Game Director of Days Gone Jeff Ross confirmed information to Bloomberg that Sony Bend Studio at some point worked on the idea of a sequel. He talked about this on a stream with the creator of the original God of War. David Yaffe…
Ross leaves Sony Bend in December alongside creative director of Days Gone John Garvin, however, noted during the broadcast that his departure was caused by personal reasons and had nothing to do with Days gone 2… He did not disclose the current status of the project due to the current NDA, but confirmed several other points from the Bloomberg report, including that part of the Sony Bend was assigned to work on Naughty Dog’s projects.
An ex-studio employee noted that Days Gone sold better than all previous Sony Bend projects combined.… From a commercial point of view, the game was successful, but at the same time it collected conflicting reviews and itself turned out to be expensive – by the end of development, the costs significantly exceeded the starting budget, and no less would have to be spent on a sequel. Given that Sony don’t have as much money as Microsoft, she has to use resources more carefully in order to have confidence in the return on investment… Company has never disclosed the circulation of Days Gone, however, according to Ross, big games like this need to sell 4 to 5 million copies in order to at least just pay off.
He went on to say that the plan for the sequel was to fix the flaws in the original. The sequel was supposed to unfold in the same universe and add the possibility of joint passage… Co-op was planned as an additional mode, and the main focus would still be on the storytelling. As conceived by the authors, in multiplayer, players would control bikers in the spirit of the Deacon, trying to survive and create their own club or gang.
“I think it would be interesting to be in this world and fight the hordes together.”
According to Bloomberg, Days Gone 2 has fallen victim to a new Sony policy that has shifted its course towards blockbuster games at the expense of niche teams such as the recently closed Japan studio… Ross said he was unaware of what was going on with the smaller PlayStation games, but noted that he believed it was perfectly acceptable for the company to prioritize commercial success over goodwill. At the same time, despite the recent increased conservatism, Sony remains very supportive of the development teams and maintains a policy of hands-off. Studios are well aware that they have to release commercial successful products, but the company “does not stuff it down their throats.”
“Sony needs to run a responsible business. So it’s okay for them to make decisions based on projected ROI because the money they earn will go towards funding the next games.”
“For Sony, every generation is about survival. They’ve never had a surplus of cash, so they have to make smart decisions. Fans need to understand this before they freak out.”
According to media reports, Sony Bend is currently helping Naughty dog on a multiplayer project and since 2019 has been working on a new IP in the open world.
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