After Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games madeDevotion, it seems the game got more attention than one could have expected. Though it is entirely possible the developer knew there was going to be some attention when it releasedDevotion, as the game is firmly in the horror genre, but also carries a message that has angered the Chinese government.
The attention has been a bit of a double-edged sword for Red Candle andDevotion. There was a time when the developer could not even get the PC version ofDevotionlisted on retailers like Steam and GOG. Even in the face of a public relations campaign by the company and some of its devoted followers, the title appears to be in a kind of limbo. Despite a solid following there doesn’t appear to be enough of a push from the gaming public for companies to defy the Chinese government and allow Red Candle’s project to get out more to the masses. There is a way around the retail roadblock that has been constructed, as Red Candle started selling through its own website, but it’s well past time forDevotionto land on Xbox, PlayStation, and maybe even the Nintendo Switch.
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Devotion Has The Chops For Consoles
WhileRed Candle is working toward gettingDevotionlistedon retailer websites, there is another way the company can get its game out there. While it’s true that neither Microsoft or Sony are immune from dealings with China, they also have a bit more power in that regard. They’re big enough and powerful enough that they may be able to even get China to reverse course - though this seemsless than likely.
The Chinese government appears to be an entity that doesn’t back down from this kind of situation. Itsresistance toDevotionselling on retail siteshas given it the upper hand until now. The game supposedly goes out of its way to make fun of Chinese president Xi Jinping, so it doesn’t seem likely the government is going to back down. Yet it doesn’t need to in order for Microsoft, Sony, or even Nintendo to decide to sell the game in other regions.
That’s not to say the only reason the game should land on consoles is as some rebuke of the Chinese government. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would also have plenty of reason of their own tofinally sellDevotionon consoles. It would make quite a few fans of the game, which was for sale through online retailers before China stepped in, quite happy. There are always people who might own the game on PC and are still willing to purchase it again on another platform - whether it’s because they want another way to play it, or because they want to show support for the developers.
WhileRed Candle has moved on to a new project, it’s a safe bet the developer would be willing to work on a console port. Horror games are making a bit of a resurgence, as there are all of theResident Evilremakes and remasters that have been released over the last few years as well as rumors of a return to theSilent Hillfranchise.Devotionhas an original story that offers real thrills and chills, so it could be quite popular with a wider release. There’s also the fact that the controversy around the game has brought its name to the forefront, which could help sales when a game like this might get lost in the crowd otherwise. That’s just one more reason why the game needs to finally come to consoles.
