Creator Josef Fares recently spoke with The Sixth Axis during an early playthrough of A Way Out, the game that can only be played in co-op. Fares is known for his animated behavior and lack of a filter, so it’s unsurprising that he allegedly revealed some information about his deal with EA to publish A Way Out under EA Originals.
Here’s the thing, and you have to understand this: with this deal that I have for this game, EA is not making a single dollar out of this. Every single dollar is going to the developer. They’re not even making any money and all I’ve got is support from EA.
They’ve not questioned the vision – they can’t because I won’t allow it – so they’ve been super supportive all the way. Even with this buy one [Friend Pass] thing, no problem.
That’s right. According to Fares, not only is EA not making a profit on his game, but apparently every dollar made from A Way Out is going straight to Hazelight, the developer behind the project. It’s hard to believe that EA wouldn’t at least try to recover some of the sunk cost of publishing and funding the game, but with only Fares’s quote to go on, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know the full details of his deal with EA.
We got a look at A Way Out at the EA Access event at E3 2017, calling it a breath of fresh air for the publisher.
A Way Out felt like a breath of fresh air, not only in EA’s sequel-heavy event, but also for the gaming industry at large. Co-op games are rare these days. Co-op games designed for couch co-op are even rarer. Co-op games that tackle more mature subject matter, and that force you to decide as a team? I’m thinking this might be a new sub-category. The small snippet of the game that we saw was impressive, and hopefully we will be back to report that the game fulfills its vision in our review when the game launches in early 2018.
At the end of last year, Josef Fares wanted to remind players that only one copy of A Way Out is required to play online with friends. Friend Pass will allow a second player to play even if they don’t own the game themselves. The entire game can only be played in co-op–either couch or online–so if you’re looking for a great single-player adventure, you’ll want to cast your gaze elsewhere.
[Source: The Sixth Axis]
