The success of Until Dawn – a game in which the player controls a group of teenagers as they’re being terrorized by a serial killer – has surprised many with its success, not least of all Sony and its president – Shuhei Yoshida. Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Yoshida described the game’s success as similar to that of a ‘sleeper hit.’
Continuing to muse on the subject, Yoshida also said:
I’m very happy with how the game was received. People have asked me why it wasn’t marketed as much as other titles. It’s a decision made by marketing departments in each region. Because of the focus on this Christmas time-frame, to really support the big third-party titles like Destiny and these titles, they didn’t see the need to push Until Dawn that much from the platform marketing standpoint. I think everybody was caught by surprise by the positive reaction. That’s a really great thing for the future of the interactive drama genre.
The President of Sony ultimately attributed Until Dawn’s success to its subject matter and gameplay appealing to a wider audience and not just gamers:
We’re a big fan of this genre. These games can talk to a broader audience. You don’t have to be good at playing games. You can even just watch your friend play the game. We believe this interactive drama genre can help expand the audience for console games.
If the countless Twitch streams of the game upon release are anything to go by, then Yoshida has totally hit the nail on the head – Until Dawn’s attraction is its ability to entertain even if you’re not the one playing it.
What have your impressions been of Until Dawn since release? Let us know your own opinions below in the comments section.