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PS3Blog.net | December 11, 2023

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Some Japanese Devs Using 360 Games as Betas for the PS3 Version?

 New character only available for the PS3 version of TOV

 

Xbox 360 users in Japan recently started a petition regarding the PS3 receiving the better version of TOV. They claim they are/were the paying beta testers for Tales of Vesperia on the 360. 

Here’s the petition:

The games should not be dispersed across multiple platforms, they should be consolidated onto one platform [i.e. Xbox 360].

The games should be complete and properly made.

From now on, the porting of titles like Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia should be abolished.

An official apology should be made to Xbox 360 users for the abnormal number of additions made to Vesperia only a year after its Xbox 360 release.

The traces of the later additions found in the Xbox 360 edition should be explained.

Further bizarre product linkages should not be undertaken.

Elements of the Tales series [i.e. Patty Fleur] which cannot be enjoyed by all users should not be added.

Characters and the Tales universe should not be toyed with any more than necessary.

Certain platforms should not be favoured over others.

We wish to see user complaints acted upon.

We wish to see more consideration given to the effects of official actions on the fanbase.

Responding to these complaints , a developer has laid bare the not so shocking truth of just how Namco was paid off by Microsoft to secure an “exclusive” release, but instead merely used the Xbox subsidy to reduce development costs on the PS3 version, which it expected to sell better.

“First off, it was easier developing for the Xbox 360. This is to do with the games I was involved with, but basically if you sign an exclusive contract with Microsoft (you won’t release it on other hardware for a year or similar), they will give you a lot of cash for development.
Their support is also very fast and complete in these cases.
SCE don’t really give much cash out (any at all perhaps). Their support is confused and unreliable. When I was doing it at least, the 360 was easier to develop for, which lowers costs.
As a result, first we developed for the Xbox, reducing development costs. But the Xbox version won’t sell [in Japan], you can’t recoup even those lowered costs at all.
So we ported to the PS3, it’s cheaper as you already have the game done, but then Sony came back and told us ‘We won’t recognise it if it’s the same as the Xbox 360 version. Make sure you put in a lot of extra stuff!’
If we didn’t then they wouldn’t have let us pass their check…”

He goes on to say  that the developers all wished to produce the best possible game with this opportunity, and had no intention of deliberately putting out an incomplete game; they were instead keen to produce a version that “even Xbox 360 players could enjoy again.”

Source

This does seem to be the case with games like Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma and Star Ocean 4 being announced for the PS3 with major upgrades over their 360 counter parts. Good things come to those who wait.