Warhawk - Single player dropped

[Titanio]

There are some very 'odd' messages being posted here to say the least.

Multi-player has barely been mentioned in regards to this game so I doubt that they will give it this extreme of an overhaul after a couple of years of development.

What? The TGS demo was all about multiplayer, and it was announced as being 32 player online at E3. If anything the single player has had little exposure..the E3 demo was more of a sixaxis demo than anything, being aerial combat only.

WarHawk a downloadable game???

That doesn't sound like a very bright move from the opublisher considering the costs of development they've poured into the project so far and considering the critical response it garnered at trade shows like TGS and E3..

Alot of people were looking forward to this title and some even saw it as a possible PS3-purchase-worthy product from the footage and features shown thus far. It was definitely shaping up as a hotly anticipated title so it just seems obtuse that they would decide to skin 3/4 the game (single-player) and push down a platform (EDI) which would give them less of a potential market than if they shipped it on disc (considering not all PS3 owners will have an internet connection and considering the fact that the PS3 market at the moment isn't even all that big NEways..)

I don't believe this and if it is true then I think it's probably the worst move anyone could ever make..

You seem to be assuming that all was/is going swimmingly with the single player. If it was not, but the multiplayer component was good and ready, then it's a very good move to make that available and generate some revenue on it as opposed to canning the entire project, as might otherwise have happened in the absence of a distribution avenue like this.

And who knows, a single player portion may be made available later.

I've a feeling Phil Harrison will push this as their example of modular game development i.e. instead of investing a lot in many years of work, banking everything on one final product, take a modular, iterative approach where you do a bit, release a bit, make a bit (of money), and repeat. The model where you invest a lot and see no revenue potentially for years on that makes for very risk averse investors (publishers), so now that other models are more feasible, I think you'll see that being explored.

My statement is a basic observation of the situation.

I think it's rather far fetched to be honest. Given the rumours surrounding Warhawk's development, the reasons for doing this ought to be obvious.

 

[TheChefO]

I think it's rather far fetched to be honest. Given the rumours surrounding Warhawk's development, the reasons for doing this ought to be obvious.

Now it seems obvious. At the time I wrote that post the link to the behind the scenes info was unknown to me.

 

[Gradthrawn]

Now it seems obvious. At the time I wrote that post the link to the behind the scenes info was unknown to me.

That rumor sounds rather.... disingenuous. I wasn't aware that doomsday was approaching for PS3 owners.

 

[rounin]

I think it's rather far fetched to be honest. Given the rumours surrounding Warhawk's development, the reasons for doing this ought to be obvious.

I missed out on these rumours and I usually follow Playstation platform things quite diligently (well perhaps not relative to some members here but). I wouldn't say it is something obvious and that people here should be expecting something like this to happen.

By the way, I can't access that rumor site !

 

[Titanio]

I missed out on these rumours and I usually follow Playstation platform things quite diligently (well perhaps not relative to some members here but). I wouldn't say it is something obvious and that people here should be expecting something like this to happen.

Well there were rumours before about its development, and assuming that they were true, it would be pretty obvious what they were doing here. If you weren't familiar with those rumours then sure, it wouldn't seem obvious, but they do provide a good explanation for why this would happen if they are true (and they appear to be..well, if Sam Kennedy is correct, which I expect he is ).

 

[scooby_dooby]

I've a feeling Phil Harrison will push this as their example of modular game development i.e. instead of investing a lot in many years of work, banking everything on one final product, take a modular, iterative approach where you do a bit, release a bit, make a bit (of money), and repeat. The model where you invest a lot and see no revenue potentially for years on that makes for very risk averse investors (publishers), so now that other models are more feasible, I think you'll see that being explored.

Interesting way to attempt to salvage the product, though I question the choice. Essentially removing one of the key launch year titles, and relegating it to a niche product. They probably should've used a lower profil game to demonstrate modular game design.

But, if the Dev team really was falling apart, then they may have had no choice.

 

[Titanio]

Interesting way to attempt to salvage the product, though I question the choice. Essentially removing one of the key launch year titles, and relegating it to a niche product. They probably should've used a lower profil game to demonstrate modular game design.

But, if the Dev team really was falling apart, then they may have had no choice.

I think it probably was about salvage as much as anything else, but the money generated off of it might hopefully be plowed back into a single-player game if that's what people want.

I think that they're not shying away from it with an established brand conversely demonstrates their seriousness about digital distribution, though...if they really do consider them as 'proper' games in their own right.

 

[Inane_Dork]

The most important question, IMO, is how big is Warhawk anymore? If it's hundreds or thousands of MBs, I doubt there's much to complain about downgrading. But if it's rather small, I could understand it much better.

This should be very interesting as a sign for what PSN will carry and how much retailers have to worry.



EDIT:

I think it probably was about salvage as much as anything else, but the money generated off of it might hopefully be plowed back into a single-player game if that's what people want.

I think that they're not shying away from it with an established brand conversely demonstrates their seriousness about digital distribution, though...if they really do consider them as 'proper' games in their own right.

If PSN wasn't so nascent, I doubt they would have salvaged it. But maybe that's just me.

 

[Titanio]

If PSN wasn't so nascent, I doubt they would have salvaged it. But maybe that's just me.

Well, I don't know the state of the game, but assuming it's a competent/good multiplayer experience that would otherwise have gone into a BD game, I think PSN would welcome it regardless. IMO. There's far less 'advanced' stuff on these kinds of services.

If PSN didn't exist, there would be no salvage..I think that's the more important point anyway, what digital distribution enables.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

This idea of a multiplayer only game also helps strengthen the idea of PS3 as an online-gaming console. I don't like it myself. I also don't know where hundreds of AI ships fits in with multiplayer-only gameplay. Would there be drones in with the 32 players? Wouldn't that kind of dilute the multiplayer experience, where you can get killed by a nobudy, or rack up kills on AI components instead of humans? But, PS3, home to multiplayer only games - bring us your MMOs! Large downloads aren't a problem for us. Might have some appeal to it...

 

[Sindre]

Sorry to go off topic but wasn't there a Warhawk or something very similar from Sony for the PS2 -don't know if it ever got released though. I remmember seeing videos at a trade show or something in the early years of the PS2... maybe i'm mad?

Maybe you are thinking of Dropship developed by the Sony Camden Studio?
http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/376325.asp
I remember the demo was kinda cool ,but I never played the final game. It had some nice graphics at the time and may be similar to Warhawk in some ways.

On topic, I really don't know what to say. We might get our hands on Warhawk a lot sooner than initially planned, but I probably could have waited some more months if the game came packed wiht a nice singe player mode. . .

 

[AntShaw]

What I am curious about is, with as much development time and $$'s were invested in this, is how much they are going to charge for it??

It will have to be the most expensive downloadable game on Wii, PS3 or, 360.

 

[babcat]

This really sucks. However, I was not too impressed with Warhawk anyway due to the weak looking ground combat scenes.

In my opinion, with some work this game could have been awesome. Now, with no single player mode it's something I have no interest in.

 

[Natoma]

Sorry to go off topic but wasn't there a Warhawk or something very similar from Sony for the PS2 -don't know if it ever got released though. I remmember seeing videos at a trade show or something in the early years of the PS2... maybe i'm mad?

Sony promised a Warhawk sequel on the PS2 but never released it. Warhawk was an original game for PS1. A PS1 launch game actually.

Happened to be one of the best, and most insanely difficult, games I've ever played.

 

[Dregun]

Im sure the majority of people on these forums could answer this question for me, what is limiting the game from only being 32 players? Wouldn't the fact that the game can "draw" that many drones be reason enough to think the game could support much more then just 32 players? If they release Warhawk with 64+ players would that not garnish it some respect for going to MP only? Could they have not scrapped all the time and energy from developing story elements and cut scenes just to put more effort into the MP code?

Could they not also charge a small fee per month to play this game, 1-2 dollars a month is pretty inexpensive but could generate good profits for the game over long periods of time. If the game only sold 2 million copies and only half of those people decided to pay $2 a month in one year they would generate about $24million to more then cover the cost of the servers and bandwith.

If the game doesnt add more to the MP part of the game then they originally had planned then I could see this as a mistake.


Dregun

 

[Natoma]

It would completely change the game play dynamic as MP-only and would have no tie to the original. They might as well call it "World of Flight Sims" or something like that.

The original was a masterpiece. A short masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless. They should've really done a bonafide sequel to the game in order to raise its mindshare rather than branching out into this MP-only abomination imo.

If it turns out to be the case, well that's one less reason for me to get a PS3.

 

[Inane_Dork]

If PSN didn't exist, there would be no salvage..I think that's the more important point anyway, what digital distribution enables.

If Sony had canned Warhawk because PSN was established, popular and already had a good amount of content then I don't think the possibility is an important point at all. PSN will get there eventually and some titles that pass muster at launch such as Warhawk may not make the cut. It happens with every platform. As bad as PDZ was, imagine the outcry if it had been released amidst Mass Effect and Halo 3.

I don't see a reason (yet) to expect that this is any kind of normal, expected or consistent development.

 

[Archgamer]

Incognito should of invested that money to make Twisted Metal instead.

TM has a bigger fan base. It would of drive sales better then a Warhawk game.

I have obviously lost a lot of interest in Warhawk since the time they show the ground combat. I don't know what they were they thinking.

 

[Acert93]

Hmmm so the game was cancelled in its current form. Nice misdirection by Jaffe. After the hype videos on their site about the PS3 and all the power and so forth, as well as the E3 spotlight on the SixAxis + Warhawk, I would have expected this to be an important title in the PS3 lineup and getting a lot of TLC.

From a PR perspective Sony has invested a lot into Warhawk. Highlights at E3 2005, TGS 2005, and E3 2006 as well as the first title to really show off SixAxis as well as a number of nifty tricks to demo the system. And then...

*Poof*

On the plus side Warhawk could make a great Battlefield like game; and if it is online only going with an online distribution method works fine. One the other hand it seems that Sony has lost faith in an important title in their lineup. Not good. My long held expectation that the PS3 delay would result in more polished and timely software that made better use of the platform is slowly taking a progressive beating. GDC and E3 cannot get here quick enough.

 

[one]

So next news about this game will come soon. I hope they still have the plan to release a multiplayer server that users can set up on their PS3.

I also don't know where hundreds of AI ships fits in with multiplayer-only gameplay. Would there be drones in with the 32 players?

If it's like Unreal Tournament and has no storyline, it can be just the ladder for deathmatch/onslaught etc. against bots as single-player-like gameplay but not single-player in the traditional sense.