Journey Success Will Be Hard to Improve on, Admits Game Creator

The developer of Journey says that its next video game project will be launched on more than one platform and that he will try to create an experience that expands on some of the themes seen in the game that recently won big during the prestigious DICE 2013 awards.

Kenova Chen, the founder of thatgamecompany, tells Polygon that, “I have a very high standard. Language doesn’t help. English isn’t my first language and a lot of times I can’t tell exactly what I want for someone to do, so I need to write it myself. Camera controls, level designs, lighting effects, I need to touch it myself. I’m a control freak.”

He adds, “Journey was focused on connection. I think we are trying to do one level above that with this game. It’s very likely, that’s impossible. This will be one level above that connection.”

Previously, Chen explained that he wanted his next title to be a bigger commercial success in order to show indie developers that they could generate hits and to secure the financial future of thatgamecompany.

The studio was close to financial insolvency during the creation of Journey and at the moment, its next project is using resources secured via venture capital.

Journey is a very poetic and easy to play game that relies on its lack of language, gorgeous graphics and interesting gameplay to impress.

The game was delivered exclusively via the PlayStation Network from Sony and quickly went on to become its biggest release.

thatgamecompany has also worked on titles like flow and Flower.

It’s unclear whether the multiplatform focus of the next project from the studio means that the title will arrive on both home consoles and handhelds or whether Chen and his team are leaving their exclusive relationship with Sony and will also work with Microsoft and Nintendo.