505 Games has cited not wishing to exclude players as why they are unable to upgrade Control to next-gen consoles for free, leaving users having to buy the Control Ultimate Edition instead.
We previously reported on the Control Ultimate Edition; and that being the only way to upgrade Control to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This drew ire from many, as other upgrades had been free.
Despite this, 505 Games have not backed down. In a new statement, 505 Games explain that the issue stems from the challenges of upgrading the game due to not wanting to exclude players.
“We spent several months exploring all of our launch options for Control Ultimate Edition and no decision was taken lightly. While it is challenging bringing any game to next gen platforms, we quickly realised it was even more difficult to upgrade our current user base to next gen with full parity across platforms with our year-old game.
Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons. As of today, we can’t offer an upgrade to everyone, and leaving any one group out feels unfair. We understand that is not what you want to hear.”
Both Sony and Microsoft have emphasized that developers and publishers will dictate whether current generation games will be part of their offer to “upgrade” games for free (known as Smart Delivery on Xbox Series X).
The above statement implies some sort of issue with different players; most likely the difference between those who bought the game near launch and all subsequent DLC, and those who would buy the Ultimate Edition at a later date.
Even so, how a player can be excluded by a free game is unclear; falling shy of users being unable to afford a next generation console, those not wanting a digital upgrade for their physical game, or those wanting an upgrade on an alternate system (such as PlayStation 4 to Xbox Series X).
The statement also provides more Q&A, clarifying that the original Control with its expansion packs will be compatible via backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. You can find the full Q&A below.
“Will I be able to purchase the Control base game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, without the additional content?
No. The only version of Control available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be Control Ultimate Edition.
However, if you have the Control base game, the Expansion Packs or the Season Pass on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in your collection, you will still be able to play 100% of your game and enjoy an enhanced experience through backwards compatibility.
Does this mean the Season Pass won’t be available to purchase separately on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Correct. All content featured will be available as part of Control Ultimate Edition. The original base game, Expansion Packs and Season Pass will not be sold separately on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
I own the Control base game and Season Pass. Is this not the same as Control Ultimate Edition?
The objective of Control Ultimate Edition was not to release new exclusive content on the next gen platforms, but to offer the full Control gameplay experience to new Control players in a single, easy-to-find product. The PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of Control contain the same content as the current gen game, though they do take full advantage of the power and features provided by these new consoles.
The upgrade path that we are offering is only possible when upgrading from the same version of the game. As we are only doing additional development on Control Ultimate Edition on the next gen platforms, we are unfortunately unable to offer an upgrade path to all existing Control players. We understand how this might upset a number of players but you will still be able to play the 2019 edition of Control and each Expansion on the new platforms.
Is Control backwards compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Absolutely! Owners of the original edition of Control on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can enjoy backwards compatibility when next gen systems launch.”
Control is out now on Windows PC (via the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Control Ultimate Edition launches August 27th on Windows PC (via Steam, September 10th via the Epic Games Store), September 10th digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One (end of 2020 physically for both consoles), and end of 2020 digitally on PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X (early 2021 physically for both consoles).
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