370°

Devs hope for more freedom, openness on next-gen consoles

Gamasutra- One advantage that games on PCs, social networks such as Facebook, and even mobile phones have over those on traditional video game consoles is the ability for their creators to change and manipulate their worlds on the fly. Thanks to the relative freedom these platforms provide, games can be constantly updated to improve performance, fix bugs, balance mechanics, and keep players playing longer.

On traditional consoles, not so much. Game developers have been traditionally hampered by the bureaucracy, endless forms, and prohibitive cost that come with updating a console game once it's available to purchase, often at the expense of the game's quality.

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gamasutra.com
Stinky_Fish4427d ago

how will dev costs lead to more freedom?

solar4426d ago

The video game.industry is the most butt hurt industry out there. What's lost today in mainstream gaming is the artistic side. Its all about money now. With dlc and the lemmings who buy it and.the hype machine.

decrypt4426d ago

Well the reason why there is so much red tape involved in making changes to a games content is because MS and Sony must certify updates before they take place.

Now obviously these sort of procedures cost money. However as long as console gamers are willing to put up with such costs, i think things are fine just the way they are.

snipes1014426d ago

Yea, they want all the freedom and then want to lock down used game sales with DRM and the like. Oh, the irony.

HeartDisease4427d ago (Edited 4427d ago )

devs want more freedom and more open platforms next gen, yet want restrictions in them to fight used games? lawl

Dark_Overlord4427d ago

I believe you'll find its mainly the publishers who want the restrictions on used games, not the devs :)

ziggurcat4426d ago (Edited 4426d ago )

i had a discussion with someone who claimed to be a game developer and he likened trading in your games to illegally distributing copyrighted material - to which i laughed in his face and called him delusional.

so it's not just the publishers.

Dark_Overlord4426d ago

I didn't say it was just the publishers, I said it was 'mainly' them :)

lzim4427d ago

apples and oranges.

Open as in less BS from Microsoft about what they can do with their games, like host online servers, support keyboard and mouse, how much memory they can use on the marketplace etc.

Fighting used games has been on the developer agenda for years because they only make money the first time a game is sold. After that any lending or rentals.. they don't get paid. People don't seem to care that they should be paying for a right to play not just have a disc to pass around as they please.

ilikestuff4427d ago

yea and i just paid for the right to drive my car and not let someone else drive it, or i have the right to live in my house but i can't let anyone live with me and this shirt I'm wearing, i just got the rights to wear it i can't let some skank that i banged wear it the next day

lzim4427d ago (Edited 4427d ago )

unless you insure them.. yeah it is a similar thing.

You're licensed and insured to drive, you can't just lend you car to other people. Furthermore you're responsible for what they do.

For gaming I don't want to even consider each gamer having to pay for insurance but that could happen too (requirements to have a SEN, Origin or Gamertag). I don't think STEAM is going to do that but I hope they don't.

lzim4427d ago

Its nice for them to want things.

But as long as they have enough ram and processing power to make games that are marginally better than they were last generation, they should be fine.

It isn't like the industry will implode just because devs aren't going to get an adequate platform for another 8 years. As if they are planning to support higher framerates, better AI, particle effects better physics, etc. The more features they'd add the buggier and more expensive the games would be to make, test and support with patches after the publishers abort their projects.

Dms20124427d ago

You seem to have figured out what so many have overlooked, increased assets=higher dev costs=$70 games. I believe this is the main cause of having to wait so long for the next generation.

lzim4427d ago

Well.. no MS lost billions. They had to make the most of Xbox 360 before dumping even more money into consoles.

Then they for whatever reason started dumping more billions into Kinect and not into games for Kinect... and Windows.. and Windows phone...

Sony is a similar is only slightly less tragic story.

Notice Nintendo is the only announced new console? They don't have billions to waste but are playing catchup when people start getting bored of 360 and PS3.

StayStatic4427d ago (Edited 4427d ago )

While Sony has made a good attempt to be more developer friendly , it does not compare to PC which will always cause problems for some developers wanting to get out updates promptly.

For example Valve(2012) had to remove cross platform multiplayer with CS:GO:

"Valve has decided to strip the functionality in favor of offering constant updates for players on the PC and Mac."

http://www.joystiq.com/2012...

This can prove problematic in such a case and i'm sure their are other restrictions which need to go or change as well.

_Aarix_4427d ago

Excuse me while I point and laugh at the people who think sony is the only saint in the gaming industry. Lol fanboys.

StoneAgeWarfare4426d ago

you have one bubble I'm the one laughing

fullmetal2974426d ago

Really... then maybe Sony can drop the online passes because it is becoming annoying for gamers.

A LIVING LEGEND4427d ago

creative freedom,time and resources to pursue new ideas.
^ Studio closed.Billions spent opening 10 new studios that will concentrate on perfecting the next big shooters of 2012

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110°

7 Deserving Games That Never Got Backward Compatibility

Backward compatibility works for many games on newer consoles, but titles such as The Simpsons: Hit and Run have been left out.

90°

20 Best Survival Games of All Time

From base building to swinging willies, here are the best survival games around, which include a couple of less than obvious picks.

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culturedvultures.com
Vader822d ago

No 7 days to die is criminal

210°

Microsoft once tried to nab LittleBigPlanet from Sony after a few drinks

It turns out that many moons ago, Microsoft once had its eye on the Sony published LittleBigPlanet series.

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eurogamer.net
XiNatsuDragnel5d ago

Microsoft had a good idea but fumbled it again.

Cacabunga4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Project Spark idea was decent but they quickly gave up ..
LBP was wonderful

ApocalypseShadow4d ago

Microsoft in a nutshell. Always tried to poach Sony employees, games, 3rd party games and devices like the depth camera that was turned into Kinect but was running on PS2 before Xbox 360. Wouldn't be surprised they wanted LBP. Just like they worked behind the scenes pushing the MLB to bring Sony's baseball game to Xbox instead of making their own.
https://www.playstationlife...

They didn't spend years trying to develop their own baseball game. They wanted Sony's game.

They're scum.

Zachmo1824d ago

Microsoft didn't force MLB on Xbox. MLB gave Sony 2 options either go multiplat or risk losing the license.

Rynxie3d ago

And why do you think MLB said that? I believe Ms approached MLB.

ApocalypseShadow3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Totally ridiculous comment.

The only exclusivity Sony had was to their own creation of The Show. Microsoft could have paid the MLB for the license just like Sony did and made their own baseball game.

Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox. They're worth 3 TRILLION dollars. You think that's not enough money to make their own baseball game? Don't be delusional.

Microsoft spun it like they always do and told the media that they had to trust Sony with their hardware. After they put Sony in that position of not having a choice. Either go multiplatform or stop making one of their successful games. That's a no win scenario.

And what did Microsoft do? They didn't try to sell the game to the Xbox community. They put it on game pass to hurt Sony. Pushing the idea of why buy games that are $70 when you can play them in their cheap service for $10. It was a dirty tactic.

You fell for the Kool aid drink Microsoft served you instead of spitting it out. Hope it tasted good because you were fooled by Phil and the gang.

3d ago
Hereandthere3d ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Bond revealed that MLB The Show “always came up” in conversations between Microsoft and the Major League Baseball organization. “We always said, ‘We love this game. It would be a huge opportunity to bring it to Xbox.'” she recalled. However, when Microsoft’s efforts materialized, it put the company in an awkward situation where it had to send in pre-release consoles to a rival company.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3d ago
Notellin3d ago

"Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox."

Take a nap, conspiracies are rotting your brain.

3d ago
Hereandthere3d ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

ApocalypseShadow2d ago

Lying to yourself is unbecoming.

Article link tells you all you need to know in Sarah Bond's own words.

Hereandthere3d ago

They were too cheap/inept/lazy to develop their own mlb game, so they port begged for years and bribed the mlb to make the show multiplatform. Like i said many times, xbox brought nothing to the table their 24 years, ZERO.

ApocalypseShadow2d ago

At least you and others get it. Note drank the Kool aid and asked for seconds thinking it was refreshing.

Most don't even know how it all played out but it's there in black and white for all to see. Microsoft brought it up for years until the MLB forced Sony's hand. It was a win win for Microsoft. Kill one reason to buy a PlayStation or kill the game by dropping it in a cheap service to kill Sony's sales numbers on PlayStation.

OtterX4d ago

"However, Healey said Media Molecule wouldn't have felt right doing that, adding it would have been "morally corrupt"."

Major kudos to Media Molecule for being an upright studio with principles.

Cockney2d ago

They chose well, Sony gave them the backing to pursue their dreams with no restrictions even tho their games especially dreams have very niche appeal. Media molecule and Sony deserve respect for this in an age of risk averse publishing.

RNTody4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Great, more stories like this please. Show the last of the zombies holding the line what we've been saying for years: Microsoft is anti competition, anti industry and has no interest in making games at all.

But hey, at least there's an Xbox Games Showcase to look forward to, right?

Inverno4d ago

Well considering SONY just killed the series, LBP would've been dead by now either way. Though MM probably wouldn't exist by now either, so I'm glad they stayed with SONY, hopefully they don't get shut down any time soon or ever honestly.

Inverno4d ago

They shut down the servers, that's millions of user created levels gone. That and dead are pretty much the same, it's also been years since 3 and they cancelled HUB soooo.

3d ago
fsfsxii3d ago

They shutdown the servers because no one was playing, no one in the community cared about the user created levels so why keep them up? Wtf you guys would never succeed in running a business.

Inverno3d ago

Yea dood no one was playing so they shut off the servers. Cause people with enough common sense can't just Google why they were actually shut of, right?

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