We all know about the exclusivity deal between EA and Microsoft that will keep Titanfall an Xbox exclusive on consoles for all time. It’s a source of annoyance for many a PlayStation fan who is clinging to the hope that a sequel will bring a rain of Titans to Sony’s platform. Now imagine, if you will, a multiverse in which every decision spawns an alternate reality to our own and a reality in which Titanfall is on PlayStation 4. What events would we need to alter in order to make this a reality?
Hop into my hypothetical time machine, back to a point in time before that exclusivity deal was signed, where the team at Respawn are hard at work on Titanfall and maybe even prototyping on the Ratchet & Clank engine. It’s all part of a story which has been retold in Geoff Keighley’s latest documentary, The Final Hours of Titanfall, and a moment which has been reported on by Gamespot.
Having recently discovered the preliminary specifications for Microsoft’s Xbox One, Respawn were curious to see how Sony’s contender might be faring. Unfortunately, as they asked Sony for more details on the PlayStation 4, it appears that Sony was not yet prepared to reveal the early specs for the console, but instead suggested that they would be willing to help Respawn bring Titanfall to the PlayStation Vita instead.
So it was that our universe split in two – actually three, if you think that Respawn could have taken Sony up on their offer – with a decision that seemingly contributed to the later decision to tie development to the Xbox One and Microsoft’s Azure cloud.
Just as a note of caution, if you do happen to have a time machine and want to go back to give Sony a little talking to, try not to step on any butterflies or kill your own grandfather.
Avenger
Sounds like Respawn were being shrugged off. Such a shame considering it would have been one more PlayStation title, one with a bit extra to it as well.
double-o-dave
How far back in time would I be giving Sony a stern talking to about TitanFall as my Grandfather’s were long gone before the Playstation was invented, let alone TitanFall? lol
Saying that, the Xbox One is more than welcome to it.
yiddo
Offering to help means nothing when MS are sat in the corner grinning, holding a huge bag of cash.
Hopefully Titanfall is the last case of Microsoft paying a company to not release their game on another platform – which is what they are essentially doing.
pdannysan13
I don’t understand what goes on behind those walls but could it be that Sony was afraid of MS finding out the PS4 specs and that’s why they didn’t play ball ?
It’s up to Sony to judge if holding back their info had a bigger value over having Titanfall. But considering the number of articles that already have been released about resolutions and framerates, maybe Sony won on the long yard.
bravotangosix
pdannysan13 I really believe you’ve hit the nail on the head with your post. Off topic. Any chance TSA could get ‘LIKE’ buttons for the posted comments?
The Von Braun
I’d wager Vita Titanfall would have been a very different ‘beast’ to Xbox One/360/PC versions…shame it never happened as Vita always seems linked to what could of been’s….(Bioshock anyone?, annouced, deal never even signed..).
As for the timetravel thing, some egg head claims the timestream would’nt allow you to carry out an action, ie point gun at grandads head and some event (gun would jam, your arm waver at last moment etc) would prevent him from being killed.
JR.
The only people who gained from this decision were MS. EA lost out because they could have sold way more copies on the more popular console; and Sony because they don’t have the most overrated game in the history of gaming on their consoles.
theturtleking
I actually couldn’t give a flying fizznickle about this game, but remember when mass effect was plastered with. “only on xbox” that turned out to be a lie so it could still happen.