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PlayStation China Hero Project - Unreal Fest Shanghai 2023 Reel

Crayon

Member
What exactly is... hold on.

China Hero Project is a localized strategic initiative that involves identifying China-based high-quality console game development teams and projects and offer them support in consultation, technology, funding, publishing, etc.

Okay, simple enough plan. We'll see how it works out.

Hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I might be at capacity for upcoming magical swordsman games. Wukong and rise of the ronin look sick but idk if I can get excited for 3 more after that.
 
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What exactly is... hold on.

China Hero Project is a localized strategic initiative that involves identifying China-based high-quality console game development teams and projects and offer them support in consultation, technology, funding, publishing, etc.

Okay, simple enough plan. We'll see how it works out.

Hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I might be at capacity for upcoming magical swordsman games. Wukong and rise of the ronin look sick but idk if I can get excited for 3 more after that.
The China Hero Project started a while ago, and some of the titles have already released on PlayStation like F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch which is a good yet underrated metroidvania. I've even bought the limited edition to support the devs and by extension this program.
 

Crayon

Member
The China Hero Project started a while ago, and some of the titles have already released on PlayStation like F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch which is a good yet underrated metroidvania. I've even bought the limited edition to support the devs and by extension this program.

Should be interesting to see these come along. Once in awhile is see cool looking Chinese games on steam, but the titles and descriptions are in Chinese so unless I wishlist them, they slip right by.
 
What exactly is... hold on.

China Hero Project is a localized strategic initiative that involves identifying China-based high-quality console game development teams and projects and offer them support in consultation, technology, funding, publishing, etc.

Okay, simple enough plan. We'll see how it works out.

Hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I might be at capacity for upcoming magical swordsman games. Wukong and rise of the ronin look sick but idk if I can get excited for 3 more after that.

Yeah, I think there is a lot of redundancy because they're just forging relationships and fostering talent. Some of these games are going to flop hard and maybe a couple rise above that. So I wouldn't really focus on any of the titles individually.

The same can be said for the games Sony is making with studios like Firewalk and Haven.

If even one of these games is a hit or semi-hit, Sony will probably be pretty happy, but they've shown a really good job of working these relationships. If you think back to say Quantic Dream. I think the difference here is these studios are going for more safe games leading to the redundancy...
 

Crayon

Member
Yeah, I think there is a lot of redundancy because they're just forging relationships and fostering talent. Some of these games are going to flop hard and maybe a couple rise above that. So I wouldn't really focus on any of the titles individually.

The same can be said for the games Sony is making with studios like Firewalk and Haven.

If even one of these games is a hit or semi-hit, Sony will probably be pretty happy, but they've shown a really good job of working these relationships. If you think back to say Quantic Dream. I think the difference here is these studios are going for more safe games leading to the redundancy...

Well too many swordsman for me personally to buy, but I see the bigger picture there. They are snooping around for talent that would fit into their fold. It is actually a really good idea.

Sony themselves only has wolverine out there as an upcoming headliner, but then you have rise of the ronin and stellar blade filling out the schedule for those who want to cut things. (I want to cut things.) Those games don't just look really nice, they actually appeal to me more than a marvel thing.

So if the ps studios games are only getting out like 5 years between installments of a given IP, finding quality partner stuff that doesn't necessitate a massive moneyhat would be good. And if they found it in China, they're on to something.
 
Well too many swordsman for me personally to buy, but I see the bigger picture there. They are snooping around for talent that would fit into their fold. It is actually a really good idea.

Sony themselves only has wolverine out there as an upcoming headliner, but then you have rise of the ronin and stellar blade filling out the schedule for those who want to cut things. (I want to cut things.) Those games don't just look really nice, they actually appeal to me more than a marvel thing.

So if the ps studios games are only getting out like 5 years between installments of a given IP, finding quality partner stuff that doesn't necessitate a massive moneyhat would be good. And if they found it in China, they're on to something.

If someone does a good job, maybe you give them Ghost of Tsushima 3 while Sucker Punch works on something else.
 

CamHostage

Member
If even one of these games is a hit or semi-hit, Sony will probably be pretty happy, but they've shown a really good job of working these relationships. If you think back to say Quantic Dream. I think the difference here is these studios are going for more safe games leading to the redundancy...

To be clear, Sony is NOT out to publish all of the China Hero Project games (or the India Hero Project games.)

They did ultimately sign one or two I believe, but that's not the point of the Hero Project program. It's also not to make PlayStation-exclusive games; many have been on PC, Switch and Xbox, and I think one game even was started as a PC-only project (though I believe it added PS5 later, but it also might have failed since I don't recognize it in those titles.)

This is an incubation program to get studios started in emerging development territories. (And to spread the good name of PlayStation far and wide...) Sony gets advantages out of this program, but they're not doing it just for themselves (on paper, at least.)


The China Hero Project started a while ago, and some of the titles have already released on PlayStation like F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch which is a good yet underrated metroidvania. I've even bought the limited edition to support the devs and by extension this program.

I believe last time we counted it was like 6 or 7 of the two dozen China Hero Project games across the two phases were actually out (they added a third phase not long ago,) plus the astronaut-shooter Boundary is in Early Access. The FIST guys already announced their second game (which is also in the CHP program,) called The Winds Rising.

Many have also been really good too (FIST and Anno Mutantionium and Hardcore Mecha should all be worth a look,) which bodes well for the future of the program.

There are trends coming up in the games these developers trend towards, so I'm not sure if Sony will look more carefully at originality in concepts whenever Phase 4 happens (will also be interesting to see how different India Project turns out,) but high quality matters most.
 
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What exactly is... hold on.

China Hero Project is a localized strategic initiative that involves identifying China-based high-quality console game development teams and projects and offer them support in consultation, technology, funding, publishing, etc.

Okay, simple enough plan. We'll see how it works out.

Hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I might be at capacity for upcoming magical swordsman games. Wukong and rise of the ronin look sick but idk if I can get excited for 3 more after that.
The 3rd person hack and slash has become REALLY saturated of late. Mainly thanks to soulslikes but frankly anything from Ghost of tsushima to Devil May Cry still feel somewhat similar.

You have to be something really special to stand out. Ronin has team team ninja pedigree and the character swapping could be a game changer. Wukong has a really unique artstyle and changing into enemies is a unique hook. Not a huge amount of other games stand out.

Imagine if you were a best selling JRPG and you abandoned all your unique selling points to "Innovate" into this highly competitive space...
 

Crayon

Member
If someone does a good job, maybe you give them Ghost of Tsushima 3 while Sucker Punch works on something else.

Seems weird at first, but if years from now they were going to hand an entry to another internal studio, and if they had one they originally scouted through this program, then yeah. I don't see why not.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Well too many swordsman for me personally to buy, but I see the bigger picture there. They are snooping around for talent that would fit into their fold. It is actually a really good idea.

Sony themselves only has wolverine out there as an upcoming headliner, but then you have rise of the ronin and stellar blade filling out the schedule for those who want to cut things. (I want to cut things.) Those games don't just look really nice, they actually appeal to me more than a marvel thing.

So if the ps studios games are only getting out like 5 years between installments of a given IP, finding quality partner stuff that doesn't necessitate a massive moneyhat would be good. And if they found it in China, they're on to something.

And fostering talent from different diverse backgrounds matter. That gives your ecosystem flavor. Plus more places to sell your brand.
 

Crayon

Member
And fostering talent from different diverse backgrounds matter. That gives your ecosystem flavor. Plus more places to sell your brand.

Plus I think we all like getting good deal. AAA budgets in the West are stupid. I have a feeling they are making these really nice looking games in China for a lot less money.
 
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