Eidos holding out for better PS3 install base
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Mar 30th 2007 at 10:29AM }
Eidos, publisher of all things Tomb Raider and Hitman, is taking a wait and see approach to the PS3. Eidos says they will not release major titles on the PS3 until 2008 because the amount of people who own a PS3 doesn't make the cost of manufacturing for the console worth their time.Eidos CEO Jane Cavanagh says, "We believe that PlayStation 3 will be a successful platform, and are developing technology and products for this console ... we do not believe that the installed base will be high enough until the second half of our 2008 financial year, most of our major product releases on the PlayStation 3 platform are not scheduled before that date." Coincidentally, Cavanagh spoke of digital distribution increasing their opportunities for profit the same day we received a release stating that Steam is increasing their line of Eidos games for sale.
Considering Hitman releases on a two year cycle, the next edition in the saga wouldn't occur until 2008 anyway. We also don't plan to see the next part of the Tomb Raider: Legend story until 2008 also. If PlayStation 3 owners really want to play Legend and Blood Money, they can always just get the PS2 versions.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
comtar @ Mar 30th 2007 10:35AM
Yes the development costs of making a new game would be to much for them at this point... But I can't imagine it would cost very much to take the X-box 360 versions and port them to PS3.
Daryl @ Mar 30th 2007 10:40AM
True, but maybe it's not worth their time to make the port.
The financial gain must be small, otherwise I'm sure you would see a port of Blood money.
kris @ Mar 30th 2007 10:43AM
You also have to assume that a lot of the early ps3 adaptors were ps2 owners so if they liked those two games probable already bought them and are therefor highly unlikely to buy them again for a slight update in graphics.
Kye @ Mar 30th 2007 10:45AM
It has begun...
FANBOY KOMBAT!!!
JonnyBoy2U @ Mar 30th 2007 10:54AM
Thats priceless...by that time it might be too late and Microsoft or Nintendo will have even tighter hold on the market.
Dolla Dolla @ Mar 30th 2007 10:50AM
"Sony!"
"Playstation!"
"Microsoft!"
"XBox!"
"Nintendo!"
"Ds Lite!"
"Wii!"
"FANBOY KOMBAT!"
LunarDuality @ Mar 30th 2007 10:53AM
So, what month does Eidos use to start/end their fiscal year? Does "second half of our 2008 financial year" (which I assume means fiscal year) mean January to March of next year or is it some other range?
Shagittarius @ Mar 30th 2007 10:54AM
Well when you need to sell a flaming dog turd like the hitman series you need to have an installed base of at least 10 million so that there will be at least 1 million suckers to buy it.
Release a good game and you'll sell enough even with the current install base...and more as the install base increases.
Jason @ Mar 30th 2007 10:56AM
SDF Assemble!
Theme of Defense: Eidos games suck anyways
Bonus: Home or LittleBigPlanet mention
Result: Less games for PS3 owners to play and a hearty ROFL!
comtar @ Mar 30th 2007 10:57AM
Hey Joystiq, I'm surprised you guys haven't made fun of the fact according to IGN they are looking into REMAKING the first Mortal Kombat movie. Not a sequel, not a prequel... a remake.
sheppy @ Mar 30th 2007 10:59AM
Fiscal years start in April. So second half of fiscal years equate to October 2008-March 2009.
Honestly, I wish I could say I'm suprised. But then here is the bitch I have. When Tomb Raider Legend underwent developerment, Xbox 360 had a similar installed base. So pretty much, what they are saying falls into one of two categories...
A. "We learned our lesson with 360." Hardly conclusive considering, from what I recall, both Hitman and Tomb Raider saw decent sales on 360 at a similar time in their cycle.
B. "Sony needs to move more units." Duh, they are working on it, actually. But let's put it this way, Playstation Edge tools make porting easier. And as Activision and EA have proven, you don't HAVE to develop with a consoles strength in mind. Hell, just halfass the porting process and you still get sales. WOOP!
When is the next Eidos game out anyway? I say it's time to see Kain return to consoles...
fawazr @ Mar 30th 2007 10:59AM
the first MK movie was kinda fun though... In comparison to the sequels at least.
Shagittarius @ Mar 30th 2007 11:03AM
I liked Tomb Raider 1 and 2, and the latest tomb raider (the ones that had actual tombs instead of sewers, lofts, and museums), the original Deus Ex was ok, and that is truely it.
Its good that you can claim im calling Hitman crappy just beacuse its not comming out for PS3, but thats not the truth. Hitman, Theif, etc...Eidos games are usually too rigid and anal for my tastes.
ThaPplsChoice @ Mar 30th 2007 11:07AM
"Thats priceless...by that time it might be too late and Microsoft or Nintendo will have even tighter hold on the market."
Why would Eidos care? They're in it to make money for themselves, not to enhance the fortunes of any one console. Too late for whom?
Kye @ Mar 30th 2007 11:07AM
I liked the first MK movie, much better than the third, piece of crap.
If any movie needs to be remade it's Street Fighter, without a doubt.
x876543 @ Mar 30th 2007 11:07AM
I'm holding out for better games.
Virtua Fanboy @ Mar 30th 2007 11:15AM
It's kind of true. I guess the only thing PS3 owners will be w/out is Battlestations. That's a pretty good game but it'n not like it's a Tomb Raider game and the year is '97. Know what I mean Verne?
samfish @ Mar 30th 2007 11:19AM
There was a THIRD Mortal Kombat movie?! Jesus tap dancing Christ...how did THAT happen? The second one was so awful, it made Power Rangers seems like Broadway.
...the first one was alright, though.
Still, I will not see it..
Oh yeah, and lol@PS3.
Paul @ Mar 30th 2007 11:25AM
Sheppy that is not universally correct - for example where i work the fiscal year starts July 1. That is, essentailly, the first day of 2008 for me. Their 08 fiscal could start any time from April 1 07 to Jan 1 08.
Kevin @ Mar 30th 2007 11:36AM
Their fiscal year end is June 30: http://corporate.sci.co.uk/Investor_Relations/KeyDatesInvestor.aspx
The fiscal year is based on the calendar year it ends in (for any company). For example, June 30, 2007 will be the end of their Fiscal 2007. This means their fiscal 2008 is from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Second half of Fiscal 2008 is January 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008.
sheppy @ Mar 30th 2007 11:34AM
While normally I would agree with you, Paul, Eidos traditionally annoucnes Fiscal year results in March.
Jerk Face @ Mar 30th 2007 11:43AM
Man... hearing Shagittarius use the words rigid and anal in the same sentence is just too much for me... so... hot...
I mean..
Hitman sucks! Yeah. That's it...
FrankTheCrank @ Mar 30th 2007 11:39AM
This is such a BAD ATTITUDE from developers, but it's not their fault.
Sony should be watching out for developers who are willing to invest in their platform early. By giving them reduced licensing agreements and co-branding, this would spur developers and give them an incentive to develop for the system early.
When and if platform blooms into a successful platform, developers should be rewarded again.
One hand washes the other.
Digi Smalls @ Mar 30th 2007 12:08PM
FrankTheCrank, what you said is exactly right, it's called "developer relations".
unless Microsoft does it, then its called "buying off everybody to monopolize the industry".
.
phantom42 @ Mar 30th 2007 12:09PM
comtar, no it is not a remake. it is a reboot. they are relaunching the movie series from scratch, just as batman begins was a much needed reboot of the batman series.
Gamey McGee @ Mar 30th 2007 12:16PM
So, what, they're going to wait for next week? PS3 Is shattering all sorts of records and selling in droves in Europe. Total installed base and attachment rates are through the roof. If they can keep even a majority share of that increase in the coming months they will be surpassing 360 and Wii within a year to a year and a half.
Sure, nothing is guaranteed. But Eidos is being lazy, pure and simple. It's not about the numbers.
Frankenstein Black @ Mar 30th 2007 12:16PM
F-eM!
lionzub @ Mar 30th 2007 12:20PM
Eidos is still around? Does anyone care?
polly @ Mar 30th 2007 12:29PM
You guys are nuts. Blood Money and Legends were awesome.
Ricardo @ Apr 1st 2007 8:10AM
Gamey McGee -> "surpassing 360 and Wii within a year to a year and a half"
That's a good one man! It really made laugh ;)
I'm taking a "wait and see aproach" as to wether or not getting a PS3... Probably "wait and see" if the games don't suck as much as they do now.
Apparently developers are doing the same...
In the meantime, HALO 3, GoW 2 and the new TC batch is coming soon :P
Ryan de michigan @ Mar 30th 2007 1:01PM
No one is losing sleep over the awful Hitman series ( seriously, how do you make being a Hitman Lame?)And tomb raider has been burnt out for years, now the only Lara Croft feature they push is her cup size.
BadVermin @ Mar 30th 2007 12:54PM
Its much safer to make a Xbox 360 game than a PS3 game simply based on the attach rates. 360 owners buy more games than PS3 owners, so the publishers know they have a better chance at making a profit.
Scumdog @ Mar 30th 2007 1:07PM
@ 26
No, the PS3 had a good launch day in Europe. But with the system tanking in Japan (even used PS3's sit on shelves untouched there) and the enormous backstock every store in America seems to have it doesn't stand a chance. Hell, with the system a bust in Australia as well all Sony has is Europe at this point.
There is no way in hell they'll come out on top unless the systems picks up else where in the world.
razer @ Mar 30th 2007 1:53PM
So does this mean "Kane and Lynch" is going to be on the 360 only? Or maybe it was already an exclusive to the 360 since their page makes no mention of the PS3. Another sweet title only on the 360!
I don't like MS's hardware decisions but they sure do have the best games rolling out!!
fob2000 @ Mar 30th 2007 1:52PM
Steve Ballmer said it best when he chanted his "Developers! Developers! Developers!" mantra. See http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8913084255008000794.
We can argue about which hardware (PS3/X360) is better all day, but at the end of the day, if you poll developers who code for both consoles, they will tell you the Xbox 360 is BY FAR has the better development environment. Couple that with easy XBL/online integration and a easy to code for platform = LOWER development costs.
In other words, developing for the Xbox360 is cheaper than the PS3, and in todays age of escalating development costs, this makes a difference.
Jake @ Mar 30th 2007 2:00PM
sheppy,
Fiscal years don't always start in April. At my company, it is August. Companies can have their fiscal years start whenever they want.
Jake @ Mar 30th 2007 2:06PM
This story is bigger than Hitman or Tomb Raider. It is yet another developer saying the PS3 isn't worth supporting at this time. Developers prefer the 360. It is cheaper to make a good game, the install base is higher, and the attachment rates are higher. Eidos brought Hitman and Tomb Raider to the 360 early in its life, and they refuse to bring anything to the PS3 until 2008. Another developer saying the PS3 is not worth it at this time.
sheppy @ Mar 30th 2007 2:41PM
Okay, I concede. I thought Eidos fiscal year was March.
@Jake, Playstation Edge tools have dramatically increased the ability to get power out of the PS3 so development costs come down there slightly. BUT development costs are up all across the board. Don't think just because Cell is hard, 360 is a magical fairy land where everything works with no problems. Personally, I feel developers best approach would BE through multiconsole support. After all, PS3s attach rate is hardly a slouch. It was 2.4 in February and I expect March to be a huge leap forward. Likewsie, with PS3s launch, you saw a great attach rate. The attach rate arguement just doesn't hold water anymore. After all, what looks more impressive from a raw numbers standpoint? 186 available games with a 4.7 attach rate or =/- 50 with a 2.4 attach rate?
The PS3s are selling, the attach rate has been on an increase (although accurate numbers will NOT be known until NPD drops their March figures), it's just a matter of time before the userbase cannot be ignored. And in case you missed it, developers with.. well, how do I put it nicely, significance are not ignoring this userbase, merely making sure they aren't relying on it exclusively.
This move by Eidos only really means no Eidos games for a while.... which is happening anyway.
sheppy @ Mar 30th 2007 2:42PM
Let me correct an above statement...
Likewise, with PS3s EUROPIAN LAUNCH you saw a great attach rate.
Justin @ Mar 30th 2007 2:46PM
Haha, Eidos thinks theyre cool and that they matter. Cute.
JJ @ Mar 30th 2007 3:15PM
I also think this whole (360 is easier to develop for) nonsense is kinda silly seeing as how it was with the introduction of 360 we saw a $10 dollar leap in game prices for what were essentially shinier versions of standard generation games.
So while 360 may be a bit easier to develop for, it doesnt necessarily mean its a whole lot cheaper, otherwise why would they say the increase in game prices on the 360 reflected the higher costs to produce them? Why ami paying 10 bucks more for a game thats cheaper on a ps2 and essentially the same thing? (lego star wars, gun etc)
That said, would this argument have made since when hitman came out on the 360 last year when its user base was half the size as it is now?
Doesnt make much sense to me, if that was the case who would support the launch of a new console at all? If they want to make money their best bet would be multiconsole, as capcom says "You reach the most customers that way".
Why shut off an avenue to make money?
abib @ Mar 30th 2007 2:52PM
you can have 1 game available with 1 attach rate. but does it sounds impressive? I bet PS2 has lower attach rate per games available ratio than any other consoles mainly because its game library is freaking huge. yet, it's the most successful console ever.
Aex @ Mar 30th 2007 3:25PM
@JJ
Good point? Why?
*CONSPIRACY THEORY TIME!!!*
MS is paying them off?
Sony killed the CEO's first child?
Eidos only has plans for one or two games they are near finished and 2008 happens to be the next release?
Eidos thinks fanboy wars are funny, so they toss in fuel for the fire?
Eidos is under the control of Satan and wants to put Sony away?
Eidos wants a price drop on the console, so is pushing Sony to do this?
I love conspiracy theory time /swoon
scott @ Mar 30th 2007 5:53PM
People need to stop comparing ps3 and 360 launch in regards to these sort of developer comments. Just because developers made some games for 360 at their launch, doesn't mean they wanna do it for ps3. It might have been a high risk decision back then, and if it paid off, it's a guarantee to pay off again so they will keep developing for the same system. It's all risk vs reward. If they were heavily rewarded by developing a game for 360, they will continue to do so on 360. PS3 is doing abysmally in North America right now, you really can't blame developers. In a way, I feel bad for sony, it's a vicious cycle that the wii is somewhat experiencing as well. Alot of developers wanted to wait to see how the PS3/Wii did, so they didn't start developing games. Now that the wii is a massive hit, developers are going nuts developing for it, but we won't see these games for another year. The ps3 not doing anywhere near as well, many are "waiting and seeing" to see how it does after it's worldwide launch. If it ever does pick up, 360 will continue getting tons of developer support, and its library will continue to slaughter PS3's, giving more people more incentive to pick 360.
TAG @ Apr 2nd 2007 9:20PM
Does anyone know who the developers of the ps3 are and how they feel everything is going??