One of the highlights of E3 for me this year was seeing Journey receive such an enthusiastic response from everyone (and it did look particularly stunning on a 50 inch screen in the SCEE press room). Here’s a few words from thatgamecompany, the talented team behind flOw and Flower, about their exciting new project…
Hello, there! Coming out of E3 a few weeks ago, we at thatgamecompany couldn’t be more excited about the reception our latest game, Journey, received from both the press and general showgoers. Journey is our third game for PS3 and PSN, and we’re trying something new, something that we hope changes the way people think about online gaming.
As you may have heard, in Journey, players take on the role of travelers headed to a mysterious mountain in the distance. But unlike our previous two games, flow and Flower, Journey presents our vision of what an online adventure can be. As you explore Journey, you may cross paths with other travelers. You can to join and play with up to one other player at a time.
But what makes Journey different is that there are no online lobbies, no matchmaking, no PSN IDs, and no chat. You are the character, limited to the ways of communication of the character itself. Will you choose to travel together – or go your own way? What secrets lie in the mysterious, sand-covered ruins of this world?
As mentioned over on the US PlayStation Blog, a small-scale closed beta trial will be taking place in the coming weeks, to test Journey’s innovative and unusual multiplayer functionality. Whilst it’d be amazing to open this out to everyone out there who’s excited about Journey, unfortunately numbers need to be kept very limited for technical reasons. But as it progresses, this trial will be extended into SCEE – the existing Beta Trial community and selected PlayStation Plus members will receive invitations in early July. Look out for more information about selection criteria and timings soon.














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65 CommentsAdd Yours
1
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:06 pm by ShadowDoGGG
I say, it should be whoever is first comment here and is a legit PS+ member
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:17 pm by Alex Pavey
However did you come up with that idea…?
2
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:11 pm by zuzzyb2
Yep I agree, and second too
3
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:18 pm by hawken
Third
4
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:20 pm by Yeroon
Or maybe the PS+ member who was the first buying Flower…
5
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:21 pm by vicheous
Cool hope i get picked
Been on + since day one and i buy ALOT on PSN!
6
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:21 pm by Azard300
Please send me the beta! i’ll sell my soul to Kevin Butler!
7
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:21 pm by hybrid_snyper
I was lucky enough to get hands on at the SCEE room at E3. It is so beautiful can’t wait to get my own copy.
8
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:26 pm by supvic
so what exactly do you do with a partner when there’s no communication at all? I guess you just follow them along their journey? is there no interaction at all?
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:40 pm by Alex Pavey
There are ways to “communicate” – but they aren’t the standard text or voice chat approaches. I won’t try to explain too much more than that for now – I think getting more specific will do the experience of the game a disservice, and I don’t want to spoil anyone’s experience.
9
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:27 pm by Tenchuwoh
I will buy this game 100%,the design of the enviroments looks awsome,just awsome.I would be really happy if u will pick me lol
10
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:34 pm by vonhammer
If I did get in,i’d give the code away.Seen more than enough of the game.Been on a footage blackout since before E3,just going to wait until it’s out.
11
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:35 pm by Wraxend
Surely it should be offered to people who own the previous two games… you know the guys/gals who have supported thatgamecompany. All i’m saying is that i’m a plus member only for the free trial as it has no appeal to me. Yet I spend(not showing off just stating a fact) more money on the store than most Plus members probably do.
12
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:35 pm by almighty-slayer
I don’t really want to be in any kind of beta for this! First experience of it needs to be the full experience
13
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:36 pm by VictorAnalogy
I’ll take codes off everyone who doesn’t want them. I’m chomping at the bit for this title.
14
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:36 pm by Roxas598
Good times to be a beta tester lol
15
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:39 pm by Djvilas
I find closed betas funny. Everyone fighting over a key
Am I the only one who can’t wait for tomorrow to get the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta? Also, do you know if Theater Mode will be in the beta?
Thanks
16
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:40 pm by dreddi1
I love games like this!
Relaxing and mysterious
17
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:40 pm by Ryusennin
I’ll be frank: I’m more interested in a definitive release date than in the private beta test. Sony has made a bad habit of repeatedly postponing original titles to unknown dates (Journey, The Last Guardian) and this is making the core audience nervous.
Journey should be released in October at the very latest, otherwise the market will be choke-full of big gun titles until Christmas and I fear it will go completely unnoticed by then.
18
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:42 pm by Samarotu
thx thx thx…. for giving us this Beta…
I really Love to be a Trialist…wooohoooo
19
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:48 pm by solid13
Will you be able to play the game offline or is it an online only experience ?
20
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:50 pm by sentry-23
Fingers crossed for the beta requirement for PS+ and 100% Flower trophies.
(that ‘Pure’ trophy made me say too many impure things)
21
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:52 pm by Dante_Zero
flow /flow expansion and flower purchasers on ps plus should be the beta priority. beside how does one evn get into the beta comunity, it’s not taken and new registrations in about 2 years
22
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:56 pm by Golwar
How about releasing Flower meanwhile as a free PSN+ title? I guess it has been demanded often enough meanwhile. And it surely would help to promote Journey better than a beta that almost nobody has access to, right?
@ almighty-slayer (#12)
Well said. That’s the reason why I play almost no betas at all too.
23
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:56 pm by Samarotu
@Dante_Zero
we had a Recruitment wave a few Months ago. But the missing Slots were filled with Friend Recommendations from the Beta Community.So there were no public Recruitment.
Don´t know if there will be a public recruitment soon…but i don´t think so atm…
24
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:57 pm by Wraxend
Forget the rant though as this game looks amazing i like the way you can journey with others and it blends into the game with out the need for menus. Kinda of wondering if you know if there is more than one control scheme as i think the primairy way for camera control is done by the sixaxis and while i trust thatgamecompany to get it right wouldn’t mind if the right stick was a back option just in case it goes wrong.
like last year.
If i had to guess this would be coming out in august maybe to combat our lack luster of summer releases in comparison to the xboxs summer of arcade again
25
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 3:59 pm by Mithos-SWE
I say exclude all the “usual suspects” from the beta (Spain, Italy, England, Germany, etc etc) and place the beta to all the countries that are left out from the cool stuff only the “usual suspects” usually get. ;P
26
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:00 pm by Carnivius_Prime
Well, I wasn’t a fan of flow or flower at all (really just not for me) but this sorta interests me in a strange way. Not sure if it’s something I’d want to ‘play’ much but I’m likely to give it a go.
Anyways I’m too excited about the Uncharted 3 Beta…raaaagh!
27
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:00 pm by GutsBerserker
I already posted this a long time ago on the TGC homepage and I don’t know if this is already part of the game or not (I’m on a media blackout
) but I’d like to repeat my wish/idea:
- A day/night cycle like in Flower but dynamic would be fabulous. I can already picture walking through the sand dunes under a starry sky with a wandering moon illuminating the landscape and covering it in dark blue / black / silver shades.
28
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:05 pm by Furiekins
I’ll be getting this and I hope that as many people as possible spread the word to get many more people into the idea that games don’t have to fit to a “genre” or be a year-on-update to be engaging, fun and just plain brilliant.
TGC (and others who are willing to put imagination and creativity before “marketing numbers”) should be applauded for making these fantastic games and absolutely should get financial reward to prove that the risk is worth it.
Go out now and tell at least five other people about the games and why they should buy them! The future of the games industry lies in the hands of people like this, producing games of this quality and intelligence.
29
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:05 pm by Linconan
*sits down and reads blog*
*rates 5 stars*
*makes a wish*
*hops up and leaves*
30
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:11 pm by biotec
Hey, I’ve been a day 1 ps plus subscriber, and purchased both flow and flower. Shouldn’t guys like me get beta priority since I have supported thatgamecompany by buying their previous games and would have more knowledge on how to improve the beta because of it. I’d hate to see a 12 year old who has no previous games with his free 30 day plus trial get picked and complain due to it not being like COD MW2.
31
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:13 pm by MIKER33
I KNOW ITS OFF SUBJECT BUT HOW CAN I GET MONOPOLY STREETS TO PLAY ONLINE IT KEEPS SAYING EA SERVER UNAVAILABLE PLEASE HELP
32
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:43 pm by Nistelroy78
Ill might have a good chance to get a invitation here
.. I am plus member and was downloading flower, about 10 minutes after the store was update that year Flower was released
it couldne be much earlier
…
33
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:44 pm by Nistelroy78
#33 … You have completly right this off topic .. you should probaly contact EA .. but as far as i know gaming servers for Monoply is taken down.
34
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 4:54 pm by Cyberendpunk
This game -if it can be even called that- really has no purpose to it…. and that’s why I must get it! Feels like something you would play after an intense session of Twisted Metal online or Uncharted 3. Flower was really am amazing feeling to play through and I sense the same unique experience in Journey. Can’t wait to get it later in the year.
35
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 5:13 pm by NiceliBiceli
Journey Beta, yay!
…
Oh noes! :’(
36
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 5:28 pm by Amon_Lau
Been looking forward to this for a while, hope I get lucky and be picked… :3
37
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 5:33 pm by capitales7
shame… my trial PS+ expires on 4th of July
I honestly would sign up (the trial made me realize it’s actually quite good and worth it). Only problem is, I’m poor and have no money for food. My son is starving, and my wife has no clothes (which is actually a good thing sometimes…).
Sorry…
38
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 6:24 pm by PADOVA1977
I hope to be in the beta
39
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 6:31 pm by killer7ITA
I’m here!
40
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 7:13 pm by BigBoss587
I have been following this game for a while and I would love to get a chance to be a part of the Beta…
41
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 7:20 pm by killer7ITA
After posting the message, i’ve activated the “trial PSN PLUS”, why i don’t have the “Yellow Cross”?
42
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 7:29 pm by sazzrah
Will the same terms apply to the SCEE beta? I have been a PS+ member since before the PSN outage and bought Flower on release day. Heck, I bought the Flower dynamic theme and Flower soundtrack too!
I’ve been looking forward to Journey as much as any AAA title this year. Right now I have a custom Journey theme on my PS3 too! If anyone else wants it; go here: http://playstation-themes.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey-ps3-theme-by-frankzito.html
Awesome theme!
43
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 7:56 pm by Skookie30
Hmm another limited draw lots into betas for Plus member there no reason for free 30 days plus members to renew they sub & it will be Your fault for low numbers.
i‘m not bother, but what bothers me is the LIES i‘m just waiting for july plus update maybe It will be great to pull ppl in.
44
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 8:34 pm by Xarli80
I also would like to have access to the beta test. Good luck to everyone!
45
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 8:48 pm by MazzingerZ
Looking forward to play this, the kind of games that keeps me interested in VG…so many possibilites and only few dare to try something New with their gamed. Thanks for being One of them.
46
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 9:25 pm by CozMick
It looks absolutely beautiful and the online functions of the game sound as minimalistic as you would want in this sort of game.
Bravo thatgamecompany!
47
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 10:22 pm by Fluidic-Venus
Looks AWESOME! Can’t wait. Loved flower too \m/
48
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 10:56 pm by DKShadow
Any beta invites incoming for the press? *wink wink*
49
Posted on 27 June, 2011 at 11:27 pm by face15
I want to be in this beta so badly.
50
Posted on 28 June, 2011 at 12:27 am by Therabee
<– this
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