Ubisoft Exec Slams Sony's "Me Too" Approach

Taken from GameIndustry.biz

Quote:

Ubisoft Montreal's creative director has spoken of his disappointment with Sony's next-gen offering, claiming the Japanese giant is adopting a "me too" approach by duplicating ideas from other consoles.

According to Nindojo.com, Clint Hocking criticised Sony's mimicry of Microsoft's Xbox Live service during an E3 workshop on next-gen game design, before criticising the introduction of a motion-sensor device in the PS3 controller - an idea which he believes has been borrowed from Nintendo. "How much more "me too" can Sony be?" Hocking said.

He also criticised the industry's drive to significantly boost videogame visuals with each new generation of hardware, arguing that the focus on graphics is a "fundamental problem of approach" that turns game developers into factory workers.

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Hocking was full of praise for Nintendo's effort, however, commending the new Wii motion-sensing controller which he believes can offer new inspiration for developers and create emotional experiences more powerfully than enhanced graphics.

I like how he talks big against uber-graphics...last time I checked the Splinter Cell games looked pretty damn impressive.

Yes but the gameplay and immersion was all there.

Seen the Red Steel presentation? Put a katana under a fallen enemies throat and twist your controller to make him beg and see his reaction. That's an awesome new emotional experience that only the Wii can procure right now.

While I think the motion sensing controller is a great idea {let's be clear: Nintendo's idea}, I weep when I consider some of the RPG mini-games that developers are going to come up with that utilize it. Imagine the tedium of FFX's lightning dodging mini-game. Now imagine if you had to do some weird and precise motion with the controller for a mini-game - 200 times.

But yeah, Sony is really coming off very unprofessional with their current antics.

Originally Posted by russ

While I think the motion sensing controller is a great idea {let's be clear: Nintendo's idea}, I weep when I consider some of the RPG mini-games that developers are going to come up with that utilize it. Imagine the tedium of FFX's lightning dodging mini-game. Now imagine if you had to do some weird and precise motion with the controller for a mini-game - 200 times.

Yeah, I was thinking about it myself, but it'll probably be as 'tiring' as playing a light-gun game.

I'm surprised how shocked some people are. Like they somehow could not see Sony copying such an idea. It was waiting to be ripped off the moment Nintendo first showed off the remote, question was who would do it first for their next gen consoles Microsoft or Sony, turned out to be the latter.

I think Sony did this because the remote will go down a hit in Japan, they were worried due to the huge following of Nintendo in Japan at the moment especially with the DS that such innovation would steal away alot of consumers who would align with the the Wii.

Yeah, but it was a bad move from them.

Originally Posted by El Ray Fernando

I'm surprised how shocked some people are. Like they somehow could not see Sony copying such an idea. It was waiting to be ripped off the moment Nintendo first showed off the remote, question was who would do it first for their next gen consoles Microsoft or Sony, turned out to be the latter.

I think Sony did this because the remote will go down a hit in Japan, they were worried due to the huge following of Nintendo in Japan at the moment especially with the DS that such innovation would steal away alot of consumers who would align with the the Wii.

Sony doesn't have to copy them. There is also such a thing as doing the innovating yourself. They were lazy, and could only think of a crappy batarang controller while Nintendo was busy thinking up the Wii and how to sell it to the customers as a "revolution" in gaming.

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

Sony doesn't have to copy them. There is also such a thing as doing the innovating yourself. They were lazy, and could only think of a crappy batarang controller while Nintendo was busy thinking up the Wii and how to sell it to the customers as a "revolution" in gaming.

Business is business, look at Audi and the 4 wheel drive system for example, the moment they saw its potential everybody was at it. Stealing ideas is just a part of the business world, of course that is in no way a justification, it just happens.

Takes other's ideas are how Japanese electronics manufacturers work. Panasonic took many of Sony's ideas in the audio realm. Sony takes many of Nintendo's ideas in the home consoles. Nintendo takes technology used in the arcades to use in home consoles.

In any case, his bashing of Sony doesn't really mean anything. Ubisoft will still be releasing games on Sony consoles, so this complaint will be eventually be buried under profits.

I doubt Sony's gyro-chip controller will garnish much use anyway.
It'll no doubt go down as used as the DS2's sensitive button setup. Sure, a few games will use it, but it's not a central design element like the Wii's controller is.

In other words: developers don't have to use it at all, and I doubt many will.

It really strikes me as a sign of desperation on Sony's part, coming when it does. They no longer have vibration function in their controllers, and they have to be feeling a little insecure about hitting the market with a console as expensive as the freaking Neo-Geo. Their machine doesn't do anything special that the other consoles don't, so they have to start tacking on features, stealing if necessary, to measure up.

This wouldn't look quite so bad if the PS3 had online capabilities, a gyroscope, AND cool feature X that the other consoles don't have. But instead of coming up with innovative features on their own, like Microsoft and Nintendo, they seem complacent enough to just steal from everyone else. It's about to bite them in the ass, methinks.

Well this system is really nothing more than PS2.5. Perhaps they did this move as they may feel a sting from Nintendo and MS. Although it does seem that Sony is pretty complacent in their number one spot. We'll just have to see the outcome in a couple of years.

Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit

Well this system is really nothing more than PS2.5.

Mind humoring me a bit and explaining what you meant by that?

Copying "Live" wasn't unexpected. It's not as though Sony stole an idea, it was never Microsft's idea to have an organised online service. Services like Live have been around for years in PC gaming, it's just Microsoft implemented it in the console realm first.

Motion control is a little different. It wasn't about who is going to do it first, it's an unique idea. It's wasn't something to be definately expected in the future.

No matter how much Sony tries to rip off Nintendo/Microsoft, Nintendo/Microsoft will both do it better. Their system's games are based around their respective services.

PS3 has what? One launch (or close to launch) game that uses that motion sensor controller? Great. I bet Nintendo will have pretty much all of it's launch games styled around their novel controller. On top of the massive backlog of nostalgic games. Sony will have a few online games, where Microsoft is pushing all of it's games to have an online component. Whether through 'Live or Marketplace.

I'm not worried one bit for Nintendo or Microsoft. They'll both do fine. I doubt they're worried either given Sony's lackluster showing.

This only serves as a confirmation of jealousy.

Originally Posted by SCHWARZE-6

Mind humoring me a bit and explaining what you meant by that?

Other than graphical prowess, everything else is a marginal upgrade. The controller, they changed it from looking different to making it look exactly like the original PS2 controller, only now it's wireless and has Wii ripped off technology. The PS2 had online capabilities, though it wasn't focused. The PS2 supports HD, just not every game takes advantage of it. For these reasons it feels like the PS3 is nothing more than just a remade cashin on a popular game. You know, kind of like the DMC3 rerelease, or MGS3: Subsistance or Lunar: Silvery Star Story Complete.

However, I'm sure I'll be more interested in the system down the road once the price drops ten fold and there are more games that interest me for it.

Ah, I see. But, that's what most video game consoles are, right? Marginal upgrades.

Also, I think a point that's common looked over by the gaming community is that Sony doesn't want the PS3 to be just a gaming console. It wants the PS3 to be computer entertainment. Games, movies, and music. In addition to Blu-Ray, the PS3 can play SACDs - granted, it's a format that isn't popular with the masses, but it gives Sony more fuel to say 'the PS3 will serve all your HD entertainment needs (as long as its our formats)'.

I'm very interested in the system, but $600 for one entertainment system may be too much. I still collect old video games and old game consoles. $600 could be a Neo-Geo, Turbo Duo, Sega CD, and host of other classic consoles.

Anyway, I'm off-topic. Clint Hocking complains that all Sony was doing was making better graphics, but like Matt said, Splinter Cell looked pretty good. To add to that, Assasain's Creed, Ubisoft Montreal's PS3 game, was probably the best looking game at E3. As I said before, buried under profits.

The Wii, on the graphical side, is nothing more than a Gamecube 1.5.
It's the control that makes it a significant step forward.

I think MS' Xbox Live service is managed pretty well, but there are quite a few things that turn me off online gaming, namely PAYING for it, and the whole idea of the Marketplace and having to buy content - of course you dont HAVE to, but when there are weapons upgrades, some rich noob will go off and buy it while you spent weeks getting to the same level, etc, and the whole idea of downloadable levels for a price is just a farce IMO.

I'm not saying Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection is any better. The whole idea of friends codes is annoying, to say the least, and there is no central hub you connect to before playing. All online stuff is managed in each game.
So a combination of the best elements of Xbox Live, coupled with the idea of Nintendo's Wifi Connection being FREE would mean a very competetive online service to Xbox Live, and to an extent, Sony's PS3 Online Service.

I understand having to pay for Xbox Live Arcade games, though. That makes sense. You're getting developers to re-release and even improve their old games, so of course they need financial benefits to justify the development costs.
So it's good to see Hudson back on the console market for Wii's Virtual Console.

In terms of that hilariously bad motion sensor technology in the PS3 controller, I totally just lolled my ass off when Ken Kuturagi and Phil Harrison just stood there talking about it in the most matter-of-fact way, and as if it had NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

Phil: "Look at this...when I lift up the controller.....*gasp*...IT FLIES!"

The entire world just groaned. Except the Sony fanboys who thought it was the BEST THING EVER. But then to some of them, it was a very humbling experience seeing Sony's copy-cat approach to the console industry first hand.