"Big" Sega Game Update for 2003 (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

The way I see it, developers should wait to see how a game does before porting it (unless it's an ultra popular series like Mortal Kombat that wants a broad appeal). If a game sells really well (like FF games on PS2) then there's no need to port them because they'd be spending money to reprogram the game on another console to generate only a small amount of sales in comparison to what they already have on one console. If the game sells horribly, then they should port it to try to get a broad range of people to sell it to.

The only exception is Rayman 2, which, suprise suprise, is an example of a developer putting in the extra effort to make each version take advantage of its respective hardware

Which reminds me, Rayman 3 has extra features on the GameCube because of the GBA/GCN link and the GBA Rayman 3 game. This game (Rayman 3) along with a few other games (like Harry Potter) have added features to one console or another to make each port of a game desirable. For intance, Harry Potter on PS2 let you fly all around Hogwarts, while the GameCube version allowed you to access a secret area (I forget what the X-Box's bonus feature was). These extra features give people the incentive to buy one version over another, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because you can get more sales from the same game, but it's bad because more people might want to buy one console's version over another, which hurts sales for another console.

To tell the truth, I think Sega's plan of putting specific games on specific consoles and not deviating much from that is a bad thing, but they seem to be the only company that is really doing this to their detriment (sp?).

 

[Jon W H]

Guys, guys, guys. Look. Everything will be really cool if they follow the Ubi Soft Splinter Cell path: Make the game for the XBox first. Call it 'limited exclusivity' if you want.
Let it come out, watch the sales in the first month or two. Then go ahead and port it over to the other two consoles. The groundwork is already done and everyone is a lot happier with the quality, because instead of trying to "upgrade" the game, the developer is cramming what he can, into the port. Kinda like working with a director's cut of a film and paring it down into something feasible for a different format.
Everyone benefits from this idea.

 

[BrianB]

Rent-A-Hero gets a US XBOX release!
Woohoo!

 

[Kelley_B]

that is some great news. I've always wanted to play Rent-A-Hero...too bad it is just a port of a DC game.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Woot! I've always wanted to play this!

Now we just need thos Phantasy Star ports

 

[Dave F]

Yeah, I really want those "Sega Ages" Phantasy Stars. I've been wanting a turn based rpg lately. The price is right too. Any news on a U.S. release?

-Dave

 

[Eric C. Mylonas]

Actually, only Xbox owners benefit directly from this--if the game doesn't sell well enough to warrant a port, then GC and PS2 owners get the shaft (not to mention having to wait a minimum of 6 months for the game in question).