Hello again, everybody! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm after we announced the release date for Journey as March 13. It’s really the juice that has kept us going over these last three years. We’re anxiously awaiting the time when we’ll be able to see you all online and hear what you think of Journey. So we are bundles of nerves and energy right now! The first reviews of the game are starting to hit, and we’re extremely excited that reviewers seem to understand what we set out to achieve.

To help distract us from the pre-launch jitters, we recently had a small wrap party in the same way we did for flOw and Flower – by hosting a house party at the home of our former USC game design professor, and now friend, Tracy Fullerton. We like this kind of celebration because it’s just a friendly gathering for friends, family, and of course, Journey.

We then took our own journey out to Big Bear mountain, near Los Angeles (our home base). By coincidence more than actual design, we ended up having a very similar path in our lives as the character in Journey: our first team retreat during the production of Journey was to the Pismo Beach ocean dunes in 2009, and then the whole team ended up on the snowy mountaintop at Big Bear three years later!

But what I’m really here for is to show you a new developer diary video, featuring new footage both of the game and a behind-the-scenes look at the game and our team here at thatgamecompany and Sony Santa Monica. I hope you enjoy it!

Be sure to check back here on the blog on Monday for some more big Journey news. We really can’t wait to see you all online!

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Happy Holidays, PlayStation Bloggers! (Or are readers considered to be “bloggies”?)

We just hit a major milestone on Journey, and are super excited to take a brief break – when we return it will be pedal to the medal to finish it up and get it out to you! Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive over the last THREE YEARS (our longest project yet!). Your support really does make all the difference, and I can’t say “thank you” enough on behalf of everyone at thatgamecompany.

Because 2011 was such a long and intense year for us, we had a bit of a mellow party to just relax, hang out, and eat some good food.

TGCers gathering around Robin’s dining room table.

(more…)

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Hello hello hello! This is Kellee Santiago, and I am honoured to fulfill thatgamecompany‘s final wish for 2010 – to show you more Journey. You may have seen footage of Jenova and I on SPIKE’s special pre-VGA show last night — well, I have more for you. Below is our very first trailer to showcase some of the great things to come.

I’m in NYC right now, where we’ve been talking more about the game, and specifically about our approach to creating a unique, intuitive, and accessible online experience. So keep a look out for more info to come!

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We were thrilled we got the opportunity to unveil our current PSN project, “Journey” at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles, because we hate secrets and are terrible at keeping them. So now we don’t have to worry *quite* as much, although because we are still in development there are some aspects of “Journey” that still remain a mystery to us. We feel very honored to be able to work at pushing the boundaries of video games to see what other experiences it can provide, and I think you’ll see that “Journey” is no exception to this goal.

The inspiration for Journey came from Jenova’s feeling that in the modern world where man has so much power, we have lost an integral aspect of the human experience – awe towards the unknown. And we can see this in our video games as well. But don’t take it from me! Here’s Jenova to talk about it more:

In today’s society, man is powerful – We can travel at 60 mph; we can fly; we can connect with just about anyone, anywhere, at anytime. But on the street, people pass by each other ignoring the wonderful existence of other beings. We are overwhelmed by the attention needed to gain and execute our own power – just like we are in most video games. While we are doing that, we can become isolated and insecure deep inside our mind.

On the contrary, when we are hiking in the wild, we become tiny and weak again. These feelings make every other person we encounter much more important and enjoyable. We greet them, giving them genuine and useful help. We might travel together for a period, learn from and rely on each other. Struggling against the dangerous nature together, somehow, makes us warm and powerful inside. (This doesn’t make any rational sense, but somehow that’s how I feel. And I’m sure many of us do.)

While most video games offer the sense of empowerment in the online gaming experience, we felt the player will pay more attention to the other players if they are less distracted by the power, and the online gaming experience will be quite unique if it carries the feeling of awe towards the unknown. In a world where the majority of the players are distracted by technology, evoking a sense of awe and mystery could be very refreshing and powerful.

To realize these goals, we aimed to create a world that feels vast and somewhat unfamiliar. And so the game begins with a character waking up in a desert, with no clues as to what might have happened before or what will happen later. There’s only a tall mountain in the distance, beckoning the player to set out and explore.

As you travel through the world, you may encounter a stranger who is on his or her own journey. But we don’t want to talk too much about the online experience right now. In part, because we really don’t want to inform your own experience of it; also, because we really enjoy seeing what happens when experiences come without explanation. But there’s plenty of time left for us to talk about it in the future…

One thing is for certain: we love getting to talk about a new project! It means that we can’t just navel-gaze about our own work anymore. It’s out there. You’re responding to it! And it also means we’re that much closer to getting the game into your hands. So we’d like to extend a HUGE thanks to everyone who has already expressed words of encouragement – they really do help!

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