Insomniac Explains Why Sunset Overdrive is Exclusive to Xbox One - Update

[Alex Co]

Insomniac Explains Why Sunset Overdrive is Exclusive to Xbox One - Update

Sunset Overdrive co-creators Marcus Smith and Drew Murray explain why the game is exclusive to Xbox One.

Update:

In tweets spotted by OXM, [http://www.totalxbox.com/76294/sunset-overdrives-xbox-one-exclusivity-wasnt-about-money-insists-insomniac/] the official Insomniac Twitter states that "exclusivity wasn't about money."

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/statuses/464976040868057088]

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/statuses/464860755540463616]

So, yeah, it's most likely a factor of Insomniac wanting to retain ownership of the Sunset Overdrive IP than the usual "moneyhats" that people might have presumed.

Original Story:

Just yesterday, Insomniac Games Speaking to IGN, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134358-Sunset-Overdrive-Gets-First-Gameplay-Trailer] game co-creators Marcus Smith and Drew Murray explains why and it's not as cut-and-dry as Microsoft throwing a truckload of money at the studio and calling it a day.

With Sunset Overdrive's concept set internally at Insomniac, it was then time to look for a publisher. According to Smith, Insomniac CEO Ted Price wanted to retain ownership of the brand, which was a deal breaker to some of the publishers the studio talked to.


We pitched it a few different places, and it was really important to [Insomniac CEO] Ted [Price] that we own the IP, so some of the conversations broke down over that...With Microsoft, they just came in very energetic and excited to work with Insomniac, period. And we'd heard some really good things about them and some resources that they would be allowing us to have.

As for the actual pitch to Microsoft, Murray and Smith went multiple times to Seattle to sell the game. Murray recalls how in the "main" pitch, he was wearing his lucky shoes, which he hasn't changed in two weeks and was riddled with holes. "We're presenting, and I have these wet socks up in Seattle. I swear, there must have been six or seven levels of hierarchy at this thing." Smith agrees with the hierarchy levels and mentions, "It's the guy we know, and his boss, and his boss, and his boss... But it started off with us cluing into the speaker system in the conference room and playing the sample from the beginning of MC5's 'Kick Out the Jams', where it's like, "kick out the jams, mother fucker,' not knowing that one of the executives there hates swearing. And then it ended with Drew on top of a chair, mimicking how the game was going to play, and the last minute heroics. It was epic, and I'm shocked they didn't walk away from the table at that point. But for some reason, here we are."

Just assuming here, but I'd take it "resources" in this instance means money Microsoft gave to Insomniac to fund development of the game. Regardless, though, Insomniac wanting to own the franchise it's creating seems like a reasonable demand to me. From what Smith said, it seems the studio might have shopped it to Sony first, but Sony wanted to own the brand, which killed the deal.

For more on Sunset Overdrive, make sure you read up on The Escapist's preview, where it's dubbed "Tony Hawk with guns." [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/previews/11420-Sunset-Overdrive-Preview-Tony-Hawk-With-Guns]

Source: IGN [http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/09/how-sunset-overdrive-became-an-xbox-one-exclusive]

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[Casual Shinji]

Dammit Sony, you fools! You could've had it all!

Well, you could've had this great game at least, and I would've been able to play it.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

well i'll never get to play it, hope Xbone owners enjoy it.

i thought it wasn't possible without the cloud though? so it'll probably be a worse game now?

 

[MazokuRanma]

Microsoft being behind Sony may actually help some developers in situations like this. They're likely to be more invested in finding ways to get exclusives, so they make concessions other publishers might not.

 

[oldtaku]

Let me translate:

$$$$$$

 

[J Tyran]

Funny world when Microsoft have the most flexible publishing deal for a smaller developer.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Let me translate:

$$$$$$

Exactly. They got payed, therefore exclusive. That's how exclusives work. Anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Sony, what u doin' you dummy. E3 went to your damn head and you forget to get the exclusives you thick burk. This pains me to say this, but I'm jelly of Xbox owners. As I've said before though, Insomniacs track record with multiplayer is pretty... Ehhh. The art style and game looks right up my ally if it weren't for the Mutiplayer focus.

But then by the sounds of it, they have the rights, so as soon as the contact reaches it's limit, a PS4 port doesn't sound impossible (ala Mass Effect 2's eventual release to the PS3).

 

[PBMcNair]

Funny world when Microsoft have the most flexible publishing deal for a smaller developer.

Let me translate:

$$$$$$

Exactly. They got payed, therefore exclusive. That's how exclusives work. Anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive.

That's definitely a factor, but the "keep the IP" angle makes sense. Xbone doesn't seem to be doing that great, and I think Microsoft want to have as many exclusives as they can to try and change that. Therefore they may be more willing than other's to allow devs keep IP rights. With only one example we can't be sure, but it bears watching.

 

[J Tyran]

the VERY limited install base of the Xbone.

What? What? The Xbone is doing very well, not as well as the PS4 but its selling in decent volumes and the software is flying of the shelves[footnote]PS4 = 2.3 games per console, Xbone = 2.7 games per console w/ Xbox actually accounting 48% market share of sold software despite the large gap in console sales between the PS4 and Xbone. All statistics retail, http://www.ibtimes.com/ps4-vs-xbox-one-microsoft-closing-sony-consoles-sold-1561823[/footnote]. Do the words "very limited" mean something different for you or is it simply wishful revisionism?

 

[Kenjitsuka]

"and excited to work with Insomniac"
I'd say "duh!!!". These guys have a great reputation of making awesome, beloved games that sell like hotcakes.
I'm pretty sure everyone would be excited.

 

[Areloch]

Funny world when Microsoft have the most flexible publishing deal for a smaller developer.

Let me translate:

$$$$$$

Exactly. They got payed, therefore exclusive. That's how exclusives work. Anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive.

That's definitely a factor, but the "keep the IP" angle makes sense. Xbone doesn't seem to be doing that great, and I think Microsoft want to have as many exclusives as they can to try and change that. Therefore they may be more willing than other's to allow devs keep IP rights. With only one example we can't be sure, but it bears watching.

Being allowed to keep your IP while still getting paid by a major publisher is a HUGE deal.

They may throw all the money at the world at you, but if at some point down the line you want to change what you're doing and they own the IP, you're SOL. See also: the situation with Halo and Bungie.

 

[mjharper]

I gonna defend Microsoft here, because I think it's worth pointing out that Sunset Overdrive was one of the first games announced for the Xbone, long before the actual launch. Microsoft's current woes and alleged need to play catch up couldn't have been such a deciding factor in publishing the game and agreeing to let the creators keep the IP. It sounds like a legitimately fair deal to me, not an act of desperation.

And lest anyone call me a Microsoft fanboy, I'm a Mac user (though I do have Windows installed for gaming) and I've never owned a console of any description.

 

[Erttheking]

You actually wanted to keep the IP?...Ok fair enough, that's actually a really good reason. I just hope that we see a port a year or two down the line.

 

[Eve Charm]

You probably won't see a port but something like titan fall you'll see part 2, if they can fund it themselves, be on whatever they want.

I guess other then halo and gears, other games like mass effect started on MS then branched off onto sony and nintendo.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

They got all the money is what I took from their "explanation".

This is why I hate exclusives, I hope they would just die in a fire and make everything multi platform so that everyone can enjoy what games they want on what platform they want.

That's why I like the big publishers such as Ubisoft that releases their games for everything.

 

[Andy Shandy]

So the assumption is that Sony's need to own the IP has ironically led to Sunset Overdrive being an Xbox exclusive (for the moment).

Well, as an Xbox One owner, I'm certainly not complaining.

Can't wait!

 

[Edl01]

Insomniac have been Sony exclusive for a long time now, so I'm assuming Microsoft here are trying to get of their good side so that they'll make their future games Multiplatform/Xbox Exclusive.
Microsoft would never do this to be nice people. They clearly have an agenda behind such a good deal.