Insomniac still "dedicated" to PS3 fans
Overstrike about reaching broader audience.
Insomniac – for 15 years a PlayStation-exclusive developer - has reassured PlayStation 3 owners that it hasn't left them behind despite entering multi-platform development with Overstrike.
Overstrike, a four-player co-op action game due out on PS3 and Xbox 360, is the Resistance and Ratchet developer's first non-PlayStation-exclusive game.
"We recognise we have a very loyal fanbase among Sony players, and we love them," boss Ted Price told Eurogamer at E3 2011.
"We're definitely dedicated to them. However, we've always wanted to reach out to an even broader audience. The Xbox 360 audience has been a viable, vibrant audience for a long time. This was just a chance to do that."
Insomniac's EA Partners publishing deal means it retains the intellectual property rights to Overstrike, a brand it hopes to expand with non-game ventures.
"We've loved having Sony as a partner for many years, and we're continuing to work with Sony," Price explained. "However, Sony owns the IP. That's great. We've wanted to be able to control our destiny a little bit more in a more solid way. Owning one's IP gives you even more latitude when it comes to how your IP is taken beyond games."
So, what does the multi-platform Overstrike mean for Insomniac's long-running association with the PS3 Resistance and Ratchet franchises? Does Overstrike mark the end of PS3-exclusive development for Insomniac?
"It's important to say never say never," Price said. "Everybody's been constantly surprised at how quickly the industry changes, so I would never want to say anything that locks us into a particular path because it'll be brought up and dusted off and used against us at some point. It pays to be open-minded."