Cerny: PS4 will rekindle diversity of PSOne era

While I like where Cerny's head is at, I really don't feel like indies are going to give me the "PS1 feel" I'm looking for. Unless there's a sudden, massive surge in indie RPG development, I'm just going to continue not caring about what they have to offer outside of neutron bomb titles like Journey. Puzzle games and platformers just do absolutely nothing for me.
 
For the PS4 to be truly diverse, we need...

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...full retail games based on beef bowl restaurants to come back.
 
"Since Adam Boyes joined SCE, pretty much the whole process has been overturned. He wanted us to look at the day in the life of an indie developer, and challenged us to explain whether our processes were helping or hindering the creation of the diverse titles we were looking for.
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Adam Boyes needs more love from us.
 
As people have said, he means a better diversity of titles due to an increased focus on indie games. I know a lot of you want that diversity in AAA games, but that's not going to happen. The cost to make a AAA game for PS4 is way too high compared to PS1/2. Taking risks on new unique IP's takes a backseat to milking the tried and true. That's not going to change, the fact that PS4 is easy to dev for helps but it doesn't change the fact that it cost a shitton of money to produce these games.

I personally enjoy indie titles more than the average retail games, so it's a good thing for me. I can also see more big publishers making smaller download-only titles like Far Cry 3 Bloodragon. The only way this all changes is when we go all DD only and the distinction between retail $60 game and a $15 download game disappears. With DD only, the scope of a game and its price can be anything and we might see a resurgence of b-tier games at $30ish.
 
WraithBringer said:
The PlayStation 1 era was the best generation of games I've ever played personally. Not everyone may remember this but Sony were one of the first to support indie development with their Net Yaroze systems.

I hope we can get some of that magic back for future generations.
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As long as Japan keeps refusing to show up, the magic will never fully be back. Sad truth.
 
quest said:
I love what he is saying but don't see it happening. I just see publishers as the ones who will kill diversity. Until I see more games in the 29.99-49.99 dollar range I just don't see it happening. Indy games are ok but are not going to be solution to make gaming like it was during the PS1 era. It will be the return of the B-tier game that has been killed by 59.99 pricing.
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You seem to be misremembering the PS1 era, because vast majority of games, even "B-tier" were released at $50-60 range. Physical media pricing has been pretty static for new releases for at least the last three generations and it's really only with digital distribution that we've seen legitimate alternative pricing schemes begin to emerge. F2P is notable here, gaining momentum and certainly nothing like it existed during the PS1 era.
 
Thread title should reflect that he seemingly expects indie devs to actually provide it...
AAA is going to stay the same uniform garbage as it is today.
 
More from Cerny´s keynote:

"Mark Cerny created a giant PS4 DualShock to aid Knack development"

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...-giant-ps4-dualshock-to-aid-knack-development

apparently first parties didn´t want x86:

Having worked for years as a consultant for Sony Worldwide Studios, Cerny was one of the individuals who engaged with feedback developers provided for Sony's next console. The realisation that he should be more involved with the PlayStation 4 came to him after he spent his time-off researching the 30 year history of the X86 CPU, after feedback from first-party game programmers said it shouldn't be used in the PS4.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/10/how-mark-cerny-got-the-playstation-4-lead-architect-job
 
The market has changed a lot since.

Cerny means well, but he can only speak for Sony's development teams. Third party publishers have their own challenges to overcome, and while I'm sure they'd love to pump out games at the same rate as in the old days, the prevalent mindset today regarding gaming development stalls that possibility.
 
Canis lupus said:
Promise us JRPGs and 3D platformers.
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.. and strategy games. BOTH RTS & TBS. Gosh, I've been waiting so long for a Sony studio to present a nice TBS game. There was that RTS game that was supposed to come out this gen called The Wall. Hope we see even more diversity in genres this gen on Sony's part. An RTS Killzone game would be very welcome.
 
People are generally focusing too much on the indie implications here. The real meat of Cerny's points are the new-found acceptance and outright encouragement of self-publishing on PS platforms, going so far as to completely rebuild internal procedures with simplicity in mind. That doesn't just benefit indies, but also plenty of established, mid-tier development studios.
 
Haha, no. Indie scene will continue to be indie while the large developers will continue with what works, which I'm OK with. I've loved this generation more than any previous, I don't like living in the past. For every game I loved between 1995-2005 I can find a better and more enjoyable from 2005-present. So gaming has only 'improved' for me.

I always feel these types of statements are to get nostalgic people all riled up thinking they'll be reliving their teenage/college years playing Tekken and living in dorms. That shit won't happen for us that lived it, it's over.

Hopefully the tools and resources available to indie studios up their production value though. That would be nice.

EDIT: There is a more diverse display of games more so now than there ever was on PS1.
 
I definitely want to see some more platformer stuff. Curious to see how Knack turns out. Based on what they've been showing it seems a little simplistic. I'm sure that's kind of what they want though.
 
amstradcpc said:
More from Cerny´s keynote:

"Mark Cerny created a giant PS4 DualShock to aid Knack development"

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...-giant-ps4-dualshock-to-aid-knack-development

apparently first parties didn´t want x86:

Having worked for years as a consultant for Sony Worldwide Studios, Cerny was one of the individuals who engaged with feedback developers provided for Sony's next console. The realisation that he should be more involved with the PlayStation 4 came to him after he spent his time-off researching the 30 year history of the X86 CPU, after feedback from first-party game programmers said it shouldn't be used in the PS4.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/10/how-mark-cerny-got-the-playstation-4-lead-architect-job
Click to expand...

Make sense as it gave 1st party a head start with cell as Cerny said himself. With X86 the first and 3rd parties will be on the same level right from the start and no advantage to first party.
 
Where is this cynicism coming from? He didn't say anything controversial or confusing.

Indie games are in fact bringing back the diversity seen in the PS1 era. Given the range and quality we're seeing from indie developers, I don't see how Cerny can be disputed.
 
LOL, it will be 95% shooters and uncharted type games.

Where is this cynicism coming from? He didn't say anything controversial or confusing.

Indie games are in fact bringing back the diversity seen in the PS1 era. Given the range and quality we're seeing from indie developers, I don't see how Cerny can be disputed.
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Indie games are not comparable to AAA ps1 games. That era is never coming back.
 
Tobor said:
Where is this cynicism coming from? He didn't say anything controversial or confusing.

Indie games are in fact bringing back the diversity seen in the PS1 era. Given the range and quality we're seeing from indie developers, I don't see how Cerny can be disputed.
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The diversity 'never left'. It just wasn't put out at AAA huge budget levels as it was because the risk isn't worth it for developers.

These games have, and still exist on all levels of devices. It's like people need a game to be sold by Activision and packaged at $59.99 with a pre-order bonus in order for it to be considered a "game". I've played better browser games than a lot of the PS1 games I owned. All the big games that sold back then, for the most part, still have huge sequels today on some system. Miss JRPG's? Get a DS/3DS. Racing games? Everywhere. RPG's? Everywhere from the PC to consoles. Platformers? Skylanders, LEGO, PSP Crash, Ratchet, Banjo Nutz & Bolts, Mario, 3DS games, Fighting? SFIV, BlazBlue, Tekken, MK, and others. FPS? Weren't around as much in PS1, but PS2 and we know how that it is now. Sidescrollers? Tons of Indie that rival PS1 games.

It's a ridiculous statement IMO. The diversity is all around us, it's just not being sold in $59.99 packages and put on a shelf.
 
I want Triple A diversity from third parties. Having Indie devs supply the non-open world shooter titles is a being a bit lazy on the diversity of genre front.
 
User33 said:
I've played Star Wars and Harry Potter Lego, both have very bland gameplay.

Knack looks the same. Cerny calls it a platformer but a 15 minute gameplay demo doesn't require the use of the jump button once. Mash the attack button to defeat enemies, solve some basic puzzles, yawn.
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You are not, I repeat, NOT, obligated to purchase and/or play Knack.
 
flyinpiranha said:
The diversity 'never left'. It just wasn't put out at AAA huge budget levels as it was because the risk isn't worth it for developers.

These games have, and still exist on all levels of devices. It's like people need a game to be sold by Activision and packaged at $59.99 with a pre-order bonus in order for it to be considered a "game". I've played better browser games than a lot of the PS1 games I owned. All the big games that sold back then, for the most part, still have huge sequels today on some system. Miss JRPG's? Get a DS/3DS. Racing games? Everywhere. RPG's? Everywhere from the PC to consoles. Platformers? Skylanders, LEGO, PSP Crash, Ratchet, Banjo Nutz & Bolts, Mario, 3DS games, Fighting? SFIV, BlazBlue, Tekken, MK, and others. FPS? Weren't around as much in PS1, but PS2 and we know how that it is now. Sidescrollers? Tons of Indie that rival PS1 games.

It's a ridiculous statement IMO. The diversity is all around us, it's just not being sold in $59.99 packages and put on a shelf.
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I agree with everything you're saying, but none of it makes Cerny's statement ridiculous.

He's talking about returning diversity to the Playstation platform, not the PC or 3DS.
 
beast786 said:
Make sense as it gave 1st party a head start with cell as Cerny said himself. With X86 the first and 3rd parties will be on the same level right from the start and no advantage to first party.
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Actually he said in conference not long ago that the conventional wisdom at the time said that an x86 processor wouldn't work in a closed box.

After studying the issue he reached the conclusion that had been true in the past, but with new advances by AMD and Intel (not sure exactly what those advances are) it was now feasible to go with a x86 architecture. I don't think it had to do with coding advantages vs third parties, since he mentions how they had learned that very lesson with Cell.

It was a real good talk, there was a thread about it here, you should give it a listen if you haven't, lots of good stuff there.
 
User33 said:
Knack looks the same. Cerny calls it a platformer but a 15 minute gameplay demo doesn't require the use of the jump button once. Mash the attack button to defeat enemies, solve some basic puzzles, yawn.
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First, Cerny doesn't simply call it a platformer in the strictest sense, rather a game that draws from that lineage. Second, it has all the mechanics of a platformer, even if it is lighter on some the elements than whatever hardcore platformer paradigm you're subscribing to. It is a bit like the Lego games as you say, and I really don't have any problem calling those platformers.

Finally, I'm not sure what 15 minute demo you saw, but the demos I've seen certainly did require the jump button.
 
Tobor said:
Where is this cynicism coming from? He didn't say anything controversial or confusing.
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Cerny is getting idolized quite a bit around here, I'm sure that's where a fair amout of the backlash is originating from. I think most of what he says is eminently sensible/reasonable/good stuff but he gets put on a pedestal a bit much and it's bound to rankle some.
 
It's "rekindling the diversity of the PSOne era", not "the PSOne era genres and titles you enjoyed are all coming back and it's gonna be just as awesome as back then! WORSHIP ME!"

There are weird comments flying everywhere in this thread. Nice shout-out to Adam Boyes and Shahid in the article.
 
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