PS3- too expensive to develope for?
polycounter lvl 17
i was reading an article in Edge magazine today (not got the copy with you so ill have to paraphrase) said-
for a PS3 game to make profit, it would have to be bought by 10% of the PS2s current market (70+ million).
now the ps2s been out 6 years or so, when will ps3 games make a profit, and is this true or a load of tripe???
prepare the fan boy cannons
for a PS3 game to make profit, it would have to be bought by 10% of the PS2s current market (70+ million).
now the ps2s been out 6 years or so, when will ps3 games make a profit, and is this true or a load of tripe???
prepare the fan boy cannons
Replies
They putted wii in 4th ??
I wonder if developers are having to fork out more money this time round for next-gen devkits etc. Anyone know?
btw. lot's of PS3 devkits in the office, can't be that expensive when even the environment modelers get their own ones.
Next-gen games will have a much more difficult time making profit because of increasing costs. There is NO WAY to keep costs down while meeting the expectations of consumers.
Gone are the days of when a game can be made in 1 year with 100 people. You either have to extend your developement time, or increase your team size. Both of which costs money.
The only way to offset that, really, is to increase the costs of the products. (Which brings to mind increased game prices, and the who microtransaction idea). Or you underpay your staff, which, even if you wanted to... is difficult to do. Outsourcing is another option.
You can also try and develop a subscription based game. Or hope that your game is the most amazing thing since sliced bread and that it sells 70 million copies.
...Gone are the days of when a game can be made in 1 year with 100 people...
[/ QUOTE ]
Uh, not really true at all. One year might be a bit short, but great games are still made with less than 100 people all the time.
When you're wrong, you're REALLY wrong
r.
[ QUOTE ]
" They putted wii in 4th ?? "
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like he has a slant for ghetto speak. I have to agree Edge is one of the better mags out there. I wish it had more of a presence in the US. I hardly see it on local news stands unless I go to a mega book store. Even then its often in the technology section and not in with the gamer mags. You almost have to know about it before you can get a copy, so people look at me strange when I bring it up.
I can't say I agree with Edge on everything, and I haven't read the issue you're talking about Shep, so I'll shrug my shoulders and shuffle off somewhere else.
Marcus Dublin
Artist - Kaos Studios
worst thing about edge; it costs 3000 yen here now, up from the 1000 it used to cost.
The PS3 is going to be selling at a massive loss. The only way for sony to make a profit is to sell lots and lots of games.. and garner a licensing fee with each. Thats how the console industry works.
Also, different games cost different amounts of money to produce, to say you can't make a good game in a year with a hundred people is Bullshit. Not every game is World of Warcraft or Battle for middle earth.
Raising game prices reduces the sales and may end up making less money. Maybe Sony expects you to put like 50% of your game onto their download service so people pay 60$ at retail, get only half a game and have to buy levels at a few bucks a piece after that.
[/ QUOTE ]
I certainly would have to think very hard about which games I bought at $60.
Thats how the console industry works.
[/ QUOTE ]
<font color="red">nope. </font>
Playstation 2 has made it's majority of hardware sales through normal DVD's actually. At the time of launch it was the cheapest player on the market.
Playstation 3 will probably be sold on the back of Blu-Ray movies.
HD-DVD players are out here in Japan, don't know anyone who's actually got one though.
+ new news that theyre gonna have sommit like 400,000 PS3s built in first year due to shortages of the blue diode thingumee in the blue-ray. correct me if im wrong again, lefdt mag at work. but that will mean games wont even think about making a profit for at least a year even if they are sliced bread re-invented.
=Z
im thinking rockstars Pingpong is more of whats needed, quick, fast, and technically proficient, aswell as possibly a better money earner ??
even if they are sliced bread re-invented.
[/ QUOTE ]
I love it when non-native speakers butcher common idioms
i just like butchering my own thank you.
Does every game really have to have their own custom props that look the same as others?
Or some half arsed custom engine?
Canned content and licenced engine is the key.
[/ QUOTE ]
hmm that recipe doesn't really sound too tasty from where I'm sitting, but then I'm not representative of the main games buying public
And speedtree has been used for ages with great results for example.
Coders use library code all the time, but when it comes to assets its like a holy grail and everyone has to make their own, and most times with rather poor results.
[ QUOTE ]
Thats how the console industry works.
[/ QUOTE ]
<font color="red">nope. </font>
Playstation 2 has made it's majority of hardware sales through normal DVD's actually. At the time of launch it was the cheapest player on the market.
Playstation 3 will probably be sold on the back of Blu-Ray movies.
HD-DVD players are out here in Japan, don't know anyone who's actually got one though.
[/ QUOTE ]
The demand for BluRay and HD-DVD is much lower than DVD though. Also, the price is much higher. I doubt the same thing will happen here.
Think about it, does a custom made AK-47 make your game better than using a canned AK-47 that looks virtually the same?
And speedtree has been used for ages with great results for example.
Coders use library code all the time, but when it comes to assets its like a holy grail and everyone has to make their own, and most times with rather poor results.
[/ QUOTE ]
You think that's not happening right now? Old assets are often used in current production to speed things along. Don't think that everything in a new game is freshly made. Bits and pieces are always shared with everyone in the art team.
Think about it, does a custom made AK-47 make your game better than using a canned AK-47 that looks virtually the same?
And speedtree has been used for ages with great results for example.
Coders use library code all the time, but when it comes to assets its like a holy grail and everyone has to make their own, and most times with rather poor results.
[/ QUOTE ]
ah, well in your example fair enough. but I have little interest in games that are generic enough so that any old library assets fit right in.
edit: well to clarify, I loved oblivion so I guess a game is more than just the parts that get shoved in, but imho oblivion is an exception not the rule
"Powered by Turbo Squid"
lol
[ QUOTE ]
Thats how the console industry works.
[/ QUOTE ]
<font color="red">nope. </font>
Playstation 2 has made it's majority of hardware sales through normal DVD's actually. At the time of launch it was the cheapest player on the market.
Playstation 3 will probably be sold on the back of Blu-Ray movies.
HD-DVD players are out here in Japan, don't know anyone who's actually got one though.
[/ QUOTE ]
Uh, yes.. that is how the console industry works, you sell the console at a operating loss, in order to sell the games, which you can actually profit on.
To say that the PS2 was the cheapest is a lark, the Gamecube launched at $199, as did the Dreamcast, The Xbox and PS2 both launched at $299
Cheapest at launch maybe, but it was the first of its generation to launch, even then, it cost the same as the Xbox, but a hundred dollars more than the gamecube.
The Dreamcast also cost $199 and is kind of half way between generations. Either way, the PS2 is not the cheapest by any definition.
My first DVD player as $150 tho, but yeah, I'm sure integrated DVD player helped to soothe the pain of buying the PS2, and Xbox and most other DVD based consoles.
Who knows if the public will bite with BluRay or if it will just be another Beta, Umd, Memory stick, or any of the other failed Sony formats.
some factoids: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2542136.html?q=PS2%20DVD
I really can't fathom how the hell they hope to sell the damn thing (ps3), even with the price cut that's costing them millions of dollars, $499 is just too high.
I remember before one christmas when my parents told me I could have a NES, I was really over the moon about it but also asked them if I could have a Mega Drive (genesis) instead, they told me I couldn't because the Mega Drive was more expensive. About 100 quid more expensive, but still, that's enough to change a parents mind on the purchase for their child.
Have Sony out priced them selves from the market by raising the standard for games too high?
A lot of kids I know, and my friends kids, are still happy to play PS1 or more increasingly, the DS. It would appear that the PS3 has priced it's self into the domain of over 20's gamers, head on with the xbox 360. I just don't see how they can generate enough sales for games companies to make a profit.
someone needs to do some maths.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_and_blades_business_model
The Xbox 360 supposedly has a manufacture cost of $550. Which is why they are going to be fabricating new smaller die parts.
The Gamecube launched at cost, meaning it cost as much to buy as manufacture and as far as I know, its the only recent console to do so.
Also the gamespot article says that 15 % of Japanese gamers in a poll use the PS2 primarily to play DVDs. how then does that mean that People primarily use the PS2 to watch DVDs, you cant add the 15% with the 52%.. statistics don't work that way unless you are in Washington.
They aren't sold at a loss forever, but they generally start out that way.
The PS2 originally cost Sony around $450 per unit. cost to consumer - $299
The Xbox between $320 and $400. Cost to consumer - $299
source: http://news.com.com/2009-1040-275793.html
4 million consoles within first year globally (thats if they sell =Z)
current games in production for Ps3 will need to sell 6-7 million units to make profit
that means two years (at a pie in the sky guess) for the best selling games to make profit.
i hope im wrong but wont that kill 3rd party support.
Best business decision* for third parties? Design for Wii, port to PS2:
a) You get to cash in on the "next-gen" fever by getting it on the Wii.
b) You can cater to the massive existing PS2 audience.
c) You also gain sales from the PS3 due to backwards compatibility.
d) With the lower graphical requirements and cheaper dev kits, you can cut out a lot of the "next-gen" costs.
I think what might kill 3d party support more is the idea of Nintendo pushing out 6 million+ units by the end of this year. (http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-exceeds-wii-production-expectations-205730.php)
Best business decision* for third parties? Design for Wii, port to PS2:
a) You get to cash in on the "next-gen" fever by getting it on the Wii.
b) You can cater to the massive existing PS2 audience.
c) You also gain sales from the PS3 due to backwards compatibility.
d) With the lower graphical requirements and cheaper dev kits, you can cut out a lot of the "next-gen" costs.
[/ QUOTE ]
most sensible thing I've read in ages. I wonder if it could happen though?
If nintendo put their balls in their mouth and released a "samba de amigo" type hardware attachment for the PS2, that one could interface a Wii remote to, they would be doing the games industry a favour.
it will never happen.
Btw, Samba De Amigo is a Sega game. They most likely will do a similar port to Wii and PS3 and xbox 360 for that matter.
Btw, Samba De Amigo is a Sega game.
[/ QUOTE ]
no shit?
at least he aint naked this time =Z
http://www.dadako.com/wordpress/?p=12
P.S. What's up with the water-cooled DC? Is it OC'd, or is it to make it quieter or something? What's the deal?
that's a great deal
Oh, and the Saturn is worth it. The Panzer Dragoon series alone is worth it. Plus, Guardian Heroes is a fun one too.
Oh, and you can pick up the Contra game that comes with 3d glasses too.
I love my Saturn.