Gearbox Publishing has agreed to publish Compulsion Games' procedurally-generated dystopian thriller, We Happy Few.
The game has been in early access since July 26, 2016, and was initially made available digitally through Steam, GOG, and the Xbox Game Preview program.
With Gearbox's help, Compulsion has significantly expanded the scope of the game by building out the narrative and adding more locations, quests, and weapons.
As a result, the studio now plans on releasing a retail version and bringing the game to the PlayStation 4. It will also be doubling the price from $30 to $60.
"Retail comes with a few side effects. We’re learning as we go, and figured we would try to do something that relatively few teams do in this situation: we’re going to be blatantly honest with you. So strap yourself in for a ride through the games business," reads a Compulsion blog post.
"First, the price. Straight up, we think $60 gives us the best chance of earning back the huge investment we, and the people that believe in us, are making. Retail, and a retail marketing campaign, is expensive. If you’ve invested $10m into a game, there is no reasonable alternative. And, the truth is, we want to make money too.
"We want to be able to continue to make great games after this one, and making enough money to keep growing and thriving is essential to allow us to deliver that. The right approach here is to make sure that you build a game that’s worth $60, and that’s what we’re doing."
Anyone who nabbed We Happy Few during its Xbox Game Preview or Early Access phase will automatically receive the standard edition of the game and a pre-order bonus at no extra cost. Tier 1 and Tier 2 Kickstarter backers will also get the game for free.
