Thatgamecompany’s Next Will “Change The Industry In A Really Positive Way” Says Former Game Designer

Asher Vollmer, who was a game designer at thatgamecompany for ten months, has confirmed that he’s left the company this week. Speaking on his own personal blog, Vollmer has decided to go independent and do his own thing.

“My friends, family, and even the entirety of TGC have been nothing but kind and supportive,” he said. “I can’t reiterate enough how lucky I am to be surrounded by a loving network of people who believe in me and what I’m capable of. I am eternally grateful.”

But he did set up some initial discussion on thatgamecompany’s next title.

“The New Game they’re making isn’t just something that you can casually abandon,” he said. “Obviously I can’t divulge any details about it, but… It’s going to be huge. And I don’t mean it’s going to be a long sprawling game, I mean it’s going to be an IMPORTANT game.”

“I genuinely believe it’s going to change the industry in a really positive way.”

“The Game is going to be incredible, but it is moving slowly,” he continued to tease. “There are YEARS remaining on the project and, quite frankly, those are years I don’t want to give up for a game that isn’t truly mine.”

TGC’s last game, Journey, won pretty much every award it was up for last year. It does not, as the wicked April Fools video above indicates, have a rocket deathmatch mode.

Via CVG.

10 Comments

  1. Sounds promising, shame we’ll have to wait a few years but if it’s as important as he says it’ll be worth the wait.

  2. You never know, this might be the first TGC game I actually enjoy, lol. Certainly like the idea of them breathing a bit of life into a tired industry.

  3. Loved TGC’s trilogy on PS3, and especially Journey. I think they’re one to really watch. Probably my favourite developer right now.

  4. What he’s actually trying to say is he doesn’t want to risk working on a ship that almost sank while trying to get their last game out of the door.
    If it’s such an important title, then surely it would be an honor being part of that project.
    Considering TGC almost went bankrupt towards the end of Journey’s development and with all the recent departures, I’m not sure how they can justify spending a few years on their next title when development is being described as moving slowly.

    • Because Journey sold really really well and still is, actually. It was the number 2 PSN title just this week in the US. The hype helped it tremendously for a really long time.
      TGC is sophisticated, creative and detail-oriented, I’ll definitely give them that. Flower is simply gorgeous, Journey is truely unique at what it does. They got me at referencing Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s (best name ever yeah?) concept of Flow in a video game actually called “Flow”. Smart work indeed. So I’m glad the hype actually helped them so much.
      My question is, this supposedly groundbreaking game will arrive for next-gen and maybe PC right? Not for the PS3?

  5. What the hell did I just watch??!!

  6. I think the title is missing a word :p

  7. Hasn’t TGC’s exclusivity deal with Sony now expired? Or was that Q Games? Or am I talking uninformed nonsense?

    • You’re right, it was a three game deal – Flow, Flower and Journey. They already said their next game will be for more than one platform because limiting their customer base to the PS3 almost bankrupted them (they actually completely ran out of money while making Journey).

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