Developers Avoiding The PS3?

When it comes to the next-generation gaming consoles, if there was one console that developers were going to ignore, you'd figure it was the Wii, right? Wrong. Developers are actually beginning to avoid Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 console, as the price tag for the system has a lot of developers wondering if there will be a large enough consumer base to warrant making games that possibly may never sell. Even in Japan, where the PSOne and PS2 are both huge, 90% of developers felt that the console's price was too high and, as a result, are shifting gears away from Sony towards Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

According to Hirokazu Hamamura, president of game industry research company Enterbrain, Sony's upcoming console probably won't sell out like its predecessors, due to the high price and lack of games. Meanwhile, BusinessWeek Online stated that EA, traditionally a strong Sony supporter, had a stronger Wii showing recently than it did for the PS3:

"At its autumn games preview on July 13, for instance, traditional Sony ally Electronic Arts spent far more time showing off innovative Nintendo games than it did titles for the PS3. EA announced six Nintendo Wii launch titles and showed long working demos for two of those. But it offered only a short clip of a car-racing game for PS3. EA says it's still testing the potential of the PS3."

Should this be the norm with PS3 developers everywhere, Sony's expensive new console might be one of the biggest flops in the company' history. Combined with Cell yield issues, Blu-ray drive problems, and a load of angry, upset fans, the PS3 is looking like it might fail before it even gets a chance at bat. Hopefully Sony will bite the bullet and lower the price so that non-millionaires have a shot at PS3 glory; the alternative is to watch Nintendo and Microsoft steal all their customers out from under them.

[via GameDaily BIZ]