This month, SCE President Shuhei Yoshida replied to French gaming site Jeux Video regarding a 2013 release date for the Team Ico game The Last Guardian (previously known as Trico). His response was extremely cautious but basically confirmed the game is still being made…
Jeux Video: The Last Guardian is very anticipated in France. Can you confirm for our readers that the game will arrive well next year on PS3?
Shuhei Yoshida: No, sorry, I cannot say that… Because the last time we talked about a date for The Last Guardian, we finally disappointed many people. The team is working hard on the project, including the engine. It is precisely because [of] the teams working on the technical aspect of the game that we have nothing concrete to show you today. So now I’m waiting for the right time to introduce you to The Last Guardian and speak with confidence of a release date.
Technical issues still. A 2013 release for The Last Guardian does seem possible given the amount of time the game has been in development but I suppose a 2014 release could be in the cards. If that’s the case that might put it in PS4 territory with the technical difficulties being converting the game over to the Playstation 4. Continuing that thought, it would also explain why he can’t talk about it since Sony hasn’t officially announced the PS4. On the other hand, Sony just might’ve learned the hard lesson that Id Software learned with Rage and the creation of ID Tech 5. That is, to be quiet until you’re in the final stages of completing your game and a release date can be confidently given. Developing a new engine and a game at the same time is often a recipe for disaster, especially when you have excited game devs and an eager press. It’s a recipe that has also created some of the most ground breaking games of all time (looking at you again Id Software).
To further hint towards the continued production of The Last Guardian, project designer Fumito Ueda (now acting as an outside contractor) still has the game listed in his Twitter profile as a project. He actively tweets.