Sony and Nintendo missed something big at E3

Gaming Irresponsibly's Josh Knowles writes: I’ve been giving this some thought. There has been so much talk about who won or lost E3, some say Microsoft while others say Nintendo and even others claim Sony came in last. When it comes down to it, your system of choice came in ahead and likely it’s competitor’s show was a joke. There really was a loser this year at E3 though and ironically, they do not hail from house Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft but from your own.

[blitz0x]

I totally agree with the article. There is a lot of untapped potential that is just going to waste on most consoles.

[agentxk]

It is a sad truth, the fact that these two ignore it too is kinda unnerving

[FamilyGuy]

Is AAAAANYONE other than me excited for that OutLand Game? It looks awesome to me. This article is kinda bs, PS3 has PLENTY of indie devs, it's just sonys have a higher level of quality so there's less of them but they DEFINITELY have a decent number. I rarely really look at the psn titles but I've found a number of gems EVERY time I do bother to look.

OutLand will be my next psn title. They have games for everyone taste so I'd suggest you all browse what on offer when you have an extra $5-$15 on you, waiting on that next highly anticipated title. A lot of the games have previews, trailer or demos. I noticed Outland in an a Pulse episode I think.

[coryok]

sony inde games are better because sony will put up however much money the dev is willing to put up for their game.

if an in inde dev wants to make a $50,000 game sony will match that $50,000 and publish it for them

it gives small devs the ability to put out better quality games, way better than what 360 has where anyone can put pretty much and junk up

[SephirothX21]

Its amazing how the PS3 fanboys are disagreeing with anyone who says that Nintendo and Sony are unwise not to support indie games. Take off your fanboy goggles and be unbiased for once in your pathetic lives! Clearly this is an advantage to the 360 and something Nintendo and Sony need to think about.

[Livin_in_a_box]

Uh, Sony have plenty of Indie devs. Look at Fat Princess, Super Stardust HD, flOw, Flower and many more including the PlayStation Minis.

If you read the comments then you'll find a quote from Eufloria about the PlayStation Indie support:

“[The Playstation Network] is the only natural place for the game really as a WiiWare version stranded early after Nintendo approached us at the IGF (they don’t like that we work from a home office) and Microsoft put so many extra demands on an XBLA port that it would be both too much a financial risk as well as introduce things in gameplay terms we are not that interested in. Sony on the other hand have been genuinely enthusiastic, and have shown to be very welcoming to the indie approach we bring to the table.”

No one can say that Sony doesn't support the Indie scene because they do. And before anyone starts piping up about Minecraft on 360, it's one of the games think will be MUCH better on PC, no matter what.

So basically this article is spreading a bit of misinformation.

[farhad2k8]

Minecraft is a PC game. And it should stay that way. Even if it was a PS3 exclusive, I wouldn't give a shit. I would always play it on the PC.

[SephirothX21]

Well if that's the case, then fine. My point is that fanboys will disagree anyway even if it were not the case. The same goes for 360 fanboys. The PS3 is my console of choice but if I thin the 360 has something better, I don't mind saying it. For example, I prefer Live to PSN but I prefer the PS3 overall for its exclusives.

[Legion]

What most people are getting tied up with is the definition of Indie which has been an on going debate. Sony does support Indie development but not the low tier developers/garage developers. They sign contracts with companies to develope Indie games.

Microsoft on the other hand has truly opened up to the garage developers of Indie games. The non-company non-money backed game makers.

Similar thing is happening in the movie world. You used to see real Indie films, but lately all you see are big companies making Indie films with big name stars and show casing these films at cans and other Indie shows. Just a shame that even Indie movies these days can be made with hundreds of thousands of dollars put into them.

Microsoft has your XBLA Indie games... (more company based and microsoft pushed) and they have their true Indie games that you and I are creating. Some being pure fodder.... others being true gems. Microsoft even goes as far as putting free development tools out there for you to use. (XNA) Yes they take a larger 30% cut then a normal game might have to put out but they are basically letting you develope for free where most developers are paying anywhere from $2000 ~ $12000 dollars a year just for that option. (Note: a $99 dollar yearly fee is charged once you choose to put a game on Xbox Live. Basically requiring you to sale about 130 downloads to break even on one game.) Of course our goal is to be able to even get our game out there in the first place. Microsoft allows that for the garage Indie developers.

[ClimateKaren]

Cannes =p

Very well said though, and absolutely true.

[Legion]

ha... yea... dropped an n. :P

[Godmars290]

The most annoying thing about this console gen is that, more often than not, quantity is being confused with quality. We don't need more games, we need more creative, well thought out games.

Its the iPhone app store and things like it combined with the big, shat out franchises like COD that is making the industry bland.

[SilentNegotiator]

I'll take a good action-adventure, RPG, and platformer, in exchange for all of the 360's lineup, the PS3's shooter-rific lineup, and the WiiU's old FPS multiplats and GTA lego game.

I'm sick of the "PEW PEW"s and the "VROOM VROOM"s and the more "PEW PEW"s. Not to mention all of the waggling and jigging, and tapping.

[just_looken]

so fn true 2 agrees and bubbles up i already hung my next gen controllers up my last console purchase is the vita.

[gfunkera10]

The article claims Microsoft wins E3 because they show a little support to the indie scene. Forgetting the fact all three companies support the indie market in their own way.

So they are going to claim Microsoft wins E3 purely on something that wasn't even showcased by Microsoft during their conference. Let's just forget the hour long demonstrations of awkward pre-taped Kinect segments.

Why N4G......WHY can anyone submit articles!!!! Though I blame myself for giving this site an extra hit.

[ClimateKaren]

We don't need any more comments after this one. Pretty much nailed it.

[Malice-Flare]

some people just can't accept the truth. he, also, conveniently forgot that Sony has PlayStation Suite coming to not just Sony platforms but to smartphones...

[chrisgay]

In fact, correct me if I'm wrong- the article at no point claims Microsoft "won" E3. He claims that indie developers and the gamers lost E3, due to Sony and Nintendo's lack of indie support.

I agree somewhat, indie games on Steam are some of the most fun I've had gaming. They are the future; far more daring than anything the industry seems to be churning out- adding 3D support to a game ain't good game design.

[Legion]

You hit it on the head. The article said the loosers where the Indi developers basically.

[OooHJohnny]

I wonder how much MS paid him?

[AXAXAX]

"say Nintendo and even others claim Sony came in last."
what? who is 'others'....
how was this article approved ....

[kikizoo]

How ? because of the delusional xfans in denial living in opposite world, it's not the first time, it's not the last :)

"some say Microsoft while others say Nintendo and even others claim Sony came in last"

LOL, nobody say that, even all the dumb people looking onky for "surprises", when the most important it's games, exclusives, and hardware..

"gamingirresponsibly&quo t; LOL ...again, a new blog for desperate fans who don't have enough biased articles this days (with sony selling more than microsoft, and having 10X more good exclusives each years)

[chrisgay]

The author is making a point about console fans, clearly.

"When it comes down to it, your system of choice came in ahead and likely it’s competitor’s show was a joke."

Evidently, you didn't understand the author, so to assume you'll understand me is a bad decision, but you are the exact issue the author is referring to- people who ignore logic and reason and hastily declare themselves and everything they love to be right and everything else, wrong.

[agentxk]

I'm going to need you to read a bit farther in. Chrisgay hit the nail on the head

[DATNEWYAWKER]

July 19, 2010 | Dean Takahashi
Sony is announcing a deal with indie video-game label Codename to bring a series of independently developed social video games to the Sony Home virtual world on the PlayStation 3.

Codename will work with indie developers from around the world to create exclusive new titles for Sony’s Home, which has 14 million registered users. It’s part of Sony’s multi-year effort to turn its virtual world for gamers into a social gaming hub.

“With this announcement, we’re excited that PlayStation Home is becoming a real opportunity for indie developers who might not otherwise get their games in front of a larger audience,” said Jack Buser (pictured below), head of Home in North America.

So far, it’s going well, said Buser. In the first quarter, Sony’s revenues for Home were up three-fold from a year earlier. And for games such as Sodium, launched last fall in Home, as many as 25 percent of the players who try it are spending money. For instance, players can buy special boots in Sodium that allow them to stomp on scorpions without being stung, thereby alllowing them to earn more points in the game.

The games will be made by a mix of fan favorite, die-hard experimental, and undiscovered first-time developers. The games will let users share experiences, interact and communicate with friends across the virtual spaces of Home, which has malls, places for fans of specific games, and common areas. Home, launched in December, 2008, is Sony’s main effort to embrace free-to-play games with virtual goods business models. To date, Sony’s Home customers are hardcore gamers who spend more money on games, movies, and music than most players.

“It’s a fantastic business model for us,” Buser said.

In the coming months, Codename will introduce the following games: Dueling Gentlemen, a strategy game created by Odd Gentleman and played on a stage in Home’s central plaza; Minor Battle, a capture-the-flag style platform game, where two teams run around a cube of four screens, created by Peanut Gallery; Super Awesome Mountain RPG, a mix of tabletop board and fantasy role-playing games, where players ascend a fantasy mountain in Home’s central plaza using a custom-animated figurine, created by Codename; and Cogs in 3D multiplayer, a multiplayer version of Lazy8′s Steampunk-style game to be played in Home’s central plaza (pictured at top).

Sony’s Home resembles Linden Lab’s Second Life virtual world and is a unique place for console gamers; neither Microsoft nor Nintendo have such an elaborate virtual world on their consoles. Today, Sony has more than 100 games embedded within Home, more than 50 public and private places, and more than 5,600 virtual items to collect. It also has virtual storefronts from LucasArts, Lockwood, Loot, Activision Blizzard and Disney. More than 400 community events have been held since Home launched.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with PlayStation Home to create and develop games that step outside the parameters of traditional game development, and we’re really looking forward to the creative opportunities that lie ahead,” said founding Codename partner Jesse Vigil.

[Legion]

Not true Indie developers. Companies that have much more financial backing then true Indie developers. The article is aimed towards the garage developers out there... the true Indie devleopers that don't have a corporate logo or backing per say. The garage homebrew Indie developers.

[Bonobo12345]

Erm, Forgetting all the Indie games on PSN for convenience.
here's a quote for Eufloria;

“[The Playstation Network] is the only natural place for the game really as a WiiWare version stranded early after Nintendo approached us at the IGF (they don't like that we work from a home office) and Microsoft put so many extra demands on an XBLA port that it would be both too much a financial risk as well as introduce things in gameplay terms we are not that interested in. Sony on the other hand have been genuinely enthusiastic, and have shown to be very welcoming to the indie approach we bring to the table."

Sony support indie dev's enthusiastically while Microsoft imposes limitations on them, the sad truth.

[Legion]

Tell you what Bonobo12345, contact Sony and tell them you want to make an Indie game for them and see how far you get.

Now go online and talk with Microsoft about the same thing. See which route gets you closer to being able to actually put a game on either console.

Here are some links to get you started:
XBox 360 related
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/d...
http://create.msdn.com/en-U...

PS3 related
http://www.scedev.net/

Good luck.

[Bonobo12345]

*facepalm

If you were attempting to prove a point with those websites you fail hard.
One is an app site, and PS3 does not have a phone with apps as far as I know...
besides we are talking about the console here not the windows phone.
Secondly, on the Xbox website did you read the terms and conditions??? LOL it may seem to you that you can submit anything but most of the time they are not even obligated to look at it...
At the end of the day, If you have something good its easy to get Sony to look at it, probably just the same as Microsoft to be fair... But this is all missing the point, the point is who approves the best stuff....

[DATNEWYAWKER]

Here's one more..there's plenty!

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT AND ROCKIN' ANDROID TO BRING JAPANESE INDIE-STYLE GAMES TO THE PLAYSTATION NETWORK
Tuesday, April 13 2010 08:04
E-mail Print
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) and indie videogame developer Rockin' Android announced today a collaborative effort, in which the two companies will localize, produce and release doujin, or Japanese-style indie video games, for the PlayStation Network. The three titles scheduled for simultaneous release in May 2010 are Gundemonium Recollection, GundeadliGne, Hitogata Happa.

"Bringing the Rockin' Android Gundemonium collection to the PlayStation Network further strengthens our position as a leading publisher for independent titles on the PSN" said Jason Herzceg, Director of Business Development at SOE. "Being the first publisher to bring doujin games to the PlayStation Network demonstrates our desire to deliver new genres filled with creative games to a global audience."

Rockin' Android is a highly respected independent publisher of doujin games that now has the ability to expose its games to the large PlayStation Network audience.

"Our collaboration with game development powerhouse Sony Online Entertainment creates an incredibly unprecedented opportunity to expose many of Japan's top indie video games to the worldwide online gaming community," said Rockin' Android President Enrique Galvez. "This is truly an exciting time for both companies, the Japanese indie game industry and gaming consumers."

[DATNEWYAWKER]

Here’s another!
Last weeks Game Developer Conference was abuzz with so many announcements about the establishment of new platforms for development, like Xperia and many others. Sony not one to be left out of the lime lite used this event to announce that It will be enabling Indie Game developers and any one with the a curious mind to get a crack at developing for the PlayStation Move , through thst new Application Move.me. Here id Sony’s official press release:PlayStation®Move Motion Control Technology to Benefit Research and Academic Communities Through Move.Me™ Application

Launched in fall 2010, PlayStation Move delivers the most precise and intuitive motion control gaming experience on PS3 with the PlayStation Move motion controller, which features internal motion sensors and utilizes additional tracking from the PlayStation®Eye camera. With the Move.Me application, the high-quality, high-level tracking data that PS3 game developers use can be exported to the PC, providing a powerful tool for creating innovative applications.

The Move.Me project could help medical researchers prototype, for example, rehabilitation applications for patients undergoing physical therapy. The Move.Me application could also lead game design students to develop new creative concepts for gaming within the areas of 3D modeling, motion capture, and augmented reality. The application is compatible with any Windows or Linux-based PC; other devices, such as tablets and smartphones, can also receive PlayStation Move’s tracking data if they can connect to a PS3 system.

SCEA will support the Move.Me application with sample code, user documentation and corporate material from SCE Research and Development. The Move.Me application will not require the PS3 system SDK or a licensing agreement, which opens the door for wide-spread idea generation and prototyping. Additional details are available at: http://www.us.playstation.c...

March 1, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced the development of PlayStation®Home’s core client version 1.5, scheduled for public release this spring. The update to version 1.5 will introduce a suite of new technology for developers to create even more sophisticated and realistic gaming experiences within PlayStation Home with real-time multiplayer, an improved physics engine and refined animations and graphics. The new functionality of version 1.5 is being demonstrated for development teams at the PlayStation Home booth this week at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Available exclusively on PlayStation®Network via the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, developers will be able to take full advantage of the improved network mechanics to create fast-action multiplayer experiences such as online racing games and first person shooters within PlayStation Home. Also included with the update to version 1.5 is a revamped physics engine, providing developers with augmented control over collision, mass, velocity and other physics elements, for an even greater level of realism and more intricate gameplay experiences. In addition, new technology has been added to increase developer control of animations in a scene or game, including the ability to play multiple animations on a single model, blending between animations and getting details in real-time for in-motion animations. These new developer tools also allow for optimal control of the rendering process, resulting in an increase of graphically rich scenes and an overall improvement to frame-rate in games created with this new technology.

[xilly]

It's a interesting take, that's for sure. I'm not a big fan of the indie games myself, but that's not to say that there aren't some shining examples hidden amongst a sea of garbage. However, I'm pretty sure that those examples of truly great indie games will see cross platform releases because someone will invest in their product. Though, you forgot.. Sony already announced their "Move Me" project.

[agentxk]

They did, however it's seems to be on a hiatus. If they had shown it's potential at E3, I'd be singing a different tune!

[orange-skittle]

Too many inconsistencies. I watched that conference LIVE on Tuesday and couldnt help but notice that Nintendo in my opinion dropped the ball. Nothing was impressing me at all and the 1st party games were remakes of older games(excite bike, mario kart, super mario 3D, ect..). The controller/console/handheld was not a step in the right direction IMO. Is it me or does it look like they are trying to capitalize on the iTablet market w/ downloadable apps and beginning to look like followers instead of leaders as they once were? With every year they step forward, they get too cocky and make a dumb move.

NES-revolutionized home consoles

SUPER NES-Not so good

Game Boy-revolutionized handhelds

Virtua Boy-Not so good

(Playstation Arrives)

Nintendo 64-Okay, but not where they want to be

(Playstation 2 Arrives)

Gamecube-Dropped the ball

DS-revolutionized handheld again and gains worldwide dominance

Wii-revolutionized gaming with motion control even though the technology was already out there

WiiU-Jury still out, but kiss your casual gaming market out the window.

[TheMrMadzen]

I don't really care about those games at all. That's what I got a PC for. I don't want millions of shitty(and a few good) indie games infesting the PS Store. Minecraft is coming to the PS Vita anyways, which is much smarter.