Sony has 40 e-Distribution projects in pipeline, PS3's new focus?
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 1st 2006 at 4:45PM }
It's on. Sony looks to takeaway Microsoft's edge -- you know, Xbox Live Arcade -- by aggressively pursuing developers who will create downloadable titles that suit PlayStation 3's hardware. Here's Phil Harrison's take on Sony's new strategy:"[What] we've seen on other systems tend to be retro 2D games, and we're pushing the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation 3. Plus, the fact that every PS3 has a hard disk drive means that we're not restricted by the size of the download, and that has a huge impact on the kind of game design that you can do."
But is this what our $600 console was built for? Is it too far out to imagine Sony (and Microsoft) slipping into a pattern; buttering us up with little e-Distribution titles all year long, and then releasing a couple big-budget franchise sequels during the holidays? Downloadable games are a nice bonus, but the novelty seems to be attracting a disproportionate amount of our game companies' attentions. How far off is the PS3 Jr., a console with no optical drive, tailored solely for the e-Distribution era?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Flit @ Nov 2nd 2006 9:41AM
It will be this way, since most ps3 games cost $200 million to make.
kinshadow @ Nov 1st 2006 5:00PM
PS3 Junior is too smart a move for Sony. Your more likely to see a PSN crammed into a DVR.
Enzo @ Nov 1st 2006 5:05PM
I think e-Distribution is unavoidable, but a horrible idea. I like to physically have all of the software I buy, and I have a feeling that when a console comes out that's ONLY e-distributed, without a significant price reduction in games (HAH!) there will be a huge backlash.
SickNic @ Nov 1st 2006 5:07PM
I am getting a little tired of Xbox Live Arcade. I want some fun new games, and this 1 to 2 games a month kinda sucks, especially when they are all ports of older titles. UMK3 was nice and all, but lets get some new games here.
I hope with the XNA plan they have, we will be getting new, creative games at a constant and steady rate.
Sponge @ Nov 1st 2006 8:08PM
It's not the hard-drive, it's my download speed that restricts what I can download.
Todd @ Nov 1st 2006 5:23PM
So are we talking about petty little games like Tetris or Geometry Wars, or big titles like Crash Bandicoot, which are strictly for download? Downloading a 600 meg file can take a lot of time, maybe even days depending on the traffic, signal strength, and type of connection. Am I really being put into a situation where gaming will become solely downloadable forcing me to wait most of the time? Anyone who has taken a marketing class can tell you that instant gratification is more important than delayed gratification, obviously, and can result is big dollars for those who REALLY want to go out and purchase said game... rather than wait for a long ass download.
Sundown6 @ Nov 2nd 2006 8:48AM
"Plus, the fact that every PS3 has a hard disk drive means that we're not restricted by the size of the download."
Lets hope we don't see muti GB e-Distribution projects if not that 60GB non upgradable HD will fill up fast.
DBX00 @ Nov 1st 2006 5:34PM
Last time I checked, Sony had over 100 titles in the pipeline for traditional software titles compared to the 40 in development for the EDi. That hardly shows that they are showing more focus on the EDi compared to traditional games. The same can be said for Microsoft, who only releases a few titles per month. I think Sony has shown that they'll continue support for their old titles with things like the PSOne emulator, but won't let that take away from pushing true next generation titles. People complained about the fact that they didn't enhance those PS1 titles, but that takes resources away from new titles and also eliminates the compatibility with the PSP and PS3 together. I think we'll see all the console manufacturers have a steady release of these type of titles and independent developers jump into this arena soon enough. We'll probably see some pretty innovative stuff come from this whole EDi that comes from developers other than Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. It won't take the focus away from the blockbusters, but all more software to be put out the door quickly as a test bed for those blockbusters and independent developers.
JodyAnthony @ Nov 1st 2006 5:40PM
I understand people not wanting downloads because they want a physical item (myself included) but saying waiting an hour for something to download is terrible because you can just go to the store and have it right away is stupid. It takes you time to go to the store, find your item, buy your item, and come home, so it's not really 'instant'
but still, give me physical media any day (says the guy that will surely download a ton of wii vc titles)
bounchfx @ Nov 1st 2006 5:42PM
Sony - Innovation. Creativity. Originality.
Trust us.
:|
dusda @ Nov 1st 2006 5:46PM
"Downloadable games are a nice bonus, but the novelty seems to be attracting a disproportionate amount of our game companies' attentions."
They're not novelties at all. Small, downloadable games are a perfectly viable means of distribution. Just because the PS3 is expensive doesn't mean that a smaller, Live Arcade-like purchase isn't taking full advantage of what the system has to offer.
After all, isn't Geometry Wars one of the most processor intensive games available for the 360 at this point?
Grendel711 @ Nov 1st 2006 6:00PM
Yah ok. Coming from the guys who threw in a blu-ray drive...morons.
KaneRobot @ Nov 1st 2006 6:00PM
Considering how crappy XBox Live Arcade has been this year, it won't take much to outdo it. And this is coming from a PS3-hatin' 360 fan.
Bryan @ Nov 1st 2006 6:14PM
Sony Sez: "And again, the PlayStation 3 is not something you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes."
Zack @ Nov 1st 2006 6:37PM
I think it'd only work if you had near unlimited hard drive space. I don't want to have to download a game every time I play it. Once games start getting bigger, as sony says they will(their reasoning for blueray on the PS3), you'll need much more than 60gb storage space.
Eric Von Shpeel @ Nov 1st 2006 6:41PM
glad to hear they want original games for the PS3 and not non stop ports of old games.. give me fl0w over dig dug or galaga any day
vakerorokero @ Nov 1st 2006 7:22PM
I think downloadable content is a great idea since it will deflate piracy and hopefully since there are no distribution cost those will pass to consumers bringing games to more people.
BUT! considering Ridge Racer will use 5 gigs of the Ps3 HD just to keep loading times short, the HD will fill pretty fast, and that considering you don't use the media fatures the console has. mmmm... Why doesn't the blu ray keep everything? is it too slow??
another problem is this idea is too early to be any good. Internet can't handle downloads that big yet and still be usable. Every server will handle a couple hundreds downloading but reach a thousand and they will start melting and keep people from getting what they alreayd paid for.
Hoffer @ Nov 1st 2006 7:30PM
I agree the whole retro thing on Xbox live Arcade needs to go away. New games would be better. Saying that...if you've seen what is coming to XBLA, it is newly developed games. I think the retro thing was just to get things going.
nick @ Nov 1st 2006 8:47PM
I actually like the games on Xbox Live arcade, and have liked the arcade classics. I'll take UNO or Street Fighter anyday
I think no matter what is released, you're simply not going to please everyone.
Anonymouse Rep @ Nov 1st 2006 9:51PM
Todd - "Downloading a 600 meg file can take a lot of time, maybe even days depending on the traffic, signal strength, and type of connection"
Maybe there was a reason that the original Xbox and Xbox 360 both only have broadband ethernet connections. The longest it's ever taken me to download 600 MB of anything is an hour - and the normal is just a couple of minutes.
I thought the PS3 had an ethernet port just because of this situation - and that's one reason I was never a big fan of PS2 downloads over dial-up.
Terot @ Nov 2nd 2006 9:52AM
This guy needs to shut up and play some UNO, Geo Wars, Doom, or any other XBLA game and get addicted. I don't care how much a system cost, I bought the system to have fun! If I can have fun for $5 on the system then I am going to have fun for $5. If fun cost me $60 then fun cost me $60. Graphics are over-rated, especially when you become addicted to UNO or Hexic.
Don’t get me wrong I do like some pretty games (but not just for their looks), GOW (God of War), FFX, FFXII, GOW (Gears Of War), Metroid Prime (1 & 2), but these games take time to play through so the fact that they come out few and far between does not bother me. Every week I have a new opportunity to buy a game from XBLA (well almost every week [freaking UNO decks]) that usually takes one or two weeks to beat at most. Do I see these games as filler, no, I see them as fun, b/c if they were not fun I would not spend money on them.
This guy needs to shut up and stop complaining about companies trying to make money by making smaller games, if that is what they want to make because they think they will sell then that is their business. Who made SONY the boss of everyone?
I am not a fanboy for anyone but in the fairness of disclosure I own a 360 and I am planning to buy a Wii but not a PS3.