SCEA acquires Zipper Interactive (Socom team)

[liverkick]

I find it a little sad for this forum that I only had to look at the name of the posters to know where the pejorative comments were going to come from. Like clockwork.

edit- And yes, the same goes for a lot of other threads having to do with "other" platforms. I shouldnt have to even qualify this but such is the climate.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Is there anywhere a list of the developers Sony and MS have acquired over the years? I'd like to compare the 1st party software development base.

 

[-NakedZ-]

Is Ninja Theory even a proven developer. Aside from the upcoming Heavenly Sword, I think the only other game they worked on is Kung Fu Chaos. Which from what I heard is mediocre.

.Z

 

[London Geezer]

Is Ninja Theory even a proven developer. Aside from the upcoming Heavenly Sword, I think the only other game they worked on is Kung Fu Chaos. Which from what I heard is mediocre.

.Z

Ninja Theory is already "under Sony's wings". They haven't bought them, but it's clear their game(s) will be on PS3 only, from what we've heard from Deano and Marco.

Besides, while Kung Fu Chaos was definately not a blockbuster, it was still a very cool game.

 

[Nicked]

Is there anywhere a list of the developers Sony and MS have acquired over the years? I'd like to compare the 1st party software development base.

There was a thread on GAF earlier about Sony....its quite large, MS's is much smaller.



Sony:.
Sony Studio Santa Monica (God of War)
Sony Studio Foster City (Rise to Honor)
SCEA Sports Studio - Solworks (NBA)
SCEA Sports Studio - Red Zone (NFL Gameday)
Sony Online Entertainment (Champions of Norrath)
Incog (Twisted Metal, Warhawk)
Naughty Dog (Jak & Daxter)
Zipper Interactive (SOCOM)
Sony Bend (Syphon Filter)
Sony Studio Liverpool (Wipeout, F1)
Sony Studio Cambridge (Medievil, Primal)
Sony Studio London (includes Studio Soho and Studio Camden) (EyeToy: Play, The Getaway, Dropship)
Guerrilla Games (Killzone)
Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo)
Clap Hanz (Hot Shots Golf)
MuuMuu (Jumping Flash!)
Team Ico (SCEI - Studio 1) (Shadow of the Collossus, ICO)
Shift (SCEI - Studio 2) (XI Go)
Alvion (SCEI - Studio 3) (Chain Dive)
Deep Space (SCEI - Studio 4) (Extermination)
Sugar & Rockets (SCEI - Studio 5) (PoPoLoCrois)
+Numerous other SCEI Studios
Cattle Call (Arc the Lad)
Contrail (Legend of Legaia)
Zener Works (Okage: Shadow King)
Shade (Granstream Saga)

Microsoft:.
Bungie Studios (Halo series)
Ensemble Studios (Age of Empires series)
Rare (Perfect Dark, Kameo, Killer Instinct, Banjo series)
FASA (Shadowrun, Crimson Skies)
+Various internal teams under "Microsoft Game Studios"


Its really hard to find info. on MS first-party. They closed Digital Anvil, they closed their sports studio, and they sold Indie Built (Amped) to Take2.

Undeniably though Sony have the advantage here, and in second-party too IMO.

 

[drpepper]

Is there anywhere a list of the developers Sony and MS have acquired over the years? I'd like to compare the 1st party software development base.

Wikipedia has a nice list for Sony. Nicked you beat me to it.

here's the list of second parties.

Second Parties

North America

* Insomniac
* Sucker Punch
* Factor 5
* Ready at Dawn
* Harmonix
* Rainbow Studios
* Snowblind Studios
* Paradox

Europe

* Ninja Theory
* Team Bondi
* Frontier
* Evolution Studios
* BigBig
* Black Company
* Magenta

Japan

* Level 5
* Gaia
* Media Vision
* Game Republic
* NanaOn-Sha

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I doubt there has been much, if any, consideration of titles beyond HS. It's been years in development, consumed all the attentions of those involved, and is yet to be finished and launched. The current NT contract is presumably for one PS3 title, and there'll need to be renegotiations post-launch as to what happens to NT after that.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

There was a thread on GAF earlier about Sony....its quite large, MS's is much smaller.

Thanks. It's not a perfect list though. Sony Online Entertainment is a publisher, as the devs of CON were SnowBlind studios and they're officially independant. They've been advertising for XB and XB360 coders on their website.

A larger studio contigent makes sense, as Sony have for a long time backed up content with hardware. Software devs are a content arm the same way TV and Movie and Music departments are.

 

[Nicked]

Thanks. It's not a perfect list though. Sony Online Entertainment is a publisher, as the devs of CON were SnowBlind studios and they're officially independant. They've been advertising for XB and XB360 coders on their website.

Well SOE / Verant Interactive are one and the same nowadays aren't they? SOE develops most of the games it publishes.

A larger studio contigent makes sense, as Sony have for a long time backed up content with hardware. Software devs are a content arm the same way TV and Movie and Music departments are.

Oh for sure, its just surprising how well Sony built-up their development since they launched PlayStation. Started out with very few small teams, now are a major publishing force.

Microsoft seem to have chosen to scale back first-party releases and focus on fewer, higher profile titles and big-budget third-party* exclusives. Its an interesting choice IMO. It makes each consoles lineup unique.

*or is that second-party, since they're paying for and publishing the games..even if the developers aren't exclusive. I hate the term second-party because its so ambiguous.

 

[function]

I just can't believe that Sony can't compete "fairly"....going off and buying game studios and all this...F'ing monopolies....

...

/sarcasm off

Sony are pretty desperate for that in-house Halo killer...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Well SOE / Verant Interactive are one and the same nowadays aren't they? SOE develops most of the games it publishes.

I don't know. Maybe SOE is a development team, but in the given example they weren't responsible for CON's development.

 

[mckmas8808]

I find it a little sad for this forum that I only had to look at the name of the posters to know where the pejorative comments were going to come from. Like clockwork.

edit- And yes, the same goes for a lot of other threads having to do with "other" platforms. I shouldnt have to even qualify this but such is the climate.

So I guess you didn't see my other threads about....

Burnout:R
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27253
GRAW(X360)
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27550
PGR3
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26696
NNN
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27301
GRAW(Xbox)
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27205
Gears of War
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26604


So your response to this post will be...

 

[Bobbler]

So I guess you didn't see my other threads about....

So your response to this post will be...

I have a feeling that you're responding to a post that wasn't directed at you. I'd look at the post a couple above liverkick's to find its likely target.

 

[liverkick]

I have a feeling that you're responding to a post that wasn't directed at you. I'd look at the post a couple above liverkick's to find its likely target.

*nods*

Pejorative being the key word of my post, mckmass. I dont think the content of your thread applies there.

Im not trying to stir things up with anyone in particular, but sometimes you just shake your head. Its practically rhythmic at this point.

 

[bleon]

I wonder what motivated SCE Worldwide studios to snap up Guerilla and Zipper Interactive. I suppose they can now contribute and gain from code sharing amongst the different studios.
I read that when Naughty Dog were bought up, they halted development on their proprietary GOAL language (used for Jak games iirc) since it wouldn't help Sony to leverage ND tech through code sharing. Had they remained independent they would have evolved GOAL for next gen consoles to allow them greater productivity.

IMO, code sharing is good for gamers and I don't know why the practice isn't more commonplace. If Guerilla find ways of rendering volumetric smoke then I'd want that same quality effect in other PS3 games too. Namco seem to be one of a few developers who were able to get good IQ from PS2, and it would have been benefitial to sony if their secrets were shared.

 

[Carl B]

I wonder what motivated SCE Worldwide studios to snap up Guerilla and Zipper Interactive. I suppose they can now contribute and gain from code sharing amongst the different studios.
I read that when Naughty Dog were bought up, they halted development on their proprietary GOAL language (used for Jak games iirc) since it wouldn't help Sony to leverage ND tech through code sharing. Had they remained independent they would have evolved GOAL for next gen consoles to allow them greater productivity.

IMO, code sharing is good for gamers and I don't know why the practice isn't more commonplace. If Guerilla find ways of rendering volumetric smoke then I'd want that same quality effect in other PS3 games too. Namco seem to be one of a few developers who were able to get good IQ from PS2, and it would have been benefitial to sony if their secrets were shared.

I think the contribution they can make to the 'whole' is a part of it, but beyond that I think if Sony feels that the studio consistently makes games that are successful at retail, and a long-standing relationship already exists between them and Sony, it's only natural that Sony would extend the offer. If nothing else it would help Sony to capture more of the profits made at retail from those games, while potentially decreasing their development costs while at the same time increasing the developers access to resources. Which of course all plays into the first-party studio 'synergies' Sony is trying to leverage.

In that context, Zipper makes more sense than Guerrilla, but I guess Sony sees something in Guerilla worth purchasing, even 'pre-hit.'

 

[Farid]

Threads Merged

The Console Games Thread was merged with this one.

 

[wco81]

How are people defining second party?

Those developers producing exclusive content or those developers being published by SCEA (obviously exclusive content in that case)?

 

[Carl B]

How are people defining second party?

Those developers producing exclusive content or those developers being published by SCEA (obviously exclusive content in that case)?

I think the later is what we came to as far as a definition a week or three ago.

 

[wco81]

I doubt there has been much, if any, consideration of titles beyond HS. It's been years in development, consumed all the attentions of those involved, and is yet to be finished and launched. The current NT contract is presumably for one PS3 title, and there'll need to be renegotiations post-launch as to what happens to NT after that.

I'm sure if it's a hit, both sides would be only too happy to extend their relationship. If only to produce sequel(s).

Or even if it isn't a big hit, if it covers the bills, gets good reviews, includes valuable IP (like the HDR without FP16 workaround -- is that patentable?), Sony may want to keep the team together.

Nothing Bungie had done before could have predicted the hit that Halo became so you can have developers work on what were niche titles and then eventually produce a blockbuster. So it's a good idea to cultivate as much talent as possible, as long as Sony can fund titles like the Medicis funded stuff which is of interest to some people.

BTW, how do developers feel about sequels? That means they've developed a commercially viable title and the sequels could mean job security (if not a big windfall). But the Bungie guys said they were tired of Halo and wanted to work on something else? Sounds like guys who don't have to work for a living if they don't want to.

Of course, Lasseter of Pixar probably doesn't need money either but yet, he's signed on to go back to Disney, which he supposedly left on less than amicable terms.