<s>
Proteus	B-Application
is	O
a	O
2013	O
exploration	O
and	O
walking	O
simulator	O
video	O
game	O
designed	O
and	O
created	O
by	O
Ed	B-Application
Key	I-Application
and	O
David	B-Application
Kanaga	I-Application
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Application
X	I-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Key	O
first	O
conceived	O
Proteus	B-Application
as	O
an	O
open-ended	O
role-playing	O
game	O
akin	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Oblivion	I-Application
but	O
,	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
work	O
required	O
for	O
such	O
a	O
project	O
,	O
later	O
redesigned	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
nontraditional	O
and	O
nonviolent	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Audio	O
designer	O
and	O
composer	O
David	B-Application
Kanaga	I-Application
joined	O
the	O
project	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
video	O
game	O
console	O
and	O
Vita	O
handheld	O
console	O
were	O
developed	O
by	O
Curve	O
Studios	O
,	O
whose	O
team	O
added	O
new	O
gameplay	O
features	O
to	O
the	O
Vita	O
edition	O
at	O
Sony	O
's	O
request	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proteus	B-Application
won	O
the	O
prize	O
for	O
Best	O
Audio	O
at	O
the	O
2011	O
IndieCade	O
awards	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
Independent	O
Games	O
Festival	O
's	O
Nuovo	O
Award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Proteus	B-Application
the	O
player	O
explores	O
an	O
island	O
from	O
a	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
base	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
version	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
directly	O
affect	O
the	O
environment	O
with	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
rear	O
touch	O
panel	O
and	O
to	O
generate	O
islands	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
current	O
date	O
and	O
location	O
in	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
British	O
game	O
designer	O
Ed	B-Application
Key	I-Application
began	O
work	O
on	O
Proteus	B-Application
in	O
2008	O
during	O
his	O
evenings	O
and	O
weekends	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
game	O
neared	O
its	O
final	O
form	O
only	O
when	O
David	B-Application
Kanaga	I-Application
joined	O
development	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Key	O
originally	O
envisioned	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
procedural	O
role-playing	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
vein	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Oblivion	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
visit	O
towns	O
and	O
complete	O
quests	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
he	O
knew	O
he	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
an	O
exploration	O
game	O
,	O
Proteus	B-Application
went	O
through	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
early	O
iterations	O
as	O
Key	O
explored	O
different	O
gameplay	O
ideas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Key	O
developed	O
Proteus	B-Application
using	O
a	O
game	O
engine	O
written	O
in	O
the	O
C#	B-Application
programming	O
language	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proteus	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
30	O
January	O
2013	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
OS	B-Application
X	I-Application
,	O
and	O
on	O
8	O
April	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
for	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
Curve	O
Studios	O
approached	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Vita	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Vita	O
versions	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
its	O
full	O
release	O
,	O
a	O
beta	O
version	O
of	O
Proteus	B-Application
was	O
featured	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
indie	O
game	O
festivals	O
and	O
received	O
coverage	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
journalists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
the	O
2011	O
IndieCade	O
Award	O
for	O
Best	O
Audio	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
shortlisted	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
GameCity	O
Prize	O
,	O
ultimately	O
losing	O
to	O
Journey	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proteus	B-Application
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
Independent	O
Games	O
Festival	O
's	O
Nuovo	O
Award	O
,	O
a	O
prize	O
aimed	O
at	O
abstract	O
and	O
unconventional	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
received	O
honorable	O
mentions	O
in	O
the	O
Excellence	O
in	O
Audio	O
and	O
Seumas	O
McNally	O
Grand	O
Prize	O
categories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
article	O
that	O
discussed	O
2011	O
's	O
exploration	O
games	O
,	O
Jim	O
Rossignol	O
of	O
Rock	O
Paper	O
Shotgun	O
described	O
Proteus	B-Application
as	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
charming	O
experiences	O
"	O
he	O
had	O
had	O
in	O
an	O
indie	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
received	O
"	O
favourable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
version	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favourable	O
reviews	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
received	O
above-average	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	O
Official	O
Magazine	O
–	O
UK	O
called	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
"	O
simple	O
but	O
wonderfully	O
effective	O
"	O
,	O
commenting	O
positively	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
uniqueness	O
and	O
sense	O
of	O
wonder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
players	O
and	O
journalists	O
debated	O
Proteus	B-Application
status	O
as	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
citing	O
aspects	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
goals	O
or	O
objectives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
developers	O
,	O
called	O
it	O
an	O
anti-game	B-Application
,	O
a	O
description	O
which	O
was	O
controversial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ian	O
Bogost	O
proposed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
intentionally	O
unconventional	O
,	O
arguing	O
that	O
"	O
Proteus	B-Application
is	O
a	O
game	O
about	O
being	O
an	O
island	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
game	O
about	O
being	O
on	O
one	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
noted	O
that	O
Proteus	B-Application
does	O
contain	O
an	O
action	O
(	O
walking	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
goal	O
(	O
proceeding	O
through	O
the	O
seasons	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edges	O
reviewer	O
contended	O
that	O
the	O
day/night	O
cycle	O
,	O
changeable	O
weather	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
player-triggered	O
change	O
of	O
seasons	O
qualified	O
Proteus	B-Application
as	O
a	O
legitimate	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
