With all the hype surrounding DayZ lately, console owners have been feeling a bit left out. Reading the comment section of any DayZ related news will inevitably reveal some Xbox One or Playstation 4 users that are itching to test the game that the PC community is so excited about. But, despite DayZ’s considerable success on Steam (it has now sold over 1.4 million copies and is heading towards the 1.5 million mark), there were no indications that the developers, led by Dean “Rocket” Hall, had any plans of porting the game for consoles…until now.
Dean “Rocket” Hall, the mastermind behind DayZ
In a recent exclusive interview with Gamereactor, Rocket has revealed that he had already approached (or was approached by) Microsoft about potentially developing DayZ for the Xbox One. According to him, these discussions were extensive, and while there’s no indication that any deal has been officially signed, it’s definitely a promising start. Elaborating, Deal Hall stated that they would “certainly consider release on any feasible platform with a realistic publishing model. It seems like currently both of the next-gen consoles should provide an environment we can develop inside.” In the interview, Dean acknowledges the potential of the next-gen consoles, but states that they still have a long way to go.
“I’ve not personally had the opportunity to view the full details of the PS4 whereas I have had the opportunity to talk extensively with Microsoft. The next-gen consoles show very exciting promise. I’m hopeful that they can deliver on that. Am important part of that, from my perspective, is encouraging and supporting third-party creative development to bring the “edginess” of PC creative development into the console. I think if the role of Kinect/voice expands to where it is desired it could do some awesome things. I just think it’s too early to say at this point.”
The desire of console users to get their hands on DayZ is perfectly understandable.
The last part of his statement might create a full-fledged console vs PC war once again, but in truth, the PC still offers more flexibility for development, especially for small or indie studios. Steam’s support in launching the game and raising funding through Early Access cannot be neglected. According to all evidence, DayZ is still likely to be in an Alpha state for the remainder of the year, with a Beta stage planned for the end of 2014 at the earliest. Given these circumstances, it’s doubtful that an early access model would have worked on either Microsoft or Sony’s new consoles, simply because these currently lack the support and flexibility of such a model.
It will be interesting to see how things evolve, and whether or not Dean Hall will be approached by Sony as well. There’s no indication that he would prefer one console over the other, and it only makes sense that should he decide to develop DayZ for consoles, he would most likely try to reach the widest possible audience. In the meantime, DayZ’s development is progressing nicely and in a fast-paced manner, with updates rolling out on a weekly basis now. Given how successful the game is both financially and from a critical point of view, the possibility of console versions in the future no longer seems out of reach.
Would you like to play DayZ on a console? Or do you believe it should remain a PC exclusive title? Jump over to our forums or leave us your thoughts in the comment section below.