Why doesn't someone come up with an Xbox 360 vs PS3 game...

[franv8]

Seeing how intense the good vs evil (decide yourself who you want to be good vs evil) struggle is between the Xbox and Playstation camps (see previous topics on the subject!) wouldn't it be good if there was quite literally a multiplayer game that pitched players of each console in teams against sides of the opposing console.

Due to the SNES Mario kart comparison too, perhaps they can also have a side too.

Just need some server technology to allow the different formats to play together...

Motorport game? Gran Forza 7 or Project Turismo Racing?

Metal Halo Solid?

[Steve Evil]

Can see it happening some day, there are already cross platform games from PC - XBox, so PS3 is only one step further.

Hopefully for the next generation we'll just see one unified platform as 90% of releases these days are done for both systems and it's got to be a major waste of time coding for both simultaneously.

[deckster]

Steve Evil said:

Hopefully for the next generation we'll just see one unified platform as 90% of releases these days are done for both systems and it's got to be a major waste of time coding for both simultaneously.

Terrible idea! Just look at Windows to get an idea of what happens to a platform that has no meaningful competition. Then look at what happened to Intel's rate of progress once AMD came on the scene.

Competition == innovation.

[Steve Evil]

deckster said:

Steve Evil said:

Hopefully for the next generation we'll just see one unified platform as 90% of releases these days are done for both systems and it's got to be a major waste of time coding for both simultaneously.

Terrible idea! Just look at Windows to get an idea of what happens to a platform that has no meaningful competition. Then look at what happened to Intel's rate of progress once AMD came on the scene.

Competition == innovation.

Terrible idea in some respects, but in others it makes a lot of sense. It's already sparking a lot of debate amongst developers.

There would still be competition amongst software developers, but instead of wasting their time creating the same game twice for the different platforms they could spend that time making the game itself better, it might even cut down the long periods of development that seem to get longer and longer with each new generation of hardware.

Edit: You cite Intel vs AMD, you could still have this with the next console generation, Microsoft, Sony, hell even Apple could create their own version of the hardware, with different asthetics, pad design etc, perhaps even having bolt-on upgrades like hard drives and so forth.

But the basic underlying structure would be the same, much like the PC platform, there are countless different variations on the platform, but at a basic level they're all the same, and provided a game is coded to take into account the most basic level available (again, much easier with a standardised console) then it will work on any PC.

Edited by Steve Evil on Thursday 3rd April 14:05

[franv8]

I was thinking more allow the different formats but get the machines to have a 'common ground' on a live server somewhere.

I.e. XBox 360 vs PS3 users...

Can't see a common platform coming out personally.

[scorp]

Steve Evil said:

deckster said:

Steve Evil said:

Hopefully for the next generation we'll just see one unified platform as 90% of releases these days are done for both systems and it's got to be a major waste of time coding for both simultaneously.

Terrible idea! Just look at Windows to get an idea of what happens to a platform that has no meaningful competition. Then look at what happened to Intel's rate of progress once AMD came on the scene.

Competition == innovation.

Terrible idea in some respects, but in others it makes a lot of sense. It's already sparking a lot of debate amongst developers.

There would still be competition amongst software developers, but instead of wasting their time creating the same game twice for the different platforms they could spend that time making the game itself better, it might even cut down the long periods of development that seem to get longer and longer with each new generation of hardware.

Edit: You cite Intel vs AMD, you could still have this with the next console generation, Microsoft, Sony, hell even Apple could create their own version of the hardware, with different asthetics, pad design etc, perhaps even having bolt-on upgrades like hard drives and so forth.

But the basic underlying structure would be the same, much like the PC platform, there are countless different variations on the platform, but at a basic level they're all the same, and provided a game is coded to take into account the most basic level available (again, much easier with a standardised console) then it will work on any PC.

Edited by Steve Evil on Thursday 3rd April 14:05

Abstraction and portability, a pipe-dream programmers chase all their lives but never quite achieve.

It can be done but at great expense, and thats maintainability, the most system-portable code usually ends up a dogs-dinner to read and comprehend (i point other lurking programmers to the source to STL as a classic example).

Saying that, in the context of the OPs post, it isn't that much of a nightmare to have 2 compatible online games, as the online part (particularly the protocol the game implements) is very portable. Didn't Dreamcast Quake3 players join PC Quake servers ?

Edited by scorp on Thursday 3rd April 14:51

[JustinP1]

franv8 said:

I was thinking more allow the different formats but get the machines to have a 'common ground' on a live server somewhere.

I.e. XBox 360 vs PS3 users...

Can't see a common platform coming out personally.

You are right. It will never happen.

With the case of the PS3 it was sold as a loss leader to fund software sales. Therefore each manufacturer has a vested interest in protecting their own. By effectively making it like the situation where anyone can build a PC it will become a nightmare.

Also, effectively they would merge into a 'gaming PC'.

[bodhi]

Agreed. How in the hell am I supposed to wind up Xbox 360 owners if they've got the same console as me?

[franv8]

Typical. Missed the point again. Go and wind up some people on your town's one way system with your Punto.

I think the reality is this:

There will never be one forma for games consoles (well v unlikely at least) - but it would be good, and seemedly technologically possible, to link the different consoles online for much larger opportunities for online play.

Bodhi - one consideration in me buying the 360 is a good friend had one, so we could game online. If I had several pals with PS3's who were online (and the PS3 had a developed system of coordinating easily with them to set up online play together) I might have chosen differently.

[Matt172]

franv8 said:

I was thinking more allow the different formats but get the machines to have a 'common ground' on a live server somewhere.

I.e. XBox 360 vs PS3 users...

Can't see a common platform coming out personally.

aren't they planning that on GTA4?

[franv8]

Don't know - be good if they are. You'd think it would be more common on shared platform games, I wonder if commercially there are restrictions from Microsoft or Sony or Nintendo to hinder this being more widespread, or perhaps developers feel this feature will not sell more games?

[RobDickinson]

Matt172 said:

franv8 said:

I was thinking more allow the different formats but get the machines to have a 'common ground' on a live server somewhere.

I.e. XBox 360 vs PS3 users...

Can't see a common platform coming out personally.

aren't they planning that on GTA4?

No. Both games are online but on their own networks.


Unreal3 made a big noise about PC and PS3 joint online play but dropped it before launch as it just causes too many issues.

[Coder]

Steve Evil said:

Hopefully for the next generation we'll just see one unified platform as 90% of releases these days are done for both systems and it's got to be a major waste of time coding for both simultaneously.

Multiple console platforms add a bit of variety during development, but it can be tough to get the PS3/XBOX360 versions aligned (in terms of quality and performance). Most of the big developers have "middleware" thesedays to bridge the gaps between platforms, which helps to minimise the amount of per-platform code that has to be written.

PS3 vs XBOX360 multiplayer in games won't happen though. Neither party will allow it unfortunately.

Edited by Coder on Monday 7th April 20:51

[paul26982]

just like the mario vs sonic days, was always a mario fan

[johnph]

I doubt we'll see PS3 vs X360 online play. PC vs Xbox/PS3 is possible, there have been times on Race Driver 3 where I ended up racing against PC players due to a server error, due to both online play using gamespy servers.