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Rime: Microsoft rejected Tequila Works game before it became PS4 exclusive
- Thread starter DarkLordMalik
- Start date
That's what I thought too.
People have really high expectations about Rime but as some guys here have said Deadlight was mediocre (even though I kinda enjoyed it) so keep your expectations in check people, it's never a bad thing.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
Rime is one of the few PS4 games that look really interesting to me, but some of the reactions in this thread are (unsurprisingly) a bit premature and even extreme. As I said, Rime looks like it has potential to be a good game, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to remember that Deadlight also looked amazing in its early days, yet it was received quite tepidly upon release.
Glorified G
Member
Hopefully this narrative died along with the drm. They better keep the 'very traditional game experience' with Forza Horizon, Gears and Halo.
Oh trust me this is Day 1 for me.
punkmaggit
Member
Great post.
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I can't imagine Quantum Break or D4 being particularly "connected experiences", and games like LocoCycle and Max and the Curse of Brotherhood are as traditional as they come, in that regard.
Triggerhappytel
Member
I had no idea Obsidian had planned an Xbone game. Can you give any details? I've always felt like Obsidian would be a really good developer if they had a big budget and the support of a decent publisher.
Looking at the two games, I seriously doubt you'd mix the two of them up. Besides, Below is a roguelike dungeon crawler isn't it, while Rime looks like more of an Ico-style adventure.
Backfoggen
Banned
Rime is made by the Deadlight guys? Hype changed to cautious hype.
And Sony cares about what? Puppies? Global warming?
They all care about the same exact thing: our money. The difference at this moment is their approach. Sony didn't approve the game because they thought it looked nice, it was because they believe it can be profitable.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Exactly. I don't care how good Rime looks as Deadlight also looked fantastic and it turned out to be one of the worst games I played last gen and I don't blame MS for passing on Rime because of that.
The reason given about connected experiences is BS though.
Black Mantis
Member
It says it right in the article that they skipped it because it's single player and doesn't have a social aspect. Which means it doesn't fit their target audience.
Finally something for me to play on PS4!
Where's the Japanese games?... >_<
No, that means it doesn't fit their vision, as in Microsoft's. The backlash and subsequent apology for the state of Forza 5's micro-transactions prove that the X1 fanbase doesn't match MS's vision in their inclusion.
Doug Heffernan
Member
A company trying to make a profit and stay in business?
Holy shit, what an absurd concept!
How dare they!
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466615
Things were looking pretty grim for Obsidian at the time. This info leaked right after Obsidian had a sizable amount of layoffs. Thankfully Kickstarter worked out well.
Good point.
Doug Heffernan
Member
Below and Quantum Break are enough to prove that this "connected experiences" mandate is false.
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Did you read the OP? The pitch sounds almost nothing like ICO or the game we saw at the Sony's press conference. It's described as "Gauntlet meets Minecraft meets Jason and the Argonauts".
I think that Below might fit that bill, but I'm doubtful about Quantum Break and some other Xbox One games.
Some of the extreme reactions like mine are mainly from nostalgia. For me its more than looking good, its the SoTC vibe that comes from it and after the disappearance of Team Ico.
Ueda has starved the fans.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Who actually makes the final decision to turn these projects down ? Phil Spencer ?
Doug Heffernan
Member
At the time this game was pitched... that was all Mattrick.
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I'm a huge fan of his games as well, but frankly, the apparent similarities with ICO are more of a turn-off for me. I don't think that I could enjoy an obvious ICO clone, I loved Team ICO's games precisely because they were rather unique for their time.
The initial pitch description sounds a decent bit different than the gameplay snippets we've seen so far. I wonder if Tequila changed the design, or if Sony suggested changes, after the success of more narrative/atmospheric "experiences" with simplified gameplay such as Journey or the many indies on PC.
Miles Quaritch
Member
digoutyoursoul
Member
The brand itself changed a lot when he took over, he's not the only one responsible though I'm sure.
"The next water cooler"
I mean, for fuck sake
jhmtehgamr20xx
Banned
Good question; it's been awhile, and I usually don't say stuff like this. Hopefully there's more of it @ GDC.
One of my most anticipated PS4 games, here.
Nightengale
Member
Below was more likely than not self-funded, but simply not self-published. It was signed as MS Studio game before the 180 on self-publishing.If MS paid the bills, there's very little reason for them to allow timed exclusivity.
As for Quantum Break, it's Remedy. If any established AAA-dev came pitching a single player experience that they would take to another platform holder if refused, MS would be dumb to not accept it. If Bungie wanted to make another Xbox exclusive game that was single-player, MS would pay for it. It's developer pedigree.
Tequila does not have the same pedigree like Remedy. It's natural to assume that if MS were given the choices between 5 indies to fund, they would most likely fund that which have a connected experience or uses Kinect.
Black Mantis
Member
Maybe you should play it before commenting then? I was looking forward to Deadlight a lot and bought it day one, turned out to be one of the most tedious games I bought of XBLA. As for Double Helix, a lot of people on these forums were saying KI would be shit because of their previous titles. They were proved wrong and thankfully so, hopefully TW can come back in a similar manner.
That doesn't sound like the same game at all.
In fact, basic mechanics-wise, the pitch sounds identical to Epic's Fortnight. Given that Epic delivered MS's biggest new IP last gen, I can definitely understand where they'd side in Epic's corner and would tell anyone that threatened to step on their next game's toes to kindly go fly their kite somewhere else.
In fact, basic mechanics-wise, the pitch sounds identical to Epic's Fortnight. Given that Epic delivered MS's biggest new IP last gen, I can definitely understand where they'd side in Epic's corner and would tell anyone that threatened to step on their next game's toes to kindly go fly their kite somewhere else.
well presumably their decision was probably more nuanced than, 'lol no guns we don't want'. i was just suggested something that might have influenced their decision. it probably wasn't just that.
Cornbread78
Member
I really want to see what this game really is, it looks great so far, but we know nothing about gameplay... Something to keep an eye out for and most likely new info comign at E3, along with UIncharted, etc.... 4 months is so long away though!
well at least we know MS do sometimes make good calls. we'll have to wait and see with Rime I guess.
Monty Mole
Member
RIME looks good, mainly because of the ICO influence.
But then Tequila Work's previous game Deadlight also looked good, mainly because of the Shadow Complex influence. But ultimately it ended up feeling little more than a pale imitation of such games.
Given how they struggled to make a decent 2D game, I don't have high hopes for them making a decent 3D game given the larger scope and scale. But, of course, I share everyone else's dreams that they will deliver the gameplay to match the beauty of what we have seen of RIME so far.
However, I certainly can understand why Microsoft would choose not to publish it. But Max recently launched on XBO, and that certainly doesn't focus on social and connected experiences, nor do other downloadable games like Powerstar Golf and Crimson Dragon. So I'm not sure I fully believe in that being the reason why they turned it down.
But then Tequila Work's previous game Deadlight also looked good, mainly because of the Shadow Complex influence. But ultimately it ended up feeling little more than a pale imitation of such games.
Given how they struggled to make a decent 2D game, I don't have high hopes for them making a decent 3D game given the larger scope and scale. But, of course, I share everyone else's dreams that they will deliver the gameplay to match the beauty of what we have seen of RIME so far.
However, I certainly can understand why Microsoft would choose not to publish it. But Max recently launched on XBO, and that certainly doesn't focus on social and connected experiences, nor do other downloadable games like Powerstar Golf and Crimson Dragon. So I'm not sure I fully believe in that being the reason why they turned it down.
My point is, people are judging them for one game they didn't like and yet no one pointed out DH's library of shit. Yet MS happened to work with DH on their own exclusive.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
These reactions are silly because they don't think things fully through.
1) This pitch is likely a LOT different than the Rime we see today. You're right, Rime does look fantastic...now. Don't pretend like it looked the way it does or is the same game that was pitched to them though.
2) Coming off of the disappointment of Deadlight, did they want to give 3 million to them?
3) Them pitching it as also coming out on Windows Phone tells you right then and there that the Rime we see now IS NOT even close to their pitched game.
MS, turns out, made a mistake turning this down...but it had it's reasons that one can extrapolate from my above points. Paz described it perfectly on the first page.
Which makes me strongly think there is more to the rejection than just a lack of a "connected" experience. In addition to the titles you listed, Lococycle, Below, Super Time Force, Max, D4, ect...what of those games scream "connected experience" to anyone? There's gotta be more to the rejection than that, even if that is all they told them.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
I can see why someone like Microsoft, in their current state, prefer to work with Capybara instead of Tequila Works. They like indies that attract headlines like Notch because he's a sure sell with Minecraft. But that's their definition of indie.
With Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery EP Capybera made a marketable indie game that looks enough indie to get art cred with enough production value to be easily marketable. Tequila Works is more of a gamble since the quality can vary. Sony seems more interested in getting great ideas together and if they can help shape those ideas they will. Hence we get RIME.
With Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery EP Capybera made a marketable indie game that looks enough indie to get art cred with enough production value to be easily marketable. Tequila Works is more of a gamble since the quality can vary. Sony seems more interested in getting great ideas together and if they can help shape those ideas they will. Hence we get RIME.