We’ve written extensively in the past few days about our admiration for Unravel, Coldwood’s upcoming yarn-based plaformer looking to make an impression on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. As a peculiar, off-beat indie game, many were surprised to see it as part of EA’s press conference earlier this week, but the publisher has expressed an interest to explore more low-key titles in the vein of Martin Sahlin’s indie darling in the not-so-distant future. This is a company that isn’t always about sports games and blockbuster shooters, after all.
Speaking with Game Informer, Executive Vice President Patrick Söderlund touched upon the creative desire to push the boundaries with external teams such as Coldwood, and how he hopes providing the backing of a big publisher such as EA can provide genuine confidence in smaller projects.
For me, it’s about not necessarily where EA has been, but what we should become. I believe that we have a responsibility as game developers to push new things, whether that’s internal or external. I believe in bringing a great game to players out there when we see one and have the opportunity to sign one. We will continue to seek great ideas and great teams, whether they are internal or external. Unravel was something that crossed my desk. When I saw it, I said we had to get this.
We’ve seen a similar trend happen recently within Ubisoft. As one of the industry’s mega-publishers, the company oversees heavy-hitting franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Just Dance year after year. But after the recent success of Valiant Hearts and Child of Light, the french company has expressed a renewed interest in low-key titles. Could EA tread a similar path?
Currently, Unravel is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, though there’s no word of a specific release date at this time.
Published: Jun 18, 2015 05:59 pm