Valve passed on Cloud, a peaceful pitch opposite GTA San Andreas

Thatgamecompany, the studio behind Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, has long favoured more zen experiences. Co-founder Jenova Chen says his game-making journey began in 2005 when the University of Southern California offered a grant for a pitch "that was the opposite of what the mainstream media was condemning after the Columbine shooting," in other words the polar opposite of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The students’ answer was Cloud, a wholesome game about a boy dreaming of flying while stuck in a hospital bed. Chen and his classmates hoped to create a peaceful experience at a time when Assassin's Creed, Half-Life, Halo, Resident Evil and GTA dominated attention.

They took Cloud to publishers across the industry, including Valve. As Chen recalls, "We pitched to pretty much every publisher you can imagine, including Valve... Back in 2005, Valve was like, 'We only publish games with guns, our players like to shoot.'" Cloud eventually reached the public and can still be downloaded for free online.

United States

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