Bayonetta, why shoud we care if the PS3 version is gimped?

[binary solo]

I don't think the gimping should be a reason for people not to buy the game per se. I'm not buying it because from my experience there are other games of a similar nature that I'm more interested in playing, and there are other games that are totally different I'm more interested in playing. So if I bought Bayonetta it would simply not get played.

But I do think people should care about the gimping and think twice before they buy the PS3 version from a big picture perspective. I.e. accepting the gimping of any specific version of a multiplat game as something we must live with. It may have been understandable early in the generation when developers had better familiarity with the 360 and also had 1 year lead in experience. Minor gimps (like most of the differences Lens of Truth magnifies out of proportion to declare one version superior over another (appropriate that they call themselves LENS of truth don't you think?)) are an accepted fact of life, one can't expect absolute identicality, not even from FFXIII which S-E have taken pains to claim that the versions will be identical, it's impossible.

What is not understandable or excusable is the gimping of a game at this point in the generation to the extent that there is a noticable annoyance factor to the game's performance. It doesn't matter that you never see or play the game on the other console, you become used to a certain level of performance from playing games on your console and it appears Bayonetta has gimps that are unfavourable in a general gaming context, not just a mulit-plat comparison context. It's the combination of having absolute noticable performance deficiencies and the fact its a multiplat title where the deficiencies are only apparent on one version that makes the gimps inexcusable. Bear in mind there are already multiplat titles on the market that are equally or more demanding on a console's performance capacity as Bayonetta, yet do not suffer from similar problems.

To compund the inexcusable gimping further, PS3 players are required to pay the same price (or more?) for an inferior product. I not only call that gimping, I call that unethical.

There's only one way to let the gaming industry know that gimping one or other version of a multiplat is not going to be tolerated, and that is by withholding your money from them. If you are happy for the degree of gimping Bayonetta PS3 suffers from then buy the game and enjoy it. If you are not happy with the degree of gimping, then don't buy the game, there are plenty of good games worthy of your money on the PS3, and no game is a must have.

In don't really want Bayonetta to fail. But I do want it to be a poster child for the message to the industry that they can't get away with serious multiplat gimps. In that respect I hope Bayonetta is the sacrifical lamb which serves a wider good for the gaming public.

If Sega sucks it up and un-gimps Bayonetta PS3 then I'd seriously consider buying the de-gimped game simply to use my consumer dollars to reward Sega for doing the right thing by the gaming public (I'd probably sell "used" without playing it though).

360 owners shouldn't just view this as a PS3 problem merely because it's PS3 that has suffered the worst gimps this gen. The tables could easily be turned in future generations. 360 owners should still get Bayonetta, but they shouldn't label those of us who are vocal about the PS3 version being unacceptable as whiny cry babies, all that does is continue to give game developers permission to keep on thinking gimping is OK. And Wii owners shouldn't just sit on the sidelines and laugh at the HD kids niggling either.

If you just think this is about 360 Bayonetta vs PS3 Bayonetta then you are completely missing the point. Bayonetta is simply the possibly unfortunate game around which a perfect storm could develop.

Don't buy PS3 Bayonetta and possibly help improve the future quality of all multiplat games. Buy Bayonetta PS3 and help perpetuate the view among gaming companies that they can continue to get away with gimped multiplats.

Maybe Bayonetta's gimps aren't all that bad and I'm over reacting. But for a game that's meant to be AAA on both platforms it appears PS3 owners are being shafted more than should be tolerated with a simple shrug and a "it's still a good game".

For comparison, I think Dragon Age 360 vs PS3 gimps seems to be slight at best, and Ghostbusters gimps appear to be inconsequential (given its only an A- title, who really cares right?).