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Pachter insists Mass Effect coming to PS3
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter is all but certain the Mass Effect trilogy is going multiplatform. In the latest episode of GameTrailers' Bonus Round (start about three-fourths of the way into the video), Pachter notes that, given the financial expectations Electronic Arts has with its recently-acquired developer, Mass Effect 2 "has to, has to" come to the PlayStation 3 in addition to the Xbox 360.More interesting is what Pachter says after his ME2 assertion. "I wouldn't be shocked if Mass Effect One came to the PS3," he said. We aren't sure the exact details of EA's acquisition, but we do know the original Mass Effect was published by Microsoft Games Studio, leading us to assume it was a safely exclusive title. Could EA port and publish the game on Sony's console? We doubt Microsoft would be willing to let that platinum-selling title go without a fight.
DiRT for the PS3 "looks fantastic compared to the 360"
PlayStation 3 owners currently have to deal with some headaches when it comes to third party multiplatform titles. Games like Rainbow 6 and GRAW 2 come months and months after the 360/PC versions and games like The Darkness that arrive on time frequently are missing a couple of the graphical flourishes found on the other versions. It's frustrating though not entirely unexpected considering the complexity of the PS3 and it's shorter time on the market. Fortunately, as developers get more accustomed to developing for the PlayStation 3 they're getting better and better at making the PS3 version of multiplatform games.Codemaster's DiRT is a good example, while it is arriving a couple months after the PC/360 version it's not a huge delay and it appears that the time isn't being spent simply bringing the PS3 version up to the quality of the 360 version. No, according to a Gamespot interview, the time is being spent making the PS3 one better than the other versions. The developer espouses at length about how much better the PS3 version will be, saying that it "looks fantastic compared to the 360." He further explains that the framerate is better, that there is full support for all the PS2 steering wheels, and that they now have full uncompressed 7.1 surround sound -- something 'the 360 didn't allow us to do.' Great news all around for PS3 owners frustrated about the delay of the highly anticipated racer. While it's always nice getting a game as soon as possible, getting a better game by waiting a couple months is a pretty solid trade-off. DiRT will be out this fall (around September) and according to the developer we'll also be getting a demo before then, so keep an eye on the PS Store for more gorgeous offroad racing.[Via N4G]
Sony's Phil Harrison: Don't judge console by launch titles
Though pointing out the success of PlayStation 3 launch titles such as Resistance and Motorstorm, Sony executive Phil Harrison told Game Informer magazine (via GI.biz) that "it's always dangerous to judge any system by its launch lineup," while adding, "you only have to go back to the games that launched PlayStation 1 and Playstation 2."Excellent observation! Indeed, if we remember when 1UP compared launch lineup review scores, there is a curious (albeit not stringent) trend: the two consoles on the list with the worst-reviewed launch lineups belong to consoles (Wii and PlayStation One) who have shown great success, whereas the opposite has also proven true (GameCube and Dreamcast had well-received launch titles).Given the trend, then, we say Sony should embrace the notion of a lackluster PS3 launch. They've got a good statistical probability of pulling out this generation (especially if calls for a price drop don't go unheeded).
Pokemon Company CEO: Pokemon is important
Having covered some basically illicit Pokémon content, we'll turn now to more official channels-- it doesn't get more "official" than Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara. Ishihara believes that a certain franchise is going to win the "hardware war" for Nintendo. Guess which franchise? No, not Clu Clu Land. "The hardware which has Pokémon on it will be the winner," he told Gamespot. Ishihara was also down on multiplatform development, saying that not being able to design around one system's unique features stifles creativity. Amusingly (to us) Ishihara hinted that he had "ideas" for the next Pokémon games. Of course he does! We all do: they're all in the previous games. We love Pokémon, but we are willing to admit that they're pretty much all the same game.[Via Next Generation]
Today's most multiplatformtastic game video: Harry Potter Wii
An extended Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix trailer for WIi is our video pick for the day. Watch Harry and friends swing their wands around, seemingly in coordination with the Wii Remote. Or so we hope. The game is set for release on eight platforms next month, and like other multiplatform titles, the Wii version is the biggest unknown.See the video after the break.
The tyranny of cross-platform choice
You kids today think you've got it so good. But ya don't! Back in my day, there was only one dominant system, and we bought all the crappy games that came out for it, and that's the way we liked it, dagnabbit!Now you got all sorts of different systems clogging up your fancy-schmancy entertainment center, and what's worse, publishers are coming out with the same game for all of 'em. The last Madden game came out on 11 different systems, for Pete's sake!You might think it's better to have a choice, but it's not! Now ya gotta choose between the fancy graphics on the PS3, the online features on the Xbox 360 and the swishy control scheme of the Wii. Things ain't looking so good now that you got that decision staring you in the face, eh sonny boy?Even the portable versions are getting a second look these days. Back in my day, portable versions knew their place as the neglected, pixelated, black-and-white cousins to their console superiors. Now these upstarts are rivaling or even bettering their rightful console masters. What's the world coming to!Hey, don't walk away while I'm ranting at'chya. I need someone to drive me to the pharmacy to get my pills. Come back here and listen to me tell you how bad things are, consarnit!
The mystery of Assassin's Creed's exclusivity
Ever since it was announced, there's been some confusion as to which platforms Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed would be coming to: a leaked release schedule listed "Assassin" as a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP title; a Gamespot list of Ubi's E3 titles also listed Assassin's Creed as being available on both 360 and PS3. Luke Smith at 1UP writes, "Assassin's Creed is coming to the Xbox 360. It's one of those secrets no one is supposed to know about (like Halo: Forerunners) yet everyone does. Sources close to Ubisoft have informed us that the game will definitely see release on Microsoft's platform -- even though the company still refuses to admit the game's inevitable multiplatform fate."So why the secrecy? Considering their comments ("Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made.") and their history as a multiplatform publisher, Smith whittles it down to one of two things: Timed exclusivity: With the loss of timed exclusivity of the money-printing GTA series, Sony might be angling to fill their stable with some more exclusive content, if only for a little while (6 months?). Exclusive rights: That means Sony put up the cash to keep Assassin's Creed out of Microsoft's grubby, GTA-fondling mitts (and off Peter Moore's other other bicep). One could consider Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed the first of many multiplatform dances that will invariably become routine in this latest round of console wars. As both manufacturers angle for more reasons to get people to plunk down their multiples of $100, they'll both be busting out their checkbooks to keep attractive properties exclusive. With increased next-gen development costs, nabbing a game as purty as Assassin's Creed ain't coming cheap for Sony (insert joke about how they can afford it since the PS3 is so expensive ... laugh maniacally). [Thanks, cringer8]
Xbox 360 dev: PS3 ports to be "reasonably difficult"
With game development costs growing to monstrous proportions and trampling the unconventional concepts roaming the streets of less ambitious publishers, it doesn't take a brilliant businessman to realize that multiplatform releases are likely to generate more money than exclusives. It might, however, take a brilliant programmer to carry out that strategy. Since the Xbox 360 and PS3 both embrace the paradigm of parallelism (or really pretty graphics, if you prefer), it has become almost a foregone conclusion that a large number of titles will inevitably wind up on both platforms. It's not an outlandish conclusion to reach, but the journey may not be as easy as all that. In a recent (and very interesting) Ars Technica interview, Xbox 360 developer Matt Lee points out that porting games between the two systems might be a tad tricky. "I think porting from Xbox 360 to PS3 will be reasonably difficult, since the Xbox 360 has a lot more general purpose processing power that can be flexibly reallocated, and all of the Xbox 360 CPU cores have equal access to all memory. The asymmetric nature of the Cell could easily lead to situations where the game has too little of one type of processing power and too much of another."Of course, the Xbox 360's trio of general purpose processors may pose an equally significant problem when attempting to tackle a game designed with the PS3's Cell design in mind. Adding multithreaded graphics engines and physics routines to the equation only makes things more complicated and fails to provide a clear answer to the question: If a game costs a fortune to produce, how many publishers are likely to invest even more in porting a game across the Microsoft-Sony divide? It may not have been a major issue in the previous generation, but money changes everything.
Offer for one free year of EGM ends today
"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.[Via Joystiq]
Virtua Fighter 5 only for PS3 next spring
There was a time when Virtua Fighter 5 was considered a strong candidate for an arcade port to the Xbox 360, but that multiplatform hope's been dashed with the official announcement that VF5 will appear only on PS3 in the spring of 2007. Sega's technical fighter is a Sony exclusive once more.While home-console online play remains doubtful at this point, next-gen PlayStation owners can now securely look forward to facing off as El Blaze and Eileen (the new luchador and monkey kung-fu artist, respectively) along with the other 15 fighters, decked out in all sorts of items purchased in the in-game store with prize money earned through in-game matches.VF5 will support up to 720p HD resolution and will be featured in game footage in the SEGA booth at E3 (South Hall, Booth #946) later this week.[Thanks, Matt; also via Joystiq]
