Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Interview

Hey- here are the questions- rewritten in a way that I found much more acceptable and professional- from the MSNBC reporter in question. I am still planning on doing a Skype interview with him, so that should be great! I will tell you his name then.

Meantime, a big thanks goes out to him for taking the time to rewrite these in a way that- for me- changed them from biased to non biased (don't wanna get back into that debate again, you guys know my definition of biased so take it or leave it).

So here are my answers in full, just as a safe guard that they not get taken out of context. Hey- I am fucking paranoid after all these years, what do you want?!?!


Ok, here is the email exchange:


David,


I'll start with some basic questions and we'll go from there. If you think any "devil's advocate" type question is unfair, please say so in your response while stating your reasoning. Again, I'm not fishing for answers, only trying to get an instinctive and candid response. Additionally, I'm happy to reveal any edited quotes to you before running the story -- just let me know.
1. In your opinion, has the PS3 met expectations so far? Why/why not?


I think it depends on which expectations you are asking about. I think it’s easy- and correct- to look at the PS3 and say that it has not yet enjoyed the staggering success of the Playstation 1 or Playstation 2. So if the expectations were that it would- by this point- be on the exact same sell thru trajectory as those earlier hardware modes, then I would say no, it has not met expectations. But that does not mean the PS3 can not reach and exceed those same heights, but it will need to do so via its own, unique sales story, versus simply copying the ‘gangbusters in the first 18 months’ sell thru story of the PS1 and PS2.

If you are talking about expectations of delivering fantastic, high quality, highly reviewed next-gen gameplay then I would say that yes, it has met those expectations. It has also met expectations in having a varied and quality library of titles and if you look at the titles coming out in the next 12-18 months (Killzone 2, God of War 3, MLB 09, UNCHARTED 2,etc.) then I think it’s fair to say that the Playstation 3 is poised to exceed expectations on that front.

It has met expectations in being a great media hub for the family room, allowing next-gen gaming, blu ray movies, HD download movies, internet access, and free access to online gaming. And if you look at Folding At Home, the damn thing is even helping to cure cancer! So on the ‘will the PS3 help cure cancer’ front, then I would say yes, it has met those expectations as well…

If you are talking about the online experience, I feel that when it launched, the online experience left much to be desired. It did not meet expectations at that time. In the last year, the online service has grown considerably and I feel- while it still lacks a few features that the competition has- it has easily met expectations. And Sony’s ability and willingness to constantly improve that service- and keep it free- have far exceeded expectations.


2. As a developer, what's the PS3's greatest strength?
As a designer, I think the main wow factor for this generation is downloadable content. This is not specific to the PS3 but I feel the PS3, with the PSN store, has done a very, very good job in this area. Innovative, groundbreaking titles (Flower, Pixel Junk Eden,etc.) that would have never had a shot at getting fwide distribution are now a mainstay on the Playstation 3. I think the fact that we now have the ability to distribute these kinds of games in a way that allows them to actually be profitable, well that is just amazing and groundbreaking and a game changer. Down the road, digital distribution will weaken the grip of the retail stores and make games less expensive for consumers. Full retail console games are already available on the Playstation 3 and since every Playstation 3 sold has at least a 20gig hard drive, all consumers can enjoy this new way to get full games. Between bypassing the retail channel with its infamous shelf space limitations (which keep consumers from enjoying a whole range of games that are not pure mainstream titles) and bringing players new, unique smaller experiences, I feel the PS3 is leading the charge in the downloadable content space. And as a designer, that is a very big deal.


3. What's its greatest weakness?
Right now the price is a real deal killer for lots of people. It’s clear that Sony knows this and seems to struggle between running a profitable business while also respecting the consumer’s spending abilities. And given the current economy, that has to be a tougher battle now than it’s ever been. Rumor is a PS3 price drop is days away and I hope this is the case because as a PS3 developer and a PS3 fan, I want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy this great system.


4. What's keeping consumers from buying a PS3 like they did the PS2?

Price and competition. The price is the main thing, but again, it seems Sony is working to bring the price down. Competition this time around is fierce. And that is great for gamers but with Xbox battling hard for the hardcore gamer and Nintendo being the king of the casual space, the Playstation 3 is seeing its once dominant stance challenged on both sides. With Playstation 2, there was only one competitor: the Gamecube. Dreamcast had come and gone- for the most part- by the time PS2 was really making some noise. And while the Gamecube had some amazing games and a loyal, passionate fanbase, it was never a serious threat to the Playstation 2’s market share. But times have changed, the competition is much, much tougher now. And the economy is in the toilet. So while it’s always tough to be the most expensive system on the block, it’s especially hard now. But I think this generation is proving that three consoles can survive and thrive. A lot of people like to pile onto the PS3 for being last in the current NPD numbers but they forget that comparing sell thru numbers for these consoles is not an apples to apples comparison. The PS3 is $399 compared to a $199 Xbox 360! And still, with that $200 price difference and in this economy, Sony has managed to sell THRU over 20 million Playstation 3’s! That’s pretty impressive but you never hear that side of the story in the press.


5. How might Sony have averted a $500-600 launch price, provided you feel it was a hindrance?
My guess- and I’ve said this before- is that removing the Blu Ray would have allowed them to drop the price. I still think they should have done this. And I am not privy to any of the behind the scenes reasoning behind how the hardware took shape (that was well above my pay grade when I was at Sony) BUT I’ve seen stuff on the net that suggests that winning the format wars (Blu Ray vs. HD-DVD) was a mandate sent down from on high and so who knows how much choice the games division had in this issue. I think putting Blu Ray in the PS3 helped win the format war for Sony and so for that, I assume, Sony is very happy. But I think it did hurt the system’s success so far- in terms of sales- because it forced the price to be much higher than most gamers are willing to pay, even for a great system like the PS3. I think Sony was very smart to insist on a hard drive in every box, so I would not have changed that at all.

6. Do you feel Blu-ray is as valuable to the PS3 as DVD was to the PS2? Why/why not?
As valuable? No. The difference between VHS and DVD was spectacular: from the tactile improvements that came from ditching VHS and going to DVD (going from a clunky 8 track looking thing to a sleek, cool, future feeling disc) to the lack of visual degradation over time to the bonus features packed on the disc to the massive visual quality jump. Everyone could see the difference and the value of tossing out that VHS player and joining the future. But now, the difference from DVD to Blu Ray- while clearly impressive- is not as spectacular. And so the upgrade is not seen- from my view- as being a necessity. Going from DVD to BLU RAY feels more like a nice bonus if you can afford the player and the HDMI cable and the flat screen 1080p television to go with it. But unless you are a videophille or an obsessed movie fan, it doesn’t feel like a, “I GOTTA HAVE THAT!” purchase. And because of that, the Blu Ray player- I feel- is seen as a very cool feature of the PS3 but not as cool as the DVD player functionality of the PS2.


7. What specifically would you like Sony to do moving forward so Eat Sleep Play can sell more games?
Lower the price, please! Oh, and more television ads like Killzone 2, that show off the amazing graphics of the system. All this money, time, and love spent on the graphics and the fact that we have a box that- I feel- is capable of rendering the best real time graphics of all three consoles and we have so few commercials that show off the actual gameplay and visuals. So I’d like to see more of that.

8. Do you think PS3 feature cutting shows any lack of original vision on Sony's part, or that the console is innocently adapting to meet the needs of the market? It seems like it could go either ways, but given the console's struggles, I tend to think it could be more of the former. Thoughts?

Well again, you need to explain why you think the console is struggling. I am not saying it is the super duper amazing success that the Wii is. Clearly, it is not. But to say it is struggling when it’s $200 dollars more than the competition and has still sold 20 million units in this rough economy and has an amazing library of games and one of its exclusive games just won the BEST GAME OF THE YEAR award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences…I dunno. I am not trying to spin you here at all. But 'struggling' is an odd word. I don’t know if it’s really the word you are looking for and if it is, perhaps you can elaborate?

But I’ll answer the heart of what I feel the question is, which is: why has Sony made a lot of changes to the system from its original launch? Well my answers are:

a- Many of the changes spring- I think- from a desire to get the cost down so more consumers can enjoy the system. It must be an educated guess as to which features are worth cutting if it means the system gets cheaper and/or profitable sooner. Cutting backwards compatibility, for example, was a shame, but I don’t think the majority of gamers cared. Some did, yes. And they were vocal, but they were- from my view- a vocal minority. From my own experience, not being able to play my old games on my new PS3- while disappointing- is not that big of a deal. To me, I am much happier my online gaming is free, or that Sony is spending money on things like HOME (also free) and spending cash on making newer games.

b- a desire to improve the Playstation 3 experience at every opportunity. Every console manufacturer is adding and removing and adjusting aspects of the original vision in order to improve their product for the customer. Microsoft just improved their online service- which they still charge for- after several years. Nintendo is always adding channels to its online service and selling new peripherals to improve the Wii experience. Sony it seems is doing the same, by adding back in features- when they could- that consumers demanded (rumble), making the online service even better, and continuing to find ways to make the box cheaper. To me, this is just business as usual for all the consoles.

As to moving away from the original vision issue, I mean, what it sounds like you are really saying is: A company should have a 100% bull’s-eye accuracy on the products they launch in terms of assuming what the consumer wants and they can never being wrong. And if they are wrong, they should not change to improve the consumer experience because it makes them look like the original vision was flawed. I mean, that’s nuts. Apple changes the ipod every year, you don’t consider that a lack of vision do you?


++++

Ok, that's it. Later ya'll! By the way: to be clear...these are my opinions. I don't work for Sony and am not speaking on thier behalf. I'm just a guy with an opinion on the situation and that's what these are: my opinions. Thanks!

David

68 comments:

evolgenius said...

I always enjoy reading your interviews, because you're very candid and genuine. It's cool that he was willing to change up the questions a bit, and it's also cool that you always seem willing to talk to anyone about anything, as long as they're respectful.

So, you gonna reveal your new game at the newly revived E3 this year?

Gazzo said...

Good little interview. I liked the DVD/Blu-ray question the most, because I agree. Blu-ray doesn't seem that...well, great, to me. I remember when DVDs took over and took out the VHS. And it was a big deal. Blu-Ray? It's just another disc.

I spend too much time reading and responding to this blog. I need to finish eating my lunch and get back to work, heh.

TrevDogg said...

i agree for most of ur statments but imo blue ray was more about giving space to developers but devs are too lazy and money hungry to program on the ps3 soo they program on the 360 and give us shitty ports of games and they all know blue ray is the future there just tryin to squeeze out thos few extra bucks outta the 360 b4 sony takes over.

Anonymous said...

Jaffe,

Can you tell us what engine you are making your game on? I'm just curious after that statement about the Killzone 2 commercial which is supposed to be all in game. Do you guys think you could make a commercial of your game, all in game, and make it look good?

Can you at least answer if it's in house or are you borrowing someone else's?

Thanks

starblinky said...

Nice, I agree the jump between blue ray and dvd doesnt really seem like such a big jump. I mean what is different from the 2 in terms of features?

The only thing that is different is blue ray live. Which I think is a really good thing they are doing and they should expand that as much as possible. Some of the BLUERAY Live stuff ive seen it pretty cool! Even though its currently still kind of clunky and slow loading.. I think thats where it need to go.

Like some disney movies have features where you can make your own quiz for a movie while you watch it, then send it to your friends and everyone can compete for points. (although only works in america booo, but still very cool)

Thats what blue ray needs in my opinion.

PAYBACK-joker said...

Yo David,
I really enjoyed your responses and it gives us all something to think about.

Speaking of a Skype interview...

What are you doing Thursday, as in tomorrow, around 5-6pm Eastern? I'd like to interview you for our PS3 podcast!

I also replied to your twitter account, if that makes things easier.

Thanks
~PAYBACK-joker

Anonymous said...

I'm with TrevDogg on this.

Anonymous said...

Good interview. I do think blu-ray is a nice addition to the ps3 not just for movies but it can be for games too. Sadly, not many developers want to add extra content into a blu-ray disc when they can add more through DLC.

The special edition of Stranglehold is a good example. It added a high def version of Hard Boiled (great movie btw) into the disc. Making it an extra 20 dollars is iffy though.

With extra disc space, every game should have multiple language options and bonuses like "making of" scenes.

Unknown said...

Great interview.

Anonymous said...

I think if the ps3 didn't have a blu-ray player it could have done worse than it did. The "console selling" titles didn't really start coming out since last year, so I don't think even a cheaper ps3 woulda distinguished itself over the 360 just game-wise in its first year.

You could make the point that blu-ray player sorta carired ps3 along until the major AAA titles started coming out. If the price drops now, it's easily the best system with the best library of games when you stack it up against the 360. Or if not the best, comparable based on personal tastes. Do you want Gears or Uncharted, Halo or KZ2, Banjo? or Sackboy. Ninja Gaiden 2 or Kratos.

And speaking of Kratos, I don't know the numbers but to me a sorta casual late 20's gamer, the god of war series(apart from mgs) is Sony's biggest name title. They have a great chance if the system price drops to really regain alot of those ps2 gamers that went to 360 for next-gen. I know I only bought a ps2 because I wanted to play god of war(which is easily in my top 5 games of all time). If they don't pour marketing money into that game like crazy I'll probably look at that as a mis-step. Not that I know anything.

Anonymous said...

Very articulate answers! Great to hear your earnest assessment of the positioning, successes, and challenges of each console.

Anonymous said...

Good answers dude.

REZBLUE said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BZKlint said...

Hey David, now that the PlayStation.Blog is doing live Q&A's, would you consider doing one for God of War III?

-Thanks!

David Jaffe said...

BZ- you may not have heard:

I have NOTHING to do with GOD OF WAR III. I am not directing that game and no longer work for Sony. I co-own a company called EAT SLEEP PLAY and we are doing a PS3 game for Sony right now but we have not announced it yet.

David

REZBLUE said...

Great interview.

Nice to hear honest answers, most of the things I read on the net tend to slant towards one side or the other.

keepin it real in 09 lol.

Anonymous said...

Pretty good answers , some of it sounded like Sony PR though.

@anonymous

I don't think blu-ray carried the ps3 in the early going , the passionate playstation fans and hardcore gamers with lots of disposable income did. Blu-ray enthusiasts were a very very small group of people in reality.Blu-ray movie sales (at the time) support this.

If they didn't have a blu-ray drive in the ps3 , perhaps they could have retailed the system at $500 at launch (top end) , then $400 for the next holiday , and then $300 for this recent holiday.

You don't think they would have sold a lot more systems ?

But what's done is done , and blu-ray is cool for a lot of people and the system is a good bargain even without it if you game online. It's only going to get better and cheaper from here.

Anonymous said...

FUCK YOU

ATTENTION WHORE

GTFO THE GAMING INDUSTRY

YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH GOW SO GET OUT

INFACT YOU FUCKING RUIN EVERYTHING

GET RAEPED OR SOMETHING

BONK!

Anonymous said...

That seems un-necessary

Anonymous said...

Uhh, really dude? With all the FU's and the negativism? Anyway, great interview, very well answered questions. Hopefully this MSNBC guy will write a good article without bias or favoritism.

That seems unlikely but I am looking forward to reading it.

BZKlint said...

Heh, sorry. I feel dumb now o_0

I knew about you and ESP, but I wasn't sure if you were still doing any work with GoW3...

So maybe when your next game is announced, you could do a Q&A on that? It would be cool to see you on there sometime :P

Anonymous said...

Kids and keyboards don't really mix well. Especially on the internet.

Anyways, great post! Although I haven't gotten that far in the interview, I felt that your response was really well laid out and very informative. In particular the pricing structure of the PS3 and HD DVD.

Blu Ray and the special features included with the PS3, such as SD slots and the new video format that we all know, has driven up the price.

But despite of that it is remarkable that the PS3 is still in the market with it's pricing structure and what not. Personally I feel that the new management during the PS3 transition was a bad decision. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seemed like they didn't know what they were doing. Learn as we go I guess.

HD DVD, as you've said in the interview, isn't a must have commodity compared to the PS2. HD to DVD comparison isn't as much of a leap compared to VHS to DVD. Hell, I don't even see a big change in HD television programming compared to SD. I don't think HD televisions, on some models, display true HD. It seems the same to me.

By the way Glenn Beck rocks!

Keep up the good work Jaffe, and I for one, will keep reading your work on your blog.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad it worked out nice interview :P

Anonymous said...

Nicely and fairly answered, Mr.Jaffe.

Anonymous said...

jeffe for motha fukin president. spoken like a true educated gentleman, props. now stfu with the interviews and go give ideas on god of war 3 and START/FINISH THE WORK ON TWISTED METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

jaffe ur fucking the MAN!!!!

Anonymous said...

Very nice, I really like how your interview answers aren't biased and you are able to examine both the strengths and weaknesses of the system rather than constantly bashing one flaw of the system.

Also props to the MSNBC reporter for realizing his loaded questions and adjusting very, very professionally.

gomp said...

I think although maybe the leap from DVD to Blu-Ray isn't as fantastic, we must still remember that games are getting bigger and better. The space is needed (like MGS4)so I think the inclusion of blu-ray was necessary. GOW3 would probably need 5 discs!!

Aclay said...

I really loved the interview and your honest answers.

I pretty much agreed with everything you said except for your own thoughts of the PS3 and Blu-ray, but hey,everyone has their own opinion and that's respectable.

And I really love how you shot down that guys last question when you said:

"Apple changes the ipod every year, you don’t consider that a lack of vision do you?"

OMG!! That was classic. Just gotta love Jaffe! Keep up the good work and I hope to hear a Game Announcement from Eat,Sleep,Play before the end of the year or hopefully by E3.

Anonymous said...

Great interview David!!!
I totally agree, people forget that the PS3 is actually doing a lot better than what the Gamecube, Dreamcast and original Xbox did during their whole run, and is more expensive two years after its launch than these other systems where at their respective launches.
I own all he systems, and to be honest i have not used my Wii since Mario Galaxy came out and am keeping the console just in case a new Zelda comes out. My Xbox I use quite a lot but after Gears and Halo Wars, few exclusives are really getting me stoked. As for the PS3, I just love their exclusive IPs like GOW3, LBP, Uncharted, Twisted Metal (wink wink) and Metal Gear, and from what i've seen, so far Sony has the strongest line up for 2009.
So yeah I love my PS3.

Anonymous said...

Love you are so concerned about this interview being biased but you had no problems taking small jabs at the 360.

Keep on sucking the Sony tubesteak Jaffe.

Anonymous said...

http://games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/71.html

It's a list of the top 100 game creators. I figured you'd be on it. Twisted Metal Black was a huge reason I bought a ps2 and I love God of War, so I'm a little disappointed that you're only 71, but it seems pretty fair.

Anonymous said...

Wow! look at all the hate from the Xbots! This goes to ANY console fanboy "STOP SUCKING THEIR ASS UNTIL YOU LOOSE YOUR SENSE OF REASONING!"

Ok, since we got that out of the way... great interview Jaffe! I think you answered him reasonably. A lot of media negativity about the PS3 has become "normal" nowadays and they fail to look at the status of the PS3 for what it is.

Speaking of Sony in general. There's a great article that's out on IGN. Check it out!

http://retro.ign.com/articles/956/956990p1.html

Thoughts? :)

Anonymous said...

Well done David. This is the way the interview should have been handled since day one. I was disappointed in the way you initially handled it. Not because it was the wrong reaction, but because you are a leader in the gaming community and set an example fr others. It sucks, it's not something you asked for or probably want, but you have more responsibilty than most. What you do with it is entirely up to you.

Working exclusively for Sony it's clear you aren't an Xbox 360 fan, but it's worth mentioning the Xbox 360 retailed for $499, $399 and $299 for the majority of the first 2 years it was on sale. The price points compared to the PS3 aren't as far off as many people seem to think, but the PS3 has managed to sell more consoles in the same amount of time. As for todays retail prices, the Xbox 360 arcade is a great starter console at $199, but realistically the bulk of sales go to the $299 Pro which just had it's $50 price reduction last fall along with the other SKU's.

In the off chance you do read this, thanks for your time and thanks for Twisted Metal. By far one of my favorite franchises on the Playstation. God of War is the sole reason I replaced my PS2. Completely 100% kick ass games and the reason we don't mind being called gamers. :)

-DeathscytheHC

Anonymous said...

I think your comments are very interesting...I agree with most.

In regards to Blu-ray this was a vital move by Sony gaming...although the timing was incorrect. The attach rate for HD sets (1080P especially) was very very low when PS3 launched (still is not as high as it should be). It has nothing to do with the quality jump from DVD to Blu or that it's just another disk. The importance of Blu ray has not even been tapped by developers yet (as I'm sure you know). The true visual capabilities of Blu-ray over DVD are more noticeable on highest quality sets which most people don’t have in their home.

Being an Ad man I have to think Sony’s biggest letdown for this generation of gaming is not supporting the system with media. You are hard pressed to find anything related to the PS3 in media. I think I saw a PSP ad on a Chicago train once. They need to advertise the features that are in that box. This is the major differentiator between them and Nintendo and Microsoft. While their system is $399 the similarly priced 360 sku has half as many features in the box (like built in wifi, rechargeable controller, blu-ray, free online gaming etc.) yet they let the mass audience believe the 360 is a better deal…because Microsoft is intelligently telling them so. I think Sony needs to rethink their Ad agency alliances…because they have done a terrible job of leading their client.

Alex said...

jaffski how big is your gaming tv?
when you said blue ray isnt a significant upgrade from dvd i could only infer that you need a bigger tv. arnt u rich. id have a 80" at least if i was you. sony would give you one for what 10k? try blue ray on that then i'll believe you on the insignificant upgrade front.

David Jaffe said...

Yeah but most people don't have an 80' tv...or even a 60'....if someone needs that much of an investment to see the value in a $499 purchase (ps3 + cost of HDMI cable) then I tend to question the value of the product for the average and even above average consumer.

Anonymous said...

haha yeah that $6 HMDI cable is a break the bank purchase...see that's great advertising by the Monster folks. They've got you thinking a $100 cable is better than my $6 cable..it's nothing but 0101011010010010010010010110 in the digital world.

And to clarify my previous post Sony should have done a better job with the HDTV market to prepare for the PS3 launch. It would have made the product way more relevant at launch. Like in the gaming industry Sony likes to price themselves out of most consumer's price range. They need to rethink there price structure...you are correct most people are not in the market for a $399 system and a $2500 TV

Anonymous said...

^^^^^^^^

any one who buys a $10+ HDMI cable should get shot in the balls.

I bought mine for $5 in 2006 launch....had no problem with it since....xbots always try to find weak arguments against the ps3. sad really....

REZBLUE said...

This is the way I see DVD/Blu-Ray

DVD looks great on a standard TV, It almost looks HD by itself in 480p.

DVD on an HDTV doesnt look so hot, not meant to be played on an HDTV, I notice a degradation in picture quality over a standard TV.

With Blu-Ray it seems to give the same quality as the DVD/Standard Tv on my HDTV, a little better but not much.

Ive watched Blu-Ray on both my 37" 720p LG and 47" Samsung 1080p and derived my opinions from that.

I still preder Blu-Ray obviously but Jaffe is right, its not a huge monumental difference.

Alex said...

well you will see a difference on 32" and up. Me personally, I won't go any less than 46". Sony's manufacturer discount is amazing. When I was working for circuit city (before liquidation) a 52" XBR6 was like $1100.

Alex said...

well you will see a difference on 32" and up. Me personally I won't go any less than 46"

Unknown said...

You will definitely be perceived as biased (for the game industry and especially the PS3), but I believe most of what you said was truth.

In philosophy terms, you will be victim of "poisoning the well" and "ad hominem" fallacies, but are somewhat guilty of "confirmation bias"/ ignoring misses and counting hits.

BTW- games like Flower and, to a slightly lesser extent, Braid are exactly what this industry needs. Digital distribution will allow videogames to become true art.

REZBLUE said...

Oyster you are right as far as the digital downloads go.

I dont think digital downloads should ever replace physical formats though. Id rather have a tangible copy of a game and im sure many other people are the same way.

Anonymous said...

a few KNOBs showed up to hate. i got my 60gig ps3 summer of 07 and it's been great. it's funny how detractors say bluray isn't that much more impressive out one side of their face then slam a multi platform game that was designed for gaming pcs in a box for not looking as nice on the ps3. the differences are usually small and i don't have to pay extra to access the whole game

Unknown said...

What's interesting about the whole hi-def gaming market and hi-def TVs... When Microsoft continued to make each version of Windows require more and more hard drive space, faster CPUs, and more memory... they pretty much drove the hardware market forward, making Intel and AMD more money, etc, etc...

In the case of consoles, as the consoles try to outdo each other graphically, it is reaching a point where you only get your money's worth if you also upgrade your TV, etc... What's interesting is, Sony also makes and sells televisions and, as far as I know, Microsoft doesn't have a role in this. So, both Sony and Microsoft are making moves in the gaming console market to push the television market forward, but the only one who stands to gain something from this is Sony. In other words, some XBox 360 users might be using a hi-def Sony TV.

Not that this means anything from a "who's better" perspective, because it's all just business. However, I'm sure the Sony execs think about things like this. Or, at least, they should.

Anonymous said...

Unrelated but i just have to say:
that video where u tore into gamespot about selling the opened games as new? freaking hit the nail on the head. Ive just recently been following your posts and videos and i am very impressed. You sir, are a king!

Anonymous said...

Jaffe, you did quite good on the questions.
You may get a lot of crap for speaking your mind on things, but dumb you are not.

Enjoyed reading it.

But Jaffe, where do you get the motivation and strength to deal with all the shit?.

Anyway, good stuff and like to know a bit more about the game(s) you and the team is making.

Andronix said...

Some parts of the American media tend to forget the journalism 101 lessons about not being bias or asking loaded questions. You took a stand and I think you should be commended.

Nice interview. Intelligent answers. Sure the PS3 can be criticised for not being AS successful as the PS2, but there are 2 other great consoles on the market, and it is a success.

Also I love some of the anonymous hate left in the comments! Now David, stop the rants and bring us a fricking brilliant game!

Anonymous said...

One thing I find interesting regarding Blu Ray on PS3 is that everyone I know who has purchased a PS3, soon after invested in an HD television to enjoy the GAMES first and foremost in HD. However, upon upgrading to HD, particularly those who invested in 1080p immediately see the benefit in BD and would never want to go back to DVD. These arent fucking 60" TVs.. you get a lot of pixels in a 32-37" 720p display. But at 40" and up, 1080p becomes more economic, as the pixels arent as miniscule.

I have seen the PS3 push the HD market more than any other individual consumer product and I am thrilled about it. I am utterly sick of living in a world of 480i. It makes me prefer media on my tiny PC screen rather than my television. If you havent experienced the 1080p God of War III trailer off the PSN on a 1080p display.. you havent experienced it.

Anonymous said...

Great responses, David :)

/T

Rock Lee said...

So David... who watches the Watchmen?

Will YOU watch the Watchmen?

I've already read the Watchmen, but I will watch the Watchmen on March 6th, 2009.

Yea, I know. Totally off-topic. Anyways, great job with the interview. Hopefully you put that guy in his place.

Anonymous said...

Oh... I forgot... Twisted Metal on PSN - NOW!

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system :D


/T

Rock Lee said...

I wasn't sure whether you read new comments in your old blog posts.

Anyways, remember how you talked about developers having to find a new way to create emotion DURING gameplay?

Didn't Flower achieve that? And isn't Heavy Rain going to expand on that(although in a different way)?

Anonymous said...

You've been recognised as the 71st best game creator by IGN.

http://uk.games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/71.html

I thought you should be higher, but we've yet to see anyone that is ahead of you. Miyamoto and kojima are the only ones I can think of that are def. going to be at the top, who else is there that's a well known name? PC ones mostly.

Anonymous said...

haha, a guy said "jaffe ur fucking the MAN"

Funny what a misplaced word can do to a sentence, unless Jaffe really is fucking the man.

Anyway, good read, I want more KZ2 ads personally. Word of mouth will treat the game well and I think Sony is relying on that, they're marketing has been a let down for a majority of exclusives and I hope they change this for a game that can really push the console forward.

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for Heavy Rain. I can just tell that the majority of people won't try to play it for what it is and instead complain about what it lacks.

Gamers don't tend to appreciate good storytelling. MGS4 was supposed to be a big game for storytelling and look at what happened to it. My most hyped game ever had such disappointing plot twists and revalations. Nanomachines this, nanomachines that, fairy dust and miracles are your answers! I thoroughly enjoyed MGS1-3 but 4 seemed to drop the ball for "fan service". Fan service would be giving me a good interesting story. Comparing MGS4 to most other games it definitely has a good story, but that just shows how bad storytelling in games has to be.

I'm kind of sick of the mass market of gamers and game reviewers. Look at how KZ2 gets bashed for bringing nothing new but what sold more, Mirror's Edge or CoD:WaW? Get the fuck out of here with your complaints, you don't even know what you want.


..sorry for the rant, I saw that someone mentioned HR and had to post

Anonymous said...

again jafee failing at logic. the xbox had a much bigger impact ( this coming from a xbox hater) microsoft destroyed sony focus with the xbox. i fell that deep dow sony felt HUMILIATED by the xbox graphics capabilities, (ps2 era) thats why they made the mistake of pursuing that PC path of bigger, better, grafics for the ps3, i think the ps3 now is basically like the first xbox: nvidia of the shell graphics, standard hdd, huge, black, no backwards compatibility, old controller, and all around shooter box with not a single rpg, or good japanese game.

Unknown said...

@Anonymous,

Very interesting view of logic. Corporations don't feel "humiliated"... nor do they feel "sad" or "happy"... they're a group of a bunch of people. Executives which are focused... employees which each have their different lives, just doing their jobs... a marketing department that is watching the numbers closely and adjusting their marketing strategies... etc...

The only people who might feel "humiliated" are fanboys.

The XBox came out well into the PS2's life-cycle. The PS3 was already in the works. If anything, the introduction of the XBox may have only changed Sony's focus on the direction of the PS3. Then, when it came time for the next generation, Microsoft released one year earlier than Sony.

It turned out that the XBox 360 and the PS3 are roughly the same graphics wise, but the XBox 360 is a bit easier to develop for. Combining the ease of development and the one-year head-start for developers, initially the graphics power didn't quite seem to match. I believe developers have mostly caught up now. After that, the machines are roughly equal.

While Microsoft's release of their console sooner than Sony was a great strategy in terms of making fanboys happy (by following sales figures without owning any shares of stock,) I believe this is a move that will be Microsoft's downfall when it is time for the next generation. By making the original XBox last several years less than the PS2, Microsoft lost a ton of revenue potential. And now, if the XBox 360 also lasts several years less than the PS3, they will once again lose out on a ton of revenue potential. Sure, Microsoft will have eventually released three consoles for every two Sony consoles, but the market (especially developers) will quickly grow tired of this strategy.

Your comparison of consoles would be like saying a toaster is like a car, because it is somewhat boxy, but has rounded corners and edges to give it a sleek look... both have the ability to heat up inside at the touch of a button... and most people have at least one. Oh, and neither a car nor a toaster have a good Japanese game.

Anonymous said...

I have to say in baffled by Jaffe's Bluray opinion. The fact that he gets to play a game like Killzone 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted is simply down to the huge capacity of blu ray and what developers can do with that much storage. Higher detailed graphics, better quality sound, overall a better quality game to meet the HD demands of this gen...puzzling really

David Jaffe said...

Yeah, sorry, never really understood the blu ray=better games thing. I was always under the impression that your game may need to ship on 2-3 discs vs. the one blu ray (which sucks) but it doesn't make the graphics better just cause you have a blu ray disc.

David

Anonymous said...

lol @ 360 fanboys on here, he never said anything bad about 360 if anything he complimented by saying the competition is very very fierce

Anonymous said...

Disagree, Killzone 2 is testament to blu rays capacity. Its been hyped as PS3s major title this year , it wouldnt have been half the game if it was on another format. Fair enough visuals are one thing it doesnt necessarily mean its going to be a good game, but the main reason K2 is being hyped so much is that it blows away the competition in terms of graphics. The details, the level design, the sound quality.

Although i have zero experience in game development, surely this format enables devs to make a better game? I respect David im just really interested in his opinion about bluray, seen as though some devs (Naughty Dog) said their game could not have been made without bluray. Its that just a PR quote to use in Sony keynotes these days?

Unknown said...

@Anonymous,

I think what David was saying is that if the only benefit Blu-ray provides is larger capacity, then Killzone 2 COULD have been done on the 360... but it would have needed to come on multiple DVDs.

So while it WOULD be annoying to have multiple discs, it isn't something that is ONLY possible with Blu-ray. Blu-ray just makes it a bit cheaper and a lot less annoying.

Anonymous said...

All Sony has to do is drop the price another $100 and the fuckin shitbox 360 is toast. And when God of War 3 comes out it will put all of the 360's games to shame. Microshaft will probably have to spend another BILLION recalling its shitbox anyways.

Anonymous said...

Kind of funny, you lambaste the guy for being "biased", then in you turn around and fellate the PS3 in the interview. No offense, and it's really no big deal, but you turned out to be fairly hypocritical here.

Unknown said...

@Endsville,

That's because the interviewer (the one asking questions) should asked non-biased questions in order to get the opinion (biased) answers from the interviewee (the one providing the answers.)

When the one ASKING the questions also inserts their own opinion (or slants the questions to make their own opinion obvious,) it is no longer an interview... and is more like a debate, started by the so-called "interviewer" and disguised as just "asking hard-hitting questions."

You can say that Peter Jennings and Jerry Springer are in the same field of work... but when they both use different approaches, the results are completely different. So, while Jerry Springer may actually be doing "quality work" showing the world a side of America that most don't see every day, it does skew the perception quite a bit, given the fact that he rarely balances out the types of people on his show to also cover the other 95%.

When you take a 20,000 foot bird's eye view of the world, these things don't seem different at all. When you look closely enough to see the truth, you'll understand the nuances that cult leaders, religious zealots, and fan boys utilize to appear perfectly sane while doing and saying insane things.

Anonymous said...

酒店經紀PRETTY GIRL 台北酒店經紀人 ,禮服店 酒店兼差PRETTY GIRL酒店公關 酒店小姐 彩色爆米花酒店兼職,酒店工作 彩色爆米花酒店經紀, 酒店上班,酒店工作 PRETTY GIRL酒店喝酒酒店上班 彩色爆米花台北酒店酒店小姐 PRETTY GIRL酒店上班酒店打工PRETTY GIRL酒店打工酒店經紀 彩色爆米花