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Hideo Baba: Namco in very early phases of Tales for PS4, no plans for Xbox titles

Samyy

Member
Both consoles are the same. Kinda shitty they don't support the American dream box.

It still costs money to create, and they must have done the math and felt it was not worth it to spend the money/effort.
Don't think these decisions aren't made just like that, they consider all these factors. If they thought it could be profitable considering the added contribution margin, they probably would have done it.
 

Mario007

Member
Yeah, repeating that mistake will just be shitty for both Namco and the fans.
Yup. Tales pretty much spent the whole generation looking for their perfect console, while pretty much ignoring the ps3. Then Xillia exploded and there can be no denying ps3 is where the fanbase is.
 

Soriku

Junior Member
Exactly. That's why I think Namco Bandai is short-sighted.

Ignoring the western market - or considering it so heavily an afterthought - is not that wise, expecially now that you can even approach it with just digital delivery, containing your production efforts.

Heck, they even opened a new Vancouver studio.

They're not ignoring the Western market as they're bringing the major console titles over and doing more to promote the games. They just don't feel multiplatform is worth it.
 

Jomjom

Banned
Tread carefully.



Dude you should lower your expectations about this Osaka studio. Seriously. MS doesn't care about Japan, and Japan doesn't care about Xbox. Thats the truth.

Japan barely cares about home consoles at this point. The Xbox One is going to sell even less than the Xbox 360.

On a separate note. Japan please buy more home consoles so we continue getting Japanese development on these consoles!!!!

They're not ignoring the Western market as they're bringing the major console titles over and doing more to promote the games. They just don't feel multiplatform is worth it.

This.

If anything they are supporting the Western market almost like they used to now. Graces F, Xillia, Xillia 2 all coming to the west. Two years ago, if someone had told me these would be coming to the west, I would have bet my house against it. It just doesn't make sense to release a Xbox One version along with the PS4 version, unless MS is going to shell out some dough. A PS4 version would have a hard enough time making a profit, an Xbox One version would most likely lose money and take away any profit they would have made on the PS4.
 

Shahed

Member
I just hope they make their next game (Zestoria?) cross gen. By the time it releases in the West, it will more than likely be 2015, and I'd rather not play PS3 games then if I can avoid it.

Expecting it to be PS3 only though, and the one after to be PS4 exclusive.
 

tokkun

Member
The way Xbox fucked over RPG fans really pissed me off. They pulled a bait-n-switch on fans, cost them a superior port of a good game, and contributed to RPG sales suffering by tying them as exclusives to their dead-weight console in Japan. That alone is enough to ensure that I'll never buy another xbox console ever again. Even if the Xbone "reversal" fiasco had never happened.

They stuck their head where it doesn't belong, bit off way more than they could chew, and quit halfway and fucked shit up for everyone.

So glad they're getting the cold shoulder this time around.

If Vesperia had come out on PS3 to begin with, people in the US would not have gotten the 'superior' version either, because (A) they might never have developed a version with additional content, and (B) they would be even less likely to rerelease the game on the same console in the US than to rerelease it on a new console.

Also, why did Microsoft "not belong" in Japan/JRPGs?
 
If Vesperia had come out on PS3 to begin with, people in the US would not have gotten the 'superior' version either, because (A) they might never have developed a version with additional content, and (B) they would be even less likely to rerelease the game on the same console in the US than to rerelease it on a new console.

Maybe the extra stuff would have just been included from the get go? There are references to the pirate character available on the PS3 port, in the 360 version. It really seems like a matter of not wanting to translate the same game twice.

Also, why did Microsoft "not belong" in Japan/JRPGs?

Because that's not what their market or niche is, and it just doesn't fit with their brand at all. All they managed to do is hurt the sales of titles, and the genre as a whole, by keeping them as an exclusive on their console that sold abysmally over there.
 

synce

Member
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.
 
Also, why did Microsoft "not belong" in Japan/JRPGs?
Japan can be quite xenophobic at times, plus most of the content in its library didn't appeal to their tastes. So it's not surprising it didn't sell well in Japan.

That said, some Japanese devs/publishers made really stupid moves with Xbox, like Namco Bandai selling that one Gundam XB360 game in Japan and nowhere else.

Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.
I don't think that necessarily applies to Japanese games like it does to western games, if only because most Japanese games are completely off the radar outside of Japan. Most of them are simply too niche to succeed in the more competitive western market unless they were put on PC and given a realistic time table for profitability, but then you run into the fact that Japan doesn't care about PC all that much (although some publishers/devs do make the effort to put out PC ports).
 

Soriku

Junior Member
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

I take it you're not familiar with this series. Where are the 360 versions of Xillia 1 and 2, or Tales of Symphonia Chronicles?
 

Biker19

Banned
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

If anything, the development costs of PS4 is more lighter than the cost of development on PS3.

PS4 console development costs much lighter than PS3.

Obviously, the large difference in R&D costs is due in large part to the PS4 using a more common x86 chipset for the CPU while Sony partnered with Toshiba and IBM to develop the powerful but exotic Cell processor for the PS3. The company also heavily invested in Blu-ray technology at the time which, in part, gave the Xbox 360 a year head start. This cost savings should carry over to the game developers as well as PS4 development environment is much closer to the common PC.
 

LuuKyK

Member
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

Someone doesn't follow the Tales series.
 

Shahed

Member
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

It's not a high profile exclusive in the West. It appeals to a niche audience who will generally get the game regardless of platform. In Japan it kind of is a high profile exclusive, but it's more a default exclusive since there is literally no point in making an Xbox One version. It would be a waste of time, money and effort. A Wii U version would make more sense
 

t26

Member
Vesperia ps3 included a lot of new stuff, while something like star ocean 4 or even eternal sonata ps3 only got minor improvement
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

namcobandaiscreenshots41271toxi30jpg-e93559.jpg
 
When your late port of your first HD game outsells the original version's LTD on release day... yeah, I would hope so.

This. Good news.

Because that's not what their market or niche is, and it just doesn't fit with their brand at all. All they managed to do is hurt the sales of titles, and the genre as a whole, by keeping them as an exclusive on their console that sold abysmally over there.

This.
 
http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2013/08/05/namcobandaiscreenshots41271toxi30jpg-e93559.jpg[/IMG[/QUOTE]

Yep they really not taxing the system .
Gust was the perfect eg of how you can do low budget games with the extra power this gen .
I hope more companies follow how they do things so we can get some jrpgs.
I take PS3.5 jrpgs than none at all .
 

koutoru

Member
Baba has said in past interviews that they want to focus developing for their core Japanese market first and then localize for Western markets second.

With that kind of mindset, don't expect to see any Xbox One tales games unless Japan suddenly decides they love the Xbox One more than the PS4.
 

Persona7

Banned
Makes sense considering the Japanese fanbase. One version is going to save money.

Does anyone know the NA sales for Vesperia, Graces F and Xillia?
 

Soriku

Junior Member
Makes considering the Japanese fanbase. One version is going to save money.

Does anyone know the NA sales for Vesperia, Graces F and Xillia?

Last we heard Vesperia sold around 140k (same with Dawn of the New World). Graces F did around 70k. Xillia did 100k+ in its first month but no news beyond that.
 
They tried the 360, then a PS3 version came out a year later and outsold that one. They tried the Wii, and once again a PS3 version came out a year later and outsold it. They're just acknowledging where their fanbase is. No reason for them to ignore it.

If they have the slightest hint of sense in their collective head, they won't be developing a single Tales for the Xbone.

Pretty much, no need to put money into a bad investment with xbone. It wouldn't make financial sense given the forecasts for next-gen greatly favor the PS4 too.
 

Coxy

Member
Do the Gust games look better?

define better? Some of GUST's games were 1080p 60fps so pretty nice if you care for that. They also had really good character models from Totori on. Tales has much better graphics for the major locations though. Tough to say for fields

OffTopicish

Seriously, what's wrong with Drakengard? Is the theme really that hard to swallow? Is the "Puritan" country not a myth? Sure the second game wasn't all that hot. Can barely remember it other than it was just an "ok" game.

OnTopic:ish I like Baba. just wish vita Tales made it west as well. ha I think I would even buy their mobile games.

The first game has an interesting story and characters but bad gameplay, the second has better gameplay but worse story, couldnt say for the third game yet but I'm super buttmad about no physical release in europe :(
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
Good. Don't make the same mistake as last time and put it on the platform which will have the user base for that genre and series.
 

Jeels

Member
I really hope they go with the Vesperia style cel shading for whatever PS4 title they make. Tbh it was the most appealing to me, it masked the low geometry in their games really well, just looks nice and cartoony.
 

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Of course there's going to be an Xbone version eventually. There's just no way you're going to see any third party exclusives next-gen short of the ones Sony and MS publish. Dev costs too high, architecture too similar.

Japanese games.
 
SO why the hell was Versperia exclusive to the 360? I'd like to think it was more than just moneyhatting since these devs had to have had an idea of just how poorly the Xbox brand was received in Japan based off the previous console.
 

Labadal

Member
SO why the hell was Versperia exclusive to the 360? I'd like to think it was more than just moneyhatting since these devs had to have had an idea of just how poorly the Xbox brand was received in Japan based off the previous console.
I thin it's been said it was basically "moneyhatting".
 

Thorgal

Member
SO why the hell was Versperia exclusive to the 360? I'd like to think it was more than just moneyhatting since these devs had to have had an idea of just how poorly the Xbox brand was received in Japan based off the previous console.

First , PS3 released over a year later then Xbox360 so they took some marketshare as they where the only next gen console out at that point.

Second ,Ms threw money at Namco to help build the game.

Third Xbox 360 did quite decently with all the Japanese games they funded ( blue dragon , Idolmaster etc) but after they just gave up .
 

Jomjom

Banned
SO why the hell was Versperia exclusive to the 360? I'd like to think it was more than just moneyhatting since these devs had to have had an idea of just how poorly the Xbox brand was received in Japan based off the previous console.

It was ALL moneyhatting
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask, but nothing yet on a new Ridge PS4 game?
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
This shot is kinda bad, but anyway these games don't need millions of sales to be profitable. Plus Tales games always reuse assets...Xillia in particular was bad.
I hope they actually use new enemy designs next time.

I don't think I'll hold my breath on that.
 

klee123

Member
Looks like Japanese devs in general have wised up and finally knows where the userbase is. The only devs who would take MS's moneyhats this time would be like Platinum Games where their games wouldn't sell in Japan in the first place.

For any pubisher with even remotely bankable Japanese IPs, putting them exclusively on MS's console would be sending the IP to suicide.
 
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