As Thatgamecompany celebrates its 20th anniversary, CEO Jenova Chen reflects on the studio's journey from a student project to a multi-million user social platform, with games like Flow, Flower, Journey, and Sky: Children of the Light.
Jenova Chen, co-founder of Thatgamecompany, initially never thought of making video games due to the negative perception around them. However, after co-founding the studio with fellow USC student Kellee Santiago, they released critically acclaimed titles that reshaped the industry.
The studio's first game, Cloud, aimed to offer players a peaceful and relaxing experience, contrasting with mainstream games of the time. Despite initial publisher rejections, Sony's interest in artistic games led to the studio's breakthrough with titles like Flow and Flower.
Chen's personal experiences and emotions heavily influenced the studio's games, with Flower being a standout title for him due to its expressive nature. Journey, another successful release, was born out of Chen's challenging times at USC and his desire to create a unique gaming experience.
