Not this topic again.

1 - 360 was out first and depending upon developer size and focus was often the first HD console they touched, hence even now, 3 years later, many developers are only releasing their first title on PS3 or still not familiar with it

2 - 360 is easier to code for and has a simpler SDK. You can argue that PS3 offers more depth for coders to really exploit, but for the average developer they're looking for the lowest cost to develop and make the 360 their baseline

3 - PS3 was late to market and initially had a weak SDK, therefore many developers were slow to learn and exploit the system

4 - many 360 titles are based on 3rd party engines like Unreal, which generally work easier out of the box on PC and 360 vs PS3 and due to cost many developers take the 'good enough' approach to PS3

5 - some titles, Bayonetta being one of them, were coded purely for 360 then ported late in the day due to the publisher wanting it to be multi-platform, and mostly this means a rushed port resulting in a weaker version

6 - time and money coupled with the above means the PS3 version can still end up behind 360 - not because of the console, but because, for 1 or more of the above reasons, the developer calls a halt to further effort on the PS3 version and says 'good enough'


I expect most multi-platform titles to be essentially equal, and most are, but exceptions will still occur and might always occur, unless PS3 really were to take off as the clearly dominant platform.

I think though recent examples have been blown out of proportion. Sure the 360 version of Bayonetta is better graphically, but based on the demo and reviews I've read the difference isn't enough to really make much of a gameplay challenge. I suspect if the 360 version didn't exist the PS3 version would be accepted as a decent technical game that's a lot of fun.

Ditto the whole Orange Box scenario - when in truth the port was fine and the game perfectly playable.

The real bad time for the early ports that really were bad, with 60fps titles on 360 becoming horribly watered down 30fps or below experiences on the PS3. By comparison the Bayonetta port is competent enough to play fine.

I know I'm late responding to this (Christmas Eve travels and all...) but...  If I understand correctly, your answer is that every developer in the world should just do what Sony says...and everything will be alright, huh?

Spelled out that way...do you really believe this?  EVERYONE just listen to Sony!  You'll be good then!!  That is flat out ridiculous man, sorry.

@commonman - too bad I didn't catch that other thread, I would've at least stuck with you.

By poor ports you mean 90% of multiplats looking identical on both systems?? yeah ok I'll leave you ppl cry over such small differences....

Weren't the PS and PS2 architecture exotic and strange compared to their competitors?  Why is this an issue now?  Same games have come out with different quality on all systems before(almost all PS2 multi platform games were inferior). This seems to be the only generation where people care.  

Reasonable; I also think attach rate and overall software sales are a big part of it. Look at GTA 4 for instance, it sold 1.5 million more on the 360 despite having been viewed as a Playstation franchise for over a decade. It makes sense in a lot of cases to use the 360 or 360/PC as lead platform.

All in all though, does the PS3 really receive a lot of poor ports nowadays? I don't have that impression, all though some of them arrive a tad late... (Lost Planet and Bioshock for instance).

The Xbox 360 is a more balanced architecture and therefore can produce better results on general purpose game engine/designs. PS3 exclusives tend to be coded and designed to maximise the advantages of the PS3 architecture whilst minimising the flaws and they have the advantage of not being compared to an equivalent Xbox 360 title.

Where I notice people beat themselves over the head needlessly is when they begin with the assumption that the PS3 games ought to play better than the Xbox 360 because of the MOAR power of the PS3 and when they assume that the Uncharted streaming engine can be ported over 'Oh you naughty open world developers, If Uncharted 2 doesn't need an install with a closed linear game that you cannot backtrack you must be stoopid and lazy because Naughty Dog can do it'.

So in short: Xbox 360 can be easily tasked to a wide variety of game conditions/designs and the PS3 cannot. Also the Xbox 360 sells a lot of software so you've got to make sure your best bet for making a profit actually runs well.

I wish you would have been there too, but thanks for the thought.

There is no generalized easy answer. In the case of Bayonetta, the developers were forced(or chose to) oursource the port. What we ended up with is one of the best action games ever made on the 360, and a lazy ass PS3 port.

Now, the developers obviously aren't lazy, or they couldn't put out the best action game so far released, and indeed in this instance, they didn't even do the port themselves.

Publishers just know that most gamers are ignorant, and what they buy has little to do with the quality of it, but instead the public perception.

Whining over lazy ports is kinda spoilt, if you ask me. You should be thanking the gaming gods that you even get the chance to play Bayonetta or FFXIII, instead of whining over longer loadtimes or lack of lossless audio. Let's not be fanboys, shall we? Attacking a company or a game because you think they didn't do a well enough job catering to your console, is simply that. If you don't like it, don't buy it, whining is lame, and flaming or insulting the developer is fanboyism. I'll tell you like PS3 fans would have told you 2 years ago. If you want to play the game, buy the console.

I actually teared up a little reading this. You sir are a credit to gaming.

we never know for sure why ps3 keeps getting a "little" less stellar ports compared to 360, but as long as exclusive games run great, and as long as these "poor" ports are fun enough to play, why make such a big deal about it? most of those "poor" ports there's barely any noticeable difference if you compare the games, and you probably would only notice if both were played side by side....but who does that nowadays? anyway, ps3 will be fine as long as games still keep coming......

P.S.

PS3 is officially DOMED....again!