Ninja Theory: "A Lot Of Pressure" For Being Exclusive
Heavenly SwordThere's a flip side to every coin. And sometimes, there are lots of coins involved.
On the one hand, remaining exclusive to one console allows you to really focus on that machine and push it to the limits, thereby creating something that is often very special. On the other hand, you sacrifice sales by eliminating other platforms. Then, there's the plus side of that aforementioned focus; allowing your team to push themselves in different directions without the concern of encompassing another system. But the downside to that is the pressure one feels for accessing the power of that system in a way multiplatform projects don't, so says Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades in an interview with Eurogamer:
"When you are exclusive, sometimes the pressure to demonstrate technology can override other aspects of game development. Being involved in one side of a format war as if it's the machines that make great games can also be draining. You get a lot of attention as an exclusive developer which is great, but on the flip side there was a lot of anti-Sony feeling going on which I felt was unfairly being directed at our team.
Our focus is now on building as compelling a game as we can and I am more comfortable with that."
You may remember that Ninja Theory delivered the extraordinarily accomplished Heavenly Sword (which continued to have the best acting and cinema synching - words to lips - we've ever seen until Uncharted 2). This was exclusive to the PlayStation 3 but now, the team is working on Enslaved, an action game we know little about, but we do know it's headed to both the PS3 and Xbox 360. It's interesting to hear them talk about this pressure, but we should've realized it would be there, especially early on in the PS3's career.
The interesting thing will be to see if Enslaved generates the same positive feeling amongst gamers and critics as Heavenly Sword...
11/19/2009 10:44:48 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (29 posts)
sonic1899
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 2:47:49 PM
0 up, 3 down
Scarecrow
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 4:57:23 PM
Many have said the same thing
Most who have played it end up with a big smile on their faces and instantly become a fan
Trust me, you're missing one of the best casts ever assembled in a v-game.
1 up, 0 down
Qubex
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 8:44:11 PM
"Motorstorm" also suffered this; and so did "MSG4" to some extent, and they were both exclusives. It made the graphics look a little messy when "real-time" shadowing does render properly or fall properly across the humanoid 3D objects, especially across places such as the features of a characters face...
Now that the new Ninja Theory is going multi-plat, it could be worse; or at the very least retain some quality similar to "Heavenly Sword"... but dumbed down for the "XFlop" :(
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 11/19/2009 8:44:28 PM
0 up, 0 down
Naztycuts
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:16:20 AM
Reply
6 up, 0 down
Snaaaake
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:26:29 AM
Now with the PS3 selling the least and based on history of PS3 exclusives and multiplats, developer rather go multi for more money, unless the number of PS3 sold is 2 or 3 times the number of the 360.
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 12:19:16 PM
5 up, 1 down
Scarecrow
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 12:29:49 PM
Well, that's what happens when American companies INFECT great things such as gaming.
We were having so much fun dancing to Nintendo's and Sony's tune
Microsoft imo is dirtying up the industry.
As demonstrated here. Ninja Theory would rather sacrifice quality for sales.
11 up, 0 down
Lotusflow3r
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 1:56:39 PM
Don't forget Sega though.
I don't have to say nothing, Scarecrow got it.
5 up, 0 down
Naztycuts
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 3:53:39 PM
Agreed it is sad to lose a quality dev that did good on the ps3 with the exclusive Heavenly Sword, but as we've recently heard about Pandemic (not sure if that closing rumor was confirmed) It might suck quality wise for us but I'd rather a dev go multiplat and stay open than stay exclusive and go under. I also hope that eventually the developers start using the ps3's full potential even on multiplats, because it's never felt fair they know games are better on our system but they dont want the 360 kids b*tching that we got a higher quality version. It's comprimising quality for quantity as SCARECROW said, but we'll see about that in I'd say 6 months when our user base catches up to/surpasses Xbots.
2 up, 0 down
godsman
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:40:46 AM
Reply
One thing i realize is that sales of sequels that were made onto Xbox and PS3, which was originally PS2 exclusive, did not see any significant boost in sales. They lost a large number of potential PS3 buyers, which went to Xbox. There are just too many people that own both platforms. You are not broadening the sales potential. You are just giving yourself more work to code for and sacrificing quality as well.
9 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 12:23:21 PM
Reply
I'd rather see a Heavenly Sword 2.
7 up, 1 down
Scarecrow
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 12:33:02 PM
Instead of taking it like a man, like Naughty Dog did with Uncharted 1 which sold very well but not nearly as good as it should have. They instead wussy'd out and are now taking the easy road out, the lazy road to be exact
What I don't get is why they didn't delay the game if they needed more time to make the game longer.
Anyway, I love NT, and Heavenly Sword will always be one of this gen's most special games. But Enslaved not impressing me at all, design wise it's just a wasteland with some guy hacking around.
5 up, 0 down
PS3addict
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 12:24:30 PM
Reply
I hate to hear that a game was developed for the 360 and then released for the PS3.
They never seem to look as good on the PS3 as they do on the 360 when they do that. Only one will minimial difference was batman arkham.
2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 1:42:31 PM
2 up, 0 down
Orvisman
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 2:05:29 PM
4 up, 0 down
Karosso
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 2:34:30 PM
Reply
Could HS be NT's last great game this generation?
They could make HS2 or some other game for the PS3 now and surely make money, even tho PS3 exclusives sell pathetic numbers compared to other games even when they are much better...
I bet AC2 for PS3 will leave Uncharted 2 way back in sells by the end of the month :(
0 up, 1 down
maxpontiac
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 2:53:54 PM
Reply
It's smart business.
0 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 3:40:33 PM
4 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:51:45 PM
theres many, many, many AAA multiplat games like batman AA or bioshock or rainbow six vegas 1,2 or GTAIV (even though i hate it) or saints row 2 or the darkness or burnout paradise or devil may cry 4 or MW2 (even though its meh in my mind) or assassins creed 2.
not to mention the upcoming multiplats.
sure exclusives have a higher chance of being better games, but that does not mean a MP game is automatically not as good as a exclusive.
0 up, 2 down
Oxvial
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 3:53:23 PM
Reply
3 up, 0 down
ace_boon_coon
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 7:28:12 PM
2 up, 0 down
Alienange
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 5:57:23 PM
Reply
3 up, 1 down
Qubex
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 8:44:57 PM
Q!
"i am home"
0 up, 0 down
DIsmael85
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 10:40:38 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:53:09 PM
Reply
one of the best games i own on ps3, the amount of enemies on screen at once made me crap my pants and the graphics even to this day are quite impressive.
see this is the problem these days developers use to make games because it was a passion thats why games were always so good.
now these days games are seen as a cash cow, now developers are making games to make money, the passion and love is not there.
they could not care less if there game is good or not just along as it brings in the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
ala activision.
thats also why PC gaming is in the hole at the moment, because its becoming so expensive to make games pc developers are switching over.
doom, quake,wolfenstein,crysis,half life.
there was so many games exclusive to PCs there was so many developers seriously pushing the PC to the limit, now because of costs there switching over to consoles and giving the pc the finger.
look at crysis when it came out no one had a powerful enough pc to run it at max settings, only now are we starting to catch up.
heck my PC cost me 3K and even i cant run it at full settings i have to turn down the AA otherwise it lags, and i can only get 30FPS out of it, 60FPS i have to drop down to 720P instead of 1080P.
that was then, but now.
well i seriously doubt we will see that ever again sadly, 50 bucks says crysis 2 will be gimped for the PC thanks to consoles.
thats why allot of cryteks fans were seriously pissed when they announced crysis 2 for consoles, the last exclusive they had now gone.
what does the PC have now, exclusive to it?
diablo 3, thats all i can think off, and thats not out till 2011 at the earliest.
Last edited by ___________ on 11/20/2009 12:00:48 AM
1 up, 1 down
big6
Reply
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 11:06:44 AM
Sadly, that's probably not going to happen, anymore...