505 Games has promised it will handle future game releases better following criticism of its approach to Control’s next-gen upgrades.
Control fans were disappointed with the roll-out of the next-gen upgrades due to the fact no upgrade option was available. However, 505 Games seems to have listened and learnt from the incident.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, President of 505 Games Neil Ralley admitted that the upgrade to Control was not handled in “the best way”. Reflecting on the company’s progress, Ralley mentioned the controversial decision to limit next-gen upgrades to players who’d purchased the Control Ultimate Edition.
Controversy over upgrades to control
In a statement made last year, 505 Games clarified that additional development would be limited to the Control Ultimate Edition for next gen platforms. The publisher stated that it was “unfortunately unable to offer an upgrade path to all existing Control players.”
Players criticised the move for penalising players who’d bought the base game when it first released. Frustratingly, the decision meant only players who purchased the later version of the game would be able to access the upgrades.
What does this mean for future games?
Ralley explained that 505 Games was “unable to backtrack and reorganise how we were developing the Ultimate Edition”. Now he’s indicated that the publisher has learned from the roll-out of the Control upgrades. Going forward, the publisher will try to avoid the blockade which got in the way with Control.
So, what’s next for 505 Games? It has extended its partnership with Remedy, with plans for a Control sequel and spin-off. The publisher also snapped up the IP for the cyberpunk platformer, Ghostrunner, with franchise plans rumoured to be in the mix. 505 Games has also picked up PC rights for Hideo Kojima’s hit action game Death Stranding.
With a stellar line-up to come, we’ll have our fingers crossed that 505 Games have learned from its upgrade mistake!
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Featured Image Credit: Remedy