Splinter Cell Producer Trashes PS3's AI Capabilities

[MindlessOath]

In a recent interview with Gameplayer, one Splinter Cell: Conviction producer "Danny" adamantly declared:

It's NEVER gonna come out on the PS3 or the Wii.

Why? The Wii is self-explanatory, but he also said the Xbox 360 handles AI better than the PS3. That seems to be a bit overreaching, and maybe the real answer is that Splinter Cell's software architecture would make it difficult to bring to the PS3. But what do I know? Any real devs in the audience want to clarify for the group?

http://www.gameplayer.com.au/Home/PREVIEWS/PREVIEWGAME/tabid/1484/Default.aspx?CID=bb1443ed-30f8-4eb2-b212-8926111caf49&v7Pager=3

what i dont get is, is ubisoft was never good at ai in the first place... and not only this but its FUD... they dont know how to do ai... especially with the ps3... remember ubisoft only wants to get games out and fast, so if it takes some learning they are out of it, or they make some crap and release and ride the name of the game to fame.

sad to hear this.   i would like to hear some technical information on this, because i know that ps3 can do good ai!  we all know ubisoft is sub par when it comes to ai tho, they want it handed to them or they dont get it.

[Wolfsong]

I don't think putting it on PS3 is a problem if the engine is built to be used on any system. In other words it has a built in bridge as the outer layer, like we have at Grin. It didn't take the programmers longer to get it working on PS3 then the 360.

So I think it's their engine/structure that's the problem.

[MindlessOath]

i wouldnt doubt it... but thats the problem, they see a problem with something, they are just going to blame it on the hardware because costs to fix/code that would not be worthy?

[Wolfsong]

It won't be worth it for a project that is far along in development, but it should provide them with insight on what they should thing of for the projects that have just started or are being planed. The engine may need some extra development time to make it more versatile even for future needs. If they do this they will earn more money by selling on more platforms, but it will take a little longer time for the first title which is going to use the new system of course, which slows down the income for a while. And knowing UBI... They don't think too far into the future.

[TaLoN]

From what I read on the InterWeb the Ue3 Tech isn't ready for the ps3.  Unless they are still using and building from the heavily modified Ue2 tech that they have in the past.  Take into account that the Ps3 Tech is still relatively new and the game has most likely been in production for 2 years already.  One comment from one producer, whom is in a contract for and exclusive title would make a comment like this.  But one producer from a large company like Ubisoft doesn't necessarily mean that Ubi feels this way.   Eventually all dev houses will find the ins and outs of the PS3 but atm its still much more complex hardware to work with, in comparison to the 360.  But like the Ps2 its only a matter of time.

[TaLoN]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=27782


quote :

"It's wrong to say it's harder to code on the PlayStation 3, it's just something that needs to be learnt," said Yann Le Tensorer, co-founder of Ubisoft's Tiwak studio and co-creator of the Yeti engine powering GRAW and the upcoming Beowulf game.

"It's not harder to develop on the PS3 than it is on the 360, it's just a different console. Developers might says it's harder because it just takes time to understand the technology, we're still early in the lifecycle."

[Wolfsong]

So true.

[Wolfsong]

Here is another link to the GRAW2 team interview on PS3 development.

http://news.filefront.com/graw-team-says-playstation-3-no-harder-to-develop-for-then-xbox-360/

[MindlessOath]

i know this too... the dev houses that are acting gready are really rushing for the cash for xbox360 because its already something everyone knows how to do - ie directx... it was smart for microsoft to go this rought... and the dev's that are making ninja gaiden told those stupid dev's to stfu and stop being lazy and just do it... cause its not hard its just differnt, but since they have to learn it, that all comes at a cost and time that dev's dont want to spend on.

i wont say its greed, but its something alright and im seeing people give into the ps3 here and there, little by little, so its gaining fanbase amung the dev's.

anyways, talon how is that silicon nights thing going? i know there was an ue3 issue, where do things stand for the game (not the issue).

[TaLoN]

No Comment, and To us the word "Devs" and "greedy" in the same sentence is somewhat a conundrum.  Considering we get paid a salary no matter how well are games do, and that magical mystical bonus I hear so much about is like winning the lottery those are the chances of getting one.   Its up to investors, publishers and analysts to determine what we work on.  The comments of a Developer about wanting  or not wanting to work on X platform due to X issue is simple a matter of personal opinion.

[MindlessOath]

dev's is a sore word to use, my bad.

[MONOLITH]

Two thoughts came to me regarding the last couple of posts...


Not all development studios place themselves as salaried employees of a publisher. There are still deals being made between devs and publishers for $ percentages of units sold.


Secondly, and sort of towards Mindless, we have to be very careful to remember to seperate the development studios, from the publishers, when we are critiquing things. Development Studios, the 'artists' that envision and create a game, most often care more about their product, than the dollar figures (greed). It is the publishers who want to make money off the devs ideas and talents, that have the greed.  And Development Studios, who need publishers for their financing support, are often victims of the publishers themselves.

So when Ubi-bashing is going on, make sure you seperate the publisher from the development studio.

[MindlessOath]

well... im not going to seperate the two because they are both differnt. i know developers are innocent in certain terms. i will agree with that, but i also agree that the dev houses hire the payed talent and that talent isnt always something good.  is it all there fault, no... because products are shuved out fast and sometimes they have to do something the easy way, or if they have to do something hard and they just dont know what they are doing, they have to get it done irregardless, so things are rushed.

i think game development and publishing could change, but i dont think it would ever change the process that things are done, its just not going to happen.

i dont think all developers are terrible, nore all of the ubi guys either.  but i do see fault with the whole scale of things in game development and publishing alltogether.  but hey shit happens too.  

mabe some games should just be open source to thrive on the technology and have willing people and cappable people work on certain things, and people can correct those issues too.  i dont think open source is a solution to the problem's tho.

[MindlessOath]

http://www.digg.com/playstation_3/Ubisoft_s_GRAW_team_denies_PS3_programming_difficulty

lol, funny to hear this from here first and then see it on digg.
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/08/17/ubisofts-graw-team-denies-ps3-programming-difficulty/

only a day earlier but still.

[MONOLITH]

well... im not going to seperate the two because they are both differnt.

I officially give up on you.

[MindlessOath]

sorry.

[MONOLITH]

Well, since you put it that way;  



I don't understand the statement though. Seems contradictory. "wont seperate them" but "they're different".