ThatGameCompany Will Announce its Next Game This Year

Studio head Jenova Chen says the studio's fourth game is already on the way.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

ThatGameCompany chief Jenova Chen said he'd like to unveil the studio's next game by the end of 2012. Speaking with VG247, Chen said the studio is currently in the process of finding a publisher, but plans to strike a publishing deal "in the next month."

The statement comes only a few months after the release of ThatGameCompany's last project, Journey, which is already being heralded as one of the year's best games. (We liked it, anyways.)

The unannounced project will be ThatGameCompany's fourth game, and the first since completing their three-game exclusivity agreement with Sony. Chen says multiple publishers have proposed distribution partnerships, and the studio is the process of deciding who to work with next. 

Once they do, Chen says that he'd like to announce the new game soon, citing the studio's penchant for announcing their games very far in advance: “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.”

Looking at past behavior may not be as telling you'd think, though. Aside from company's new independence, the team will on their first game without ThatGameCompany co-founder Kellee Santiago or Journey producer Robin Hunicke, who both left the company shortly after Journey was released.

 

Chen said he doesn't feel the departures would have a major effect on the new project's development. “I wouldn’t say they have any direct impact when it comes to developing the game. Kellee is mostly working on the business end and PR for TGC, so she represents the company," said Chen.

As for the new game, Chen didn't say much, but he did mention he would "probably" be incorporating the PlayStation Move in a future project, saying he would have considered Move controls for Journey had the device been released earlier in the game's development cycle.

[Via VG247]

 

 

Latest in Pop Culture