Prepare the Patrick Stewart “mild shock” reaction GIFs, because it turns out vampire FPS Redfall was very much in development for PS5 at one point. An IGN France interview with creative director Harvey Smith confirms that the title was in production at developer Arkane one year prior to Microsoft’s acquisition, and was originally targeting Sony’s new-gen console. That all changed pretty promptly, of course.
“We got bought out by Microsoft and it was a change with a capital C,” he revealed. “They came in and said, ‘No PS5, we’re focusing on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass‘.” Smith added that he believes it’s “not a big deal” and is “actually a good decision”. He said: “[It helps] support Game Pass and have one less platform to worry about, one less complexity.”
Microsoft had said from the start that it’d evaluate Bethesda’s output on a “case-by-case basis”, but so far it’s only really honoured existing contracts for timed exclusives like Deathloop and continued to support live service titles such as Fallout 76. The publisher’s next big game, Starfield, will only release on Xbox Series X|S and PC – despite it very much being in production for PS5 at one point as well.
What amuses me is that, despite being the site pushing the buy out story the most, our good and completely unbiased friends who got the series s/x exclusive pre launch access (Eurogamer) haven’t bothered to say anything about this. Even though they had an exclusive interview with him, and have already released two stories about his left wing political views and views on Microtransactions…
Edit: OK, now they have, but amazingly spin it with the claim that there is nothing to suggest releasing the game on PS5 was anything more than a suggestion pre acquisition (despite PS5 having by far the larger instal base). Amazing! Don’t worry though they are contacting Bethesda directly to get their propaganda – I mean opinion.
This content was originally published here.
