Jonathan Blow Clarifies The Witness PS4 Exclusivity

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

Jonathan Blow Clarifies The Witness PS4 Exclusivity


The Witness could launch on PC or iOS simultaneously with the PS4 release.

Nearly showed off The Witness as a timed PS4 exclusive at Wednesday's PlayStation Meeting [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93646-Braid-Creator-Teases-New-Game-The-Witness]. Blow clarified the announcement on the game's website today, explaining that the statement of exclusivity only referred to consoles. "You will see the game on the PlayStation 4 for a while before you will see it on the Wii U or the rumored next Microsoft console... This exclusivity does not prevent us from being on the PC or iOS at launch, for example," Blow wrote.

He also divulged some of the reasoning for going with the PlayStation 4 for The Witness' console debut, which he says had nothing to do with money:

"To launch a high-spec version of the game on a console, it came down to a choice between the next Microsoft console or the next Sony console. There were people at Sony who really liked the game and were keeping in touch with us about it, and so we naturally started going to their PS4 developer events, got a dev kit, and started playing with it. I don't have good communication with anyone at Microsoft right now, but all our technical people like the PS4 specs a lot more than the leaked Durango specs, and we like the positioning of the PS4 (it's about games) more than what we perceive Microsoft's positioning is going to be. So we just found ourselves doing a PS4 port. And once we are doing that, it is not practical for us also to think about another console port."

Blow added that he decided not to go with a PS3 or Xbox 360 version because of those consoles' technical limitations and the amount of work in porting The Witness to them. While the decision to launch The Witness on the PS4 may have been the result of timing, system specs, and a good relationship with Sony, Blow was required to pledge console exclusivity in order to show off the game at the PlayStation Meeting: "To be in the show we signed a timed exclusivity for competing consoles. But this was just a formalization of something that was already going to be the case."

Of course, this isn't an announcement that The Witness will appear on PC, iOS, or any other console; Blow is just clarifying when that would be a possibility. The release date and non-PS4 platforms for The Witness have yet to be announced, but we'll surely hear more about the puzzle game as we get closer to the console's holiday 2013 release.

Source: The Witness [http://the-witness.net/news/2013/02/a-clarification-about-our-ps4-exclusivity/#more-2091]

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[Mr. Omega]

and we like the positioning of the PS4 (it's about games) more than what we perceive Microsoft's positioning is going to be

That certainly sums up why I'm more interested in the PS4 than the NextBox...

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

There's a lot of cynicism going on about the next consoles but when developers say things like this it gives me confidence that it's going to be great

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Did he just bury Microsoft's new console before they gave birth to it? Yes, yes he did. His bluntness is so awesome.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Considering how much of a criticizer Blow has been in the past about the minefield of PS360 indie development, this either bodes well regarding the PS4 and indie developers or Blow is lying and got a nice big check for the exclusivity like everyone else does.

I'll just be thinking that the PS4 is indie friendly, personally.

 

[rofltehcat]

I'm indifferent about the game but kinda liked the trailer's music... anyone know what's comparable (song/band/music style names)?

 

[Latinidiot]

I like this. I will not buy the PS4 on launch, because munneh. But I hope a lot of interesting games will be released on the ps4. Like Folklore.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I'm indifferent about the game but kinda liked the trailer's music... anyone know what's comparable (song/band/music style names)?

The band who played the song in the trailer is the Mediaeval Baebes (and the song is called Glass Window, from their album The Rose--but I like Worldes Blysse better).

Anyway, I'm glad he clarified. After Journey, I had a pessimistic view of Sony's idea of "exclusive."

 

[jericu]

I'm indifferent about the game but kinda liked the trailer's music... anyone know what's comparable (song/band/music style names)?

Blow said on twitter the song is Glass Window by Mediaeval Baebes.

On topic, it's good to hear the PS4 is going to be a bit more indie friendly. XBLA was good, but games needed a proper publisher, XBLIG was mostly terrible because of the serious lack of quality control, and I've barely even heard about indie games on the PS3.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Thats nice. Good for Mr. Blow. I bought Braid when it came out on the Xbox. But when, and mark my words that it will, it comes out on the next Xbox, I will not be purchasing it.

 

[weirdee]

Did he just bury Microsoft's new console before they gave birth to it? Yes, yes he did. His bluntness is so awesome.

well, they snooze, they lose, after all

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

But they, like us, no nothing about the next MS console. An from the Sony event there was a lot of crappy social stuff but not that much on games. Thing is, both PS4/Xbox are consoles, both are about games.....unless they think MS can make money from a social media only console? J Blow just sounds like a complete retard, nothing like basing his opinions on rumor. I really hope the new Xbox does really well (an equals the PS4 in sales and popularity) and MS tells this guy to screw off when he comes clawing at the door wanting to sell his crappy game on the nextbox.

 

[Saviordd1]

To bad I won't be buying this game purely on the standard of "It's Jonathan 'I'm too good for this world' Blow".

Seriously, fuck that guy.

Music was nice though.

 

[Do4600]

I'd hate to say it, but this looks like a a really childish version of Myst.

 

[mysecondlife]

Did he just bury Microsoft's new console before they gave birth to it? Yes, yes he did. His bluntness is so awesome.

Its pretty much up there with Bungie saying "fuck you" to Microsoft at Sony's meeting.

 

[RA92]

Thats nice. Good for Mr. Blow. I bought Braid when it came out on the Xbox. But when, and mark my words that it will, it comes out on the next Xbox, I will not be purchasing it.

I don't understand why people would get wound up for his remark. He didn't insult you, the XBox consumer. He was just critical of the MS middle-management when it comes to the indie marketplace.

Fanboyism at its worst.

 

[kortin]

Thats nice. Good for Mr. Blow. I bought Braid when it came out on the Xbox. But when, and mark my words that it will, it comes out on the next Xbox, I will not be purchasing it.

I don't understand why people would get wound up for his remark. He didn't insult you, the XBox consumer. He was just critical of the MS middle-management when it comes to the indie marketplace.

Fanboyism at its worst.

Jonathan Blow is a pretentious dipshit who frowns upon non-artsy games and believes the only games that should exist should be heavily artistic (a value I, and many others, disagree with severely; Limiting a medium only to super heavily detailed art will only hinder its progress). His game wasn't even that good or deep. He's just an arse.

I, personally, despise Jonathan Blow because him and like-minded people hinder the Game Industry just as much as the jerkoffs at the top of Activision and EA.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I, personally, despise Jonathan Blow because him and like-minded people hinder the Game Industry just as much as the jerkoffs at the top of Activision and EA.

I think you're giving mostly-unpopular indie developers too much credit.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Thats nice. Good for Mr. Blow. I bought Braid when it came out on the Xbox. But when, and mark my words that it will, it comes out on the next Xbox, I will not be purchasing it.

I don't understand why people would get wound up for his remark. He didn't insult you, the XBox consumer. He was just critical of the MS middle-management when it comes to the indie marketplace.

Fanboyism at its worst.

Jonathan Blow is a pretentious dipshit who frowns upon non-artsy games and believes the only games that should exist should be heavily artistic (a value I, and many others, disagree with severely; Limiting a medium only to super heavily detailed art will only hinder its progress). His game wasn't even that good or deep. He's just an arse.

I, personally, despise Jonathan Blow because him and like-minded people hinder the Game Industry just as much as the jerkoffs at the top of Activision and EA.

Agreed. He is probably the biggest hipster in the gaming industry.