Jenova Chen: ‘My resolution is to create a big financial success’
At the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit, thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen spoke at length about creating Journey, revealing that the studio ran out of money after significant delays which ultimately resulted in the game many of us know and love. “I wouldn’t say that the development of Journey was a successful example of game development,” he told Polygon.
“I think to have a financial success, that is going to change everyone, it has to be much bigger than a game on the PlayStation platform.” Continuing, Chen said “I run into a lot of lost and frustrated students who study games to work on great art, but then find there is no place for them. I feel responsible for them because I showed them that is possible, but there is no place for them.”
The underlying hope is that the team can help pave the way for financially successful artistic games, opening doors for those students. Speaking vaguely about the next project, Chen commented that “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.”
