Sony made it easy to bring Blacklight: Retribution to PS4, says Zombie Studios

http://media.edge-online.com/wp-cont...on-610x343.jpgBlacklight: Retribution arrived to little in the way of bated breath when it launched in August of 2012. In addition to being a sequel to the unremarkable Blacklight: Tango Down, Retribution was also pitched as a free-to-play competitive multiplayer title in a genre that hasn’t been particularly well suited to the format. Developed by Zombie Studios in Seattle and published by free-to-play MMORPG purveyor Perfect World in Beijing, the FPS achieved only modest success despite a positive critical reception.After negotiating console rights to the title back from Perfect World, however, Zombie now seeks to turn Retribution’s fortunes around. We spoke with the studio’s creative director Jared Gerritzen about finding the game its new home on PlayStation 4.Did Sony approach you to get Blacklight on PlayStation 4?We’ve been talking to Sony off and on since E3 of last year. As the system matured, Sony made it clear that they were looking for content, and we just happened to secure the console rights to Blacklight: Retribution. After discussing it further, our goals were perfectly in line with their goals and it just happened to be right place and right time on both parties.How is Sony working with you on the project, and how has that relationship changed since the PS3 days?Sony has always been a great partner to work with through the years, but with the PS4 they have really made it easier for developers like us. They’ve streamlined the submission process significantly, so getting to the point of working on a game is much quicker and easier. Additionally, getting support such as development kits or technical support has been great. It’s clear that Sony went back and listened to where developers were having problems and are actively trying to resolve those issues and help developers.You’ve mentioned that much of your tech is being redeveloped for PS4 – can you elaborate?We’re working hard on extending Unreal Engine 3 to make the most out of the PS4, including taking advantage of the new rendering pipeline the system has. We’ve been using UE3 for a number of years and it’s a proven performer as a toolset. We’ve also been updating the user interface to benefit playing on a television and using a controller. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get into a game and start playing.

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