Microsoft Funds PS3 Game Development
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Sep 16, 2009 03:38 JST
- Tags: Blackmail, Microsoft, Namco Bandai, Ports, PS3, Sony, Tales of Vesperia, Tales Series
Responding to the complaints of Xbox 360 Tales of Vesperia beta testers, a developer has laid bare the not so shocking truth of just how Namco was paid off by Microsoft to secure an “exclusive” release, but instead merely used the Xbox subsidy to reduce development costs on the PS3 version, which it expected to sell better.
However, Sony intervened and blackmailed them into adding massive amounts of new content if they wanted to be allowed to go ahead with the PS3 release at all…
He goes into considerable detail on his blog:
“First off, it was easier developing for the Xbox 360. This is to do with the games I was involved with, but basically if you sign an exclusive contract with Microsoft (you won’t release it on other hardware for a year or similar), they will give you a lot of cash for development.
Their support is also very fast and complete in these cases.
SCE don’t really give much cash out (any at all perhaps). Their support is confused and unreliable. When I was doing it at least, the 360 was easier to develop for, which lowers costs.
As a result, first you develop for the Xbox, reducing development costs. But the Xbox version won’t sell [in Japan], you can’t recoup even those lowered costs at all.
So they ported to the PS3, it’s cheaper as you already have the game done, but then Sony came back and told them ‘We won’t recognise it if it’s the same as the Xbox 360 version. Make sure you put in a lot of extra stuff!’
If we didn’t then they wouldn’t have let us pass their check…”
He claims that the developers all wished to produce the best possible game with this opportunity, and had no intention of deliberately putting out an incomplete game; they were instead keen to produce a version that “even Xbox 360 players could enjoy again.”
He also claims traces of later additions found in the Xbox code merely fell victim to pressures of scheduling…
He goes on to pour cold water on the notion of a DLC Xbox 360 version, saying that it could take another year to convert all the development resources back onto the Xbox, making it impossible in practical terms.
This news seems to suggest that Microsoft has been cunningly funding the development of PS3 games by allowing developers to develop cheaply on its platform, accompanied by a huge grant paid for each “exclusive” release, with the developers then cheaply porting onto the PS3, with additional features as required…
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The nerve of some people.
Exclusively with less content!
Sounds like good buisness all the way around to me. Xbox gets its "exclusive" and sells a few Xbox's in Japan. Namco makes the game for less for the xbox while getting paid for the "exclusive" from microsoft. Sony gets the better version of the game and has alot of pissed off xbox fans screaming foul.
Everyone wins... except the people who paid $60 for a beta.
^"Everyone wins... except the people who paid $60 for a beta.". Damn money wankers indeed...
Don't be too sad, it's your Xbox live gold subscription that paid for this. Microsoft didn't lose any of it's money :p
( it's sarcasm ppl, in case you can't tell )
does that mean an international version is in the works? cant wait! keep me updated.
beta? are you fucking retarded? adding a little extra content doesn't make the previous RTM version a "beta", unless the 360 version is riddled with bugs or something.
also this is all business as usual in the industry, there is nothing new or interesting here. you could have made the same article about resident evil 4.
Thx man, now i understand the story.
Thats one tales game that I understand the story to now.
Anyway Woohoo better version of the same game.
wall of text.. you failed at trying to spoil the game. FAIL.
Agreed on the Wall of Text. Thank God for dyslexia and ADD.
Well you'll be damn naive if you think a company would want a port of some competitor's 1-year-old game coming to a system 100% identical. Nobody would really care too much for it, and sales of it would be nil since there's nothing new to the game.
They [Bandai] took the bait, developed a game that wouldn't sell as expected, and continue to take baits and deal with the losses. Now to recoup their losses, they figure that it's probably a better idea to produce on the other platform? That's karma man.
At least From Software was smart enough to skip multiplatform and go console exclusive [for now].
Is anyone really surprised? I figured as much when companies started sandbagging their customers with X box only DLC for multi platform games. Remember games like GTA4 and Fallout 3? Those companies denied up to millions of their customers more of their content, and now we know for sure why.
Bigger than Iran-Contra.
WOW! Now that's feeding the hand that bites you.
Other way around :P
Actually, it makes sense if you think about it.
idd as if microsoft keep feeding PS3 it may one day turn around when its superior and merely laugh and thus microsoft will lie worse off... I can't wait to see how this continues... I hope they are one day perfectly equal and are forced to do better to make the customers choose them over the others.
Maybe then the we wont see things like this... Would have been nicer to make 1 next gen console but ofc that would be FAR to simple ..> /sigh
Now here M$ itself is at fault. Why just one year exclusive? Make that two years and ban additions for ported games and nobody'll wait for the other release...
They should have pulled a Sony like with Tomb Raider back in the day to screw over the Sega Saturn. Make a deal to keep it off a specific platform for a few years but allow PC ports.
But this situation is kinda funny. 3 of the biggest asshole company's in the world screwing each other over.
MS Desperate to get a foot hold in japan, namco bandai gets free funding to make a current gen engine for their games and sony demands and gets a highly anticipated, enhanced title shortly after the slim PS3 launch.
GG microsoft.
it's a fucking orgy
Of epic proportions.
Sometimes I simply can't read this ps3 fanboy-bullcrap
Yeah, it reminds me of how much I had to read about it back in 2006 and 2007 with the 360 fanboy shit.
then don't? not like the title of the article was particularly misleading...
Aw, it's OK. I know it must be painful to finally realize that MS is the piece of shit company that all these "crazy" PS3 fanboys have been saying all along.
Wow that's just cold. I hope Microsoft gets wind of this and changes their policy to only include games exclusive for 5 years or more.
and Xbox "exclusive" won't exist anymore
If Microsoft does that, there is a chance that Japanese developers will stay away from them.
You have to keep in mind that you do not have to develop for consoles to make money. There are always handhelds.
i bet MS knew about this sooner then us.
Seeing how idol master is still 360 exclusive (not counting the portables) i guess they tightened up their contracts after this debacle.
I really don't care about it going to the PS3, but that's a big dick move on sony's end and Namco's end(remember folks nintendo did this also in the NES does).
How is it a dick move on sony's end? Its was microsoft who paid(bribed), its was namco who accepted, and it was namco who decided it was not viable to release an ToV DLC.
If microsoft bribed Namco in the first place it would have been a mulitplatform game from the start. And instead of releasing the complete PS3 version now both version would have gotten DLC.
Because sony is then forcing bandai to make the early adopters purchases not be as good? Actually MS never paid namco/bandai (they even said they chose to develop there first) so don't start any PS3 fanboy lies. Not all games are money hatted just to be put on 360.
No it wouldn't have been multi plat from the start as they stated it cost too much to develop on PS3 right away never mind simultaneously which could possibly delay the 360 release to get it working on PS3.
did you read the fkin article?
He is 'fkin' replying to the comment above.
"Actually MS never paid namco/bandai (they even said they chose to develop there first) so don't start any PS3 fanboy lies." =
actually read that again, if you're going by his comments he very clearly notes that part of the deal with MS was the fact that you get an up-front large sum of cash to develop for them.
according to this guy, Namco knew full well that the 360 version wasn't going to sell enough to recoup costs. But they also knew MS was going to pay them up-front to develop "exclusively" for them. so you can't claim MS didn't pay them for development and that Namco chose the 360 simply because.
Namco clearly knew the benefits up front and frankly it sounds like a PS3 version was in the plans down the line anyway, AFTER they took MS's "development grant".
You can very easily make the argument that Namco may have NOT chosen the 360 if MS didn't have their "dev grant" program packaged in with their exclusivity deals because it would appear that everyone (including the devs themselves) but 360 fanboys are aware they're not going to recoup costs on the 360 (even with the grant it sounds like)
(same anon here)
and really why is anyone surprised by Namco's admission. the only one's that think MS didn't do this are 360 fanboys. Capcom admitted what...a year ago.....that this is something MS does to secure developers. Though the difference there is supposedly Capcom sent the money back after Lost Planet and DMC4 sold well and they made all their money anyway.
What I meant is MS didn't outwardly go and moneyhat this project to stop PS3 fans getting it. namco bandai chose to make it 360 exclusive because MS supports devs that do so. It never was designed to be a real exclusive to my knowledge. They said they wanted to make a HD tales of game and they went on 360 first but that never really stopped them going elsewhere afterward. The point is MS hasn't done much wrong, clearly it was Bandai taking advantage of the offer MS had (which was an open offer to all devs as we've seen it with other games) and then it was Sony who made bandai chuck tons more content on.
You sound like a fanboy yourself since your frequently trying to insult 360 fanboys. Why insult what you are?
Like FFXIII being delayed on PS3 by the 360 release, then.
Dumb ass xbots don't read shit these days. They just blindly look at a comment, post, and BAM! They see their avatar's foot and stare at it like a stupid turkey. L2fukinREADtard. If anything, m$ is the dick this generation, paying for all its hookers for one-nighters.
Looks like Bill Gates is becoming more and more like a bitch these days...
Interesting...
Microsoft should have known these kinds of games only sell well in Japan, where it is the only place the ps3 is a bestseller.
That's why Microsoft was trying to get a foothold by getting those kind of games first. They underestimated just how xenophobic the Japanese were.
iPod says hello! Japan is no more racist than U.S.
http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF39.htm
http://www.indexmundi.com/japan/ethnic_groups.html
Yeah. Coupled with the retardedly difficult to acquire citizen-status and nigh resounding refusal to give the vote to ''foreigners'' (Koreans who have been living there for years and even pay tax)
Green Card says hello.
Well, they meant to change the tides there, to no avail as you can see.
Ah that is why they are doing it hello.. Its japan JPRG sell like hotcakes dude..
If MS has no JRPG market in japan It just means less Consoles to be sold in Japan...
Obvious Dont you think>?
I think MS did a right thing.. Actually Funding a dev that is developing for there console unlike Sony as stated on the article that they may not even get Money from Sony when Developing for them I am not surprised as Sony Makes losses on a PS3 anyway which is the stupidest move for any business..
Sony did a Wrong doing but got what they wanted.. it worked so be it.. but How long will a strategy Like that last? Seriously When will a company (Besides Activision lets not go there) say Fuck you Sony If you don't want our game its your loss..
JRPG's are welcomed around the world Sadly its main Market is in japan for those Devs If the Japs want a good JRPG then they go buy that game regardless of what Console it is on I do that with my games I dont see why ppl shouldn't get over the fanboysim and just be a gamer not a childish Fanboy.
- Ouji San
+9000
The PS3 Is Currently The Best Selling Console WORLD WIDE, Get Your Facts Right... Only A Best Seller In Japan.. Ha
Best selling console worldwide...what a joke...
damn that mess up D: