steven787 said:
outlawauron said:
Fumanchu said:
outlawauron said:
Fumanchu said:
ookaze said:
The releases on XB360 are just the pinnacle of retarded decisions (again Wada's fault). Square just deserves what happens to them, and though I was a bit relieved that FFXIII went to the XB360, the decisions taken at the same time are just as retarded (delaying PS3 version for XB360 one). Given its development time and HD costs, I'm not even sure FFXIII will be a financial success anymore, despite being on two platforms.
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I really don't see this being a "retarded" decision. Delaying a game on one platform severely lowers sales expectations on the latter platform's release. A quick look at Bioshocks sales on the PS3 is all the verification needed to support a multi-platform simultaneous release. The development costs would still remain the same so it's not exactly making it any more expensive by delaying the release.
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It's oppurtunity cost. You will lose PS3 sales to the 360 version (same with Eternal Sonata and Bioshock, vice versa) by not releasing it when it's ready. You also anger your fanbase by having the next game ready to release but holding it back due to money.
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Why would Square Enix care that they lost PS3 sales to the 360 version? All they're interested in is selling more copies of the game, something greatly achieved by virtue of the fact that the advertising, hype, word of mouth at its height, will have a market of 48 million instead of 20 million (time of writing).
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So why would they care if a late 360 version lost sales to the PS3 version? Why should they care?
That's my point.
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Wrong. Games sell most of their total sales in the first few months (if not days). When they do a timed-exclusive release the hype wears off for the later release. (Mostly because internet asshole trash every game that normal people like and it's more costly to run too major marketing campaigns)
To sell more copies total they do a simoultaneous release. (Unless there are significant barriers to development like figuring out how to make a game run on less ram and 96.3 processors. That's not a knock at the PS3, it's just hard for most developers to develop for it... I own a PS3 and generally dislike the shitty manufacture of the 360. In other words this gen has basically turned me off of traditional gaming.)
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While this is true sometimes there are exceptions to a rule that you (and sometimes I) assume. RE 4 on PS2 sold more than the Gamecube version despite being a late port. Enchanted Arms sold more on PS3 besides being a late port. UT3 on 360 is on its way to outselling the PS3 version.
There a few, but not many.
