As you know, many developers in the gaming industry are eager to make exclusive deals with giants like Microsoft and Sony, hoping to release their productions with the financial and moral support of these platforms. However, it seems that this reality doesn’t hold much significance for the South Korean game developer Pearl Abyss. The Crimson Desert developer has reportedly rejected Sony PlayStation’s offer to make the game exclusive to the PS5 platform.

Developer: “Crimson Desert should not be a PS5 exclusive!”

The decision of South Korean game developer Pearl Abyss to reject Sony’s offer for platform exclusivity on its highly anticipated game Crimson Desert has caused a stir in the gaming industry. Announced during the Kiwoom Corp. Day presentation on September 26, 2024, this decision highlights the changing strategies of independent game developers and how they have become more empowered in the face of large corporations.

Sony made this move, aiming to increase its growing popularity in the South Korean gaming market, hoping to replicate the success it achieved with Stellar Blade. However, despite the attractive offer presented in exchange for not releasing the game on the Xbox platform for a certain period, Pearl Abyss insisted on sticking to its own publishing strategy.

Sony cited the success of Ghost of Tsushima, which sold over 10 million copies, as an example, but it wasn’t enough to convince Pearl Abyss management. The company officials believed that by using their own publishing model, they could both earn more profit and maintain their creative freedom, which led them to reject the offer.

First unveiled at The Game Awards 2020, Crimson Desert is considered an important example of the new publishing approach that major companies like Square Enix are starting to adopt. Experts believe this growing trend of independent publishing in the gaming industry provides developers with more creative freedom and financial control.

What do you think about this? Do you think the company made the right decision by rejecting Sony’s offer? We look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!