The 1.80 SDK has been in developers’ hands for a few weeks, and we can now report on the latest progress of the Sony system utilities and their memory usage. On this front, the 1.80 release has been nothing but good news for developers (and indirectly, consumers). This release heralds both a slew of new features, and, as anticipated, improved memory consumption.

First, both the main memory and graphic memory footprints have been reduced, reaching a new low of 48MB and 24MB respectively. That’s a 12MB reduction since the 1.60 release. The extra memory is sure to be welcome by developers.

The memory reductions are not just restricted to the base system. The various Network Platform utilities have also been addressed in this release. The Friend List utility has gone from 24MB to 16MB (while the online startup utility remains at 8MB). Several Network Platform sub-utilities (providing varying subsets of the functionality in the Friend List utility) have also experienced memory reductions. The video chat utility also sees its base memory requirement drop to 20MB (that number rises back to 26MB when the maximum number of users is reached).

Feature-wise, Sony has responded to requests developers have made (which we previously reported here), adding three new system utilities. The first is a picture export utility, which allows developers to export any pictures (usually screen shots) to the player’s photo profile. For continued symmetry’s sake, readers should note that no such functionality currently exists on the Xbox 360. Consumers will enjoy sharing screen shots of their victorious moments with their friends. You can expect a slew of developers to support this utility as it comes in at a scant 3MB.

The second new utility is a music utility, which will allow developers to give consumers the choice of streaming their own music in game. This utility’s current weight – a hefty 12MB – is likely to be reduced in future releases. Readers should note that the Xbox 360 supports a similar feature (at no extra cost to developers).

Third, a new system allows developers to use a registered PSP system as an extra display. Similar to the PSP remote play utility, this one will require 8MB. It does, however, open up a slew of possible uses for developers. No comparable functionality is available on the Xbox 360 (for obvious reasons).

This release to developers was another very positive step forward for Sony (building on the success of the 1.60 release). Large amounts of memory have been made available to developers, and requested features have been delivered in a relatively short-time frame. We eagerly await the 2.0 release and what new features that may bring, and urge readers to check back with us in the next few days for some thoughts.

PS3, Sony, Games Industry | 17 Comments »
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A lot of rumor and speculation has been flying around the announcement of the delay of Grand Theft Auto 4 to 2008. While we can’t offer any comments as to why the game was delayed, it is interesting to examine which players are affected the most by it.

Microsoft put in a lot of money, and part of the deal with Take2 was a same day release on both consoles, and that two relatively similar versions. At the time of negotiations, it seemed like a worthwhile investment to strip Sony of the exclusive of its most successful franchise on the PS2. Now it looks like Sony was the smarter one in the matter. They didn’t officially pay anything, and will still have a same day release. This is sure to frustrate Microsoft because it would have benefited a lot more from an earlier launch. Yet, Sony could have benefited just as much (as a way to boost console sales).

Sony could have used the console sales boost before Christmas, but will still enjoy a boost in the quiet period after Christmas. If timed with other high-impact game releases, it could really help drive PS3 sales.

For Take2, the game will both benefit from a larger user base, and will drive console sales on both systems massively. In the end, the delay will mostly benefit Take2. The Christmas surge will ensure a big user base coupled with reduced competition from other titles (the next three months feature games like Bioshock, Heavenly Sword, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty 4 to compete against). Take2 did an excellent job of playing both sides against each other, extracting as much money from the situation as possible ($50 million from Microsoft).

The main loser is of course the consumer, who will have to wait just a bit longer. At least the players can be comforted by the fact that whichever platform they choose, they will get the same experience (save for Microsoft’s exclusive extra mission packs), and the same high graphical quality.

Xbox 360, Take2, Microsoft, PS3, Sony, Games Industry | 2 Comments »
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Several new interesting facts to report on Home, Sony’s upcoming free product for the PS3. None of this is especially earth shaking, but many of our readers would be nonetheless interested:

• Currently, Home limits the number of users in a single room to 64. This seems to be a performance related issue as the frame rate dips significantly with 60+ players. This will surely be addressed before the product is released.
• Based on some beta feedback, developers of Home have made travel between different zones in Home a lot more straightforward. The length of time it took to move from one place to the next became a major weakness in terms of usability. As a result, the different areas have been reduced in size, characters can now run as well as walk, and quick access to any area is available through the PSP interface.
• There are people within both the developers of Home and the larger Sony organization who would very much like to see Home completely replace the XMB. They would like users to directly be put into Home when they boot up their console.
• The version of Home to be released this fall won’t in any way resemble the final version of Home. Work on the primary features of Home is expected to continue for at least a year. Initial versions released to the public this fall will be quite incomplete.

This last point is both encouraging and disappointing. It is good to see that Sony will continue to improve the quality of their product (which they are distributing for free after all). While the XMB has substantially improved since its first release – and continues to do so –, we would expect that this launch does not suffer from too many missing or incomplete features just so the product can be pushed out the door before Christmas.

As for Home replacing the XMB: Aside from whether this would even be feasible, we can’t stress enough how bad of an idea it is. Home, as it stands, is an interesting experiment, but it will not appeal to all consumers. We believe that many consumers will grow tired of its novelty after a few uses at least in the short term. It is very possible that it will gather momentum as it matures, and more critical features are added. Sony, in its effort to address the feature gap between its XMB offering and Xbox Live is pitching Home as the next-gen interface for consumers. Unfortunately, most consumers only want a simple, easy to use and direct interface to play games, communicate with friends and be entertained. We are therefore skeptical about its potential as a replacement for a simple interface.

From what we’ve seen of Home, it is not there yet. They’ve taken steps to address some of the issues, but it is not ready to replace the XMB (as incomplete as it is). If anything, some of the new features shown in Home will hopefully be rolled into the XMB (like launching a network game with your friends from within the Home lobby). We don’t think Sony Japan will allow Home to replace the XMB, and, in this case, that reluctance will benefit consumers.

Having said all this, we sincerely hope to be proven wrong. The task that the developers of Home have chosen to tackle is huge both in terms of ambition and scope. If they actually pull off such an immersive experience that is both entertaining and easy to use, it could herald a completely new way for home console users to interact with each other. Despite our concerns, we look forward to the launch of Home, and hope it is successful.

Home, PS3, Sony, Games Industry | 7 Comments »
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Several fresh items today regarding the PS3 controller:

• We can confirm that prototypes of the new rumble-enabled controllers have made their way to various Sony developers. Information on these controllers is still closely held by Sony and their partners, but an official announcement and unveiling is expected in the next two to three months. Leipzig is the most obvious guess for this unveiling, but we believe Sony is going to withhold the controllers until they can launch them to coincide with support from enough developers.
• We can also confirm that new versions of the Sixaxis controller are quietly replacing the original controllers launched with the console. Hardware updates occur regularly throughout the lifespan of controllers; in this case, Sony has improved the fidelity of motion sensing in the controller. The original controllers apparently suffered of too much of a dead zone.
• Much has been made of the recently discovered Sony patent regarding a PS2 controller to PSP docking mechanism. Some commentators have suggested that such a system could be adapted to the PS3 Sixaxis controller. We simply want to point out that companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo patent hundreds of ideas every year. It doesn’t mean they’ll ever see the light of day.

Sixaxis, PS3, Sony, Games Industry | 22 Comments »
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We regularly receive enquiries from current and former game developers out there expressing an interest in discussing issues relevant to the industry or simply wanting to voice an informed opinion on matters of importance to them in their own specific area of focus. Below are some basic guidelines to help you get started. Simply get in touch with us. All your identifying information will be kept private at all times.

InnerBits is meant to be a place where developers can freely express themselves on whichever topics they choose, without fear of retribution from their employers, nor fears of censorship. We can assist with editing when necessary. We will also do everything possible to protect your identity. While we do redact information which might be used to identify our contributors, responsibility for individual NDA violations remains solely with the specific author, regardless of our full anonymity policy. Other than that, you are pretty much free to express yourself as you wish. Your articles can be reflective or simply informational and can be of any length. Longer pieces may need to be split into several articles.

While we fully understand and empathize with the need to vent frustration at employers at times, InnerBits’ ambition is to offer a collegial environment to promote constructive discussion and debate of issues of longstanding concern within the industry, but that have yet to be aired publicly and reach the broader marketplace and, most importantly, the consumers of our products.

These are some of the topics of interest to us, and we welcome additional suggestions:

• Notable, interesting, funny, shocking anecdotes on working as a game developer for the industry, be it related to interviews, management, co-workers, or how your game succeeded or got canned.
• Recounting of personal experiences within the industry, or situations you have witnessed directly.
• Discussions on censorship issues.
• Working conditions and quality of life.
• Women in games, and the remarkable gender imbalance.
• Management practices.
• Digital Distribution (and any distribution issues, including working with retailers and distributors).
• What’s it like working on various platform.
• Working with publishers.
• Working as an independent or a contractor.
• More?

If you have any questions, please email us or leave a comment.

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