SEGA takes full blame for PS3 port of Bayonetta

There was a bit of controversy earlier last month over the differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 version of Bayonetta. The PS3 version of the game received some criticism from those who have played both versions at the Tokyo Game Show. However, as it turns out the studio behind the development of the game is shifting all blame to SEGA.

Bayonetta is quickly building a reputation not for its fun factor but for its controversial PS3 port. I suppose the port in itself is not all that controversial as any gamer with a PS3 can now download the demo off the Japanese store and compare it to the Xbox 360 demo and find that there is very little that is different. There are some graphical differences such as environmental textures being smooth with fewer bumps compared to the Xbox 360 version. Also, the PS3 version of the game does suffer slightly from framerate stutters, but its barely noticeable.

Platinum Games, the studio behind the development of Bayonetta for the Xbox 360 is now completely distancing itself from the PS3 port of the game by stating that SEGA was responsible for completely “converting” the game over to the PS3. The studio and SEGA has gone as far as to put disclaimers in magazines and in the game demo credit indicating that the former was responsible for the port.

The studio seems to dislike even the slightest implication that Platinum Games may be responsible for the PS3 port as it questions the studio’s development skills. The industry has truly changed a great deal over the past two years. I recall several studios blaming the PS3’s difficult architecture for shoddy ports to the system back then.

However, these complaints have now died down because if a developer were to complain this day in age it would be like admitting to your peers that you were some how incompetent as a video game programmer. Hence the next best thing to do is to shift blame to another party. Despite Platinum Game’s shift in blame, the fact that the studio “oversaw” the PS3 development process for Bayonetta, which was handled by internal SEGA developers, still implicate the studio. Looking at games like Valkyrie Chronicles I do believe that the SEGA development team is fully capable, so this just may be a situation of project mismanagement. 

Well I'm sure the PS3 version will fine when Bayonetta gets a worldwide release. So hopfuly the frame rate issue should be sorted out by then.

edit: been trying to get that script out at the top.