SCEE's Maguire explains why LBP, EyeToy can only be from first-party dev

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 11th 2008 at 10:30AM }

Games development is expensive. No wonder third party publishers are avoiding exclusives, working on as many multiplatform titles as possible. However, SCEE's Ray Maguire argues that the most innovative creative risks cannot come from third-party ventures. Speaking to GI.biz, he explains that it's the responsibility of first-party studios like Sony Computer Entertainment to make the most innovative (and perhaps, risky) gaming ventures.

"It's really important, because if anybody has a responsibility to take a risk, to take a chance on development - and this is a huge expense - then it has to be us as a first party. There are many people who have said that everything from the original EyeToy all the way through to LittleBigPlanet wouldn't have happened from a third party publisher, because the risk is too difficult, or too much to take when you've got a potential multi-platform strategy in front of you."

Certainly, adapting LBP to multiple platforms would've created a far different experience for Media Molecule. In a gaming era where it's even more important to differentiate your platform from competitors, first-party successes like LBP can really cement a platform's position. "So we take those risks - some of them come off, and some of them don't. We've been reasonably lucky in that most of them have been okay. With SingStar, Buzz!, EyeToy and now with LittleBigPlanet we think that's typical of overall investing in something, taking a risk, but when it comes right? My God, it comes right."

Tags: buzz, eyetoy, littlebigplanet, ray-maguire, scee, singstar

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sam @ Nov 11th 2008 10:40AM

It's nice to see that they are actually willing to make a punt on some of these things but they definitely let some things go without the re-investment they need. Look at the Playstation Eye for instance. It would be great to have some games for it and some extra features but it's pretty useless as it is. Maybe you can use it as a webcam for some things but it's definitely not as fun as the EyeToy was. Maybe things have moved on, but I think they should have put something else behind it and integrated it into more of the Playstation Experience. Taking pictures in LBP is about the only time I've missed not having the Playstation Eye

http://gadgetsgamesandstuff.blogspot.com

Lars @ Nov 11th 2008 2:19PM

You're crazy. EoJ blows away anything that the Eye Toy had done on PS2. Also, when Eye Create hit, I thought "finally!" I was hoping for something like that back in the PS2 days. Also, it's pretty fun for things like Mugshots/Smugshots in Burnout.

fiziks @ Nov 11th 2008 10:48AM

I really like the idea behind EOJ too, I had to mention it since it could be considered an innovatiive or high-risk exclusive.

Kspraydad @ Nov 11th 2008 11:06AM

Did he just list 3 out of 4 innovations from LAST GEN?

If they believed this why are there not MORE NEW innovations and risks for the PS3...we are 2 years in and still waiting.

reyes @ Nov 11th 2008 11:08AM

That's what I was wondering... he listed LBP with those three? That's just insulting to MM.

Christian @ Nov 11th 2008 11:33AM

Why is it insulting? Both Buzz and Singstar are great commercial success stories for Sony.

But success or failure is not necessary the measure to go by here, if you want to honour risk taking you need to allow for failures, cause if everything you do is a success then it is very likely a sign of not taking any real chances.

lobotomies4free @ Nov 11th 2008 9:35PM

yeah eyetoy got worse this generation. He didn't list ICO or katamari tho. Be nice to see what those teams are doing

Glad they getting flower and heavy rain coming though. More Sony!

higeki @ Nov 11th 2008 11:17AM

Wow, Mr. Ray Maguire, you've earned the honorable title of CAPTAIN OBVIOUS.

jahd5000 @ Nov 11th 2008 2:47PM

i woudl agree more with him if they would really care about PS Eye.. come on it is now for games to come using ps3 eye capabilities... even the tech demo (with tha tanks and so on..) was very fun by itself.. even more if they added some kind of story or interface for it it wouldve been awesome

Warner Young @ Nov 11th 2008 3:49PM

And of course, statements like this would have a lot more impact if they didn't show up on the day a game like Mirror's Edge was released. New genre, big risk, but certainly not first party (though EA is big enough that I guess you could argue they almost count as a first party).

alex @ Nov 11th 2008 4:34PM

Unfortuntaely First party and big risk does not transalate into good sales/good game. Most of the Best selling games (the first one before the company gets bought out by a Sony or MS) is made by third party. God of War, GTA, Gears, Halo, etc.... so please Sony stop trying to make yourself out to be some kind of pioneers.

sweetasman01 @ Nov 12th 2008 4:11AM

Umm God of War IS a first party game!

alex @ Nov 12th 2008 7:58AM

I believe the company was origonally on its own and later after the first game was purchased by Sony.

Pat @ Nov 12th 2008 3:23AM

This question is out of place in this thread but several of you seem to have the PSEye. Can EyeToy games be played with the PSEye? Can you play, for example, Antigrav with the PSEye?

Thanks a bunch.

jason spencer @ Nov 12th 2008 7:21AM

No the the PS EYE does not work in on PS2 games. The Eyetoy works on Some PS3 games. Like Burnout. I picked up a Eyetoy for 5 bucks at Gamestop to play old eyetoy games on the PS3. But some games don't like having both the EYE and EyeToy plugged in at the same time. Hope this helps.

Jason