Quote Originally Posted by Ouch! View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno View Post
My problem with your argument Ouch! is that its not really bad for third party developers. I agree its bad for consoles and I do agree its bad for gamers since quality can be jeopardize but overall its actually a good deal for third party as long as they keep up quality.
If the gamers suffer and the console producers suffer, third party developers will also eventually suffer. Each part of the industry is connected. Multi-platform releases are a short term solution to a long term problem. It treats a symptom and lets the disease rage on.

I do not believe that it's up to the developers to fix this problem. However, they cannot ignore the wound after sticking a band-aid on it. Yes, console producers need to be more considerate when making their consoles, but they also need third party support. Developers and producers are going to have to work together on these things more.
Technically, multi-platform only hurts the gamers if quality is jeopardized. Madden for instance does fairly well despite being multi-platform and part of this is due to it being a quality product (I'm using them as an example as I neither like nor play sports titles. I'm basing this on sales number alone). GTAIV and DMC4 both went multi-platform and the quality didn't really diminish in my opinion. What people point out as faults in both version tends to fall into "Fanboy OCD" which I quickly ignore cause their arguments are nothing more than mindless nitpicking. I seriously don't think FFXIII will be any different. Third party can't diminish quality or they will be hurt. I do see going multi-platform as a long term solution for third party developers and as long as they don't get lazy, the gamers will not suffer either. It only hurts the console developers in the end.

My problem with your argument overall Ouch!, is that you offer no real solution. You seem to be saying that third party developers should just stay with the old course, stay exclusive, and watch their net profits plummet. If things stay the same, third party developers may go under or end up being bought by the main console corporations. No offense, but I don't want to see SE, Capcom/Atlus, or Konami become second party developers to an exclusive console. This would give console developers the chance to become lazy and build poor gaming machines that people will buy cause its the only way they can play FFXVII and DMC8.

Granted, I understand where you are coming from and I don't want to see all my favorite titles become multi-platform. I enjoy seeing third party developers push the console's to their limits. These last few years have seen the most impressive OMG! games for the PS2. FFXII, MGS3, GoW2, and GTA:SA are all game that no one would have imagined being made on the PS2 hardware.

I see going multi-platform as a short term solution to help third party developers until console developers build a better business model to help them and in short, make everyone happy, in the long run.


Quote Originally Posted by TyphoonThaReapa View Post
Well, me personally didn't want to get in this discussion. But I had to say something about the point you made that console makers have to make cheaper business decision when it comes to making the console so that developers make have an easier time with make the software.

First of all, take a good look at the world around you. Since Bolivar, is in the studies of history, I'm pretty sure Bolivar would agree with me when I say the world doesn't change, it progresses and evolve. What I mean by that is the fact that it wasn't long ago in the time this earth existed that the human race was using hunting tools from rocks, vegetation, and wood. And I pretty sure that came at a cost no matter how small.

Now, since that time, man has progressed more significantly. And as progression proceeds, so follows the cost of progression. Same for the very things we have created. The gaming industry is progressing. It wasn't long ago even when it only take five people to make a video game. Now, it takes hundreds of people

So, what am I getting at you say? Well, what people fail to realize is about the gaming industry is that as it progresses and the demand from consumers grow, so follows the cost of producing produce to satisfy. You can't ask Sony, or MS, or even Nintendo to tone down cost of their produces because is hard to develop for. Of course it's hard to develop for! This industry is progressing. And if your to slow to keep up, find someone that can help you stay the course. Now, I must quickly correct myself. Of course you can ask them to lower cost of there product. But that doesn't mean they'll listen. And why should they? That's like asking them to go back a generation.

With all that being said, the reason games and consoles are so expansive today is the fact that their not in the 1970s anymore. And most likely, the more expensive the game or console, the better the quality and/or quantity. Or at least it should be that way...
I understand where you are coming from Typhoon and I feel I need to clarify on a few points. I feel MS and Sony need to make consoles easier and more economical for developers but I don't feel they should sacrifice quality to do so. Try to push the graphical and audio limits but build it in a way that makes game production easier for third party developers. I don't believe power is truly good unless its efficient. A powerful engine that requires lots of maintenance and high fuel costs is not as progressive as an engine that can do the same output at half the cost and less maintenance. Efficiency is another form of progression and in the long run, its better.

In my personal opinion, I feel we are beginning to see a dead end in maximizing audio/visual quality in gaming. The last few years have seen advances but not any major leaps or bounds like 10 years ago. The jump from this generation from the last is nowhere near as impressive as the one between the PS1 and the PS2. I only notice minor differences between 360 and PS3 titles and though I feel both can easily be pushed further, I doubt it will be as revolutionary as previous efforts on lesser consoles.

Console developers need to start utilizing more user friendly interface into their systems, as well as rebuild the current model of the relationship they have with third party developers. The current model may have worked 10 years ago but times have changed and lets face it, inflation is a bitch. They need to build a better business model that helps everyone. More efficient machines combined with a better business deal would allow third party developers to create not only more impressive next-gen games but may even allow them to create a larger volume of such titles.