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Sony's Tretton: 'Disappointed' In Multiplatform FFXIII Through MS' 'Currying Favor'
- Thread starter h0l211
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Son of Godzilla
Banned
What's it like to have a corporate exec able to play you like a flute?Rapping Granny said:
itxaka said:
Gears is a second party game, like Resistance not a third party exclusive.
BTW Tretton also put the blame on Kutaragi for past mistakes :lol :lol
And he basically confirmed that PSP with hard drive is going to happen in the future and they're deciding if selling it in parallel with the current model or like an evolution.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/tretton-opens-up
During the presentation, attended by Edge, Tretton admitted that Sony has had a weakness in how the company organized its different hardware and software engineers.
We have some great engineers working on software and hardware. But weve had situations in the past where the hardware guys just presented their work to the software guys, and where the two just didnt meet up enough. Its been a learning curve.
He said that this problem had been identified prior to PS3s development, but that the technical advances of PS3 out-paced improved internal communications.
Tretton also said that Sony showed a lot of naivete when the company began work on Home, and when it showed the product prematurely to the media.
He added that the internal development of Home had been hampered by a lack of understanding of what exactly the company was developing, We had to figure out that this wasnt just a piece of software, and not just a service, but something that needed a specific team, including hardware expertise, he said.
He added that he would not release Home until it was completely ready.
Partly, he said, the problems of the past were the cost of doing business with someone as driven as former PlayStation supremo Ken Kutaragi. There was just no stopping him, Tretton said. When he wanted something to happen, it happened. Its very exciting but it did leave us open and vulnerable to criticism.
Tretton talked plenty about the positives of PlayStation 3, including the companys video download system, which went live this week. He was unapologetic, for example, about the lack of backwards compatibility hardware in PS3, explaining the companys financial rationale behind that decision.
He was also scathing about Microsoft and Nintendos avatar-based online communities. What theyre doing is very simplified. It might be enough for some people, but we wont reverse our approach. He said that Microsoft's announcements this week offered "npothoing we didn't already knoew about".
On the appearance of Final Fantrasy XIII on Xbox 360, he admitted to "feeling some disappointment" but added that he "wasn't at all surprised" explaining that third-party exclusives are a rarity now "except in Japan where Xbox 360 has no user base to speak of." He reminded the media that FFXIII is still a PS3 exclusive in Japan.
He was also open about his own position, saying that it often affected him personally to see some of the criticism he, and Sony, faces in the press, even on blogs and forums. Im not going to pretend I dont read this stuff, or that it doesnt affect me. It does, he said.
Asked about a hard-drive version of PSP, he said it was something he had considered, but was still working on whether or not it would release alongside the current model or whether it might be an evolution. He added that he had nothing to pull out of my back pocket right now but indicated that it would be a likely release in the future.
During the presentation, attended by Edge, Tretton admitted that Sony has had a weakness in how the company organized its different hardware and software engineers.
We have some great engineers working on software and hardware. But weve had situations in the past where the hardware guys just presented their work to the software guys, and where the two just didnt meet up enough. Its been a learning curve.
He said that this problem had been identified prior to PS3s development, but that the technical advances of PS3 out-paced improved internal communications.
Tretton also said that Sony showed a lot of naivete when the company began work on Home, and when it showed the product prematurely to the media.
He added that the internal development of Home had been hampered by a lack of understanding of what exactly the company was developing, We had to figure out that this wasnt just a piece of software, and not just a service, but something that needed a specific team, including hardware expertise, he said.
He added that he would not release Home until it was completely ready.
Partly, he said, the problems of the past were the cost of doing business with someone as driven as former PlayStation supremo Ken Kutaragi. There was just no stopping him, Tretton said. When he wanted something to happen, it happened. Its very exciting but it did leave us open and vulnerable to criticism.
Tretton talked plenty about the positives of PlayStation 3, including the companys video download system, which went live this week. He was unapologetic, for example, about the lack of backwards compatibility hardware in PS3, explaining the companys financial rationale behind that decision.
He was also scathing about Microsoft and Nintendos avatar-based online communities. What theyre doing is very simplified. It might be enough for some people, but we wont reverse our approach. He said that Microsoft's announcements this week offered "npothoing we didn't already knoew about".
On the appearance of Final Fantrasy XIII on Xbox 360, he admitted to "feeling some disappointment" but added that he "wasn't at all surprised" explaining that third-party exclusives are a rarity now "except in Japan where Xbox 360 has no user base to speak of." He reminded the media that FFXIII is still a PS3 exclusive in Japan.
He was also open about his own position, saying that it often affected him personally to see some of the criticism he, and Sony, faces in the press, even on blogs and forums. Im not going to pretend I dont read this stuff, or that it doesnt affect me. It does, he said.
Asked about a hard-drive version of PSP, he said it was something he had considered, but was still working on whether or not it would release alongside the current model or whether it might be an evolution. He added that he had nothing to pull out of my back pocket right now but indicated that it would be a likely release in the future.
Die Squirrel Die
Member
le.phat said:
I think some people have touched on this already, but while in theory that's all well and good, so far, very little of Sony's refocusing on internal development has translated into large scale sales successes, for both hardware and software alike.
You don't go from building your platform largely on third party franchises, to almost completely switching away from pursuing third parties overnight, particularly when your closest competition is aggressively dealmaking with third parties.
Developer in Training
Banned
You had a crappy Metal Gear port.gregor7777 said:
I was playing on the PC Engine where the great games were at.
I'd much rather see Sony dumping the money into 1st party myself. You can distinctly tell that is the way to go by the more often than not higher quality of game. Unfortunately for MS, they're trying to cash in on casuals and control Sony at the same time, but they're missing the point here. It's not that "Omg, 360 has the FF now" which is going to pull in the majority of new sales, it's "What unique games does the 360 have from the PS3, well they have Gears, and Fable, and Alan Wake, but it looks like the PS3 has more exclusives". While they're fighting/spending to say me too, their competitor is putting out more unique reasons to own their system anymore, and they can't take first party titles away. And it's not just more unique titles, it's quality with those titles as well, which the Sony stables have.
behem0th x
Banned
So when Sony buys in near 20% stock in Square to keep FF exclusive, thats fine... it's cool if Nintendo throws out money with their qfund stuff to get some FF love and thats exceptable.. but if MS dares throw a dollar at them... complete asshats for it?
/mind explode.
/mind explode.
BruceWayneIII
Member
itxaka said:
Still has it, right? It's not like MS can say: now look what WE got!?
It's perfectly understandable from SE' side and SONY knows that. Personally, as a gamer, I would rather have SONY investing their money on new ip for me to enjoy - instead of spending it trying to keep MS out.
Sony should, by no means, alienate third parties, but this just goes to show the volatile nature of 3rd party exclusivity this generation. It just becomes a huge drain on cash having to pay a huge premium just to 'not have the game on the other system.' That money will be much better spent on first party where you don't have to worry about them effortlessly jumping ship due to financial incentives or business conditions.
It's just up to Sony to put together teams that can offer titles that are competitive in genres such as rpgs however.
It's just up to Sony to put together teams that can offer titles that are competitive in genres such as rpgs however.
Developer in Training
Banned
Sony bought the stocks to save Squaresoft from being completely destroyed.behem0th x said:
I find that completely honourable.
mightynine
Member
Whoops! I did miss the memo apparently re: Japan. Sorry.
Still, rest of my argument holds.
Still, rest of my argument holds.
Dark Octave
Banned
Ha, ha! No.Quixzlizx said:
You fail to realize that MS and Nintendo aren't even really in the same market, nor are they going after the same consumer. MS is getting more and more aggressive with the whole family thing, so once the new Xbox releases with Nintendo's strategy and launch with an "easy to use" controller of their own, it'll be a wrap. Not an Xbot in the slightest. I just understand that M$ will stop at nothing to become #1 in every field they enter.
Like I said, you can have a great battle, but IN THE END...
Being 'disappointed' is kind of a dickheaded way to look at it. More people will be playing FF13 and more money will be spent on the gaming industry in general. It's still an emergent media form. The more exposure there is, the better.
I understand that an exclusive would have meant more money to Sony. They probably held some vain belief that it would move more units. But to want to deny people an experience because they didn't by your machine is just too corporate an attitude.
Seriously, there are too many fucking old people in the video game industry, especially at the console level. No wonder the business strategies are all over the fucking place.
I understand that an exclusive would have meant more money to Sony. They probably held some vain belief that it would move more units. But to want to deny people an experience because they didn't by your machine is just too corporate an attitude.
Seriously, there are too many fucking old people in the video game industry, especially at the console level. No wonder the business strategies are all over the fucking place.
dragonlife
Member
Genius :lolHellraizer said:
Riskbreaker23
Member
MSX3 to combat WiiHD
Believe.
Believe.
Things would be different if Sony used the money to make Lair to buy some nice exclusives.
But the main thing is the insult to the PS3. FFXIII was supposed to be THE game only possible on 360. With SE now showing that it will be possible on 360 with no differences only gives the impression that the PS3 isn't the all powerful game machine the public originally perceived.
But the main thing is the insult to the PS3. FFXIII was supposed to be THE game only possible on 360. With SE now showing that it will be possible on 360 with no differences only gives the impression that the PS3 isn't the all powerful game machine the public originally perceived.
sooperkool
Member
J-Rzez said:
This is true but they built the ability this ge to do that on the strength of all those things that Microsoft is trying to do now. You can focus on internal dev teams and building interesting new IP's when your money has already been made on the strength of being the market leader in Madden's and FF's and whatnot.
BruceWayneIII
Member
Die Squirrel Die said:
Just a note, but I am still pretty impressed by how far they have come, if you look at it from my perspective: bought a PS3 PAL launch console 15 months ago. 15 months... That's like yesterday, if you know what I mean.
gregor7777
Banned
Developer in Training said:
Find it however you like, it was a business decision.
Developer in Training said:
Lies. it was a beautiful port, into which I sunk many wasted hours of my childhood.
Elios83 said:
I edited in gears after reading that because it came to my mind.
What makes it 2d party? I mean, Insomniac is part of Sony(is it?) and only makes games for them, Epic already released UT3 timed exclusive for Sony. They are a third party.
That is what I mean, is from a third party, but they struck a deal to have it on 360 exclusive with publishing and such. Like NG2.
They just have to talk with 3th parties to make sure they got exclusives too, even timed. It´s not like they say, increasingly difficult. They just have to accept that sometimes you have to moneyhat your way to exclusives, if not MS are gonna get all they can. They gotta play with the same guns.
Son of Godzilla
Banned
What are you talking about? Three days ago a large percentage of the people who are going to buy this game didn't have the console they would have bought it on.mightynine said:
forgeforsaken
Member
Insomniac is an independent company. They could make games for Microsoft of Nintendo if they so chose.itxaka said:
jjasper said:
Erm, Gran Turismo is one of the strongest system-sellers you can have.
But yeah, they do struggle to produce the kliller-apps internally. I don't evem see Little Big Planet reaching that satus with the general public no matter how good it is.
Sony tend to produce stuff that's either too generic to stand out much, or too far to the other extreme with titles that are well loved but a bit niche.
Steiner_Zi
Member
Yeah, like Lair and Heavenly Sword.le.phat said:
There's no way a single company can offset the exclusives from all other companies Playstation enjoyed until now.
PIMPBYBLUD
Member
Rapping Granny said:
It's called doing business.
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
:lol :lol :lolDark Octave said:
Sony is twice as big as MS fyi. They own one of the largest movie studios and one of the largest music studios. They own a huge electronics empire. And they have a game division.
Microsoft makes software, the 360, the Zune, and has less than half as many employees.
BuckRobotron
Member
Tretton concluded: "I think software companies look and say 'there's no check big enough for us to do exclusive development' ...I think it's going to be harder and harder to have third-party exclusives as we move forward."
So, despite the attempts to direct blame at MSFT's big pockets, this bit redirects attention to introspection that Sony itself finds it is now too much to pay for exclusive "favor".
So, despite the attempts to direct blame at MSFT's big pockets, this bit redirects attention to introspection that Sony itself finds it is now too much to pay for exclusive "favor".
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Tretton concluded: "I think software companies look and say 'there's no check big enough for us to do exclusive development' ...I think it's going to be harder and harder to have third-party exclusives as we move forward."
The check for MGS4 seemed "big enough"
The check for MGS4 seemed "big enough"
I really hope Sony isn't raising the white flag already. Sure, they're not willing to floss money around as liberally as MS, but they really need to dig in, and concentrate on the long haul now.
Although they're concentrating most of their efforts on in-house projects, Sony mustn't forget what got them to the top in the first place, exclusive third-party games. Losing FF XIII exclusivety is a hard blow to take (understandably), but they've just gotta roll with the punches.
Fight or die.
Although they're concentrating most of their efforts on in-house projects, Sony mustn't forget what got them to the top in the first place, exclusive third-party games. Losing FF XIII exclusivety is a hard blow to take (understandably), but they've just gotta roll with the punches.
Fight or die.
Die Squirrel Die
Member
BruceWayneIII said:
I'm not talking on a personal level, I love Sony's output, both last gen and so far this gen. However they are not even close to the Nintendo level of putting out consistant heavy hitters. And even if they could that doesn't guarantee success, as the Gamecube can testify.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
Vinci said:
They're the top selling HD videogame console, which is all that matters.
