Sony wanted Crimson Desert to be a PlayStation exclusive, but Pearl Abyss declined the offer
Pearl Abyss, the developer of the upcoming action-adventure title Crimson Desert, has revealed that Sony approached the studio intending to make the game a timed exclusive for the PS5, but it chose to decline the offer.
The details:
Pearl Abyss confirmed at a recent investor meeting (translation by ResetEra user Neha) that Sony had approached it with the offer of making Crimson Desert a timed exclusive. The deal would have been similar to Final Fantasy XVI's, with the title locked to the PS5 for a year, no Xbox release, and Sony acquiring the rights to the PC version.
While the developer found the offer "appealing" due to Sony's "marketing power and various unique incentives," it decided to decline the deal and self-publish the game. The decision was made after assessing its expected sales and revenue-sharing structure and determining that self-publishing would be more beneficial for the studio.
Pearl Abyss mentioned fellow Korean developer Shift Up when explaining why it opted not to partner with Sony, stating that Shift Up did not have a publishing team, which made it easier for the studio to collaborate with PlayStation for Stellar Blade's release. "In a typical contract, 30 percent of revenue goes to platform fees, and the remaining 70 percent is split between the developer and publisher," the translation reads. "Since we already can self-publish globally and have overseas branches, we concluded that using our own resources would be more advantageous."
Crimson Desert has yet to receive a release date, but it is expected to arrive in the first half of 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC after being delayed internally last year. Pearl Abyss' other upcoming game, the Pokémon-like DokeV, is set to be released about a year and a half after Crimson Desert, with 100 developers expected to join the project after the Crimson Desert's launch.
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