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Forums - Gaming - Namco Dev EXPLAINS why TOV was a Timed 360 Exclusive (SHOCK)!

blizzid on 15 September 2009

Nothing they said should have been news to anyone. It's nice to have confirmation, but all of this was common sense.

Back around the time Star Ocean was released, this forum was overrun with posts about how Japanese devs were being idiots this gen. A lot of posters were so certain that these devs would have been much better off making PS3 exclusives. Looks like the devs knew what they were doing after all...



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FilaBrasileiro on 15 September 2009
darthdevidem01 said:

 

Responding to the complaints of Xbox 360 Tales of Vesperia beta testers, a developer has laid bare the not so shocking truth of just how Namco was paid off by Microsoft to secure an “exclusive” release, but instead merely used the Xbox subsidy to reduce development costs on the PS3 version, which it expected to sell better.

However, Sony intervened and blackmailed them into adding massive amounts of new content if they wanted to be allowed to go ahead with the PS3 release at all…

He goes into considerable detail http://ameblo.jp/gakikichi/entry-10337996154.html">on his blog:

“First off, it was easier developing for the Xbox 360. This is to do with the games I was involved with, but basically if you sign an exclusive contract with Microsoft (you won’t release it on other hardware for a year or similar), they will give you a lot of cash for development.

Their support is also very fast and complete in these cases.

SCE don’t really give much cash out (any at all perhaps). Their support is confused and unreliable. When I was doing it at least, the 360 was easier to develop for, which lowers costs.

As a result, first we developed for the Xbox, reducing development costs. But the Xbox version won’t sell [in Japan], you can’t recoup even those lowered costs at all.

So we ported to the PS3, it’s cheaper as you already have the game done, but then Sony came back and told us ‘We won’t recognise it if it’s the same as the Xbox 360 version. Make sure you put in a lot of extra stuff!’

If we didn’t then they wouldn’t have let us pass their check…”

He claims that the developers all wished to produce the best possible game with this opportunity, and had no intention of deliberately putting out an incomplete game; they were instead keen to produce a version that “even Xbox 360 players could enjoy again.”

He does not however mention the traces of later additions found in the Xbox code…

He goes on to pour cold water on the notion of a DLC Xbox 360 version, saying that it could take another year to convert all the development resources back onto the Xbox, making it impossible in practical terms.

This news seems to suggest that Microsoft has been cunningly funding the development of PS3 games by allowing developers to develop cheaply on its platform, accompanied by a huge grant paid for each “exclusive” release, with the developers then cheaply porting onto the PS3, with additional features as required…

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/09/16/microsoft-funds-ps3-game-development/

THE ABOVE LINK IS ALSO A HENTAI SITE.....UNDER 18's ARE NOT ALLOWED ON SUCH SITES!

#____________________________

SO MS did KIND OF moneyhat the game

So TOV DIDN'T recoup costs in JAPAN

SO SONY DID FORCE namco to put exclusive content in the PS3 version

TBH I can't blame namco for this set of events!

There's no KIND about it, MS moneyhatted to have the game, and it did help them so it was the correct move.



forest-spirit on 15 September 2009

Only ones I feel bad for are the 360 owners who got fooled...
Namco made some money though...smartasses.



S.T.A.G.E. on 15 September 2009
Carl2291 said:
Darth Tigris said:
People can say what they want about MS in this scenario, but it sounds like they did what they had to do to get JRPG's on the 360. And there are many 360 owners that are grateful for it.

There are also plenty who are pissed off that PS3 gets the much better version.

Yeah...pissed off because Microsoft essentially funded the PS3 versions extra content while Sony paid blackmailed Namco. Namco knows Sony has Japan and no matter what Microsoft does Japan will refuse them, so they have to do what they say if they want profit.



Xxain on 15 September 2009
Grahamhsu said:
Xxain said:
wenlan said:
darthdevidem01 said:
psrock said:
What's the SHOCK part? We knew this long ago, noting new at all.

The shock was that everyone's evil

Namco for wanting money

MS for using money as bait

SONY for requesting extra content

Shocking?

Wait until you hear some Tri-Ace developers talk about SO4 port.

Thats exactly wat im waiting for...I cant wait till they confirm it was originally a PS3 exclusive

Eh I dunno about that Star Ocean 4 uses the Infinite Undiscovery engine that MS funded, and even if it was what's the big deal. Valkyria Chronicles was originally a 360 exclusive. I'd say PS3 owners got the better end of the stick in the trade.


Star Ocean 4 was made on the enhanced version of SO3 engine, not the IU engine

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alekth on 15 September 2009

SO4 port is already confirmed.

Well, for the ToV PS3 version I'm not really surprised, extra content is Sony's policy for porting and it makes good sense especially since it's a late port.

And I don't have a gram of sympathy for Namco, first they picked the path of least resistence with making it xbox360 exclusive for a year, then they put for the game what has to be the most pathetic DLC ever.



S.T.A.G.E. on 15 September 2009
alekth said:
SO4 port is already confirmed.

Well, for the PS3 version I'm not really surprised, extra content is Sony's policy for porting and it makes good sense especially since it's a late port.

And I don't have a gram of sympathy for Namco, first they picked the path of least resistence with making it xbox360 exclusive for a year, then they put for the game what has to be the most pathetic DLC ever.

Thats not the point. Sony not paying for the extra content in their version is the problem whilst allowing Microsoft to cover their ends. Thats very bad business.



Carl on 15 September 2009
kowenicki said:
Carl2291 said:
Darth Tigris said:
People can say what they want about MS in this scenario, but it sounds like they did what they had to do to get JRPG's on the 360. And there are many 360 owners that are grateful for it.

There are also plenty a tiny minority of idiots who are pissed off that PS3 gets the much slightly better version.

fixed Ruined

Fixed



                            

Xxain on 15 September 2009
S.T.A.G.E. said:
alekth said:
SO4 port is already confirmed.

Well, for the PS3 version I'm not really surprised, extra content is Sony's policy for porting and it makes good sense especially since it's a late port.

And I don't have a gram of sympathy for Namco, first they picked the path of least resistence with making it xbox360 exclusive for a year, then they put for the game what has to be the most pathetic DLC ever.

Thats not the point. Sony not paying for the extra content in their version is the problem whilst allowing Microsoft to cover their ends. Thats very bad business.


ok...so youre saying it would be ok for developers to re-release a port thats year old for full price.......SONY shouldn't pay for anything they are basically ensuring that NAMCO isnt rippin us off with cash in port

alekth on 15 September 2009

S.T.A.G.E. said:

alekth said:
SO4 port is already confirmed.

Well, for the PS3 version I'm not really surprised, extra content is Sony's policy for porting and it makes good sense especially since it's a late port.

And I don't have a gram of sympathy for Namco, first they picked the path of least resistence with making it xbox360 exclusive for a year, then they put for the game what has to be the most pathetic DLC ever.

Thats not the point. Sony not paying for the extra content in their version is the problem whilst allowing Microsoft to cover their ends. Thats very bad business.

 

 

That was Microsoft's decision and I'm pretty sure it was worth it for them for 1) giving their console much more attention and recognisable brand in Japan and 2) stalling Sony's business.

While we couldn't have known what they signed, they did know they were siging a temporary exclusive, if they thought it wasn't going to get ported, it's their own misjudgement (though I doubt they didn't expect it).

Namco isn't Sony's studio, Sony doesn't have to pay for what they do. Sony however has to approve the game for their console and those are their conditions. Had Namco put out the game for both consoles from the very start, Sony wouldn't have demanded the extra content.