The executive producer of EA's new sci-fi horror game Dead Space has told VideoGamer.com that the development team won't "gimp" the 360 version because the "PS3 can't do it".
Speaking at an event in London today, where we got some hands-on time with what's looking like one of 2008's most interesting new IPs, Glen Schofield said that currently the development team is leading on the 360, but will switch to the PS3 in a "month or two".
He stressed that both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions of the game will "be the same" when it's eventually released, planned for late 2008.
Dead Space, set for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, is a gory sci-fi survival horror game which sees engineer Isaac Clarke battling against a horde of mysterious aliens who have infested a huge ship. It is one of a number of brand new games from EA planned for 2008 and beyond.
Numerous EA Sports games have faced criticism from PS3 owners who have suffered poor quality ports of games like Madden, with frame rate issues the chief culprit.
When asked how the Dead Space team was finding multi-platform development, Schofield responded: "Difficult."
He added: "Right now we're leading and building and doing everything on the 360. Pretty soon in a month or two we will switch and lead on the PS3. That is so that you're not downgrading the PS3 later. We're putting all our engineering muscle into making the PS3 great, and then we'll know that the 360 will be great."
However, when asked if there will be any differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, Schofield said: "The plan has to be, and it will be, on parity with the 360."
He said: "Sony has seen the game so they know that that's what they want out of us. But I can absolutely assure you that the PS3 and the 360 will be the same. We're not going to gimp the 360 because the PS3 can't do it. We're going to optimise the crap out of it and make the PS3 really good, sort of like Burnout."
On the issues surrounding PS3 development, Schofield said: "I'm from an artist background. But from a developer point of view it's called the Fill Rate. It (the PS3) can't handle the physics as well. I mean it can, you just have to get at it. Just more and more engineering. Special effects are tough. It's a beautiful machine and it is very powerful. It's just it's not as easy to develop for right now.
"What happened was the 360 came out a year ahead, so we started developing early on it. Then all of a sudden it was the lead SKU. So it won for two years. For two years it was the one we were just working on. And so our knowledge base is around that. Now you see the tide is starting to turn especially in Europe. So it's really just engineering catching up with it."
For VideoGamer.com's early thoughts on the game head over to our recent Dead Space hands-on preview.
Do you think developers "gimp" Xbox 360 versions of multi-platform games because of the PS3? Let us know in the comments section below.
User Comments
Ginger_Jesus
nxp3
nxp3
FU-EA
You need to get your eyes checked then dude or get a REAL TV... Mass Effect looks great in some areas such as character models but in other areas like the environment the textures aren't as good in quality also ME has lots of frame rate issues and bugs... COD4 is the same, the environment textures in the world and buildings aren't up to par with the rich details in R&C Future and Uncharted. I'm not saying the 360 hardware can't render awesome textures but when you play PS3 games there seems to be allot more very detailed textures and there's also a large variety with the textures. Oblivion, Mass Effect, Kameo, COD4, Gears of War, Halo 3, Bioshock all reuse allot of textures over and over again. These games have levels that are detailed to a degree but they aren't very varied... R&C: Future is an example of a game that's not only extremely detailed but there is allot of levels that are very different from each other and I have yet to see a 360 game like this. If you're going to have a big game like R&C: Future that's extremely detailed with 15+ completely different levels all those textures are going to add up and when you add that to audio, animations and geometry data DVD capacity just doesn't cut it. Like I said if you're being honest about actually playing Uncharted and R&C: Future on a good HDTV, which I have my doubts about, then you need to schedule an eye exam... Hands down these two game in particularly are the best looking console games I've played...
FU-FU-EA
Good point you make, because your not a fanboy right? I own both consoles and I think the games are equal on each, I have no idea what you are talking about with games being "way better" on the PS3. why do people have to make these statements? When speaking about the capabilities of the PS3 being as good as the 360 and "allot more", what are you referring to? Running Linux? having a browser? I'm still waiting for that "OMG-look-how-great-it-is" game on the PS3. So far, all the games are more or less the same as the Xbox 360 games. Uncharted looks great, so does Mass Effect. Ratchet & Clank looks great, so did Kameo. COD 4 is a perfect example. A game designed well on both systems that runs the same on both systems. After few years we might get better looking games out of the PS3 when Devs learn how to use the Cell for graphics rendering alongside the GPU, but by then there will most likely be a new Xbox, so who knows? Their both good and devs should not be so lazy about creating games. I'm looking at you EA.......
FU-EA
meh
Yep
Ivan_PSP
Lame
Anonymous
migs
Anonymous
dudester
$h0ckWav3