The Hell Blade PlayStation exclusive: developer dishes out the reason the game releases first on the PlayStation 4.
Ninja Theory developer talks on the reason Hell Blade is a PlayStation exclusive; exclusive releases recently became a trend, some met with disappointment. Tomb Raider and Street Fighter V, titles previously launched in multiple platforms, were recently announced as console exclusives.
Hellblade comes from the same development team involved in Heavenly Sword and Devil May Cry; the game fuses Celtic and Viking mythology and revolves around Senua, a female warrior.
The timed PlayStation 4 exclusive was previewed in a trailer at the August Gamescom, and was considered among the biggest surprises of 2014.
The Christmas issue for the Official PlayStation Magazine features a twelve-page article on the Hell Blade PlayStation exclusive, with the game on the cover. Dominic Matthews, Product Development Manager for Ninja Theory, comments on why the game launches first to the Sony console:
"As a small development team we have to be careful about which platform we focus on. PlayStation offers us a good opportunity to realise the game in a way that we really want to.
There's also something nice about the partnership between Sony and Ninja Theory - there is heritage there with [PS3 exclusive] Heavenly Sword, so I think getting that team back together...there's something nice about that." (jstationx.com)
Ninja Theory intends to provide a "triple A" value game out of an indie budget, an initiative intended to change the gaming industry. With the latter somewhat shifted from physical to digital releases, budget remains a significant consideration in game development.
Developers like Ninja Theory choose Sony for its support to indie developers. Sony executive Scott Rohde describes the relationship which encouraged the Hell Blade PlayStation exclusive:
"Whenever folks from any of the Worldwide Studios America team would show up at any room, any event, whatever, the quote they used was they felt like the prettiest girl in the room. When the PlayStation guy would walk in the room, the indies would flock to them, because there's a genuine love there and they want to be part of that." (gamespot.com)
