Topic: Multiplatform Woes

[MrPhishfood]

Yeah there's a lot of talk about Wii U ports and many many reasons about why they aren't better or can't be better than 360 and PS3.

But here's a reason you may not have heard. It could actually be illegal to make a game too superior when compared to its other-platform counterparts. I remembered reading this a while back on Eurogamer: Why Microsoft won't publish PSN firsts (its a long read but very insightful)


Microsoft's Content Submission and Release Policy, seen by Eurogamer, details its third-party publisher guidelines.

"Titles for Xbox 360 must ship at least simultaneously with other video game platform, and must have at least feature and content parity on-disc with the other video game platform versions in all regions where the title is available," it reads.

"If these conditions are not met, Microsoft reserves the right to not allow the content to be released on Xbox 360."

One representative from a publisher who wished to remain anonymous told Eurogamer Microsoft's policy blocks developers from taking advantage of other platforms' strengths.


Now this article is about Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network games but I wouldn't be at all surprised if this extended to big name published titles too. Afterall a huge chunk of gamers only play on 360, and Microsoft could easily refuse certification if the 360 version wasn't at least equal or superior.

From the article it looks like its mainly Microsoft that are using shady business tactics to secure the 360 as the leading platform  but I wouldn't be too surprised if Sony and Nintendo also draw up similar contracts when it comes to multiplatform games. In any case when it comes to multiplatform games the end result may only be as good as the lowest performing console and by extension why the Wii U will probably have ports that are only on par.

[TJ Spyke]

It's not illegal at all, this is just Microsoft's policy for games published on XBLA. And there are plenty of examples where one version is better than another (including the 360 version being inferior).

[MrPhishfood]

It's not illegal at all, this is just Microsoft's policy for games published on XBLA. And there are plenty of examples where one version is better than another (including the 360 version being inferior).

I don't mean illegal like its murder but rather its a breach of contract. Its like how multiplatform games lack any use of the sixaxis on the PS3.

Now when you say there are 360 version games that are inferiour what would those games be? Are you talking about textures that are a little bit blurry and a reduction of 5 fps?

[TJ Spyke]

How many SONY games even use Sixaxis anymore? It's pretty much dead.

[MrPhishfood]

How many SONY games even use Sixaxis anymore? It's pretty much dead.

I'm pretty sure most PS3 exclusives use sixaxis in some way, not that Sony have many exclusives to begin with. I think its no coincidence that multiplatform PS3 games don't have sixaxis because Microsoft demands feature parity and in the instances its used they are easily replaced with the analogue stick

By the way what were those multiplatform games that are inferior on 360?

[broodwars]

By the way what were those multiplatform games that are inferior on 360?

Final Fantasy 13 immediately comes to mind, without a doubt, as well as the Silent Hill HD Collection because Konami fixed the bugs on the PS3 version.  There are probably some other Japanese-developed multiplatform titles that are better on PS3 as well, but at the moment I can't think of them.

[MrPhishfood]

I read the whole Digital Foundry article back when FF13 was released 2 years ago when I was trying to decide whether to get it for PS3 or Xbox. The differences are negligible when you see the video in motion and you probably couldn't tell the difference unless they were side by side. Still the game has "feature" and "content" parity.

The worst thing about the 360 version were the CG cut scenes because they were heavily compressed to fit on to the dual-layer DVD's but they still looked very pretty.

[Luigi Dude]

The main reason for PS3 ports usually being inferior is because developers have less RAM to work with then the 360.  Since the Wii U has more RAM then the 360, developers should be able to port their 360 games easier to the Wii U unlike the PS3 were the RAM situation makes it harder.

[broodwars]

The main reason for PS3 ports usually being inferior is because developers have less RAM to work with then the 360.

I've said this before (many times), but the PS3 uses two 256 MB RAM units.  Altogether, it's the same as the 360's 512 MB of RAM. It just can't be threaded the same way as the 360 does, which is why PS3-exclusive titles tend to look great compared to the multiplatform PS3 games.

[NWR_insanolord]

It's like with the Wii: to get the most out of it visually you have to know the tricks of the hardware, and a lot of developers don't care enough to do that.