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Sony US and UK teams helping out on The Last Guardian

sublimit

Banned
I don't get it. He says the game is like Ico meets SotC, and you see that as trying something new?

We already know that it looks like a cross between Ico and SOTC in terms of aesthetics but info on actual gameplay is still very "sketchy".
 
Will this ever make the PS3? Maybe they will hold back for the next console if the technology is holding them back?

Also will they be one of the developers to make a Vita game like Sony said? If so that would give them headaches?! Or maybe it would tie in with The Last Guardian somehow.
 

jackdoe

Member
So what he's saying is that the engineers at Team Ico aren't up to the task at engine creation and they need outside input from Sony's more successful studios? I can believe that and it would make sense considering the overall state of SCEJ.
 

sublimit

Banned
So what he's saying is that the engineers at Team Ico aren't up to the task at engine creation and they need outside input from Sony's more successful studios? I can believe that and it would make sense considering the overall state of SCEJ.

I think this has more to do with the small size of the team than the expertise quality of its members.
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
132674302118peubn.gif

This is amazing, it's like he went backwards in time midway through that quote.
 

Defuser

Member
Wow, SCEJ is reduced to a point where they can't even finish their own games without turning to their fellow studios for help.
 
I'm honestly not bothered how long it takes. Whatever it takes to make it as memorable as Team Ico's other 2 games. I'd rather a game that'll be deservedly regarded as a gaming masterpiece in ten years time than a game that's been pushed out the door in a desperate attempt to save face in the short term. I just hope Sony aren't expecting massive sales based on Ico and SotC's receptions and the amount of discussion surrounding the game. I really do hope this is the PS3's magnus opus, even if it is its swansong.
 

Zoc

Member
I wonder if the issues are technical or artistic. Meaning, either they know what they want but don't have enough people or time to get the PS3 to do it, or if they started building final content for the game before they had nailed down final gameplay concepts and scenarios, and now find it's not as good as they had hoped.

With the amount of time it's taking, I'm afraid it's the latter, and that's very disappointing.
 

Saty

Member
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-21-sony-us-and-uk-teams-helping-out-on-the-last-guardian

Speaking in an interview with Wired, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida explained that Sony Santa Monica - the team behind God of War - is among the studios offering help.

"Well, you know, it's not just Santa Monica," he said.

"We have great tech people in Worldwide Studios. We have a central tech group in the US and the UK so we are giving them whatever help they need. Technically, we have the best
engineers in the US and Europe, so these teams are helping them, giving advice."

"At one point the progress was great, so we talked about the timing of the launch in the past. But now it's making progress, but still not to the level - it's playable, but not to the point that we can talk about the timing of launch."
 

pramath

Banned
Lol, it'll be the most hated game ever released. :p
If it's going to be something like SotC, it'll be worthed.
to me, that is

Whereas I personally never liked SotC, I can appreciate just how beautiful and great that game is.
Whereas I am sure many fan would appreciate another game in the same vein, I just hope TLG appeals to me a bit more than SotC and ICO did.
 
Sony has fantastic tech teams in SCEA and SCEE, they got to take advantage of them through all the worldwide studios, but holy cow that after all these years they can't even talk remotely about a launch date. SCEJ really needs a lot of help.
 

Hayeya

Banned
Sony: So, if any additional delay occurs then you can bet your asses that Ninja Theory will be brought to help.
Fans: Release it please sony even if its not playable.
 
Sony: So, if any additional delay occurs then you can bet your asses that Ninja Theory will be brought to help.
Fans: Release it please sony even if its not playable.

Sony: If ninja theory shows up at our premises we'll direct them to Capcom so they can ruin their franchises.
Fans: Yay!
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
i think what is seemingly holding SCEJ back is their lack of any new acquisition of talent within Japan.

to a greater extent, the decline of the Japanese development community and its impact on gaming in general as of recently (and i see that trend continuing).

I imagine that Nintendo has grabbed most of the talent in the area, though i'm not too knowledgeable about their talent acquisition rate -- i imagine that they just grow internal teams rather than acquiring others.

SCEJ needs to buy Level 5 or something like that.
 
I'm not seeing how these big Japanese developers/publishers can possibly get to the next-gen when they've failed to get this one down.

Maybe I'm reading a bit more into this, but they seem to work so hard trying to achieve FFVII instead of Western devs who settle for Two Worlds. I love Sony's first party stuff, so high quality. But hard to imagine they see huge margins from this kinda stuff.
 

Hyuga

Banned
Santa Monica?
Great! Kratos should show up in the middle of the game (where the production problems started) and kill all of them ;P
Awesome finish + game finally ready ^_^
 

Laughing Banana

Weeping Pickle
So much time and resources spent for a game that I, truthfully, really doubt in the end will generate enough profit to justify its costs. Critical acclaim amongst "journalists" and gamers? Most definitely. But profitability.....? Ehhhh I doubt it.
 

ChryZ

Member
It's amazing how their western studios keep constantly deliver top notch quality games without any drama. What happened to SCEJ?
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
"At one point the progress was great, so we talked about the timing of the launch in the past. But now it's making progress, but still not to the level - it's playable, but not to the point that we can talk about the timing of launch."

seymour.gif
 

Goldrusher

Member
Look at Ico (NES resolution) and Shadow of the Colossus (10 fps).
These guys simply can't make games (technically).

As I've said before, turn it into a PS4 launch title.
 

Amagon

Member
Its crazy to see an international effort going on to get this game finish, especially a studio from SCEJ. I would like to read some behind the scene interviews whenever this game comes out. SquareEnix, take notes and get Versus done too!
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
If US and UK people are helping out, it can only really be on engine stuff. So consider that. TLG still doesn't have a stable engine for the entire project.

Duke Nukem Forever was the folly of starting the game from scratch like three times over, the same approach that created RE4.

FF Versus 13 has suffered from its team members being plopped onto other projects throughout (FF13, 13-2, etc).

Team Ico haven't even made one playable demo or a stable engine base to build from. This is the biggest high profile disgrace in the industry to date.
 

ChryZ

Member
Look at Ico (NES resolution) and Shadow of the Colossus (10 fps).
These guys simply can't make games (technically).

As I've said before, turn it into a PS4 launch title.

Clearly you don't get how this works. This gen release is just the prototyping stage. The definitive version will be cleaned up and released as 4K remaster by Bluepoint Games on PS4.
 

My thoughts exactly, not sure how you can hit walls that cost you years, but man making a little headway is better than nothing.

Thing is it was slated for release last year which ICO/SotC collection would have upped awareness, now the more time they waste the more that wears off.

Here's hoping for a November/December 2012 release (not holding my breath)
 
It's amazing how their western studios keep constantly deliver top notch quality games without any drama. What happened to SCEJ?
It's because like Yoshida said himself, the power has shifted from the east to the west. There just isn't many high end graphic programmers in Japan. The size/programming skills of SCEJ teams was okay for PS1, PS2, and PSP, but the amount of high end programmers (along with development size) for PS3 games are just a bit too much for them. Just to get Gravity Rush complete, multiple teams had to combine with Team Silent. It's not like they can have a big job posting to grow since the high end programmers just aren't there.

i think what is seemingly holding SCEJ back is their lack of any new acquisition of talent within Japan.

to a greater extent, the decline of the Japanese development community and its impact on gaming in general as of recently (and i see that trend continuing).

I imagine that Nintendo has grabbed most of the talent in the area, though i'm not too knowledgeable about their talent acquisition rate -- i imagine that they just grow internal teams rather than acquiring others.

SCEJ needs to buy Level 5 or something like that.
The problem is, there are not many new people who want to become game developers in Japan. Japanese game development (those with high end programming) continues to shrink. It's not like in the west where they are more readily available.

I doubt SCEJ wants Level 5 since their games don't find success on their platforms.

I know this article is old, but this was one I remember hearing (not on Kotaku, but the only link I could dig up):
Sony Exec Notes “Slow Progress” In Japanese Development

Japanese game folks have been down on themselves as late. Sony Computer Entertainment exec Shuhei Yoshida is the latest to enter the fray:

The technology base has shifted from Japan to the US and Europe... There are also talented people, engineers… in the US and Europe, and it’s relatively easy to form a large team that required to create this generation of games... That’s not the case in Japan. Because they don’t have a large base, like the movie industry; there aren’t [a lot of people] in the high end of computer graphics. That’s making the many great developers in Japan make slow progress.

Yoshida went on to state that Japanese developed games like Metal Gear Solid 4 are the exception to the rule, not the rule.
http://kotaku.com/5054484/sony-exec-notes-slow-progress-in-japanese-development
 
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