Track7 cancels Thesis for PS3: too expensive to develop for

If they're continuing development for the other platforms, the difference in cost will be code, not content. So really, I guess what they're saying is 'PS3 too difficult to develop for.'
 
"If Sony were to offer us assistance in producing a PS3 version we would be more than happy to oblige!" said Vicky Valanos, Managing Director.
 
If you check out Track7's website, it seems threy only have a couple of coders. If their background is PCs, DX, and MS tools, I can well understand their position. Trying to get their heads around a new and alien architecture at the same time as creating your first game isn't a position many devs would want to be in.

Edit : By couple of coders, I'm pointing out that the software side can't be where the expense is, as 80% of costs is going on content if employees are anything to go by.
 
I wouldn't read too much into this. Is this even news? There is a reason why UE3 and other middleware have become widely used in early projects. Making a new engine is hard, especially on new hardware. Both consoles up the difficulty--the only real difference is MS chose a similar path to which the PC is maturing to so there is more incentive for PC developers to get familiar with with multi-core symetric CPU designs and unified shading API models. If you have a strong/long PC background CELL could be very intimidating and result in longer development times (thus more expensive). A number of traditional PC developers have made similar statements (Gabe Newel, John Carmack) but these are only the first to discontinue a multi-platform title. I expect to hear more of this, at least early in the console cycle, just like I continue to expect MS to completely flounder in Japan. You really cannot expect a console to please every developer's needs or every consumer userbase.
 
I remember this game being one of the very first ever that was announced for "next gen consoles", way before the xbox360 was launched and having been in development since before E3 2005, with little progress shown (was it shown playable in E3 2006 as promised?)

I think the problem with the developer isn't as much in PS3 developing costs, but in developing costs overall.
Do they have other games under their belt, what have they done before? Are they a profitable company, or are they one of those announcing games with prerendered concept art and PR speak of advanced proprietary game engines that are to revolutionalise gaming, to attract investors so they'd have a chance to be a "real games studio"? (and having failed?).

And the fact that the Track7 seem to be a company emplying full 5 people doing the game(s) on PC, xbox360 (and was PS3)!!

I won't be surprised if soon they'll give an interview to some site, where they blame Sony that they never were able to get "Thesis" finished, and that lead to the "bankcrupty" of their company. And all that because of PS3 and how they'd invested so much on it and getting burned by the high cost of developing on PS3 (the PC and xbox360 versions had to fall by the wayside with the PS3 version of course).
For E3 2007 they'll announce another game for PC and xbox360, with a couple of impressive prerendered screenshots.
The PC version will be released first and the game will fail to live up to the hype, being a very mediocre title with average graphics. The xbox360 version will never be seen.
For E3 2008 they'll have changed the name of the company and it's rumoured in B3D the company is being run by The Creature ;)
 
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The game doesn't have a publisher for crying out loud :LOL: There probably wasn't a PS3 version at all, they simply pre-announced it while they beaver away on PCs - it happens all the time with indie developers announcing games for next-gen formats without a publisher.

Any and all development is going to get too expensive for them pretty soon unless they find one. It sounds to me like they're making noise to attract attention (and rather hopefully, Sony's attention).
 
they don't even have an engine ,nor programmers..
You bet ps3 is hard to develop for when all you have is a bunch of bad animators ,bad artists ,an a script writer...
 
If they haven't a publisher, how can they be buying into devkits for any console? Is it likely MS would supply them with a devkit if requested (and paid for, of course) or would they want some stronger credentials than some optimistic new developers witha dream and seemingly little experience?

Indie's really should stick to PC games until they get some success and reputation.
 
Shifty Geezer said:
If they haven't a publisher, how can they be buying into devkits for any console? Is it likely MS would supply them with a devkit if requested (and paid for, of course) or would they want some stronger credentials than some optimistic new developers witha dream and seemingly little experience?

I doubt they have 360 kits. They probably presume that PC version = 360 version. Certainly they'd be relatively easy to port between. But no, I doubt they'd have any console kits without a publisher. It's not impossible, but very unlikely, particularly for someone without any track record.
 
They could have assumed the GNU toolchain linux tookits sony put up on SCEJ site(same as IBM put up), were the proprer toolkit, and used the cell processor emulator. I think it would have been a bummer, though, if some did.
 
News Flash

track7games responds to erroneous article

PS3land.com wrote an erroneous article on June 29, 2006 regarding track7games and our upcoming game, "Theseis".

track7games would like to clarify that we never cancelled something that did not exist in the first place. We plan to develop "Theseis" for PC and Xbox360 in the near future. As for the PS3, we simply made a strategic decision to not move ahead because we deemed it not probable at this time. - Track7
Titanio said:
The game doesn't have a publisher for crying out loud :LOL: There probably wasn't a PS3 version at all, they simply pre-announced it while they beaver away on PCs - it happens all the time with indie developers announcing games for next-gen formats without a publisher.
Good call Titanio.

-aldo
 
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"plan to develop"

So...they're not actually developing it right now for the PC or Xbox 360? Just planning at the moment?;)
 
I find it interesting to see people reactions to this now. When they initially annoucned it was for PS3 people were saying nothing but good things about it...
 
Qroach said:
I find it interesting to see people reactions to this now. When they initially annoucned it was for PS3 people were saying nothing but good things about it...


Like the spark that sets off the gas main... shhhhh!!!


:p
 
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