Over E3, we let you know about all the indies who couldn’t stop talking about how incredible Sony has become – not only do they self publish, but they have reached out to tons of developers to get them to make PlayStation content. But Sony’s Adam Boyes, best known for his crush on Yoshida, hasn’t just been chasing small developers: he’s also been going after the big guys.
Talking to IGN, Bethesda’s Pete Hines fielded a question on whether the PS4 getting the exclusive beta for The Elder Scrolls Online was to make up for all the problems Bethesda games had on PS3:
It wasn’t intended that way. It was more just that when we were talking to the Sony guys, they were super excited about what we’re doing and what we can do together. They wanted to be big part of this. There’s been a big culture change at Sony. The folks that are there now, that we work with, are not the folks that we were working with a year or two ago. Guys like Adam Boyes and the team that he’s put together on the third-party side – which is who we interact with – I think are being super proactive at reaching out to us. They’re saying, ‘we love your games. I played Skyrim for 200 hours. I want to do more with you guys. What do you have going on?’ Honestly, Adam was like, ‘when can I come out and see everything that you’re making? I want to see everything you’re doing.’ Nobody had ever asked us that before. So just that dynamic is a little different.
Of course, we don’t know if there was also some sort of monetary incentive to make the beta exclusive, although it’s interesting to note that The Witness and Ray’s The Dead are timed PS4 exclusives despite Sony not paying them anything.
Are you excited to see what a more hands-on Sony could mean for the PS4? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to read Wood’s preview of The Elder Scrolls Online and then sign up for the beta.