New technology is always a challenge for those who wish to exploit it. As with every new piece of hardware, comes a learning curve to the product, which can be simple or incredibly difficult to overcome.
The PlayStation 2 proved to developers exactly how hard new hardware can be to develop for. The exponential increase in quality of graphics in AAA titles since launch of the PlayStation 2 can attest to the sheer amount of work it took to tame the famed Emotion Processor and Graphics Synthesizer.
So as the new generation comes at hand, what magnitude of a learning curve will developers have to face, with the premier of the Cell Processor and RSX duo? Well, at least according to Seb Downie, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel much sooner for the PlayStation 3 than its predecessor.
Downie, lead tester for Guerrilla Games, recently commented, "And as for the PS2 vs PS3 development question. I was chatting to Michiel and he was telling me how crazy-easy it was compared to the PS2 and how much quicker things have been going for them. I will take his word on that"
This is exciting news for gamers and skeptics alike. If fellow developers are having the same experience as Guerrilla Games, much more time can be put into game play and graphics of 1st generation titles instead of devs having to tackle the numerous difficulties mastering the new architecture.
Guerrilla has hinted that new details on their current projects may come out tomorrow, hopefully to reveal the fruits of their labor. Stay tuned to PS3portal.com for the latest developments.
That is really good news to hear, because now that the PS2's life cycle is coming to a close with PS3... we're seeing games that look A LOT better then before... ala Shadow of the Colossus/Black etc.
Seb Downie, lead tester for Guerilla Games:
"And as for the PS2 vs PS3 development question. I was chatting to Michiel and he was telling me how crazy-easy it was compared to the PS2 and how much quicker things have been going for them. I will take his word on that."
Mark Rein, Epic VP:
"Developing on the PS3 is quite interesting. We were able to get UT2007 running at a steady framerate on the alpha kit. (this part not part of the article but should be taken into consideration) We are struggling to get Gears of War above a steady 30fps.
Konami:
"When we were developing Suikoden 3 and 4 for the PlayStation 2 we had carts of donuts to hold us down. The PlayStation 3 makes it so much easier on us that we can actually go home at the end of our shifts"
Developer comments on PS3 Development
Linear Mode
