Journey Designer: PS3 owners More Likely to be Interested in Artistic Games

VentureBeat: The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have a fairly comparable game library. Small differences do exist, though. Perhaps the widest gap is between the two systems’ digital offerings. That’s where Jenova Chen, Thatgamecompany lead designer (Journey), noticed a difference. “Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste,” Chen said in an email conversation with GamesBeat. “They care about how grown-ups feel toward their games.”

[StrongMan]

Very true.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Its what has made Sony stand out from the crowd this gen in my opinion.
Just more adult artistic games like Heavy Rain.

[KingofGambling]

agree.

[kikizoo]

...and simply more, and better games/exclusives.

[ShoryukenII]

L.A. Noire originally belonged to Sony as well.

[Blastoise]

I agree. Games like flower and journey are quite big risks. Glad Sony gave these games a chance. Definitely something a bit different.

[Pintheshadows]

Not just Flower and Journey. The Pixeljunk series as well, especially Eden.

Little Big Planet however was the biggest risk for Sony. Only they would have supported it and their faith was rewarded.

[Motorola]

Yep, I'd buy Journey 2, Flower 2, Linger in Shadows 2 over CoD any day.

[rezzah]

I doubt they'd make sequels to those games, but I do not doubt the possibility of new better artistic games by That Game Company.

Each game was better than the previous.

[MGRogue2017]

They want titles that take full advantage of all of the power the PS3 has to offer.. well, what's left of it anyway as Uncharted 3 & Killzone 3 pretty much squeezed every single ounce of juice out of the system.

As a PS3 owner, I want to see the absolute pinnacle of what my PS3 can do.. perhaps Crysis 3 will be the one to show us that.

[GamersRulz]

God of War will show us PS3 full potential.

[ShoryukenII]

A third party game will never show us the power of the PS3. I don't think a third party could even show the power of the 360. Only exclusives can push things to the limit.

[izumo_lee]

Sony's library of games from their 1st party devs as well as 2nd party devs have the most variety of the big 3. That is what makes them different & that is why even though many of their games do not sell a 'sh*t load' the Sony supporters appreciate their efforts. They cater to a more diverse crowd than Nintendo & Microsoft.

This is one of Sony's strengths.

[WestenShelton]

Braid, Limbo, Fez, all successful, all on Xbox first. Yep, Xbox certainly doesn't cater to adults or try and provide artistic games.

[jthamind]

well said. lol.

[StrongMan]

There is a reason the devs had to put Braid and Limbo on the PS3, to try an re-coop some money not made back on the Xbox alone. Fez was a port from PC.

EDIT:

You're right. My mistake, I was thinking of another game. Fez will probably have to go multi platform to re-coop money like most XBLA games.

[WestenShelton]

please show me where I can buy Fez on the PC, oh wait I can't.

[WestenShelton]

Yes, thats right. All these games keep losing money on the Xbox and thats why they have to go to other systems.

Couldn't be that they just want to make MORE money.

Limbo sold over 1 mill copies on the Xbox.

Braid was the #2 selling XBLA game of 2008 and described as "very profitable"

Fez has already done well for itself.

Quit talking out of your ass.

[Persistantthug]

Even though he was wrong about the specifics about FEZ..... StrongMan's sentiment was pretty well on.

You don't see JOURNEY FLOWER or HEAVY RAIN going multiplatform, yet many games on the XBOX 360 do, including ALAN WAKE. I'd also be willing to bet one day FEZ does too.

[GoldenAge]

@Persistant

You do realize Journey, Flower, and Heavy Rain are all Sony owned as opposed to games like Limo and Braid right.

If thatgamecompany didn't have that 3 game deal with Sony and released Journey do you think they will only limit themselves to one system? No they won't from a business stand point they limit themselves financially and from an artistic standpoint they limit themselves in terms of possible audience.

This is why Sony is smart they make sure to show the world that they're willing to fund this risky artsy games themselves at the same time making sure that it won't leave their system. This creates a situation that they have more known (and I stress the word known specifically) artsy games only on their system.

[mr_badhand]

This is the first thing I thought when I read the title.

Journey is an incredible game, but lets not go overboard and make it seem like ps3 players drink champagne and crap in gold toilets.

@sword
The difference is I've been doing it since day one...swag!

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

Do you not?

[Bimkoblerutso]

Seriously.

Serious case of smug in here.

[kneon]

Champagne is ok but I prefer my 16 year old
Lagavulin or Ardbeg Uigeadail.

And I've never liked the look of gold, I prefer platinum. Actually I prefer the look of nickel even more despite being such a mundane metal, but just try and find a sold nickel toilet :)

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

Microsoft didn't help pay for those. Sony actively asked ThatGameCompany and many others to produce games for the PS3.

I'm not saying Microsoft doesn't support them. I'm just stating the facts.

Microsoft has been supporting indie devs fairly well this generation. :) It's a shame they don't do it more on the PC.

[Persistantthug]

Obviously, Remedy wasn't happy enough with the unit performance of ALAN WAKE, and therefore turned the game into a multiplatform title.
The same cannot be said about Quantic Dream's HEAVY RAIN.

So why did PS3 users take to HEAVY RAIN significantly better than XBOX 360 users to ALAN WAKE?

Probably because there's at least some truth to this article.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

Agreed. That...and Heavy Rain is one of the best games ever made.

[OmniSlashPT]

Those are platformers, they have nice art styles, that's right, but they're still generic platformers.

Does Xbox have games such as Flower, Journey, Ico, SoTC or Heavy Rain? Those are the games that people refer as art, games that are more than a game.

I never heard anyone questioning if Fez or Limbo was game.

[from the beach]

I think he means 'autistic games', lol.

Journey was shallow, brainless crap that no self-respecting adult gamer would entertain - think Crash Bandicoot with the level design, enemies and challenge stripped out.

[IRetrouk]

You have no idea

[from the beach]

Oh?

[IRetrouk]

Yeah, not every game needs a deep story or lots of action for gameplay, sometimes it's about the experience, obviously it went over your head, also the walls depict the story in journey, if you find them, have you played the game?

[from the beach]

You're basically agreeing with me you know - the game has no deep story or complex action, in other words it's a shallow experience.

It didn't reach my ankle never mind going over my head, but that's the only way anyone can defend this game: "you just didn't get it".

[Gen0ne]

Go back to the beach and ride that wave of absurdity my friend.

[from the beach]

Why don't you transform into someone whose opinion is worth a damn!

[Gen0ne]

Hahaha... that was actually pretty good. Good on ya, don't take my shit.

edit: I'm even gonna agree with you. ^See^ there's my agree

[Christopher]

Having less complexity and less of a challenge does not equate to a shallow(er) experience.

[rezzah]

All a matter of perspective.

There is an apple, one person sees beauty and yet you see shit.

No two can convince the other that he or she is more right than the other.

Edit: Forgot to add that both are neither right or wrong in their point of views.

[AusRogo]

The man speaks truth.

[TheDivine]

What a crock of shit. Neither console is more adult and i remember quite a few 360 games that were hyped for their artsy looks and creative gameplay. This is about as true as the myth that sony gamers like diversity when the top ps3 games are always COD COD and a different COD.

I like TGC and their little arthouse games but people buy them on psn because THEYRE NOT ON xbl or steam.

[Series_IIa]

Maybe they should check out the Steam Store.

More variety in games and artistry than PS3 and 360 combined.

And its also a flat out lie since check the top 10 selling games on PS3 and 360 pretty much filled to the brim with COD and other shooters.

[BlackTar187]

why do you people insist on thinking like this? So in order for a game to be what he is saying they have to be in the top 10?

People USE YOUR HEADS. They make money of games not in the top 10.

I know i will never stop all the fools from saying this line but hell if i could stop just one.

Top 10 DOES NOT MEAN MANDATORY FOR SUCCESS.

Please stop.

[Bimkoblerutso]

You're absolutely right....and yet, is it not a fact that everyone here is judging the 360 fanbase by the same standard?

[BlackTar187]

Im not judging anyone. I intend to judge no one. I picked out his line specific because im sick of that line of thought.

I will say this article is jargon and people who believe it for anything but conversation material may be a little off.

Its been picked at to such a ridiculous level we have fanboys fighting over who is more artistic as a notch on their fanboy belt.

[Bimkoblerutso]

Yeah, I'm with you, brother.

[Hellsvacancy]

Im a PS3 and hav a BIG imagination, coincidence?

[NeoBasch]

I think 360 owners do too, it's just that PS3 owners are more accustomed to it. Bombarding the 360 with shooters has desensitized them to more artistic experiences. Don't get me wrong, the PS3 has got a lot of shooters too, but because Microsoft snatched up a lot of shooter fans early on in the generation more PS3 fans will desire games outside the box (easily explainable with statistics I'm sure). If games like Mass Effect, Alan Wake, Fable, and The Witcher came out at launch I'm sure the 360 fans would be just as enthusiastic about them. It's just a matter of install base really.

[Pintheshadows]

In fairness games like Braid do well on the 360.

[smashcrashbash]

It's interesting to see what will set people off. As soon as anyone says that someone is not something it seems to make something click in a gamer's mind. They say and people are on this article frantically trying to scrape together any indie game on the 360.. How is Braid artistic compared to Journey or Flower. How is a boy running around reversing time artistic? Does that mean Prince of Persia is artistic too? I think some of you are confusing indie games and artistic ones. It being indie doesn't automatically make it art you know.

Also if people actually read the title they said 'PS3 owners more likely' not condemning every 360 owner. I mean be truthful. People keep using XBL games as reference but would you guys really have brought as many units of Heavy Rain as PS3 owners did for $60.00? Would you have brought Braid and Fez if they cost $60.00 no matter how good they were? People brought Journey, a two hour game, for $15.00 because it was pretty and was one of the highest selling games on PSN.Can you say you would do the same if it was on XBL?

Like NeoBasch said we are just more used to games that step outside the box. No one is saying anyone with a 360 would never like games like this, it's just that we like them more.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

This is because they aren't primarily in the age range of 8-18 and actually appreciate a well made game like Demon's Souls or Journey. Thank God those games were exclusive to PS3 and not 360, they would've been failures more than likely on XBOX.