what-ever you do next; please bring it to the Playstation 3 and or the Playstation Portable.

  25. James M says

    I love the art, it looks awe-inducing. And Jenova’s statement is pretty much exactly how I feel about the wildness on the trails and what I want in a video game. I have also noticed that as you pass someone on a trail, you almost always acknowledge them, a nod, a simple “hi”; something that rarely happens along the street. There’s a stronger bond on the trail somehow and if there is anyone who can capture that magic, I’m confident you folks can. I look forward to this game/experience more than words can say.

  26. gurujoe says

    “Sony Computer Entertainment approached some future members of thatgamecompany and asked them to form a company and signed them on to make three downloadable games for the PlayStation 3.”

    .. stay on PS3.

  27. Stu says

    Firstly, I adore everything you guys do. Secondly, I’m not one to go online that often, since I don’t tend to enjoy the company you find there, but I’ll be playing Journey as soon as possible. Chances are the really awful people you hear on voice chat in sports/shooter games won’t exactly rush out for this, leaving its beautiful looking world free for people who appreciate what you guys do to explore together.

  28. Felipe Rubio says

    Awesome!! I have all TGC games, and i love them, but this one, is really different. It´s a unique way to use mutiplayer.

    Your work inpires me

  29. To be, Hamlet says

    I’m ecstatic with this project.I think it’s great to find ways to use the tools offered by video games to provide a unique experience. In this case shared with another person, on a personal journey.

    I mean, there is a real artistic and narrative potential in video games, and it’s always exciting to see people able to find a way to use it.

  31. Anton says

    Jesus… I can’t understand one thing. Why so bad announcement?
    Why you didn’t used Sony to reveal your game at E3?
    I don’t understand this. As much as i love your games and Sony’s games it’s always like this: Lets announce everything before E3 or in the middle of E3. Shwing!

    If it was not my friend, i could never know that you announced something. I searched the internet for some screenshot or whatever for this game.

    Next time, make a great trailer or something… Like for example first LittlebigPlanet 2 trailer at the announcement. That was absolutely fantastic and it’s still in my memory.

    But here, it sounds like: We are announcing something… A game… Cool… right?

  33. Leifthrasir says

    I’ts wonderful to see that TGC are still going strong; I only recently experienced Flower, and I find it to be easily one of my favourite games / interactive media of all time. When I discovered that the same people were responsible for Flow and Cloud (a game I fell in love with many years ago), I believed that TGC would continue to go strong throughout the future, and here you are proving this very idea to me again with yet another work of art in the making. I look forward to seeing this projects completion, and I would like to wish everyone at TGC all the best in the realization of this new idea.

  34. FAUNA says

    This is one of my most anticipated titles. flOw & Flower were true masterpieces, & this will no doubt be your magnum opus. Journey reminds me of a Team Ico game, which is nothing but good. I’m really into the idea of simply exploring a game world. I don’t play online, but this will be my 1st (I love the idea of everyone being anonymous, human connections, creating an entirely different online experience, etc.) I like how you break the ‘rules’ of your average game like no combat etc. If only every developer were like you & created experiences based on art, emotion, relaxation (vs. stress), style, story, & fantasy. You are true masters of your craft…

  36. Alan says

    I’ve been looking forward to this! Can’t wait to experience it myself. Oh and just wanted to say that I have a lot of respect for you guys, you’re one of the few developpers these days that actually still have a heart and a true passion to create unique video game experiences. So far, I’ve only played Flower (One of the most beautiful, if not THE most beautiful, game experience I’ve ever had), but I’m going to support you guys and buy flOw in a few minutes as well. Keep up the good work guys!

  38. Patricia says

    You seriously amaze me, each game you create is an incredible experience, and this isn’t going to be least! Can’t wait for it to be released.

    I’m going to study Video Game Design and Development, and teams like you encourage a lot.

    Good luck, I hope it is as outstanding as it seems!

  39. stephan says

    Love it. You guys rock. E3 this year was so classic in a way, you were the refreshing news for me. I look forward to play journey! Good luck.

  40. Chace says

    Since the release of flower, I’ve been very intrigued with this company, as well as the games that it produced. For about six months now, I’ve been continually checking the site, excitedly and curiously looking for any new game announcements, though none were found.That is, until one day, I saw that a mystery game was in development. As my expression quickly brightened, I immediately began to imagine what it could possibly be. After playing and completing flower, I knew that the possibilities could be endless. Now that I know a little bit about the game, I am extremely, overwhelmingly exited for what is to come. I think that All of you at That Game Company are brilliant, and deserve every kind word or award ever received. I can’t wait to get some more info! By the way I agree completely with Y.S. on the day night cycle. I picture the player walking through the desert as a beautiful sunset slowly transforms into a starry Arabian night, with the traditional music to match. Keep up what your doing. It gives hope to aspiring game developers such as myself (16) that there is still much more that can be done for games innovation wise. Best regards,

    Chace Hazard Campbell

  44. Stephen says

    From the first image, I instantly thought of Shadow of the Colossus. Since I’m currently making a video essay about the game, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on the game’s sense of loneliness and isolation, and how they magnify the relationship with Agro, the horse. ICO is about experiencing the necessary companionship between Ico and Yorda, which was driven by a mutual desire to escape. These experiences were powerful.

    You guys have the opportunity to expand upon these even more with the use of online interactions and relationships. I hope you find ways to evoke Weakness, Awe and Mystery, but don’t forget to play with COMPANIONSHIP through dependence with the online relationships.

    Best of luck to you, I can’t wait to experience it!

  45. Braxton Soderman says

    Hey, this looks amazing! The screen-shots make me think of Little Red Riding Hood? Any Connection? Also, “The Path” by “Tale of Tales”? “Journey” as a name and “The Path” just got me wondering. Super different I am sure, in the end, but I was wondering if there is a connection? Any fun thoughts on the relationship between thatgamecompany and tale of tales?

  46. Tyciol says

    I know you guys are with PlayStation right now, but if that ever falls through I hope you can hook up with Nintendo and produce a Legend of Zelda game. It would be interesting.

  47. Kellee says

    Braxton – there’s no direct connection, but we are friends with Michael & Aureia of Tale of Tales. In fact, I was just visiting them in Belgium a few weeks ago! We’re fans of their work, and we both view video games as a medium of expression.

  49. Paul says

    I get it.

    We pass eachother every day as faceless people but we don’t realize that at any moment we are all in one room together. The size varies but we’re all present. Yet terribly disconnected from one another barely exchanging glances quickly seeking the passive comfort of a device’s screen or mute out the minimal chatter with blasting earbuds instead. Yet sometimes in rare moments a stranger seeks a connection turns to the stranger beside them and says, “Hi”

    Flower was your “Hi” and I’m really looking forward to the conversation.

    I can’t wait for this illuminating Journey. If only more people strived to touch others hearts and souls, we’d all be in a better place.

  54. Mark says

    I really hope this lives up to the hype, and I am sure it will.

    I purchased Flower just this morning after being blown away by the demo. No other video game has ever touched me like this before and I am really looking forward to all that TGC can offer in the future.

    Respect,
    -Mark.

  56. Phillip says

    So excited for this ^_^!!! I hope that you guys will continue releasing beautiful titles even after your contract expires with Sony. The world of video games has changed with your hands, & it just wouldn’t be the same without you… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a life changing experience in Flower & Flow & of course Cloud. Looking forward to watching this marvelous company grow!!! My heart goes out to you & your marvelous efforts to change the way people look at the world & video games ^_^ Much love

    – Phillip

  58. Kellee says

    Adam – thanks so much for the kudos! No talking, though – we want to see what happens when players have only the tools in the game itself to work with, to hopefully provide a more immersive experience.

  59. bernpete says

    I’m just not feeling this. The trailer comes across as saccharin and morose, not a game I’d want to play–based on the trailer. I WILL have a look at it tho’–but only because of this company’s past record of success.
    Word of advice: re-cut the trailer!

  60. Cristian Muñoz says

    You created games…
    you created products that sell…
    you created a way to earn money…
    you created controversy with your style…
    you created a way to go one side while everybody go the other side…

    For all you created, you just made a good work and it is fine.

    Now, you made something that is rarely seen on video-games these days, you show us passion, you remind us the sublime nature generally forgotten of the human kind… I mean, feelings, sensations, moods, things that escape the everyday logic. The visuals, the audio, everything in your creations has been put together in a way that you always have something to feel.

    You people, are amazing as your dedicated work has the magic to touch the soul of everyone. I have seen tears on the eyes of an old person remembering good times while just seeing a grandson playing “Flower”.

    I am glad your contract with SONY ended, as now everyone will have the chance to be delighted with your future work as you are ART, you are not intended to be enjoyable for a few people only, you have to break brand company barriers and reach everybody.

    I finally want to tell you just one more thing… a big big THANK YOU for all what you create.

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