SNK to wait until 2009 to develop for PS3
by Ross Miller 
{ Aug 3rd 2006 at 12:25PM }
According to Yoshihito Koyama, overseas marketing manager of SNK (King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Metal Slug), is hesitant to support the PlayStation 3 from day one. Koyama gives his perspective to Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft:"My first impression is that it's expensive. The PlayStation 2 is good enough. It's small and cheap. For us, for manufacturers, we have to invest in a new system, and the PlayStation 3 is a risk. There won't be enough consoles at launch. Few consoles mean few software sales. We need to wait three or four years. Maybe 2009-2010 is a good time to release a game for the PS3."
SNK is still supporting the PlayStation 2, whose titles are backwards compatible on the PS3, and the PSP. The Metal Slug anthology coming to the PSP will probably arrive for $39 or $49, according to Koyama's statements. The Nintendo Wii's Metal Slug anthology will have the same graphics as the PSP version, and is expected to arrive at launch, although Koyama admits he isn't sure when that is. His best guess is "sometime in the middle of November, just before Thanksgiving."
Atari also recently revealed that they would be holding off until 2007 to release a PlayStation 3 title.
[via PS3 Fanboy; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
JimmyHACK @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:35PM
OH MY, like they develop a lot anyway for any system...
did they develop for any other home console besides ps2 lately??
pandlcg @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:42PM
Who the deuce is SNK?
Advanced @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:43PM
SNK released Metal Slug series for X-Box.
Just add them to the list...
http://www.technophilia.org/2006/07/list-o...-ps3-games.html
John @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:43PM
Lol....the graphics on the Wii will be the same as the PSP. Nice!
Orion @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:44PM
Well I personally love snk. They make the best fighting games out there, so this is definately big news. Even if you dont like them, the very fact that numerous developers are getting scared of the ps3's chance of failure should be a red flag to Sony. Ah well, as long as I have Metal Slug on Wii I'm happy.
Comtar @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:44PM
I'm not entirely sure how waiting to see if the PS3 is a hit till a certain year for companies like SNK and Atari is a benefit.
If every game company announced they were going to wait and see if the PS3 sells before producing any titles for it, there wouldn't be ANY 3rd party titles and the system would fail. Sounds more like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me.
You know what would get me to get a PS3 at launch? A PS3 enhanced version of Shadow Of The Colossus. That would be beautiful.
RayRay @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:48PM
Just let it go JimmyHACK. Go play some games and put your fanboyism to a rest. Jimmy likes to post anti-Nintendo remarks in almost every Nintendo blog on Joystiq. Put it to a cease and stop spreading ignorance. Go outdoors and hug a tree or something....
Ethan @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:49PM
lol, like anyone cares. "oh no, now I cant play Fatal Fury on my PS3, what a disater." lol.
SuicideNinja @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:50PM
The games mentioned above only need the PS2's hardware anyway...
I like Ashcraft; he's a good guy.
New*allusion @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:51PM
To be fair it seems like a wise decision.
*The PS3 is expensive to develop for.
*Most of SNK's games have low technical requirements and wouldn't use the extra power.
*The PS3 is backwards compatible so SNK can keep developing PS2 games and not exclude users.
As a news item though this hardly helps Sony, but you can't read too much into it. Historically SNK didn't start developing for the PS2 until a bit into its lifespan.
Ethan @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:52PM
RayRay, I dont know what you read, but this looks like a playstation post to me.
qbix @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:52PM
Great timing. 2009-2010 is about the time when a lot of people might consider buying a PS3, you know, when it might actually be affordable.
Jose @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:53PM
Of course a fan of Family Guy wouldn't know who SNK is. Worthless attention deficient kids woulnd't know a good game if an cephalopodan alien race dropped it on your vapid heads.
Jeff @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:54PM
"Who the deuce is SNK?"
And you call yourself a gamer?
Kids these days...
vidGuy @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:55PM
I'll help with Advanced's link:
http://www.technophilia.org/2006/07/list-of-cancelled-ps3-games.html
32_Footsteps @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:55PM
Is it too much to ask for a Crystalis sequel? I need something to wash out the bad taste that the GBC remake gave me. And while we're at it, could it also declare that the apocalypse was coming less than ten years after the game's release? The fact that I didn't have to wait that long before the game became anachronistic (as I recall, End Day in the game was October 5, 1997) was just part of the entertainment factor.
Phranctoast @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:56PM
they also cretaed the other most expensive console ever, with games at $150 a pop.
They really should f'in talk
Paul P. @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:56PM
Isn't developing for PS2 pretty much equivalent to developing for PS3 because of backwards compatibility? Also SNK's games by vast majority are 2D, and sprite based, I think we've reached an apex there. I don't see how the PS3 can imrpove 2D gaming. 2D gamin graphics have peaked.
Tush @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:57PM
...and the award for the biggest snob goes to:
Jose.
Anyways, it seems as though many devs are a little iffy on the PS3.
Kayzai @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:58PM
You know what?
I am begining to think buying a PS3 is a huge risk too. All these delaying/ Cancellations just bring back memories of how Nintendo lost it's crown to Sony. (starting with the N64)
Cartridges were not MASS-MARKET just like Blu-ray, gaming became EXPENSIVE. The effect??? ... Games developers left the Nintendo in droves as they did not want to commit to too much risk.
I really hope PS3 does well...But I am starting to have a bad feeling about this.
This calls for plan B. buy the inexpensive Wii and how this PS3 saga plays out.
I really wanted to get the PS3 as my main console BUT for £425 (800 US Dollars), WITHOUT A GAME??? NO WAY!!!
I have more responsibilities than drop that kind of money for a games console. I would rather wait until Sony drops the price (This will happen sooner than later, trust me).
Jose @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:01PM
By no means have 2D gaming graphics peaked. With more power comes more artistic license, as well as the ability to stay more true to concept than with previous consoles. To say that something has hit the glass ceiling only makes those who know better want to prove you wrong. You'll see.
Christian aka nsomneia @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:10PM
13. they also cretaed the other most expensive console ever, with games at $150 a pop.
They really should f'in talk
but the neo geo machine was a home arcade machine (literally) that's why carts costed so much because they were the same thing you were playing in the arcade.. . and that is one of the reasons why it ultimately failed, because the price.. . and that is what scares me about PS3, the price.. . yes people will buy it, BUT will it last in the long run.. . i hope so.. . it'd be another sad day in gaming history if it failed.. . all this hype and no filler .. .
Jason W @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:11PM
Why the hell would SNK need the power of the PS3 for their games? If the PS2 versions work on PS3 then its not needed for what SNK does with their retro games.
Ryan @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:19PM
PSP graphics on the Wii! Sweet. ;)
Clarity @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:22PM
Alright, time for some rational sense.
The PS3 is a hugely powerful machine. It is certainly, perhaps, a year or two ahead of its time in terms of what most consumers want/need. Which is why you're seeing a lot of developers go "let's wait on this one".
But that doesn't mean they're abandoning Sony. Believe me, there will still be more PS2s than 360s and Wiis combined out in people's homes come X-mas 2007, when the PS3 will likely drop in price and become more desireable to the non-hardcore. A lot of these developers are still making PS2 games, and PS2s are still selling at a decent clip.
The PS3 will take time to become popular, due to the high initial price, but Sony is banking that it will be popular longer, due to all the stuff in it that you'll want in 2 or 3 years, like a Blu-Ray player to go with HD-TVs that continue to become cheaper. In the meantime, however, Sony intends on making a lot of money on the PS2.
It remains to be seen if they can pull this off, but this sort of developer reluctance isn't exactly catching Sony by surprise. Certainly, they have major hurdles in their way-- will Americans and European buy the 360 for $200 less and shun the PS3? Will those looking for a cheaper game experience choose the Wii instead of the PS2?
The next year'll be very, very interesting.
vidGuy @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:22PM
Ryan, that may have something to do with it being an anthology, not a new game.
Todd @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:23PM
I feel buying the PS3 at this point a risk too. $600+ is a month's rent or car payment. The games will probably be $80 a pop and that doesn't guarentee a great game, just great graphics. As a working boy with responsibilities I need to be more considerate with what I spend my money on.
J.Goodwin @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:24PM
New*allusion,
Part of the reason that SNK was not developing for PS2 early in it's lifespan may have had to do with their 1999-2003 saga of bankruptcy, aquisition by a pachinko machine maker, being driven utterly into the ground, second bankruptcy, then being reborn as SNK-Playmore.
That sort of thing has a tendency to put a damper on your plans.
qbix @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:24PM
They don't need the power of the PS3, but the user base. As long as there aren't enough people to buy their games, they won't make them.
John @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:32PM
Developers pulling out is a big problem for Sony. Its like a vicious loop:
"Few consoles mean few software sales"
And fewer software to buy means fewer consoles will be sold. Basically, if there are no games to buy, no one will buy the console (shocker?)
Sony (Though they are not alone) has a reputation for launch shortages, and all the signs point to the biggest one yet (I remember hearing some one say they were expecting 5-10 consoles per store at launch). Just a big circle of pain for Sony
IslandLife @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:33PM
@ Jason W & Paul P.
I totally agree. If you look at the 2D SNK games now, they don't look much different than when they first appeared on the NEO-GEO. The characters are still low-res, with awful animations in comparison to games like Street Fighter 3 and Guilty Gear. The only thing that they have updated are the backgrounds, which make the ugliness of the characters stand out even more. So if they haven't even utilized the power of current-gen systems what's the sense of them even thinking about moving on to the next-gen? The fact that they admit that the PSP's graphics will resemble the Wii's even goes further to prove my point.
Kamizar @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:37PM
Backcompat, please people, I have a 360 and I haven't touched Halo 2 for months, no one likes to use this gen games on next gen systems even if they are good, you cant expect people to use their PS2 games on their PS3...
Seriously, pandlcg, shame on you...
georgedakota @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:38PM
Yes snk doesnt make great graphical games but this is just a sign of negative things that are happening to the ps3. We should be concerned as gamers, well actually we shouldnt. Microsoft has a great console and great first party developers with an affordable console. Many people i know are still complaining that the 360 is too expensive so how do you think the average middle class family is going to feel. Ps3 will sell to only hardcore gamers and rich people who dont care and that only accounts for maybe 10% of the gaming population. And these comments about wii games being delayed like red steal and a wii game having graphics only slightly better than gamecube scares me also. Nintendo and sony are both having problems, sony more so. nintendo still has to sell this weak system with a controller never seen before in video games to the common non hardcore gamer. i dont see that happening as many kids and gamers want good racing games and fps and better graphics. wii may survive if people buy a second system.
nsolo1717 @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:43PM
@#10
that is an ignorant statement......I love Family Guy and i know who SNK is .....i mean do you even think before you write ?
MosquitoControl @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:45PM
Of course Metal Slug has PSP graphics on the Wii. It also has GBA graphics on the PSP (or would, if Metal Slug came out for the GBA.)
I've played through each Metal Slug game dozens of times with MAME.
I will certainly pay for it on the Wii. I love some 2D side-scrolling from time to time, and the only way it gets better than Metal Slug is the post-SOTN Castlevania games.
benjamin @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:50PM
I'm admittedly not the biggest ps fan in the world but I hate to see the PS3 losing support. The industry needs competition. I don't want to see a return to the 2 console against each other era.
I was actually happy to see Sony put out the dualshake at E3, whether it was copied from Nintendo or not. It meant games were at least able to go in a new direction. If Sony's ps3 were to be unsuccessful, that idea may never take off. Nintendo is often the company that begins new trends but others adopting them is what makes a lot of them mainstream. I'm excited about the new control for the Wii but I really think it will take either Sony or MS adopting it for it to really take off. True, the DS is doing well but it's a handheld, Nintendo handhelds have always done well. Consoles are a different matter.
And as far as the Wii having PSP graphics, that's ridiculous. The PSP is approximately equal in graphics to the PS2, right? The Gamecube is more powerful than the PS2, right? So the Wii is less powerful than the Gamecube? I don't think so. Just because SNK is releasing one game that happens to be at that level doesn't mean the Wii itself is only capable of that.
Christian aka nsomneia @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:08PM
MosquitoControl metal slug is on the GBA it's called Metal Slug Advance .. .
Todd @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:09PM
I think the PSP has graphics equivalent to the PS1.
Advanced @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:20PM
vidGuy, thanks for the link fix.
Chyld989 @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:23PM
"Backcompat, please people, I have a 360 and I haven't touched Halo 2 for months, no one likes to use this gen games on next gen systems even if they are good, you cant expect people to use their PS2 games on their PS3..."
You're kidding, right? I play Xbox games on my 360 all the time. Why? Because they're good games. When the PS2 game out I still played PS1 games (still do occasionally). Why? Becaues they're good games. Just because they're not "next-gen" doesn't make them suck. If you stop playing current gen games as soon as something new comes out then you're missing out.
Cain Highwind @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:24PM
@29
Clearly you haven't played the likes of KoF XI. SF3 I could understand, but Guilty Gear is NOT well animated, it's flashy. It may be Hi-res but it has really stiff character animation of only a couple frames, a lot of KoF characters despite being low-res are wonderfully animated (Oswald in particular moves smooth as silk).
I think manny fans have said it before, 2D gaming will only peak when we've got hi-res ala Guilty Gear but with animation on par with the likes of SF3 and MOTW.
darryl @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:27PM
Good riddance... I have never purchased an SNK game, no loss to me.
J B Cougar @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:33PM
Just an off topic remark: Joystiq needs a filtering system like they have on Slashdot, et al. What I mean is, I could set my comment browsing preference at 0 or 1 stars, and then just never, ever see Jizzyhack posts or others like him ever again.
Jose @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:54PM
@ nsolo1717
I try not to think before I write so that all the Family Guy fans will understand me. *spends five minutes on the floor hissing from bumping shin*
Jose @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:01PM
@ nsolo1717
I try not to think before I write so that my writing can be familiar to the Family Guy and Fairly Odd Parents fans.
Also, to Kamizar. I'm currently playing Final Fantasy Tactics on my PS2, having just finished Legend of Dragoon, so I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you trying to say that no one's going to go for Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the Wii? Shame on whom?
Loque @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:22PM
Backwards compatibility on the PS3 is NOT going to be a selling point, what so ever.
Everyone already has a PS2. 100million PLUS people (around)
If you buy a PS3 so you can play your PS2 games on it...?why?
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:29PM
This is how I saw things going for Sony. With such a high-end price, the PS3 seemed to be gunning for the high-priced entertainment-center/gaming enthusiast crowd. They will make a mint on those sales, and since I don't think anyone is particularly disgusted with the performance of the current generation, can still do quite well in the mainstream consumer market as long as they keep a decent stream of PS2 software coming, which is why the backward compatibility is SO significant here.
The current slim PS2 is a great piece of hardware, extremely affordable, with an absolutely astounding library of great quality software. Why we particularly NEED to move ahead is not terribly apparent, except for the console industry's pattern to continue to do more for the sake of doing more. By the time PS2 is obsolete enough to be no longer worth the development time, PS3 should be affordable enough for mainstream success, and in that time, Sony has already pulled in massive green from the enthusiast market who was willing to overpay.
Sony's key advantage here is that they don't terribly NEED to move onto the next generation with as many consoles as have been sold. Now, if they go ahead and push the PS3 hard enough that they transition essentially their entire development structure to the new console, then this whole argument is moot. But as far as I'm concerned, they'd be stupid to do that, the more PS2 development the better.
J Ron @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:40PM
"If you buy a PS3 so you can play your PS2 games on it...?why?"
Because my PS2 broke again.
anakenobi @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:46PM
I posted this news here yesterday :p
No matter how you slice it... the fact that the PS3 is too expensive for small game developers that don't have EA's bank account (heck even EA had to cut back on workers recently) is baaad news.
Suddenly the Wii and Xbox360 looks better and better to them! :)
Fagaymer @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:59PM
The only reason I bought the PS2 was because I could still play all my old games. I hated it in the past when Sega and others made new consoles and you couldn't play your old games. Whether you like it or not, there are many people who love their old games and like to play them. Microsoft made a huge mistake by not keeping their word on the backwards compatibility. I would never buy one of their consoles for this reason. They want to rip you off and force you to rebuy everything! They don't call them M$ for nothing!