Your argument for Ascension is pretty terrible then. A bomb is something that wasn't successful. Ascension isn't something that was greenlit with the expectations that it's going to do as well as God of War 3, or even the previous main entries, simply because the fact that it's a prequel that has little to do with the main entries handicaps its selling power. The God of War trilogy finished. Then Ascension was announced, and released in 2013, a year where Sony was focusing on building to and releasing the PS4. Expectations are set with all these factors in mind. Forecasting. Were most fans even expecting it? Probably not. And again, if not Ascension, what were you expecting? Because if not Ascension, SCE has to wait several more years until Santa Monica gets another project out the door. There is such a thing as productivity and being financially responsible with the resources available to you. And considering the recent disaster, it's even more clear in hindsight that Ascension was the right thing to do.
I've already addressed your GT6 issue. This isn't the PS2. We're two generations removed, and to deliver the level of quality expected from the premier franchise isn't something that can be delivered so quickly. You weren't going to get a PS4 Gran Turismo that quickly (well you could have got something but it would've caused a massive backlash most likely). GT6 released as soon as it could be released, and from promotional purposes, it was better to release it during that quarter where a huge chunk of budget for marketing was going to be blown than to hold off on it until the next quarter. It's either they develop GT6 and release it at the end of the PS3 lifecycle, and then move onto for PS4 and release another in a couple of years, or we just miss GT6 and go straight to PS4, where we'd be forced to wait a couple years still. It's better for SCE to get the game out the door because at least they benefit somewhat from it. PS4 release cannibalising it is a case of circumstance, and for the most part, GT6 has been able to withstand it. It's a multimillion seller. It may be disappointing relative to franchise expectations, but it's still very successful compared to most games. Not to mention, it means nothing to GT7 which will likely swagger on without any impact from GT6's performance.
And again, it's not Yoshida's job to intervene earlier with TLG. There was a time that the project seemed like it would release within 1-2 years feasibly. Then things obviously took a dramatic turn. When things are going well, you don't intervene. These people don't know years into the future. When things went wrong, then the decisions were made. And Yoshida comes in at the tail end of that discussion. As it stands, TLG will likely be much more successful than it ever could have been on PS3.
And it's fine if you don't want to take my claims at face value.
I just did a quick google search for you, and it seems like Beyond's budget was reported anyway. So this shows how lazy you are even with the information actually available to you. They even managed to report Heavy Rain's overall cost. So much for being much more ambitious and casting two of the biggest names in the industry (as if this actually means anything).
