GameTrailers has posted up a video interview with Kellee Santiago – president of thatgamecompany, developers of flOw, Flower, and now Journey – talking about the world of their latest title, as well as how multiplayer works in the game.
“The metaphor we’ve been using is hiking,” says Santiago. “So you can meet up with another person, maybe it makes your journey a little easier for a while because you’re with someone else and you’re sharing the experiences together.” Sound too zen for you? Don’t worry, you can still face off against your friends: “Maybe you want to be a little competitive with the other person…so you enjoy racing each other, or completing puzzles faster than each other.”
So how does it all work? “There’s actually a system that’s running in the background, invisible to the player, always looking for other players that are near them in the virtual space,” Santiago explains. “You can only be connected to one player at a time, to give that sense of being in a giant world where there aren’t many other people, and so when you actually encounter another person it’s hopefully very meaningful.”
But don’t fret if you want to experience the game solo: “You can either stay where you are and let them go ahead, or you can move away and you will be automatically disconnected…and you could possibly run into someone else.”
There’s even more in the interview, including what looks like a couple of seconds of new gameplay footage. Journey is out next year.
Source: GameTrailers
hazelam
it’s ironic they call themselves thatgamecompany, when calling what they create just “games” really doesn’t do them justice. :)
bunimomike
Ah, lovely. Still not convinced about the multiplayer aspect but sand surfing? Flying? Bazinga!
gazzagb
The game still doesn’t interest me, I want to see some proper gameplay footage, showing that it’s fun and has a purpose.
Nauraph
I don’t think it needs to have a purpose. As long as it’s fun. ;)
gazzagb
All I’ve seen so far is a little person walking in a desert. I want to see that it has an objective of some sort. Flower was just too random and boring for me.
bunimomike
To be honest, Gazza, it’s probably not going to be for you. The fact that you didn’t really get along with Flower doesn’t bode well. Even if a gabillion of us profess it’s inherent beauty to be close to a cure for cancer, if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.
upselo
flower had *too much* objective for me. Like unlocking the next level, reach all these flowers to be able to *progress*. It was quite linear as well. Disturbing for game hailed as a complete experience.
I think Journey is not supposed to be about winning anything, accomplishing anything. It’s not the destination, it’s the Journey ;)
AJ
Ah how cool is that! It would be cool if you could play with more than one person electively. And only one by default. I’d prefer to run around with two people rather than one… But that’s not saying I wouldn’t like to run around with one.
I hope this game holds a certain amount of longevity too because it sounds like lots of fun. I want to know more!
bunimomike
Thankfully, there’s absolutely no communication in-game. Others you meet (one at a time) have equal solitude.
Peter Rushton
Hanging out in the desert with a mate, sounds awesome!
bunimomike
If it gets you away from the missus for an evening, don’t knock it, fella. The entire pastime of fishing is based on that.
MXZ
This game seems like less of a game and more of a experience.
your just kind of walk into this deserted world and have fun for no reason (like without a objective)
but for a downloadable title it sounds perfect