Square-Enix's Wada: PS3 and Xbox 360 'Over-Engineered', Wants Games For Everybody
Earlier, Pirate Prince reported on an article in the Financial Times that had Square-Enix's Yoichi Wada saying the current gaming environment will be focused on handhelds. I can totally see that coming down the pipe. While I do have the specs (HD TV and a broadband internet connection) to enjoy the PS3 (though I don't yet have one) and the Xbox 360 (which I do have among others), things are too complex for developers to make much headway and secure funds for future games. Hence the move to handhelds which will bring their games to a wider audience and probably open some series, namely Dragon Quest IX, to people who might not have otherwise picked them up. For that, less complicated systems such as the DS and Wii would be ideal.
The gaming industry can thank Nintendo for bringing a brand new and much wider audience into the world of gaming. As a result, developers, like Square-Enix, are adapting:
"[Whereas] in the old days,we could just focus on the PlayStation or the Game Boy," he [Wada] said, "the environment has changed completely."
Wada realizes that all sorts of people are now playing games, and now "we have to make games for all kinds of people." Good news? Absolutely! I look forward to what comes out of this desire to make games for all types. Thank goodness I possess both a Wii and a DS to cover all my bases...and a future, possibly slimmer, PSP.
Square Enix CEO: 360, PS3 too complex [GameSpot]
Super Timsy
Posted to Video Games on 12 June 2007
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: Handhelds, PlayStation 3, PS3, Square-Enix, Xbox 360, Yoichi Wada
I think Wada has really nailed it. Portable game systems, with the GBA and DS, have really come into their own in the last and current generations. Developers have several reasons to boost their presence on platforms, if only because:
1. They are self-contained. Unlike the PS3 and XBox360, you don't need to worry about how much of your audience has the ability to take advantage of the full potential of these systems (i.e. HD TVs, broadband internet). What the developer sees is what the consumer will see.
2. There are half as many platforms. There are only two portable systems (the DS and the PSP) while there are four 'consoles' (Wii, 360, PS3, PC). Plus, since portables are way cheaper than consoles, its a good bet you can hit a much wider audience developing for one portable than for one console.
even though i do have quite a collection of home consoles i have to admit that they collect a lot of dust lately - except the ps2 i use for my regular "dance factory" exercise.
for really playing games i do prefer my ds lite and psp - also at home.