• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game Delayed Indefinitely for Xbox One [Up: Released]

Eusis

Member
I'm really curious.
Because a temporary delay would be treated as such, like with Titanfall Xbox 360.

Instead, they're cancelling pre-orders. That's insane.

This isn't a new developer. They've dealt with issues. Even if it was, you pay for Microsoft to give you support. All I can imagine is Activision called Microsoft's bluff on something.
Consider the games in question here too: Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a multiplat licensed game that they know will likely be forgotten sooner than later, and even if it sells well won't set the world on fire. Leaving a version to the wayside may be considered acceptable versus the alternatives.

In contrast Titanfall was a game Microsoft was banking big on and considered essential to pushing the XB1, to the point of paying to keep a PS4 installment from being developed. The one delayed platform was a secondary target to begin with, and the visibility was worth eating whatever costs are associated with delaying.
Right which is why I listed DX11 that the PC version would be coded to which is comparable to the SDK for the XB1 even if it's a specialized version of it

Most likely that would indeed be where the problem relies but I am having trouble reconciling the idea that Activision ran into a problem so large on the software side of things they couldn't just tweak the performance of the game [Resolution, Framerate] to fix it. I suppose it could be something out of left field not related to performance directly but it still seems odd to me
It's not the exact same version though, being a version of DirectX tailor made for the Xbox. Not that it probably isn't close enough for the most part, but that doesn't mean exactly the same. Doubly so if they're digging deeper for optimization than they would on PC.
 

Nvzman

Member
Well it isn't a crown jewel of a looker so I would love if the PS4 version got delayed too. It still needs more time to bake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1RRyrWk0Vs

Um, the city footage was confirmed to be beta 360 footage (notice how when Spidey does the Web Rush you can't see the reflections of his eyes, yet in the nighttime footage you can).
The nighttime footage though was definitely PS4 or PC, there was almost no shimmering and it looked more updated.
 

Returners

Member
What a load of old tut, XB360 is getting copy of the game, and that's sold a few more consoles than xbone. And why on earth would they want to limit the amount of consoles you can buy the game for? It's a movie tie-in, they get a release onto everything.

Sure, but if there is a game breaking bug on the X1, would you release it?
 
It's not the exact same version though, being a version of DirectX tailor made for the Xbox. Not that it probably isn't close enough for the most part, but that doesn't mean exactly the same. Doubly so if they're digging deeper for optimization than they would on PC.

Yeah I think it would be interesting if we ever actually found out the reason for the delay [or perhaps cancellation?] of the XB1 version

It could really be a mix of things to be honest. Maybe Wii U and PC had already been well developed with PS4 and XB1 left to finalize. PS4 version gets optimized quickly because of that time to triangle stuff Cerny always goes on about, XB1 version is far less quick. Execs look at the install base, the estimate the dev team gives to fully optimize it and simply choose to delay or cancel the version?
 

CamHostage

Member
People are really confused over the lack of a vita version? Not that the wiiu version will do much better but a vita version seems like the definition of a waste of time. Keep on clinging to the dream, gaf.

Well, now, let's wait 17 months before jumping to that conclusion, shall we...

So weird. My guess is severe optimization issues. What else would they need help from MS with?

Legal issues with the publishing contract, or QA with console iterations (though it'd be early for there to be compatibility issues, unless international shipping is an issue I'm not sure there are variants of the Xbox One hardware yet?) or printing error (but then would they not just release it digitally? or would that kill momentum for the boxed product?) or unpatchable performance bug? Could be a lot of things, but you're right that "We are working with Microsoft" implies more than a general error internally at Activision.

We are two weeks away from the shipping date and Activision was treating this version as an upcoming product up until today, so the Xbox One game pretty much must have been printed, it's got to be in crates somewhere. For the whole batch to be put in limbo (especially in an era where day-one patches to fix critical errors are not impossible) means they hit a hard, hard wall.
 

CCIE

Banned
Maybe the One version ran into huge frame rate issues, like many of the games we've seen. Even TF doesn't maintain 60 fps
 

DonDraper

Banned
Sure, but if there is a game breaking bug on the X1, would you release it?

You don't delay indefinitely for a game breaking bug. You either delay a few weeks or even don't delay at all and have a mandatory day 1 patch or something. I can't even imagine what the problem is, but bugs alone? Highly doubtful. Something is afoot.
 
Sure, but if there is a game breaking bug on the X1, would you release it?

Well they could delay it temporarily and say 'It failed MS QC, we're resubmitting' but it's being delayed indefinitely, it's been taken off the marketing and preorders have been cancelled.

Look at WiiU Rayman Legends, it was delayed for six months when it was actually ready for release, but at least everybody knew why it was delayed.

Maybe the One version ran into huge frame rate issues, like many of the games we've seen. Even TF doesn't maintain 60 fps

Loads of PS3 games ran into huge framerate issues, and were still released. And even Skyrim was released as a broken mess on PS3.
 
Not that this game will be any good probably, but still It is pretty weird for a licensed game to snub such a new console, especially if there is a version available on it's direct competitor.
 

Eusis

Member
Yeah I think it would be interesting if we ever actually found out the reason for the delay [or perhaps cancellation?] of the XB1 version

It could really be a mix of things to be honest. Maybe Wii U and PC had already been well developed with PS4 and XB1 left to finalize. PS4 version gets optimized quickly because of that time to triangle stuff Cerny always goes on about, XB1 version is far less quick. Execs look at the install base, the estimate the dev team gives to fully optimize it and simply choose to delay or cancel the version?
It'll be really interesting to find out for sure what happened, but I kind of suspect we won't actually KNOW until months if not years from now at best. And they probably work harder at sealing lips now than they did in the 8-bit or 16-bit days.
You don't delay indefinitely for a game breaking bug. You either delay a few weeks or even don't delay at all and have a mandatory day 1 patch or something. I can't even imagine what the problem is, but bugs alone? Highly doubtful. Something is afoot.
Technically game breaking bugs ARE the time for indefinite delays, because you have no idea how easy or hard that'll be fixed. I recall FFI&II on GBA being hit with indefinite delay that sorted itself out within a week or so. Indefinite just means "not definite" ergo they don't know how long it'll take.

With that said, there is that undeniable undercurrent of just canning the game or being ready to, what with pulling mention from the site entirely rather than just leaving it there, and for a movie licensed game that may NEED to be out by movie release and may also be delaying with release parity clauses it may be easier just to scrap it rather than delay the other versions and possibly break whatever contract they have with Sony Pictures. Though for whatever it's worth GameStop's reporting the Xbox One version as coming 7/1 in the USA and that's a Tuesday so it could be a legit day, plus I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft was willing to bend the parity clause for the sake of a big publisher and a major game, to save some face for XB1 if nothing else.
 
You don't delay indefinitely for a game breaking bug. You either delay a few weeks or even don't delay at all and have a mandatory day 1 patch or something. I can't even imagine what the problem is, but bugs alone? Highly doubtful. Something is afoot.
It is being released alongside a movie so really they need to strike whilst the iron is hot.

If the game is a buggy mess and they have taken a view that fixing it would take x weeks with y developers working on it Activision may have decided that the time needed is simply too long, or it is not worth the investment based on projected sales if the time needed and dev cost is too much.

However, it may turn out that the game sells more than expected and they could use that to then go OK maybe it is worth us fixing this mess.

So thus, it would be better to delay the game indefinitely rather than go right that's it folks, we're cancelling this version and would be related to bugs.
 

CamHostage

Member
It is being released alongside a movie so really they need to strike whilst the iron is hot.

Again, Activision has not been afraid to ship 17 months late in the past...

And it is true that the movie helps move product, but Spider-Man is one of those evergreen brands that they could still profit off of a bit late, so I don't think it's movie-date-or-die that's making the indefinite delay seem like it may hit permanence.
 
Again, Activision has not been afraid to ship 17 months late in the past...

And it is true that the movie helps move product, but Spider-Man is one of those evergreen brands that they could still profit off of a bit late, so I don't think it's movie-date-or-die that's making the indefinite delay seem like it may hit permanence.
You didn't read my post properly did you.
 
Last game was pretty good, nothing great, but I enjoyed it. This won't be any worse than the last one and hopefully a bit better, I don't see it being terrible though. And as for why it was delayed, I am going with that version wasn't up to par with the rest, there is no way Sony didn't allow this to release on the Xbox One.
 
Last game was pretty good, nothing great, but I enjoyed it. This won't be any worse than the last one and hopefully a bit better, I don't see it being terrible though. And as for why it was delayed, I am going with that version wasn't up to par with the rest, there is no way Sony didn't allow this to release on the Xbox One.

But it's on the Wii U as well. Why couldn't they just port it to the xbox one? I'm not buying that there were performance issues. I think it's more than likely that Sony Pictures was paid off
 

Ridley327

Member
But it's on the Wii U as well. Why couldn't they just port it to the xbox one? I'm not buying that there were performance issues. I think it's more than likely that Sony Pictures was paid off

Why would it be on any systems other than PS3 and PS4 if Sony Pictures was paid off? Lest people forget, MS paid for exclusive content in the first movie-based Spider-Man game back in the day, and it still came out on everything that could play it.

I'm guessing it's a nasty bug that can be easily replicated that can't fixed prior to the game being pressed, and Activision can't in good conscience ship it out and hope that people are online to download a day 1 patch for it.
 
True but with the PC, PS4 and Wii U version on the way you have two examples of x86 architecture with it working on, one example of DX11 of it working on and one example of what is more specialized hardware with it working on

I have trouble believing that the XB1 version would run into some ground-breaking bug that didn't affect the PC, PS4 or Wii U version personally

This isn't about getting code to compile and run on a system, it is about getting that code optimized on a system. There were plenty of example of early ports of games running much better on the PS4 than the XB1. With the PS4's high bandwidth access to ALL of its memory, no tricks need to be done in order to get decent performance. The XB1 on the other hand requires a careful memory allocation scheme just to get anything near acceptable frame rates. Basically you can brute force performance on the PS4 with little effort and you can't on the XB1.

The Wii U and PC are older established hardware. There is far less of a learning curve to get a game working on these platforms. Any tricks that need to be down in order to get acceptable performance on these systems should be well known by now.

Given all this I can easily see problems running the game at an acceptable framerate late in development on the XB1. Adding to this, Microsoft's developer tools were known to be lacking for the XB1.
 
Again, Activision has not been afraid to ship 17 months late in the past...

And it is true that the movie helps move product, but Spider-Man is one of those evergreen brands that they could still profit off of a bit late, so I don't think it's movie-date-or-die that's making the indefinite delay seem like it may hit permanence.

And TMNT:OOTS just got released on the PSN.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles:_Out_of_the_Shadows
A full 9 months after the Xbox 360 one.

Activision has no problem with delays. But this is a different beast.

Spider-man IS evergreen. It will outlive the movie, regardless of quality.

Activision likely wanted something, and threatened to pull the title if they didn't get it. Whether it was lower publishing costs, or free support to fix something. OR there was a bug that MS held steadfast on, and Activision just straight-up killed the title.

Activision has a LOT of muscle to get what they want, or at least try.
http://www.gamesradar.com/activision-wants-cash-for-rock-band-patch/
y Guitar Hero publisher Activision decided to block a Rock Band patch enabling support for GHIII PS3 controllers;
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=413950
Activision has only snagged a "modest amount" of that $5.

Right now Activision knows Microsoft needs publishers more than publishers need Microsoft. So they can feel free to push them around. It's a single SKU on a multi-platform game. It'll probably be outsold by most of the other platforms, so it's less of a loss for Activision.
 
But it's on the Wii U as well. Why couldn't they just port it to the xbox one? I'm not buying that there were performance issues. I think it's more than likely that Sony Pictures was paid off

Why would Sony Pictures let it come out on Wii U and PC? In fact why would Sony Pictures allow the first game to come out on every system out there? What you're saying is way less likely.
 

Dupree

Neo Member
Sony doesn't even make games for the Vita. Why would they moneyhat another developer to make a game for it?

I don't disagree on that front.


On the other hand, Sony doesn't own the rights to the game, spiderman, or anything.


They only have the rights to make film adaptions of Spiderman. Disney/Marvel own the rights to merchandise and everything else



I think its not likely at all Sony dropped cash to get a lets be honest a title that is not going to set the Sales charts on fire, to cancel a game for one system, when said game doesn't even support all of their own systems.


Just poking a little fun at it is all.
 

quickwhips

Member
I feel compelled to buy it on PS4 now...

image.php
 
Wait when was ms money hatting titanfall not a thing? I am pretty sure Respawn said they were only aware of a timed exclusivity and only found out after EA and MS struck another deal that the first game would not be coming yo other consoles.

There's an entire thread on it called "Final Hours of Titanfall". Respawn needed financial help and asked for Sony's support but Sony was very hush hush about PS4 and didn't comply, which forced them to allow EA to sign such deal. However, the part where MS moneyhatted for permanent exclusivity is true.

Sony was given a fair chance but they blew it. They even told Sony about the deal under the table but they didn't bulge.
 

tensuke

Member

Deader than the Xbone version of ASM.

But really, it's odd that they just said "tba" instead of just pushing it back a month or something, even going as far as canceling orders, that makes it seem like more than just hardware issues. I suppose statham could be right that it will be a GWG game, but that's a huuuge risk for MS (although I'd have to admit, having a completely new game launch for free like that would be spectacular, amazing even ;)).

Or it's some weird MS licensing/cert issue, or maybe it is some crazy hardware dealio. Who knows. Hopefully it's cleared up in the next few days and the Xbone version will come back, cause that sucks if it's the one platform (sorry Vitabro) that doesn't get it. Although, it's not that great a loss in the long run...
 

CamHostage

Member
Why would Sony Pictures let it come out on Wii U and PC? In fact why would Sony Pictures allow the first game to come out on every system out there? What you're saying is way less likely.

Of course. It's such a silly notion that Sony would "moneyhat" Activision to not put this out on Xbox One (particularly when it's two weeks shy of shipping it ... I said already that I bet it already got printed, it might not have actually shipped though, so we may never see those copies if they did get pressed.)

Sony put the freaking Spider-Man font on its brand new PS3 console in 2006 (back when Spider-Man was undeniably a AAA property) and even then, the third movie game still showed up on all of its competitor's platforms.

You didn't read my post properly did you.

I'll be honest, nope. But I got your jist, the 17-month joke was worth more than commenting on all of your points -- sure, cost of repair versus profit projection of release, they're doing the math right now. Just saying, the Spider-Man iron stays hotter longer.

...Sony doesn't own the rights to the game, spiderman, or anything.

They only have the rights to make film adaptions of Spiderman. Disney/Marvel own the rights to merchandise and everything else

Not to add to the conspiracy since I think it's ludicrous, but it's worth clearing up that while Disney/Marvel own the rights to Spider-Man the character, I'm pretty certain rights to make products of the Spider-Man movies must be negotiated with Sony as well, and Sony may well be a majority stake in that conversation. I'm not sure what the share of that is (Marvel must be in the mix as well, otherwise it'd be unlikely that Activision and Gameloft would be the sole publishers for both movie and non-movie Spider-Man products; Activision even uses the Spider-Man movie font on non-movie games,) but I can't image Sony Pictures is not getting something of those deals.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Why would it be on any systems other than PS3 and PS4 if Sony Pictures was paid off? Lest people forget, MS paid for exclusive content in the first movie-based Spider-Man game back in the day, and it still came out on everything that could play it.

I was going to mention the exclusive Kraven stuff.
And yeah, Sony doesn't even allow PC versions of its retail exclusives.
 

Shady859

Member
Didn't look at thread pages 2-end... I hope someone photoshopped a Spiderman Jesus pic though... Bynum Jesus from the NBA Live demo that was cancelled right before release. :) I have zero hype for PS4 version but will try it if gamefly sends it. Still need to finish infamous though. That's my new favorite "spiderman" game.
 

Jomjom

Banned
Maybe Microsoft is starting their own "Microsoft Seal of Quality" and that's why it's delayed indefinitely. This game definitely shouldn't meet anybody's seal of quality.
 

Towels

Banned
Hmmm these conspiracy theories make a lot of sense, because if one things for sure, Sony definitely need to make the Amazing Spiderman exclusive to the PS4 if they want to outsell the XBox One....
 

Jedi2016

Member
Hmmm these conspiracy theories make a lot of sense, because if one things for sure, Sony definitely need to make the Amazing Spiderman exclusive to the PS4 if they want to outsell the XBox One....
Not exactly a system-seller, Spider-man. Even the good games are just that... good. Not system-sellers.
 
Top Bottom