Summary
Former PlayStation Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has finally spoken out on the canceled open-world gameWild,which Sony had originally hailed as a massive PlayStation console exclusive before its untimely fate. While Yoshida’s comments do little to provide much hope for the potential return ofWildin the future, he provides some insight into thePlayStationgame’s development, which he alleges was marred partly by its ambition.
Announced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive over a decade ago,Wildwas a major open-world project from Wild Sheep Studio and the mind of Michael Ancel, creator ofthe popular platformer seriesRayman, before its inevitable cancellation after a change in management. Originally, Sony itself was pegged to publish the game as a first-party exclusive, but Ubisoft later took over publication instead amid a shift in management.
Shuhei Yoshida, the former president of PlayStation Studios, spoke to the online media outlet MinnMax in a recent interview and provided a brief bit of insight regarding the development process forWild.According to Yoshida,Wildwas a hugely ambitious game, with some early iterations even proposing an open-world map the size of Europe, a trait which he believes contributed to the continuous development issues that led to its eventual cancelation.
Former PlayStation Boss Breaks Silence on Wild
Wildwas reportedly aiming to be one of the biggest PlayStation games ever,rivaling the likes ofHorizon Zero Dawn,but Yoshida claimed that some of Wild Sheep’s ideas were difficult to implement properly or too ambitious to fit within the game. He did not go into much detail about these ambitious concepts or how they may have materialized in the game, however, leaving a wide array of mysteries surroundingWildthat have yet to be uncovered.
Michael Ancel, who served as the lead developer on the game,previously commented onWild’scancelation, alleging that Ubisoft’s handling of the title caused it to flounder in development inmuch the same way asBeyond Good and Evil 2,which still has yet to see release. While Sony was originally meant to handle publication for the game, Ubisoft stepped in partway through to take over, putting theWildteam under all-new management.
When Ubisoft took over publication forWild, it was undergoing a major media scandal following allegations of sexual harassment, which led to a corporate restructure, an event that Ancel claims made the game’s already troublesome situation even worse. Ubisoft has continued to face turmoil ever since, with some of its recent games failing to meet sales expectations andAssassin’s Creed Shadowsfacing two separate delaysin a matter of months as the company works to win back fans and investors.
PlayStation
PlayStation is the console series from Sony, featuring mega hits like God of War, Horizon, The Last of Us, and many more. Here, you’ll find all the news, walkthroughs, analysis, and other content you need about the world of PlayStation.
