
Microsoft's decision to release two next-generation consoles this November - the Xbox Series X and the lower priced Xbox Series S - seems to have garnered a largely positive reception so far, but someone who isn't so keen on the idea is Quantic Dream founder and CEO, David Cage.
Cage, who has written and directed the PlayStation console exclusives Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit: Become Human, told Wccftech recently that the two consoles make it confusing for developers and players:
"When a manufacturer offers two consoles with different specs, there is a strong chance that most developers will focus on the lower-end version to avoid doing two different versions. I must confess that I am really not a big fan of this situation. I think it is confusing for developers, but also for players, and although I can understand the commercial reasons behind this choice (a difference of €200 on the street price) I think the situation is questionable."
Cage also noted that many developers tend to prefer working on consoles rather than PC due to 'only having to deal with one hardware', whereas PC development can be much more complex.
So, that's what David Cage thinks about the situation, but what about you? Is having two consoles going to confuse matters, or do you like the idea? Let us know in the comments below.
[source wccftech.com]
Comments 31
Sony's friends that have Sony publishing their games are criticising Microsoft, oh!
I think the plotlines of his games are way more questionable than Xbox Series S. How is this different than tailoring the experience to the one on the PC?
Where has this guy been since 2016 when we had PS4 Pro, followed by Xbox One X... LOL
We've had 2 different spec machines for each brand for 3-4 years already this gen.
The situation with Series S is clear, it's the same processor as Series X (near enough), with a less powerful GPU and less RAM since the console is aimed at 1440p (realistically 1080p) gaming.
You develop your game for Series X, then switch development profile to Series S and then scale down the resolution and any other graphical features needed to hit the targets.
Needs more polygons.
I’m actually starting to think we might have the opposite problem this time around. With the reviewers and enthusiasts who care about frame rate and resolution or buying the series X. The incentive is on developers to deliver the best possible version to series X because that’s what’s going to get reviewed and criticised. The series S crowd has signed up for low resolutions so the really isn’t the incentive of the developers to try and increase resolutions for them.
Shawn! Shawn!... SHAWN!
https://youtu.be/vEK5VxDMMjo
UPDATED COMMENT DUE TO MISREADING
Meh, Sony friend doesn't like how MS do business. Move along.
@JetmanUK Where did you pull your quote from? The article says the opposite:
"developers tend to prefer working on consoles rather than PC due to 'only having to deal with one hardware', whereas PC development can be much more complex."
@blinx01 ha - working in the IT industry I wish things were ever that simple.
These comments are more interesting when they come from people that have actually developed games on the hardware (i.e. the Falconeer dev).
Its only confusing for those with tiny brains
Whats an Series S? 🤔🤨😇
@Hypnotoad107 Yep it seems as easy as turning up and down the sliders and turning on and off effects because they share the same scalable development kits. In the current generation, it was slightly more challenging because Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X have different CPU power and hardware features (Xbox One X CPU is enhanced with features and it's significantly faster) but Series S and X have been built at the same time with the same specifications except for GPU and GPU memory. They are capable of doing exactly the same things at different resolution. Anything else is FUD like the absolutely ridiculous statements made by Sony's Jim Ryan.
Developers that work on both Series S and Series X are the ones I want to hear!
I’m not a fan of Quantic Dreams’ s games so care little for his comments.
Didn't this guy try and passive aggressively bash xbox before?
CEO of a gaming company basically showing how out of touch he is by thinking about the needs of his company rather than the needs of the consumers he makes a profit from.
Sound familiar?
Its not really 2 distinct consoles though is it? They have the same processor and SSD tech, but the S model has less RAM because it only outputs 1440p which in real terms is 1080p which means it has less detailed textures to load and thus doesn't need as much.
I liken it to the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11: same base silicon but one model has other higher specs.
Holy smoke, David, is not rocket science! I'm sure his next game will get a PS4 and a PS4 Pro version, as well as a PS5, just to make sure the numbers are there for sales figures.
This is the man that gave us "Press X for Jason" for goodness sake!
As I recall this is the first time a manufacturer has ever released two consoles out of the gate.
So comments like this-
“When a manufacturer offers two consoles with different specs, there is a strong chance that most developers will focus on the lower-end version to avoid doing two different versions.”
Lose context as generally the “lower spec machine” was out years before.
David Cage doesn’t understand the crucial differences between a video game and a movie. There literally isn’t a single “developer” out there that I take less seriously than him.
I've seen his games. His opinion on anything videogames is moot.
So, that's what David Cage thinks about the situation, but what about you?
I think David Cage's opinion means nothing given Quantic Dreams don't make XBox games, they release their games on PS and later on PC, they are basically a Second Party Sony Studio and obviously doing his best to muddy the waters.
@Kefka2589 The most important thing to me this gen is that Game Pass is successful. I’ll still play those PS5 exclusives in a couple of years, but when it comes to everyday gaming, I really can’t imagine going back to life before GP. And the more people that subscribe to it, the more Xbox can afford to support it with new studios and titles.
Company man tows company line. Film at 11!
It's not to say there's not some potential truth here, but it's just silly when someone tied to a competing company is just reiterating the company stance, then treating that as news.
The comments here 😂
I don't agree with him either here though. Most (if not all?) Xbox games come to PC as well now anyway so they're already built to scale on different hardware.
Also this isn't a new issue either as already mentioned with the PS4 Pro and One X not seeming to cause many problems.
Series S will sell many units meaning more game sales meaning more profits for Devs simple yet whinging continues its CPU clock is better than PS5 for goodness sake.
The Series S is a monster except for the GPU and GPU memory, they designed it as a gaming PC for lower resolution and 1440p is fine for many people.
@JeffWhiff
OH.MY.GOD. I got some laughs out of this! 😂
@Akimi @JeffWhiff David Cage really knows how to make the most of his beloved PlayStation development kits! Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X, Press X 😂.
@Akimi Press X to Shawn, classic.
"David Cage Admits He Isn't A Fan Of Xbox"
Fixed that for you. This is some of the dumbest logic, and is clearly just his bias showing. Other devs said it's really easy to scale down as its the same infrastructure and CPU practically. Dirt 5 dev for example:
"Springate expressed that development on the Series S has been “really easy,” and that Microsoft has essentially pitched that on a technical level, the Series S offers a similar level of performance as the Series X, but targeting 1440p instead of 4K. Springate stated that while the Series S has less RAM, he explained that the overall process of scaling the experience back to suit the console (while retaining visual fidelity) has been relatively seamless, such as dialing back resolution and other graphical aspects such as shadow quality, the amount of environmental objects, or the intensity of effects such as weather."
Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/dirt-5-xbox-series-x-gameplay-120-fps-video/
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...