Insomniac Games’ CEO, Ted Price, dropped a message to the studio’s fans that elaborates on their decision to develop Sunset Overdrive exclusively for Xbox One consoles.
Price explains that the team was initially hesitant to shift into an exclusive arrangement with the Microsoft team, but as the core philosophies and abilities of the Xbox One began to surface the team knew that Xbox One and Sunset Overdrive were destined to be together. The Insomniac team’s ambition to create an ongoing two-way dialogue with their community will be supported further through the Xbox One and Xbox Live.
The power of the next-generation console will allow the team to provide faster production cycles with timely content updates for new weapons, characters, and storylines. Additionally, the team is hoping to implement relevant pop culture references through memes based on social commentary.
Insomniac’s vision for Sunset Overdrive is admirable, but only time will reveal precisely what this partnership will bring. Considering Xbox One’s DRM functionality is dripping with negativity for many, it will be interesting to see how Insomniac Games’ vision for Sunset Overdrive can potentially prove to be one of the many perks of an always connected device.
The team’s exclusive agreement with Microsoft may cause a certain level of fear within Insomniac’s community, but fear not. Check out Price’s explanation of why being an independent developer provides a certain level of magic.
“Insomniac has been, is, and will continue to be 100% independent. We have treasured that independence for the last 19 years. It now allows us to own and control our IP, and find the most suitable partners to make those IP a reality. While we are excited about partnering with Microsoft on Sunset Overdrive, that doesn’t mean we can’t or wouldn’t make games with our longtime friends at Sony. That’s the magic of being an independent developer.”
What do you think about Insomniac’s partnership with Microsoft to bring their vision for Sunset Overdrive to life on the Xbox One console? Be sure to leave us your thoughts in the comments below.