Speaking to EDGE magazine, celebrated indie dev and Braid creator Jonathan Blow indicated Sony’s positioning with PlayStation 4 is more desirable than Microsoft’s direction with the next-generation Xbox.
Specifically, Blow thinks Microsoft’s all-encompassing entertainment focus misses the mark, and Sony’s developer-first approach makes PS4 the next-gen platform of choice. "To me they talk about a console that is not strictly about games. It’s trying to be the centre of the living room device, which is fine and maybe it’s the right thing for Microsoft to do, business-wise," he explained. "I don’t know; I actually don’t think it is, but they’ve certainly thought about it more than me!"
Blow’s latest game, an indie puzzler dubbed The Witness, will launch exclusively on PS4. While the game may be ported to PC, iOS, or Xbox down the line, developer Thekla, Inc. has no concrete plans to do so.
A poor working relationship with Microsoft may contribute to Blow’s sentiment. "I’ve had a bad time working with Microsoft in the past. Maybe not super bad, but a moderately bad time in terms of business relationships," he lamented. "Other developers who are friends of mine have had a horrible time . . . there’s a certain amount of dread I have about doing that again. I don’t have that with Sony."
As it stands, Blow is excited about PS4 as a platform, and glad to be publishing his game as a timed Sony exclusive. "[Sony realizes] that downloadable games are going to be bigger than they ever have been. . . . As a place to put the best, highest performing version of our game on, [the next Xbox] doesn’t seem as good a choice."
For more on The Witness, check out the game’s debut trailer and stay glued to PSU.com.