Developers Shy Away From PS3?

[Jupiter_x]

In the alarmist news category, Japanese news site ZakZak has recently suggested that console developer Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. may be losing a little credibility with software creators. Citing an increase in development overhead next-gen consoles, software companies are increasingly forced to focus their energy and finances on a single platform and hope for the best. One insider equates the process to a political election.

Alluding to the 2005 Tokyo Game Show motto "You can see the future from the front seat," one developer is quoted as saying "We [the software industry] are the ones who really want to see the future. Next-generation game consoles are like a general election. For software makers like us, [choosing a platform to develop for] has been a drawn-out process similar to choosing a political power or political party to support, and it is extremely difficult to predict the outcome."

Development costs play a big part in a company's decisions. According to another source, the rallying cry of Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi, "Don't stop [hardware] evolution," brings some mixed feelings about this.

Reporting to ZakZak, this unnamed individual bemoaned the fast pace of Kutaragi's innovation: "This is nothing but a nightmare for many Japanese software development companies. Kutaragi has said, ‘Please develop suitable software for PS3 - this software must not be of the same standard as PS2 software.’ Developing software for the PS3 from scratch will require an initial investment of at least 2 billion yen [US $17.6 million] [not including development costs]. There are not many software companies that can easily afford that kind of money."

As a parting thought, the same source stated "Kutaragi is pursuing hardware evolution, and the credibility gap for him is now even worse than that of the GameCube era [when many developers defected from Nintendo]."

Keep in mind that these statements reflect the thoughts of only a few. However, expect to hear more viewpoints and varied opinions about PS3 development in the near future. PSINext will bring you any new information as it hits the newswires.

For the original "Japanese" artical Click: URL=http://www.zakzak.co.jp/top/2005_09/t2005092602.html]Here[/URL]

For the Full Transrcript in "English" Click:[U]Here/U] (http://www.ps3focus.com/archives/127#more-127)


This....This can't be....Say it isn't so!?! :(

The way I look at it is, most of the big name developers have the man-power to utilize what the PS3 can dish out. Smaller firms might have to resort to 360 or Rev. Although this gives 360 more fuel. This new Xbox could be the system with the abundant 3rd party titles both big and small alike. M$ definetly seems to be gaining momentum for the next generation. It could be very close. Like I said before, it seems as if the tables have turned for the Next Gen: Xbox 360 (PS2) and PS3 (Xbox)

My bank is still on PS3 though!

[slade]

It's pretty sensationalist considering that most of the 100 or so PS3 games announced so far have a number of small developers working on them. However, what is true is that Kutaragi is demanding a bigger, more involved product from developers then Allard or Bach over at MS. Part of the reason he's doing this is because as Gabe Newell said, if you program for the 7 SPE's in the Cell, it's going to be difficult to port that code anywhere else. But more to the point this has soured a bunch of people since they can't just take their existing game engines and spruce them up for the PS3. This is the reason you see so much disparity between a typical PS3 game like Gundam and a 360 game like Madden 06. But because of this development costs for a typical PS3 game are through the roof and that is what is scaring some developers. Still, like I mentioned before, the announced support is there. We'll just have to see whether this has repercussions later on or whether it just gets swept under the rug as another next gen prediction that turned out to be wrong. Development costs do go down as the console generation progresses.

[Jupiter_x]

It's pretty sensationalist considering that most of the 100 or so PS3 games announced so far have a number of small developers working on them. However, what is true is that Kutaragi is demanding a bigger, more involved product from developers then Allard or Bach over at MS. Part of the reason he's doing this is because as Gabe Newell said, if you program for the 7 SPE's in the Cell, it's going to be difficult to port that code anywhere else. But more to the point this has soured a bunch of people since they can't just take their existing game engines and spruce them up for the PS3. This is the reason you see so much disparity between a typical PS3 game like Gundam and a 360 game like Madden 06. But because of this development costs for a typical PS3 game are through the roof and that is what is scaring some developers. Still, like I mentioned before, the announced support is there. We'll just have to see whether this has repercussions later on or whether it just gets swept under the rug as another next gen prediction that turned out to be wrong. Development costs do go down as the console generation progresses.

All in all, PS3 has the Playstation name! Sony are powerful, PS3 is powerful. Developers know this. The Public definetly knows this. I have much faith in what PS3 will deliver. I believe that what I saw in those videos for PS3 games is what they will indeed look like....DMC? Stunning! After seeing what some of the latest PC offerings, I have no doubt PS3 can do what we have seen thus far!

[GameLegend]

Sony and Microsoft have the $$$ to support some dev's the cost. Nintendo doesnt. Logical approach for Nintendo making a 'lighter' system

[T.Tashi]

It's pretty sensationalist considering that most of the 100 or so PS3 games announced so far have a number of small developers working on them. However, what is true is that Kutaragi is demanding a bigger, more involved product from developers then Allard or Bach over at MS. Part of the reason he's doing this is because as Gabe Newell said, if you program for the 7 SPE's in the Cell, it's going to be difficult to port that code anywhere else. But more to the point this has soured a bunch of people since they can't just take their existing game engines and spruce them up for the PS3. This is the reason you see so much disparity between a typical PS3 game like Gundam and a 360 game like Madden 06. But because of this development costs for a typical PS3 game are through the roof and that is what is scaring some developers. Still, like I mentioned before, the announced support is there. We'll just have to see whether this has repercussions later on or whether it just gets swept under the rug as another next gen prediction that turned out to be wrong. Development costs do go down as the console generation progresses.
I had a feeling this would come up. Many developers didn't bother using the multiple vectors on the PS2.

[GameLegend]

I had a feeling this would come up. Many developers didn't bother using the multiple vectors on the PS2.

Tashi u were the one who also brought up the point earlier about how people over ampliying the PS2 before it came out, no?

[Superjoint Ritual]

Blah, blah... Same sh!t was said about the Ps2. Developers will go wherever the money's at.

[GameLegend]

Blah, blah... Same sh!t was said about the Ps2. Developers will go wherever the money's at.

So very true. Maybe history will repeat itself, oooor maybe the circumstances have changed. I doubt it costed the devs so much money develping for this gen as it is next gen. Plus maybe its ever more HARDER to program the PS3 now to the point where just stuffing money to devs isnt going to cut it.

[T.Tashi]

Tashi u were the one who also brought up the point earlier about how people over ampliying the PS2 before it came out, no?
I wasn't too vocal about it. I am a Sony fanboy after all even if I don't believe everything Sony says. But some of the stuff coming from the Sony camp about what the PS2 could do was pretty darn funny.