The critical success of a game does not guarantee financial stability for a developer, as experienced by the bankrupting of thatgamecompany due to the production of Journey. Although thatgamecompany is intent on sticking to its unique, storytelling vision, company co-founder Jenova Chen told Joystiq that they are exploring free-to-play gaming.

Ironically, Chen is critical of freemium based titles, as he claims most of the models are, "based on frustration, or based on anger or jealousy." Chen sees thatgamecompany approaching that world from an entirely different point of view.

"I would rather see a game where you play to feel happier, and to make other people like you, and to make the people you care about happy," said Chen. "That's something I've never seen in a (free-to-play) game. If we do actually end up going to free-to-play, we will make sure that you don't pay because you are not happy, you pay because you are happy."

Chen describes the company's approach as "emotional focused," and he would try out the freemium model if thatgamecompany discovered, "a new way to do monetization that's different and that's unique for the game."

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