Today, IGN can confirm that Warframe, the “space ninja” co-op game, is coming to PlayStation 4. It will launch alongside Sony’s new hardware, and will follow a similar free-to-play, microtransaction model as the game does on PC.
Sinclair notes that many gamers who play Warframe on PC often refer back to Phantasy Star Online as a similar experience, and even state that it’s like “
Mass Effect meets Ninja Gaiden,” what with its emphasis on space and… well… ninjas. “It’s a big, messy space ninja game,” Sinclair said, laughing, one rife with customization and crafting options, and one that doesn’t stress competition as much as it stresses cooperation.
With Sony’s well-publicized indie slant over the last couple of years, it makes sense that the company would reach out to Digital Extremes to investigate bringing Warframe to its new console. “
Sony caught wind of [Warframe], and said, ‘hey, what do you think of bringing it over to PlayStation 4?’, and we were very surprised to hear that,” Sinclair said. After all, independent developers don’t always have positive interactions with big publishers, even those that happen to also be a console manufacturer.
An arrangement with Sony was “attractive” for Digital Extremes, because the company, “retain[s] control of the game, and we don’t have to necessarily get into bed with a publisher and sell away our ideas and kind of lose our creative vision for the game.” Unlike Microsoft with Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Sony doesn’t require a publisher to get onto their platform. It made PlayStation 4 an obvious destination for Warframe.
“Their attitude, their support and their willingness to work with us to get on the console is an incredible opportunity for a studio like ours,” he concluded.
Sinclair confirmed that DualShock 4’s special functionality – including its mysterious touch pad – will play a big role in Warframe. It will retain its fierce third-person action, its deep collecting system, and will even come packing new monthly content and a companion application for both iOS and Android.
It also appears that Warframe will remain a PlayStation 4 exclusive in the console space. “Well, so far, it’s looking that way, yes,” Sinclair answered. 
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