Business Approach Comparison Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox

[Shortbread]

For comparison...

Asia

SCE Japan Studio – Ape Escape, LocoRoco, Patapon, Knack
Team Ico – Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian
Project Siren – Siren series, Gravity Rush
Polyphony Digital – Gran Turismo series, Tourist Trophy

North America

Naughty Dog – Crash Bandicoot series, Jak and Daxter series, Uncharted series, The Last of Us
ICE Team
SCE Santa Monica Studio – Kinetica, God of War series, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Entwined
SCE San Diego Studio – MLB: The Show, ModNation Racers
SCE Bend Studio – Syphon Filter, Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss
SCE Foster City Studio - supported studio for SCE Worldwide Studios
Sucker Punch Productions – Sly Cooper series, Infamous series

Europe

SCE London Studio – SingStar, EyeToy, PlayStation Home
Evolution Studios – World Rally Championship, MotorStorm series, Driveclub
Guerrilla Games – Killzone series
Guerrilla Cambridge – MediEvil, Killzone: Mercenary
Media Molecule – LittleBigPlanet series, Tearaway
First Party (SCE WWS)

Asia

Clap Hanz – Everybody's Golf series

North America

Ready at Dawn Studios – God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Daxter, God of War: Origins Collection, The Order: 1886
Idol Minds – Pain, Warrior's Lair, Ratchet & Clank Collection
Sanzaru Games - Secret Agent Clank, The Sly Collection, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Zindagi Games – Sports Champions, Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest
Giant Sparrow - The Unfinished Swan, Edith Finch

Europe

Quantic Dream – Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, The Dark Sorcerer
Tarsier Studios – Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
Double Eleven – LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
Novarama – Invizimals, Reality Fighters
Supermassive Games – Start the Party!, Until Dawn, Tumble, walking with dinosaurs, Jurassic Encounter
Plastic Games - Linger in Shadows, Datura
Ovosonico[35] - Murasaki Baby
Second Party

Asia

Level-5 – White Knight Chronicles, Dark Cloud, Rogue Galaxy, Jeanne D'arc, Ni No Kuni
Q-Games – PixelJunk series

North America

High Impact Games – Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, Secret Agent Clank, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
ThatGameCompany – Flow, Flower, Journey
United Front Games – ModNation Racers
Bluepoint Games - God of War Collection, The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Magic Pixel Games - Carnival Island
Mass Media Inc. - Jak and Daxter Collection, The Midway
Fun Bits - Escape Plan
The Workshop - Sorcery
VooFoo Studios - Hustle Kings
Superbot Entertainment - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
PSTalent[36] - The Castle 2: The Dance Warp

Europe

Housemarque - Super Stardust HD, Dead Nation, Resogun
Ninja Theory - Heavenly Sword
Sumo Digital - LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2 Cross-Controller Pack
Third Party

Internal Studios

989 Studios - NFL GameDay series, Major League Baseball series
Bigbig Studios– Pursuit Force series
Incognito Entertainment - Twisted Metal series, Warhawk
SCE Studio Liverpool – Wipeout, F1
Zipper Interactive – SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series, MAG, Unit 13

Independent developers

Cellius – Ridge Racer Vita
Eat Sleep Play – Twisted Metal, Calling All Cars!
Game Republic - Genji series, Folklore, Dark Mist, Toy Home
LightBox Interactive - Starhawk
Relentless Software – Buzz! series
Slant Six Games – SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series

Owned franchises and properties

.detuned
Aconcagua
Alundra
Ape Escape
Arc the Lad
ATV Offroad Fury
Baby Universe
Beats
Beyond: Two Souls
Beyond the Beyond
Blade Dancer
Blast Factor
Blasto
Bloodborne
Boku no Natsuyasumi
Buzz!
C-12: Final Resistance
Calling All Cars!
Codename: Tenka
Colony Wars
The Con
Cool Boarders
Dark Cloud
Dark Mist
Demon's Souls
Dead Nation
Destruction Derby
Diggs Nightcrawler
Downhill Domination
Drakan
DriveClub
Dropship: United Peace Force
Dual Hearts
Echochrome
Echoshift
Elefunk
Entwined
Epidemic
Escape Plan
Everquest
The Eye of Judgment
Everybody's Golf
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
Extermination
EyePet
EyeToy
Fat Princess
FantaVision
The Fight: Lights Out
Fired Up
flOw
Flower
Folklore
Free Realms
Freedom Wars
Frequency
Gangs of London
Genji
The Getaway
Ghosthunter
Global Force: Shin Sentou Kokka
Gran Turismo
Grind Session
God of War
G-Police
Gravity Rush
Gunners Heaven
Guns Up!
Hardware: Online Arena
Heavenly Sword
Helldivers
Hohokum
High Velocity Bowling
Hustle Kings
Ico
Infamous
Intelligent Qube
Invizimals
Jak and Daxter
Jeanne d'Arc
Jet Moto
Jet X2O
Journey
Jumping Flash!
Killzone
Kill Strain
Kinetica
Kingdom of Paradise
Kingsley's Adventure
Knack
Kula World
Kung Fu Rider
Lair
The Last Guardian
The Last Guy
The Last of Us
The Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Legaia
Lemmings[37]
Lifeline
Linger in Shadows
LittleBigPlanet
LocoRoco
Mad Maestro!
MAG
The Mark of Kri
MediEvil
MLB: The Show
ModNation Racers
Motor Toon Grand Prix
MotorStorm
Mr. Mosquito
Murasaki Baby
My Street
Okage: Shadow King
Omega Boost
Ore no Ryouri
Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke
Overboard!
The Order: 1886
Pain
PaRappa the Rapper
Patapon
Pet in TV with my dear Dog
PixelJunk
Piyotama
Philosoma
PlanetSide
PlayStation All-Stars
PlayStation Home
PoPoLoCrois
Primal
Puppeteer
Pursuit Force
Q*bert
rain
Rally Cross
Rapid Reload
Ratchet and Clank
Reality Fighters
Resistance
Resogun
Retro Force
Rise to Honor
Rogue Galaxy
Rule of Rose
Sagashi ni Ikouyo
Savage Moon
Shadow of the Colossus
The Shoot
SingStar
Siren
Skyblazer
SkyGunner
Sly Cooper
Smart Ball
Snakeball
SOCOM
Sorcery
Soul Sacrifice
Speed Freaks
Sports Champions
Starhawk
Steel Reign
Super Rub 'a' Dub
Syphon Filter
Talkman
Tearaway
The City of Metronome
This Is Football
Tokyo Jungle
Tourist Trophy
Toy Home
Trash Panic
Tsugunai
Toro
Turbo Prop Racing
Twisted Metal
Uncharted
The Unfinished Swan
Unit 13
Until Dawn
Untold Legends
Vanguard
Vib-Ribbon
War of the Monsters
Warhawk
White Knight Chronicles
Wild Arms
Wipeout
Wonderbook
Xtreme
Yoake no Mariko

 

[Shifty Geezer]

For comparison...

Not a fair comparison as you're not comparing like for like. Your list appears to be missing subheadings as it repeats territories with 1st party studios and then independents (Level 5 and Q games are independent, which jumped out at me scrolling through the page). In such a list, MS would add the likes of Epic and Gears.

If the purpose is to compare internal studios, you should trim your list.

Quoting a source would be nice too. IPs owned lists download titles, so I'm sure a list from MS showing what they've published would be rather lengthy too.

 

[Shortbread]

Not a fair comparison as you're not comparing like for like. Your list appears to be missing subheadings as it repeats territories with 1st party studios and then independents (Level 5 and Q games are independent, which jumped out at me scrolling through the page). In such a list, MS would add the likes of Epic and Gears.

If the purpose is to compare internal studios, you should trim your list.

Quoting a source would be nice too. IPs owned lists download titles, so I'm sure a list from MS showing what they've published would be rather lengthy too.

Sorry, I just copied / pasted wiki. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Computer_Entertainment

 

[Prophecy2k]

Just reeling off lists of studios is meaningless in the context of the topic being discussed.

Of course MS has "a" stable of first party developers. The question is about whether they have a stable of first party developers that are actually worth a damn. And outside of Turn10, 323i and Remedy (not really first party), that answer is pretty demonstrably "no", or at least "not on the same level of its competitors".

MS traditionally has seen most of its development success with third party developed/MS published games. That's fine since it was a legitimate strategy for them that yielded dividends last gen. The only probelm they're seeing now however, is that the market has changed this gen, and they are no longer in a dominant sales position in any territory. Therefore it will become increasingly harder for them to secure exclusive deals with existing developers/pubs, and they will have to look again at building out their own internal studio talent.

Naturally, this will take time. Rome wasn't built in a day. And so while MS is still scrambling to try to get something decent out of its relatively inexperienced in house teams, the stakes are now higher with increased dev costs, as well as the fact that Sony's teams of veteran devs will be pushing out hit after hit, further widening the sales gap between the PS4 and XB1; exacerbating MS' position even further.

 

[MrFox]

Last year I saw an xbox ad in theater which was all too casual and about kinect kinect kinect.

Now I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy and there was a loud Xbox spot right before the film. It was a complete reversal, a real dudebro fest. All the cliches, including the forced deep voice narration, military tone, aggressive gun toting everywhere (they even manage to include a shot of Sunset Overdrive that looks like all the other shooters, that must have needed some creativity in editing).

The public chattered and some laughed about it during the blanking before the film started. Either MS missed the movie going demographics, or it was only this particular film public.

It's like the marketing team is only doing narrow extremes. Why aren't they showing the balanced game offering like they did at E3?

 

[steveOrino]

It's like the marketing team is only doing narrow extremes. Why aren't they showing the balanced game offering like they did at E3?

Because of call of duty.

 

[function]

Last year I saw an xbox ad in theater which was all too casual and about kinect kinect kinect.

Now I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy and there was a loud Xbox spot right before the film. It was a complete reversal, a real dudebro fest. All the cliches, including the forced deep voice narration, military tone, aggressive gun toting everywhere (they even manage to include a shot of Sunset Overdrive that looks like all the other shooters, that must have needed some creativity in editing).

The public chattered and some laughed about it during the blanking before the film started. Either MS missed the movie going demographics, or it was only this particular film public.

It's like the marketing team is only doing narrow extremes. Why aren't they showing the balanced game offering like they did at E3?

They're carefully targetting their marketing. To miss. Everything.

I still laugh every time I see the words "reveal tent". Really, I still find it funny, but also sad ... and that just makes it funnier.

 

[function]

They're carefully targetting their marketing. To miss. Everything.

I still laugh every time I see the words "reveal tent". Really, I still find it funny, but also sad ... and that just makes it funnier.

Actually, Gamescon conference is going okay ...

 

[Rurouni]

The solution for not having strong enough 1st party? Throw gobs of money to 3rd parties... Problem solved

 

[eastmen]

I dunno it seems that the xbox one has just as many exclusives as the ps4 going into 2015. And with Tomb raider being exclusive I don't think we will have to worry about third parties skipping out on the xbox one. They should also reach territory parity with sony later this year when they release in another 20 countries

 

[-tkf-]

The solution for not having strong enough 1st party? Throw gobs of money to 3rd parties... Problem solved

Actually this is the solution we suggested in many threads, Microsoft would need to buy love with games when they couldn't with their original vision.

As for Tomb raider, it's a interesting choice with a successful reboot in the books. They are going to cut their potential market in more than half, and with the following installments their market present will be smaller simply because if thus. But I am certain they are wearing money hats now

 

[function]

The two steps to saving your console:

1) Content
2) Price

Listed in order of effectiveness and cost effectiveness.

 

[DrJay24]

Sucks for the devs, so many less people will play their game.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I'll link back to one of my own posts. I don't think this will be the last of what we are seeing - perhaps this is what the advertisements that some were downplaying as "pandering", etc., is speaking to. I'd say a lot of XBOX budget has been refocused recently.

 

[eastmen]

Actually this is the solution we suggested in many threads, Microsoft would need to buy love with games when they couldn't with their original vision.

As for Tomb raider, it's a interesting choice with a successful reboot in the books. They are going to cut their potential market in more than half, and with the following installments their market present will be smaller simply because if thus. But I am certain they are wearing money hats now

we already see this on the ps4 , lack of exclusives this holiday lead them to buying so much exclusive destiny content.

At the start of the gen any extra content can be a big deal as gamers are starved more for content than later in the generation.

Next year sony has uncharted which on the ps4 would most likely crush tomb raider anyway. This way ms has a game like uncharted and edios gets ms's help in pushing the title

 

[tuna]

I think MS is doing good stuff. Their new Media app has really good file support and buying Tomb Raider was a smart (though probably expensive) move!

 

[east of eastside]

Xbox One Model 2 "Slim" 2016 proposal:

20nm APU
2-4 extra CU cores @900Mhz

fully 100% backwards compatible with original Xbox One software, no game will ever maximize the power of Xbox One Slim to break compatibility, but Xbox One software will now be made with code to recognize whether it is running on a Model 1 or 2 Xbox One and will be able to use the upgraded hardware to run at 1080p in all cases and 60fps when desired.

Is this a viable business solution? It is unprecedented, but should be technically possible.

 

[orangpelupa]

i think something like that was discussed in "forward compatibility"?

 

[London Geezer]

we already see this on the ps4 , lack of exclusives this holiday lead them to buying so much exclusive destiny content.

At the start of the gen any extra content can be a big deal as gamers are starved more for content than later in the generation.

Next year sony has uncharted which on the ps4 would most likely crush tomb raider anyway. This way ms has a game like uncharted and edios gets ms's help in pushing the title

I missed the news, but is TR now exclusive to MS? Timed?

Also I would wait before saying UC4 will crush TR. The TR games have always sold pretty well - especially the last one - and while critically acclaimed and big successes for Sony, the UC games are not exactly in the tens of millions of copies sold kind of realm. I had the impression that TRE was in the same kind of range as a typical UC game in terms of sales? Surely helped by it being multiplatform.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I missed the news, but is TR now exclusive to MS?

Yes.

Timed?

Officially, no, although some of us aren't convinced by that.

Also I would wait before saying UC4 will crush TR. The TR games have always sold pretty well - especially the last one...

Yep. Last TR sold 6-7 million. The Uncharted franchise has sold somewhere between 17 million and 19 million it seems, so maybe 7 million for U3 given the franchise has grown over the years.

Actually, forget that, UC4 will crush TR because UC4 is going to sell to over 2x the console install base, both being exclusive to one platform so being dependent on that platform numbers.