The founder and creative lead of thatgamecompany, Jenova Chen, confirmed that their new game is only in the early stage, though many expected it during 2012.
Chen said to the Telegraph that this very slow development unusual for the indie. He also stated, “It’s been almost a year now and we are still in a very pre, pre-production mode. It’s always been the pattern of thatgamecompany that we spent 75 per cent of time doing R&D and a smaller portion of time on production”. “When we go for a particular goal we have to do a lot of trial and error. It can feel like you are reaching out in the fog trying to find something.”
Chen commented that he is expecting for a game which will be a financially successful one rather than Journey, which was a commercial and critical hit that lead the company to bankruptcy. Journey has made the developers wait for their royalties in March and he is now determined to acquire a mass appeal, with the new game.
Chen once said that “John Hight who was head of External Development at Sony half joking said ‘you just need to make a couple of games to let your artistic ego out, so then you can actually focus on a game that will have mass appeal’”. “Cloud and Flower are very much egocentric about my own expression, Flow is more utilitarian and Journey is more about collaboration between various creative voices in the team. Our next game is going to be something that will relate to a wide audience on a human level. It is very exciting to see my own maturing and the team’s maturing and I’m curious to see what this next game could be.”
The details of game are not yet announced but Chen has hinted that it will be about connecting people and may use a touch interface. He also said that it is being funded by venture capitalists and will not be a platform exclusive.