Sony slashes PS3 dev kit cost by half

Sony's extending its PS3 birthday celebrations today with a hefty price cut on its PlayStation 3 "Reference Tool" (developer kit) to ease the barrier of entry for fledgling developers and the cheapskate majors. The kit now goes for the rock bottom price of $10,250, and Sony's promising more price cuts as more developers sign on board. In comparison, a Wii dev kit is somewhere in the ballpark of $2k, and while we're unclear what the actual 360 dev hardware runs for, the XNA "YouTube for games" Game Studio Express license is a mere $99. That said, we're liking this price cutting trend out of Sony, and can only hope it continues.

[Via Joystiq]

[Fank @ Nov 19th 2007 9:23AM]

Yet another cave-in by our foolish friends over at Sony. Arrogance pays back in failure.

[Bobs @ Nov 19th 2007 9:51AM]

At first i thought it was a betamax copy machene

[brad @ Nov 19th 2007 10:07AM]

*machine

[Grant @ Nov 19th 2007 11:10AM]

lol,
ditto.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 19th 2007 11:15AM]

No no, Ditto machines are totally different: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ditto_machine

[shanoboy @ Nov 19th 2007 10:07AM]

If the hardware developers (Sony, Nintendo and MS) charge licensing fees for publishing games then why not practically give away the DEV kits just to get more software out there to sell?

Why set the barriers to entry so high, especially if they hold the power to simply not publish the game if it doesn't meet their standards?

Anyone have any good insight?

[BestSnowman @ Nov 19th 2007 10:12AM]

Generally there is more that comes with the dev hardware than just the hardware itself.

But the bigger reason is that if they sold consoles that played unsigned code for next to nothing more of them would find their way into the hands of non-developers.

[wokoman @ Nov 19th 2007 10:15AM]

If they would have to give one to every wannabee programmer they would sure know what it would cost them. Apart from that, 10K is really nothing for the serious game programming companies so they won't bother. Sony might appeal to the smaller ones now also, but they likely won't give you great innovative games

[frozo @ Nov 19th 2007 10:30AM]

wokoman,
Actually, it's the smaller companies that often bring about the most innovative changes. Much like how the independent film studios basically changed Hollywood, the current gaming industry could use a good kick in the ass by fresh ideas that are free of corporate fear of change.

[Jon Acheson @ Nov 19th 2007 10:30AM]

They're expensive because Sony makes only a few thousand of these things, and they're basically advanced prototypes of the console, done before the console is even in production. They are in front of the bleeding edge.

There is no point to Sony giving them away, because any company who's serious about developing for the PS3 can afford to buy it.

[John @ Nov 19th 2007 12:41PM]

dev consoles cost more to produce than normal consoles, and the cost is partially to create a barrier to entry. The cost is large enough to keep (most) individuals from buying one, but small enough that any real company should have no problem purchasing at least one. If the price was low enough that just anyone could buy them, then they'd have to make more, and then it would end up being another SKU.

[Magallanes @ Nov 19th 2007 11:33AM]

Those dev kits are limited because nobody wants to succeed the same that happened in 1984.

Anyways even if those dev kits was for free, still are not for everyone, for obtain one you must enter to a closed-circle, where only seasoned developer companies are allowed to work on it.

Of course, to obtain a dev kits it's just a first step to put a game into the market, you also must program it (and a dev kit can come undocumented or poorly documented), later you must sell your game and in this step you will need the authorization of Sony (MS and N), every step involving a lot of money and months (years) of hard work.

[Jon @ Nov 19th 2007 11:35AM]

10k for a "TOOL" is not bad at all. In the collectors market, a PS2 "TOOL" goes for well over this, with price tags closer to 50K from Sony. The PS2 "TOOL" also weighs about 50 pounds, these things are beasts.

[Speedvine @ Nov 19th 2007 11:50AM]

From what I heard, when the PS3's first came out, they delivered only 2 to EA Sport's. On the other hand, XBox 360 sent 1 for every developer. Talk about not wanting your games developed. Does Sony have their act together?

cp @ http://speedvine.com

[frozo @ Nov 19th 2007 2:29PM]

No, Sony does NOT have their act together. And the point you make there is the ultimate reason why PS3 basically has lost this generation's console war (fanboy's note: the sales number's back my fact). Take a look at any game store and look at the size of the PS3 section vs. the 360 section. Sony is infamous for it's totalitarian method of licensing and Microsoft basically opened it's doors to everyone. Microsoft's relationships with it's developers have been nurtured from the start and this is why you see it paying off for them now.

[zeekthegeek @ Nov 20th 2007 2:38PM]

Really? Because I worked at EA Sports in 2006 and we had at least 50 in the testing department alone.

[ANurag @ Nov 19th 2007 12:46PM]

I have been trying to get my hands on Wii Devkit for months. Their customer rep says that only developers with prior released games can access it. I want to build Cricket game and willing to invest my own money..... Even spoke to the Nintendo rep, but "nah" is the answer.
So much for entrepreneurial spirit!
-ANurag

[frozo @ Nov 19th 2007 6:03PM]

You need to partner up with a publisher. Check out publishers that focus on budget titles, as you're likelihood of getting this kind of a niche game on the market will be more likely.

[ANurag @ Nov 19th 2007 6:09PM]

Frozo,
Where do I find such a publisher?

[frozo @ Nov 20th 2007 11:55AM]

Oh boy, you have a long way to go........ Sorry man :(

[KC @ Nov 19th 2007 12:56PM]

Jus curious, does anyone know how much more processing power these dev kits have over the regular PS3s?

[roach @ Nov 19th 2007 1:35PM]

360 being a year early gave it the advantage of using it as primary developement kit for next gen games...when next gen development began 360 was the only one available. Actually, for about half a year modded Mac was being used util 360 kit became available.

We're exclusively ps2 before, then ported games to other console. But now we debug using primarily 360. Thats the the early stage, but market share always dictates what kit is used later on.Heard the news why some EA games has lower frame rate using PS3, than its 360 counterpart...ported!

Someone asked about how much power do these babies have...a lot more than your average console, because during game developement, games are so bloated that your consumer next gen console won't be able to hack.

Someone also said price is not a factor when developing games, tell that to game producers.

[BananaBoat @ Nov 19th 2007 2:40PM]

Woohoo now the crappy indie dev houses might be able to afford one. So ontop of there being no decent first party titles, now there will be an influx of crappy third party titles. Oh wait, that already happened

I'm buying a PS3 this Christmas, but honestly, it's more for watching Casino Royale in HD than it is for playing any of the current PS3 games. There's always MSG4 though, right? Right? RIGHT?!

[Kal-El @ Nov 19th 2007 3:52PM]

Lemme get this straight. Devs have to PAY to publicize and help Sony? If anything, Sony should pay devs $10k to develop games for the PS3.

[TheGreatMoof @ Nov 19th 2007 5:03PM]

Let me get one thing straight; console development kits are for people intending to make games and sell them, not for people messing with the latest tech in their basements.

The reason the PS3 dev kit is so expensive is because it's probably one of the most powerful computers even available to civilians for the cost. But more than that, purchasing a dev kit is purchasing the -right- to make games for current gen consoles, the right to make games that are pertinent to consumers this very day.

Microsoft is in an unusual position, in that they can afford to give away things dirt cheap. They ate 4 billion effing dollors with the first Xbox and while that sucked, no one over there cared because Microsoft as a company raked in well over 250 billion in annual software, hardware and licensing sales.

The Wii is hardly next-gen, tech-wise. The motion sensing bar is a simple UV sensor, hardly cutting edge. And the tilt sensor in the wiimote itself is just an accelorometer, like the one utilized in your iPhone.

PS3, however, uses cutting-edge tech like cell processors, Blu-Ray HD video and data format, and wireless data transmission tech. And because they're not Microsoft, that's why the PS3 dev kit is worth $20,000.

If you were to ask me as a game design student, paying $10,000 for your PS3 dev kit is getting it on the cheap.

[hothotdisco @ Nov 20th 2007 5:00AM]

Does anyone know how i can buy one of these?