ShiftUp Considers PC Version of Stellar Blade
A PC version of Stellar Blade is being “looked at,” but developer ShiftUp claims it can’t comment further due to its “contractual relationship.” Speaking at the company’s IPO press conference on Tuesday (reported by GameMeca, translated by VGC), ShiftUp CFO Jaewoo Ahn said that the company is “currently looking at a PC version of Stellar Blade, which we believe would be a great way to monetise the IP once again.”
The company’s CEO Kim Hyung-Tae echoed this, saying: “We are considering a PC version of Stellar Blade, but we cannot comment on the exact timing or whether or not it will be released due to the contractual relationship.” In an initial public offering filing on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index earlier this year, the studio said it was considering a PC release and a sequel for Stellar Blade.
The PS5 version of the game, which was released in April, will be expanded with DLC and new IP collaborations. ShiftUp also claimed that sales of the game are estimated to have exceeded 1 million units worldwide.
Focus on Brand Value
“Our goal was to create an IP with high value to ensure branding in the process of gathering users around the world and building a fanbase rather than maximizing profits,” Kim Hyung-Tae said. “In this process, we minimised the parts that users might feel uncomfortable with, such as microtransactions, for the sake of brand value, and we plan to reflect these parts in a way that users can understand. However, it will not be immediate.”
Positive Reception for Stellar Blade
VGC’s Stellar Blade review called it “one of the most mechanically satisfying action games of the generation.” “For those who wished that God of War Ragnarok offered a bit more challenge or that Bayonetta had a bit more weight to its combat, this slick sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into the Souls-like genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-worn character action formula,” they wrote.
