So the wishful thinking begins again. You don’t have to wonder why so many Xbox 360 gamers would love Metal Gear Solid 4 to go multiplatform. The series has had a huge success on many platforms from MSX to the Xbox. Konami has made millions of dollars on this franchise but for some bullheaded reason, will not go multiplatform with it’s latest triple A title. Is Hideo Kojima just a Sony fanboy in disguise?
We’ve seen the numbers and not even Kaz Hirai can deny that the Xbox 360 attach rate is dumbfounding. Even on that tiny island called Japan where about 8,000 Xbox 360’s are sold a week, the attach rate is still higher than the hotter selling PS3. So the question here is, what attracts 3rd party developers to consoles? If a console sells well but 3rd party titles collect dust(think Wii), there’s obviously no motivation to spend millions of development dollars on a longshot. In the case of the Xbox 360, pretty much everything sells from 1st to 3rd party. Xbox 360 has 29 games that have sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The Playstation 3 has 4 games that have sold over 1 million copies. 2 of those games are mulitplatform. The Wii has 15 games that have sold over 1 million and half of those are first party titles.
So I ask a question to all of you readers out there: if you became a 3rd party developer today, what systems would you release your first game on? You’d be a fool to say PS3 only, even if you are a fanboy. There is too much money to be made on both platforms; moreso on the Xbox 360. This brings us back to our original issue; what is Konami thinking?
MGS4 has been in development for many years. It’s setup to be the biggest game of 2008 along with Final Fantasy XIII. Konami has spent millions on the game and hopes to move 1 million copies in it’s first week. Looking at the numbers, how do they expect to move 1 million copies when the best PS3 title to date, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, has only been able to move 552,000 copies worldwide? Now 552k is a good number for a 3rd party after six weeks, but MGS4 needs bigger numbers. If the masses of PS3 owners who like 3D action games bought 552,000 copies of Uncharted, where are the other 448,000 that are supposed to buy MGS4 but didn’t buy Uncharted?
I’ve read interviews and postings about Kojima that has stated that it’s PS3 exclusive several times. Is that smart business? I can bet that if it also came out on the 360, they could move a million units in less than a month. That’s in addition to whatever they sell on the PS3. By going exclusive with a game like this, they are basically throwing millions of dollars down the drain.
3rd party exclusives are a thing of the past. 3rd party developers need to look out for their best interest. Whatever happened to making the game available to as many gamers as possible? Capcom, From Software, Sega and Namco all went multiplatform and are reaping the rewards. What’s stopping Konami from doing the same? Is it Kojima’s arrogance or Konami’s allegiance to Sony? Only time will tell and as we near the end of 2007, time seems to be running out.
Thats a stupid question.
The simple answer is this, so PS3 can have an arsenal to beat Xbox 360.
There are many people who wish to see the Xbox 360 lose the console war including me. Final Fantasy and Metal Gear are staying with PS3 because Sony have been good to them for over 10 years now its time to return the favor when they really need the backing.
Simple as that.
2008 PS3 has the best 1st party and 3rd party lineup, hopefully after 08 PS3 will regain its rightful place of 1st place in the console war.
Torrence, Why are you trying to rob Sony of evening themselves off with Microsoft? How many different exclusives does the 360 have over the PS3?
Hey, I’m all for multi-platform games, but not if it’s going to hurt one of the platforms by taking away an exclusive that could possibly make this race as close as possible. I don’t want a repeat of the last few generations, where there was a single console with a massive lead and the others struggle to stay above water.
Believe it or not, this game will be a huge console seller for the PS3. But if it goes multi-platform, what’s stopping those potential buyers from just getting it for the 360 instead? This exclusive is a necessary evil, plain and simple.
Call me a fanboy, I don’t care. Competition helps the customer. And if Sony loses this exclusive, they’ll lose a LOT of console sales in the race. Perhaps even what little momentum they might have had in sales.
Remember when Metal Gear was supposed to be PS2 exclusive? A couple years later it was on the Game Cube. Huh, fancy that. Not to bash on Konami, but they seem to swing in all directions when it comes to a big hit game. Kojima could wet his pants more when he sees his profit sky rocket when MGS 4 comes out for the 360 also. There is no excuse for them to make that game PS3 exclusive. None.
As for Final Fantasy, it’s funny to hear people say that it’ll never go for the 360. Yet I see Final Fantasy Online and Final Fantasy XIII for the system.
Drakol, I really don’t care if Metal Gear 4 comes out on Xbox 360 2 or 3 years later, its important for PS3 to have this exclusive right now.
You say there is no excuse riiiighhht. The reason is Kojima wants to help PS3 and I as a PS3 owner greatly appreciate his loyalty.
huh Final Fantasy XIII on 360? I think that was a typo considering its not even out.
But, The nail is pretty much in the coffin as for Final Fantasy XIII being PS3 only with the “White Engine”(FFXIII’s Engine) solely being developed on PS3 ground up.
Don’t worry Squarenix is bringing Reverant Wings on 360 and PS3 and THAT game is on UNREAL ENGINE.
Loyalty? Kojima’s not being so loyal if he plans on doing what he did before. Yeah, I agree it would take some time for MGS4 to be on the 360, but by doing that alone makes his “loyalty” questionable. I’d say he’s keeping his options open as to who will be in the lead and dominate. Not saying it’ll be PS3 or 360, just from a business point of view.
As for Final Fantasy 13, of course it’s not out and that was a typo. God, I just hope they won’t mess up and make it feel like another Unreal Mod for the 360…
My whole point is, MGS4 is a 3rd party IP, just like Assassin’s Creed is a 3rd party IP. If Sony themselves feel they can’t be successful without this ONE title being exclusive, then what does that tell you about the current Playstation brand? It’s one game that is very popular and I think the whole world of console owners should be able to play it. If it was a 1st party exclusive, I would have never wrote this editorial. I also believe that Bioshock should be a multiplat title because it’s awesome and all gamers 360 and PS3 should have a chance to play it. I find it hard to believe that there are millions of PS3 owners who haven’t bought Uncharted and are solely waiting for MGS4.
Either way, the game will be a success. I just think that they are selling themselves short by going exclusive. Halo is to Microsoft as GT5 is to Sony. MGS4 is to Konami as Ace Combat is to Namco. 1st party titles should NEVER go multiplatform. 3rd party titles should.
Brand names really only go so far. When you get down the the nitty-gritty, customers really only care about the games. It doesn’t matter how many features or gimmicks you tack on, if you don’t have the games then you don’t have the sales.
I’ve been posting on the Konami forums for over a year now. There aren’t many people who post there. But, of the ones that do, roughly 30 percent have told me they are saving their money for a PS3 solely for MGS4. They don’t care about Drakes, or Ratchet, or even Warhawk. MGS4 has been the “OMGs GOTT@ HAVEs!!11!” game for the PS3 ever since it was first shown. Taking it’s exclusivity would be a massive kidney shot to the console.
If it MUST be multiplatform, though…. They should at least consider a timed release. Let Sony have the the exclusive for several months, then drop for the 360.
But here’s the thing that really irritated me. If you really believe that more 3rd party IP’s should go Multiplatform, you would have focused more on that, rather than just MGS4 or the 360. Why haven’t you mentioned Bioshock until after I called you out? Or, better yet, why haven’t you mentioned other titles that should be on the PS3 like Dead Rising?
I didn’t mention Bioshock because I still think it actually is coming out for the PS3. Dead Rising? Supposedly, Dead Rising 2 will be multiplatform. You gotta realize Dead Rising came out before PS3 even existed. There aren’t many 3rd party exclusives anymore. It doesn’t make sense for these companies to suffer by putting their games on one system. I use the term suffer losely. Let me ask you this Daniel, don’t you think R&C sales would go through the roof if it was on 360? Wouldn’t that be great for Naughty Dogg? I don’t even know why people aren’t buying UT3. I just don’t get it. It’s the FPS of the year for PS3 and it’s not making huge sales. I’m interested in seeing how it does on the 360. Considering the current trend, it might sell a million. That’s the advantage of going multiplatform. Yes, MGS sold very well on PS1 and PS2. It still however, came out on Gamecube and Xbox 1. So why not do the same for the 360? Oblivion is another good example of a multiplat 3rd party title. Although it didn’t sell as well on the PS3 as it did 360. If you were a 3rd party developer Daniel, would you only stick to one platform when you KNOW that you could make millions more going multiplat?
I know multi-platform helps 3rd party devs. I’m not denying that. But I’m not one, either. So it doesn’t really effect me as a customer. Major exclusives drive console sales. If the consoles were on more even terms, or were cheap and offered their own unique features -In other words, in a perfect world- then every game could be multi-platform and allow the CUSTOMER to choose which way to go. Unfortunately, it’s not like that. Multi-platform sales tip on the side of the cheaper platform and you know it. MGS4 goes multi-platform, the 360 out-performs the PS3 in over-all sales and buries it into the dirt. Like I’ve said before, I want an even race so that competition can give the customer the most of the situation.
Lost Planet was released before the PS3 came out and yet it’s being planned for the PS3. Both Oblivion and Half Life 2 (before the Orange Box) were released on the 360 and then released to the PS3 once it was released. Hell, Half Life 2’s PS3 release was 2 years later than it’s 360 counterpart. Two years. Two.
MGS4 is one game. In my opinion, this game will tip things more in favor of balance in the industry. More money for Konami is great and all…. but it’s not like these guys are poor and homeless. Konami is one of the biggest 3rd party developers in this industry and it won’t kill them to let this exclusive stay exclusive (at least for a little while) in favor of helping the greater good. Or better yet, in favor of keep their good word. Konami and Kojima have both stated that MGS4 will stay exclusive and if it doesn’t, that’s pretty much a slap in the face of those who stay loyal to the company. They won’t be happy and that will eventually effect sales.
So you think that if it goes multiplat that it will hurt PS3 sales? I see your point but I don’t think it will hurt PS3 sales. People still want the Sony brand and hardcore gamers are still gonna buy both systems. It will be interesting to see the sales. They do need a smash hit but shit man, Uncharted, R&C, Heavenly Sword and others are all worth the $60. R&C isn’t even my cup of tea but I can see the value of a game of this calibur. I simply cannot believe people are waiting solely for MGS4. Maybe I feel the same way most Playstation 3 owners feel about Halo 3. I don’t think MGS series is all that hot, but people love it.
I’ve seen tons of people who say they’re waiting on MGS4 to buy a PS3. I’m dead serious. If Uncharted was to Gears of War; MGS4 will be to Halo 3 (in terms of sales and/or hype). I guarantee it will be the greatest selling game for the system. Easily.
Uncharted and Heavenly sword are both new series for a system that’s already considered shaky. Very few people will buy a game if there’s even the slightest chance of it being a dud. That’s why review sites and rentals are so huge. It’s the Psychonaughts syndrome, man. People will completely ignore a game if the hype-o-meter isn’t very high.
As for gamers who own both systems, I don’t know if that’s going to be as big as it used to be. Systems aren’t 100 bucks anymore. Plus, as you said before, 3rd party exclusives are getting few and far between these days. That kills a lot of the motivation for owning multiple consoles. And even though brand loyalty can be strong… that will really only account for… what? 10, maybe 20% of hardcore gamers out there?
Oh well. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I hope I’m wrong. I really do.
I agree with Torrence, but for a different reason. As a gamer I think having different platforms sucks. As a videogamer I could care less about “loyalty” to an specific platform. Im in for the games! I want to play cool, entertaining and immersive games and that means Im going with that console with the most and (very important) better games library. Who actually buys a console without a good game library? Anyone who do that its either very wealthy or very stupid.
I think videogame consoles should be like the dvd players. Different brands, but they all can play the same movie. You dont see Universal Pictures, Sony and Paramount each creating their own specific player and format for their movies. They all release their movies on dvd, and any dvd player can play that movie. And thats how videogaming should work for me.
Now, whats the closest thing we have to that? Multiplatform games. If I were a PS3 owner It would be unfair not being able to play Bioshock, and certainly I think its unfair that I wont be able to play MSG4 on my 360. And whats that? You say “just buy both consoles, cheapskate”? Well, sadly I dont wipe my ass with $100 bills everytime I go to the bathroom, so buying both is out of my budget and will be for some time. And I think as a customer I have the right to choose. Im not going to buy a PS3 just because Konami wants me too or because Hideo and Kaz are best buddies, and poor Sony its not getting enough money. I should be able to choose a console and play whatever games I want.
Torrence, If all 3rd parties had no exclusives and the only distinguishing “game” factor were 1st party titles that would be like waiting for the next great Mario game that comes out once every 3 years.
What incentive would there be to purchase a $400 ps3 when you can get a $280 Xbox 360?
Kojima knows and realizes that Sony needs MG4, even in a interview Ryan Payton the PR for Kojima Productions said:
“Ryan Payton also reconfirmed that Metal Gear Solid 4 is STAYING PlayStation 3 exclusive. “We’re telling our fans that if you want to play Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to buy a PS3,” stated Ryan Payton, “The PlayStation brand has always been good to us, and we’re pretty bullish on the PS3.” ”
That sounds like Kojima’s E3 speach; basically saying Playstation has been good to us, time to return the favor.
indicating they realize MG4 is very important to PS3.
darkshine.king: In a perfect world, consoles would be more like DVD players, as you said. But it’s not like that. There’s HD-DVD and Blue-ray. There’s the 360 and PS3. The only thing we can hope for is that each console slowly develops it’s own, unique features, lowers in price (eventually evening out to the same level), and every game becomes multi-platform.
Daniel: I know consoles wont be like DVD players, and they wont be for some time. I know all companies want is to live the “Wii-dream”: insane sales, and who could blame them?
Thats why I say the closest thing we will ever have is multiplatform games. Games everybody can play no matter what console they have.
1st of all, “Sega and Namco all went multiplatform and are reaping the rewards.” To this I say, remember the Sega consoles? Remember the Namco game-thingies (forgot what they’re called XD) in arcades? Ever since they went multi-platform all forms of their consoles have been eradicated and (seemingly) nobody remembers them any more because they released their 1st party exclusive games onto other consoles.
Secondly, can you imagine Bungie turning around and suddenly stating the release of Halo onto the PS3? Because after all, Halo was made by Bungie. It’s the same thing hoping that Konami will release MGS or the 360.
Never gonna happen, or at least not for a LOOONG time.
Also, “You dont see Universal Pictures, Sony and Paramount each creating their own specific player and format for their movies.” Do Universal and Paramount even make their own format of DVDs? Oh and yes, Sony have released Blu-ray which is “better” than a DVD. But the way I see it, a film is a film.
If you ask me, every platform should come TOGETHER, and jointly release a game console. That way everyone makes money, all the gamers are happy because they don’t have to spend millions on different consoles and don’t have the torture of having to choose between one or the other, and there’s no “PS3 SUCKS AND 360 RULEZ” and being marked as a ** fanboy.
But let’s face it. Everyone is too greedy to think about the consumer.
There is one and only one reason why the 360 will never see MGS4 – it’s simply too big. The finished game was more than 50GB’s in space, and had to be compressed to fit onto the PS3’s Blu-Ray disc (which holds up to 50GB of data). The Xbox 360 uses HD-DVD’s that can hold only up to 9GB’s of data. If they did launch MGS4 for the Xbox, it would come in a 6-7 disc bundle, which would look fuckin stupid.
So QQ more, it won’t happen.
“Konami has spent millions on the game and hopes to move 1 million copies in it’s first week. Looking at the numbers, how do they expect to move 1 million copies when the best PS3 title to date, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, has only been able to move 552,000 copies worldwide?”
Well the numbers are in and they moved 2 million the first week.