PlayStation 3: Untapped Potential?

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In my opinion, the PS3's full potential has not been fully unlocked, but it is still great right now.

Sounds rather vague. What portions of the PS3's full potential do you feel remain locked, and what evidence do you have that it's there to be unlocked?

What "potential" are you referring to? Online applications? Six-axis functionality? Uber-leet graphics? Multiple fruit flavors with KICK?

The question seems kinda pointless to me. Of course there's a lot of untapped potential. Like in most other console generations it will take developers up to 4 or more years to use the hardware to its full potential. I'd even say that we often don't see the full potential of consoles, cause the standard console cicle might be too short. The Neo Geo still delivered more and more impressive games, nearly a decade after its release (Garou: MotW surpassed even Street Fighter 3 in some regards).

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Original post by Chris B The question seems kinda pointless to me. Of course there's a lot of untapped potential. Like in most other console generations it will take developers up to 4 or more years to use the hardware to its full potential. I'd even say that we often don't see the full potential of consoles, cause the standard console cicle might be too short. The Neo Geo still delivered more and more impressive games, nearly a decade after its release (Garou: MotW surpassed even Street Fighter 3 in some regards).

I'll second this. I recently bought an xbox 360, which while obviously not directly relevant to this thread, it is of the same generation. I was immediately struck that while yes, the games are very impressive, I get the strong feeling that they use nowhere near the consoles potential. I suspect it's the same with the ps3. Who knows what we'll see on them in a year or two.

This is pretty much the norm - every new console that comes out has significant differences compared to other consoles. We as developers are constantly having to relearn the "best" ways to do things on each platform.

The PS3 is particularly odd since it's part of the first generation with significant focus on multiple processor cores but decided to go with one general purpose core and a handful of 'compartmentalized' cores which offer plenty of speed but not much memory. The 360 on the other hand only has three cores, but they are all general purpose in that they can all access main memory freely.

Writing multiprocessor code isn't something we've been doing for very long in the games industry. This, combined with the desire to get a game published on as many platforms as possible and the differences in multi-core styles that the PS3 and 360 have makes it hard to exploit each system's full potential.

We'll get there eventually, though.

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Original post by Nypyren Writing multiprocessor code isn't something we've been doing for very long in the games industry.

Wasn't the Sega Saturn based on multi-processor architecture?
Developers back then complained about how it's difficult to use the full potential of the hardware and the games usually fell short in terms of graphics in comparison to the Playstation.

That could be a whole other principle than what the PS3 utilises of course, I'm not very firm with this technical stuff.

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Original post by Chris B Quote: Original post by Nypyren Writing multiprocessor code isn't something we've been doing for very long in the games industry. Wasn't the Sega Saturn based on multi-processor architecture?

Yes, but maybe it was an all around bad design too? Could also be that the developers didn't think much of learning to use the Saturn better because of Sega's trend of ditching consoles early and often.

To be honest I don't see a lot of potential in the PS3. As I see it, it's a PS2 on steroids. Now, granted, the PS2 had great games, and I'm sure the PS3 will as well, but...honestly, it's going to be the PS2 with better graphics IMO, or the Xbox360 with slightly better graphics, which isn't worth the cost of the system. On top of that, none of the games I've seen on it so far have very much impressed me. There's always the future, though.

It's true with any console that you don't see it's full potential until towards the end of it's lifetime. Even with a console like the PS2 the most impressive games graphics wise were after the PS3 was already released.
The PS3 and the 360 do have a lot more to offer but it's going to be a while before we see it.
Each new generation of console requires large teams and longer production periods. I'd guess it's going to be at least 2 years before we see a game that truely pushes the PS3 hardware.

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Original post by Unknown Target To be honest I don't see a lot of potential in the PS3. As I see it, it's a PS2 on steroids. Now, granted, the PS2 had great games, and I'm sure the PS3 will as well, but...honestly, it's going to be the PS2 with better graphics IMO, or the Xbox360 with slightly better graphics, which isn't worth the cost of the system. On top of that, none of the games I've seen on it so far have very much impressed me. There's always the future, though.

You can't honestly say that though because thats like saying Xbox 360 is an Xbox on steroids. Or the SNES is a NES on steroids. Or the PS2 is a Playstation on steroids. Or the Nintendo DS is an original Game Boy on steroids. The PS3 in fact has vastly better graphical capabilities than the PS2 as well as acts (like the 360 vs original Xbox) more as a personal gaming center where you can import music, vids, and images wirelessly from your computer whereas the PS2's menu system basically consisted of system settings and a memory card explorer.

darkGDI, don't worry I won't call your question stupid, because I do believe it has untapped potential. But those that mention it will take awhile have a good point, look at Gears of War for the 360 and the time it took to get that out.

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With the PS3's first year beginning to round out, do you think that the full power of the PlayStation 3 has been unlocked?

Not even a little bit. Sometime next year we're going to start seeing games that really show off the PS3's capabilities, and you'll get a visual taste of that during this year's E3.

Like a lot of people have pointed out earlier in the thread, there's always much unused potential in the first generations of games for a given platform. Just look at how good shadow of the colossus, god of war and okami looks compared to earlier ps2 games - or what about the 360? According to the inquirer, all the first generation 360 games used only a single core which shows that there's a lot of unused potential there as well. My guess is that there's even more unused potential in the ps3 since it's considered by many developers to be a complex piece of hardware to program.

The same goes for controllers. It takes time to get used to and develop common, good ways to handle user input. In a lot of early games, both for the wiimote and the sixaxis, the motion controls seems tacked on at the last moment, but I'm guessing that this will get much better with time.

And two days later, Sony announces the $100 price drop. Bad timing, dude.

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Original post by Vampyre_Dark Quote: Original post by Chris B Quote: Original post by Nypyren Writing multiprocessor code isn't something we've been doing for very long in the games industry. Wasn't the Sega Saturn based on multi-processor architecture? Yes, but maybe it was an all around bad design too? Could also be that the developers didn't think much of learning to use the Saturn better because of Sega's trend of ditching consoles early and often.

Actually that started with the Saturn. Sega never ditched the Genesis.

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes Actually that started with the Saturn. Sega never ditched the Genesis.

Yup... If anything, Sega had the opposite problem with the Genesis: trying to keep it alive way too long, even in the face of later generation systems (including their own; the 32X shipped about 6 months before the Saturn came out, in both North America and Europe).

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Original post by e-u-l-o-g-y Just look at how good shadow of the colossus, god of war and okami looks compared to earlier ps2 games - or what about the 360?

Or, for that matter, compare Super Mario Bros. 3, TMNT 2: The Arcade Game, or Shatterhand to the original Super Mario Bros., Metroid, and Kung Fu.

I wager we won't see what the XBox360, PS3, and Wii are REALLY capable of until 2010 or later.

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Original post by e-u-l-o-g-y ...or what about the 360? According to the inquirer, all the first generation 360 games used only a single core ...

I call bullcrap. I really, really, really wouldn't trust that news article. Heck, with all the crap I have seen on the Inquirer, I wouldn't take anything they say without a grain (or pound) of salt.

I do agree with the OP to a certain extent - it will take time to fully take advantage of the platform. I think that is pretty true for any new platform. That isn't to say that it is going to suddenly get absolutely mind blowing graphics, but it doesn't mean things will keep looking the same as they are now. The more time spent developing for the platform, the more nuances are discovered and worked around.

I'm waiting until xmas to get a PS3 so I can get it for $499 with an 80GB HD. Too bad you didn't wait a few weeks and get the same machine for $100 less :)

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Original post by Moe Quote: Original post by e-u-l-o-g-y ...or what about the 360? According to the inquirer, all the first generation 360 games used only a single core ... I call bullcrap. I really, really, really wouldn't trust that news article. Heck, with all the crap I have seen on the Inquirer, I wouldn't take anything they say without a grain (or pound) of salt.

I take it with a grain of salt (that's why I wrote "according to"). I didn't know they had a credibility problem, but I'll take it into account - I've seen them quoted all over the net, but that's perhaps saying more about the net than their credibility ;)

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes Quote: Original post by Vampyre_Dark Quote: Original post by Chris B Quote: Original post by Nypyren Writing multiprocessor code isn't something we've been doing for very long in the games industry. Wasn't the Sega Saturn based on multi-processor architecture? Yes, but maybe it was an all around bad design too? Could also be that the developers didn't think much of learning to use the Saturn better because of Sega's trend of ditching consoles early and often. Actually that started with the Saturn. Sega never ditched the Genesis.

Actually, no. The Saturn would end up being the third piece of dumped hardware. SEGACD and 32x were the firsts. Now, if you are asking yourself "What SegaCd and 32x?", you proved my point! [lol]

They also dumped their own controllers halfway through the console's lifetime, adopting a new standard that everyone put to use, and made playing with the older 'abc' ones a chore.