EA cancels PS3 Red Alert 3 - Why are Wii, Xbox easier to develop for?
By Dave Parrack
There are an inordinate number of issues that add up to decide whether a console is ultimately successful or not. Price, user-friendliness (appealing to the casual market), and games are just three, but there is also how easy the platform is to develop for. And it seems on this important issue, the PS3 fails miserably.
We’ve heard about how difficult the Playstation 3 is to develop for in the past on many different occasions. Back in October of 2007, the developer of Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft Montreal complained of difficulties in development. Ex-Guitar Hero programmer Jason Booth also stuck the knife in, explaining that while the PS3 may indeed be very powerful, it takes much more effort to produce the same level of graphical beauty on the Sony console over the Xbox 360.
Then in February, EA chimed in, with CEO John Riccitiello complaining about how much more difficult the PS3 is to develop for than the Xbox 360. His warning has now fed through to the market, with the news that EA has indefinitely canned the Playstation 3 version of Red Alert 3. The game is still set for release on the Xbox 360 and PC, but the PS3 version is no more.
Speaking to Video Gamer, EALA producer Amer Ajami explained the reasons behind the decision, citing the fact that the game engine wasn’t suited to the PS3. He said:
We actually announced a PS3 version early on but that was when we were still doing a lot of technical exploration of the architecture. PS3 is a very powerful system but as you guys know it’s very exotic and tough to develop for and our engine really at the time wasn’t designed for PS3.
[We] might go back and do something with the PS3 later on.
Now if this was the first instance of a game being cancelled or delayed due to developers having trouble with the PS3 hardware, I’d accuse EA of being lazy, but with the other examples I’ve noted, and many other that I haven’t, it’s clear that there is a problem.
Are the Wii and Xbox 360 really that much easier to develop games for? I know the Playstation 3 is arguably (and I’m sure you will debate it) the most powerful console on the market, but that means crap-all if third-party developers are going to struggle to ever come to terms with the system.
Obviously some developers are doing fine with the PS3, otherwise we wouldn’t have gems such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, or Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. However, I’m sure there are many PS3 owners annoyed that Red Alert 3 isn’t coming to their console, and there’s only one thing to blame for that: Sony making the console just too damn hard to develop for.
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July 31st, 2008
This smacks of lazyness more than anything else. Maybe EA should go to the creators of Uncharted or RFoM to find out to develop for it. They produced great games and no-one has herd boo from them how hard it was to develop for.
July 31st, 2008
Just replace the word difficult with expensive and it makes sense. Clearly the having the developers working on the PS3 version of Red Alert 3 would cost more (direct cost of building the version and the cost of not building other games) than it would make. That is a pretty damning statement as the art assets are already developed.
August 1st, 2008
Actually, success isn’t determined on any level by ease-of-development if you include games as a factor. One exists inside the other, therefore it’s redundant… but never mind that.
I have to agree with Rhino on the main issue though… it sounds like EA is being lazy again (and come on, talk about an accusation that’s been made a lot lately!) so I don’t really care. It’s obviously not something EA was willing to put its heart into, so it would have been more of the same crap from that company.
If you really want to talk about development issues, just don’t forget that one of the biggest controversies ever was over a game that no one was willing to put their heart into and EA ended up developing: Orange Box
And let’s be realistic here - we’ve been hearing more and more how first party engineers are made available by Sony to developers who need help, only removing the barrier to great development even more. Look at Insomniac (I know they’re first-party, but still), they’re on their third-generation title (RFoM 2, after RFoM 1 and R&C:FToD) and it’s one of the most anticipated titles this year across ALL platforms.
I’d say the PS3 is starting to come into its own, on all fronts. I don’t doubt that EA will always have a dark closet to shove their canceled, inferior PS3 version games into, but in the end it’s not lazy, unimaginative companies that I look to for trends, it’s the creative, driven companies that lead the way forward.
At least, in my opinion.
August 1st, 2008
EA is the crappies game developers all the games they make SUCK Red Alert 3 who will bother even renting is not work looking at.
August 1st, 2008
Rhino Says:: “This smacks of lazyness more than anything else”
What utter nonsense. Go and jobshare with a developer for a few days and then come back and tell me the same, I dare you.
You have less than no idea of what you are talking about.
SwissArmyBud wote::”Actually, success isn’t determined on any level by ease-of-development if you include games as a factor.”
That`s garbage aswell. Ease of development has a direct relationship to cost. Cost is a huge factor in deciding if a game is developed for a platform or not.
August 1st, 2008
I’m a 360 fan, and I too agree that it reeks of laziness on EA’s part. Good news for PS3 fans is its no loss. It will probably be 1 less shovelware piece of crap game from EA to sift through.
August 1st, 2008
nicely said swissarmybud
cant really add much else lol
August 1st, 2008
Meh, with fatatic exclusives lined up for ps3, and other great games heading our way, a loss of this is no biggie.
August 1st, 2008
Meh, with fantastic exclusives lined up for PS3, and other great games heading our way, a loss of this is no biggie.
August 1st, 2008
Good riddance. One fewer piece of crap from the worst game publisher ever.
August 1st, 2008
I was in a game design and development class this past year, and we discussed how the PS3 is, from a hardware standpoint, the most powerful machine, but developing for it is EXTREMELY difficult when compared to Xbox360. We even programmed games for the DS, and while that’s hard, it’s nowhere near the difficulty of the PS3.
So you all sit back and claim that it’s laziness, but you have to remember that these development companies are, in fact, in this for profit, and if development for the PS3 takes 3 times as long as for the Xbox, it stands to reason that we’ll see more canceled PS3 projects in the future.
And I am not sure what Bourne is smoking, but many of these “fantastic exclusives” are becoming inclusive. I own both a 360 and a PS3, and I have exactly 3 PS3 games and about 35 Xbox games. I have no system loyalty; I only buy the games I like — which the PS3 has yet to impress me at all. I do like the BluRay though
August 1st, 2008
Ever since westwood no longer made C&C its gone steaming into the toilet bowl.
Just give me an updated (units, teams buildings, maps) for RA2 and I am sorted.
August 2nd, 2008
So now P$3 owners didn’t really want this game either?? Same as how they don’t really like FFXIII anymore too?
Yes, you have some fantastic exclusives coming up. Let’s see… ok there’s Afrika, the one where you walk around a jungle taking photos, that sounds like fun! Then there’s SOCOM, which, let’s be honest, looks like a PS2 game. Then there’s Little Big Planet, if you guys want to play a kid’s game and say it’s cool, go right ahead! You did the same thing with that other kid’s game, Ratchet and Clank.
Oh yes, nearly forgot Resistance 2. In regards to what i’ve seen of the game thus far, I would say that it’s the P$3’s great white hope. Shame that the P$3 controller wasn’t really built for FPS games. But then again, I thought P$3 owners hates FPS games? So in theory, that will not sell well, because you all hate FPS games, yes?
So yeah, fantastic exclusives you have coming up! I’ll be playing Too Human, Fable 2 and Gears Of War 2 in the meantime. Have fun taking photos of giraffes!
August 2nd, 2008
Gran turismo 5, Tekken 6, Motorstorm 2, KZ2, Home (ok isn’t a game but still excited for it) , God of war 3, Heavenly sword 2 (not dated but they’ve written a trilogy already), LA noire, inFAMOUS, Wipeout HD to name but a few missing upcoming ps3 exclusives you missed Hairy, how convinient.
August 2nd, 2008
Bourne, I was talking about THIS year, not 2012.
August 2nd, 2008
I could have rattled off games such as Left 4 Dead, Forza 3, Alan Wake, Halo Wars (I missed that one, it’s coming out this year also) etc, but I didn’t bother because all of these bar Halo Wars aren’t out this year.
But again, have fun taking photos of giraffes this christmas!
August 2nd, 2008
Hairy, thats would be a problem if you only have exclusives left for this year, whats going to happen after 2008? Your left with Halo Wars as the only exclusive? wow your futures bright.
Also, why would it matter if theyre not out this year? Im sure as hell not bothered!
August 3rd, 2008
I have both the 360 and the PS3 and to be honest, I’m more excited about of what the PS3 has to offer this year as well as he upcoming years. The 360 is really starting to bore me, all I play on it is COD4 online. I have almost every 360 game that is worth playing. Now all I’m looking forward to on the 360 is Fable 2. Too Human blows ass, I played the demo.. GoW2 I will rent to play the coop campaign but I’ve never liked the online multiplayer for GoW. Halo Wars, Ha ha! I won’t even mention. It’s a joke. I rather play Age of Empires II or Sid Meirs’s Rev. Long story short, the 360 is running out of juice.. The 360 had a good run, but it looks like 2008 will be its dead end. I already have 2 friends that sold their 360 and games in order to buy a PS3. Microsoft thinks that a new change of interface and crappy avatars will keep players happy until they figure out a new game franchise that will be a big hit. All they ever had was halo, GoW and Forza. But Grand Turismo 5 will make forza 3 look shameful, even though i love forza 2. This being said, I will now buy all 3rd party titles for the ps3 since the trophy system. The only reason i bought/rented games for the 360 was for achievments. Now with Home coming out, i’ll problably have to suspend my xbox live membership for a while.. LOL.
August 3rd, 2008
harry are you retarded ?
August 3rd, 2008
bourne- if the ps3 exclusives were really that great, 1. they would be selling a higher tie in ratio to ps3 consoles and 2. the review scores would indicate this, but most are very average…
August 3rd, 2008
Kev stfu, stop making biased remarks, if u want to state your opinions as fact you must give the evidence, or else you fall into the fanboy category. I enjoyed most ps3 exclusives immensely and i dont care about scores, unless the game scores 50 and below. I throughly enjoyed Resistance, Ratchet and Clank, Gran Turismo Prologue, Lair, Uncharted, Heavenly Sword, Motorstorm and dont forget Metal Gear Solid 4. Even though Ms games score big, i still prefer my ps3 exclusives, sony make more risky and innovative new games. Im not a fan of Bioshock Halo, or even mass effect, gears of war even. I just prefer ps3’s lineup
August 3rd, 2008
whos gives a flying $%#$ if red alert doesnt come to the ps3? it sucks to play that genre on anything but pc’s anyway thanks to the controllers. EA are pansies for the most part, all they do is whine about how “hard” it is to dev for the ps3, and yet there are many great games being made for it… EA=lazy/andor stupid programmers.
August 3rd, 2008
yeah, EA is just trying to be 360 fanboy in a not so obvious way,trying to make excuses!but other small developers were just doing fine for ps3, how come a giant EA cant??!BULL!!
August 3rd, 2008
@harry sach
your pretty much out of the topic,its about EA man!
whats with you guys ive always see this game
gays of war and gaylo everytime a 360 fanboy makes a comment at anysites,move ur a$$ and get a life fangays!
August 3rd, 2008
@harry sach
your pretty much out of the topic,its about EA man!
whats with you guys ive always see this game
gays of war and gaylo everytime a 360 fanboy makes a comment at anysites,move ur a$$ and get a life fangays!
August 3rd, 2008
scoob101, what did you run out of scooby snacks!! I’ve got a friend who works as a game developer, and he agrees with what I said as we talked about it over a couple of beers 1 night. He agrees with what people saying that the PS3 is very challenging to program for, but (and I congratulate him here) he see’s it as a challenge to make him a better game designer. By the sounds of your post scoob I’d say you’re not that kind of person.
August 3rd, 2008
Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!