Following the first part of the GamesIndustry.biz with SCEA's Scott Steinberg last week, here he unpacks his thoughts on the company's mainstream strategy, the importance of LittleBigPlanet, and why Sony has no plans to chase Nintendo's gamer base.
Q: When it comes to the user interface for the PlayStation 3, there are two ends of the spectrum. The XMB and Home, and they're quite different things. Against a backdrop of Microsoft redesigning the Xbox Live system, what are your feelings about the XMB - any evolution planned there?
Scott Steinberg: That's interesting - a half hour ago I was having a conversation with somebody who thought that the XMB was the most elegant way to get in and out. When you think about it from a usage model standpoint, when you drop a Blu-ray disc into the drive, it pretty much goes right to the movie. So, depending on what the purpose is, it enables grazing - so you can drop something in, have a single utility - it accepts that behaviour pretty well from a gaming standpoint as well.
I think there's the ability, just by it's definition, the cross-factor delivers a sense of depth without having to wade through a whole lot of different windows and menus. So I'm not sure if that complexity is any more of an obstacle than a DirecTV or any kind of cable interface - especially when you have a remote, perhaps it's a little more complex with a controller, but if you have a Blu-ray remote it's easy.
I think we're still occupying a space where its elegance is still right for the market.
The Outerhaven writes: Split/Second was the explosive arcade racing game that outshone Ridge Racer and Burnout. That is, until Disney shut it all down before a sequel could happen.
Even as the company sets out to overhaul the very definition of Xbox, cuts at its studios risk creating a negative image reminiscent of EA's worst era
I appreciate the article but this guy must be living in a delayed universe, The reputation was ruined 10+ years ago and hasn't recovered since. As such people have voted with their wallets and stopped buying Xbox products in large amounts.
Their reputation was lost way before that. From the moment Microsoft said they entering the console business, we all knew it would be a downgrade.
That's not true at all the OG Xbox had drive and they had hunger and they wanted to accomplish something. It was a great console.
they didn't quite reach their goals and they gave up prematurely because they couldn't win. It was halfway through the Xbox 360 when kinect released and that was when they lost their way and we're a rudderless ship ever since
In all fairness, Xbox had some great games with online play, Xbox 360 even better. Xbox consoles started to die with the Xbox One. Ditch consoles for the PC and PS.
@Bathyj hard to compute ay. Xbox was never better than a PC and that's all they ever were. A demo box. Doesn't get more true than that.
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Rumors of Turn 10 being either shut down or hit with massive lay offs is on the horizon.
The issue is MS will do something right only to do something very, very wrong. And they do this what seems calculative at this point. Doesn't matter what they do the Investors and leadership want more and more money an endless bottomless pit of purr insatiable greed. A company that acts like it's broke or hurting is what really, really infuriates me. They've surpassed apple again well over 3 trillion who acts like they're a million dollar company is fk stupid. Pivots and changes for no reason and can't do things for more than a year with out a pivot or changing their metrics.
That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest.
Isn't the point that it's irrelevant how profitable MS is, the suits have decided it's time that the Xbox division started making them money. Hence the layoffs, the pivots.
That wouldn't surprise me, as motorsport has been heading down hill since the great number 4. Where as playground have consistently put out better games. I think the two studios will be merged under playground games banner.
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Ross Scott—also known as Accursed Farms on YouTube—has been fighting tooth and nail for almost a full year to help spearhead game preservation. Starting after it was announced that Ubisoft's The Crew would be shutting down, permanently ending support for the game, Scott launched the "Stop Killing Games" initiative.
That makes a twofold deadline for the Stop Killing Games initiative. Or, at least, one headed up by Scott: The UK petition, which ends July 14, and the EU Citizens' Initiative, which ends July 3.
If you live in the EU then Please sign this or our game ownership rights and game preservation is
at stake. I know there isnt much time left but please consider signing the petition
People whine and in the end don't do a thing. Then whine more when they get screwed some more smh. If this makes it then it'll be monumental for consumers. That Pirate software guy was no help either smh.
good interview but if iwas the guy asking question heres what i would have asked!!
So will we ever see gta 5 exclusive to ps3 ? ....