"Everybody's Gone To The Rapture" Now A PS4 Exclusive

[Gahars]

thechineseroom's Dear Esther was a little indie title from 2012 that was, well, divisive, to say the least. Some praised the game as an artistic achievement, others derided it as pretentious, and others still questioned whether or not it even qualifies as a game to begin with.

Well, it looks like the developers next not-Amnesia project, Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, will be coming to the PS4... and nothing else.

Truth be told, I went in expecting to come away marking off days on my calendar until a period of timed exclusivity was up, but no such luck. When I asked if everybody who matters – you know, PC gamers – would eventually go to the rapture, Pinchbeck offered a brief, unfortunate reply: “No, it’ll be a PS4 exclusive.”

That’s a terrible shame, because the Dear Esther successor (aka, the “Thur Sesser Detester” if you try to say it five times fast) is looking terrifically intriguing. In short, you explore a small town just 60 minutes before some snarling cataclysm leaps from a bush and bites existence in the ankle to death. Various characters spend their final hour in different fashions, and you can either watch them search for peace in the panic or interfere by way of exploration and physical interaction.

I queried further as to why we’re missing out, and Pinchbeck was refreshingly frank:
“So the thinking went like this,” he began. “We don’t have enough money or production expertise to make this game without help. We don’t think we can raise enough through Kickstarter or public alpha to make this happen. We could do with production support on a game this scale. We’ve always wanted to make a console game. Publishers have bad reputations all too often. Hey, Sony Santa Monica are great though. We’ve met them a few times and really like them and their attitude.”

“Also, PS4 is starting to look very cool as a platform. All eggs thrown into singular basket, Sony Santa Monica contacted, everybody likes each other, lots of love for the project. Long dark night of the soul mulling over implications of shifting across to console. Mix of pragmatism and excitement about the possibilities win out.”

Rock Paper Shotgun

"B-but, but, but muh PC gaming master race!"

Sony has been doing a whole lot to court indie developers recently, and from E3 to Gamescom, they've been doing their best to highlight the PS4's lineup of independent titles. It's an interesting way to draw in PC players who might be hesistant about purchasing a home console, and it's a cost effective way for Sony to secure exclusives (where a AAA title might cost millions, throw an indie dev some ramen and you'll have them in your pocket for life). We'll see how much deals like this actually help once the PS4's launch comes this November.

If I get a PS4, I'm-a-geddon this game for sure. What about you, GBAtemp? Do you have any interest, or will you be left behind?

(Side note: I originally kept writing the title as "Let's All Go To The Rapture" before realizing my mistake. I prefer my title.)

 

[The Milkman]

Well thats stupid. Throwing all your eggs into a basket like that, especially into a new console. I bet 2 or 3 months after release till we see a PC port.

(Also First Toast)

 

[GameWinner]

I am okay with this.

 

[Issac]

Hmmm... I'm not one to judge, but I would've been happy to see it released on PC. Some day I will get a PS4 though, but until that day I guess I won't be playing this game When it's long gone forgotten.

 

[Nathan Drake]

Well thats stupid. Throwing all your eggs into a basket like that, especially into a new console. I bet 2 or 3 months after release till we see a PC port.

(Also First Toast)

If they gave exclusive publishing rights to Sony, we won't be seeing it on PC ever. Since they did, yeah, PS4 title only. If the Vita can run it, maybe we'll see it there eventually, but Sony isn't getting exclusives by being loose with publishing rights.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

And ANOTHER devastating blow to WiiU. DOOOOOOOOOMED

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Game definitely looks interesting. Will probably grab it when I grab a PS4

 

[notmeanymore]

Just the idea of seeing a world in-action, being nothing more than a cog in the wheel, sounds 100x more beautiful than I can comprehend right now, and sounds like the next step in the evolution of interactive art.

 

[chyyran]

If they gave exclusive publishing rights to Sony, we won't be seeing it on PC ever. Since they did, yeah, PS4 title only. If the Vita can run it, maybe we'll see it there eventually, but Sony isn't getting exclusives by being loose with publishing rights.

Papo and Yo, and Guacamelee came out on PC, was that different? (Seriously, I have no idea, can someone clarify why those games got a PC port? Weren't they supposed to be PS3 exclusives?)

Shame this has to happen. It sets a saddening precedent IMO.

 

[Nathan Drake]

Papo and Yo, and Guacamelee came out on PC, was that different? (Seriously, I have no idea, can someone clarify why those games got a PC port? Weren't they supposed to be PS3 exclusives?)

Shame this has to happen. It sets a saddening precedent IMO.

Neither were published by Sony. For Papo and Yo, there may have been a sense of exclusivity simply because Sony apparently helped fund the project, but it was in no way necessary to keep it only on Sony consoles (unless a deal was struck with a time frame in mind). For Guacamelee, I didn't look far, so perhaps it is the same deal as Papo and Yo, but regardless, Sony did not possess publishing rights for either of those games.

This game though, Sony has procured publishing rights for, so it won't be going anywhere.

 

[shakirmoledina]

we should also complain to naughty dog to release uncharted 4 for pc then

 

[Hells Malice]

This is the same thing with Bayonetta 2.
Sony invested in the game and is making it happen. It wouldn't exist otherwise, making it exclusive is rather obvious.

 

[macmanhigh]

I thought this was a new Bioshock title -_-

 

[emigre]

Papo and Yo, and Guacamelee came out on PC, was that different? (Seriously, I have no idea, can someone clarify why those games got a PC port? Weren't they supposed to be PS3 exclusives?)

Shame this has to happen. It sets a saddening precedent IMO.

Sony 'funded' Guacamelee via the Pub Fund. Devs are given an advance on future royalties to make the gaem. The Devs in return follow a number of conditions, one of which is to make their gaem a timed exclusive. Sony don't any rights over the IP. With Rapture, Sony are funding it and getting SSM to assist the Devs in making it.

 

[Minox]

If this game is anything like Dear Esther then I want absolutely nothing to do with it, apocalypse or not.

 

[The Milkman]

\ Devs are given an advance on future royalties to make the gaem.

I'm starting to wonder if you know how to spell that word correctly...

 

[jowan]

This is the same thing with Bayonetta 2.
Sony invested in the game and is making it happen. It wouldn't exist otherwise, making it exclusive is rather obvious.

Wait what