GT5 PS3 Firmware the Real Cause of Gran Turismo 5’s Delay?

[Wayne Reed]

More information is slowly filtering out about GT5’s delay, and it fits in neatly with everything else we’ve learned about the game’s production in the past 24 hours. Here’s what was recently posted by Maximus – a respected moderator at the Blu-Ray.com forums with reported connections to Sony:

Like I said it is manufacturing issues. I had it confirmed today.
The problem arose when SCE mandated SDK 350 on all games releasing after after October, GT5 was about to go gold running on SDK 341, but it has been delayed by around a week so that they can update to SDK 350. This has caused a big headache for the manufacturing side, given how big this game is missing the gold date by even a week can cause a months worth of delay as slots are already taken up at this time of year for Blu-ray movies and such. So Sony had to find a 3 week slot big enough to make 7m+ copies of this and get them shipped out.
If you want to blame anyone, I would direct it at the pirates and hackers, SCE never had any real SDK restrictions before firmware 3.41 was compromised.
​

After getting attention from news outlets such as Eurogamer and TheSixthAxis, evidence of the post has since been removed, but it offers a very reasonable explanation about why Polyphony Digital missed their production window by only 3 days. Sure enough, the new PS3 3.50 firmware is considerably more secure than 3.41 and preventing distribution of a 3.41-compatible GT5 will ensure that it can’t be pirated (for now).

this news has come from GTPlanet

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Interesting...

 

[Joao Borges]

If it wasn't for the hackers, we would have the game on our hands early November. The real issue is that GT5 was running on FW update 3.41 but PS3s run on FW 3.50, causing delay on the game.

 

[Ben Buitendijk]

thats what it says in the top post

 

[Dave Flower]

I blame the companies that charge stupid amounts for software that makes it profitable to pirate the software - I don't agree with software piracy at all, but if you going to charge £50 plus for a disc that can be produced for a few pence what do you expect?

Its just the same as Microsoft charging what I consider to be stupid prices for their numerous and very frequent (beta tested by paying customer) Windoze releases - sure I accept the real costs are in the development and subsequent marketing of any software, rather than in just sticking it on a disc - I also accept that companies such as Sony and Microsoft set prices based on what they think they can achieve in the marketplace, with that though they have to accept and take some responsibility for the part that their business practices play in making piracy so worth while... I say forget the rules of supply and demand and the maximum price they can achieve - stack em higher sell em cheaper, make an even bigger fortune and price the pirates right out of the market...! Go on Sony sell PS3's for £100 and the latest games at £20 each then count how many UK households DON'T have a PS3 -it won't be many... dream dream dream ohh theres a pig flying past my window...

 

[GAIAjohan]

I blame the companies that charge stupid amounts for software that makes it profitable to pirate the software - I don't agree with software piracy at all, but if you going to charge £50 plus for a disc that can be produced for a few pence what do you expect?

What about development costs? Those are much higher than in 1992 for example. While in 1992 Donkey Kong for SNES cost fl. 180,- which is about €75. Don't forget about inflation as well.
We also shouldn't forget about Street fighter II Turbo @ fl. 250 price point = about €110.


back in the day games were much more expensive, much cheaper to make. I think gamers shouldn't cry about the prices. Yes, those carts were more expensive than a CD, but I especially mean development costs.

Current games are €55 - €65 on console except when you're going for some special edition or so..

 

[Ben Buitendijk]

Yes, but if you look at Gran Turismo 4, they sold 15 milj. x 60 euro, it's 900 milj 'omzet' (I dont know the English word)

No way that the development costs are that high

 

[GAIAjohan]

Yes, but if you look at Gran Turismo 4, they sold 15 milj. x 60 euro, it's 900 milj 'omzet' (I dont know the English word)

No way that the development costs are that high

Don't forget many of them were platinum edition which were sold at €20

But yea GT5 is a franchise with a great turnover, that's true. And of course there's a lot of profit. But why not? Wouldn't you do the same if you were a game developer? because with these profits you can make new games.

My point is more that people should be happy the prices of games haven't gone up the last 20 years, while inflation is certainly 50% over that time..

 

[GAIAjohan]

OMG?!
Check this in the red square... Especially look at the year!

 

[Kevin Watts]

I blame the companies that charge stupid amounts for software that makes it profitable to pirate the software - I don't agree with software piracy at all, but if you going to charge £50 plus for a disc that can be produced for a few pence what do you expect?

I say forget the rules of supply and demand and the maximum price they can achieve - stack em higher sell em cheaper, make an even bigger fortune and price the pirates right out of the market...! Go on Sony sell PS3's for £100 and the latest games at £20 each then count how many UK households DON'T have a PS3 -it won't be many... dream dream dream ohh theres a pig flying past my window...

Its not just about slapping some code on a disc, development costs are very high. An article I read some time ago that had current AAA releases like Call of Duty, Halo etc pegged at around $60 Million to develop, Grand Theft Auto IV cost a reported $100 Million to make. On top of that you have duplication costs, distribution costs, licensing (if you're not a first party studio) promotional costs. This isn't just some guy making games in his bedroom anymore.

Only Nintendo went to market this generation with a console which made them a profit the minute it went on sale. Both the PS3 and 360 sold at a loss. Microsoft and Sony rely on software sales to make money back until the time comes when manufacturing costs are reduced. Us gamers are a fickle bunch, we want it faster bigger, better more and we want it tomorrow. You could argue Nintendo did it the right way but they went to market with essentially an overclocked GameCube. The only thing that pushed the format forward was the new controller. You certainly wouldn't be wowed by a Gran Turismo that ran on that hardware.

As it stands Gran Turismo 5 will surely be dissected and criticised but how much more criticism would it have got it Plyphony/Sony decided to save development costs that GT5 would have less polygons per car than its former versions, all cars would handle the same, there would be 10 cars not 800 etc etc.

There is no justification for piracy. If you can't afford it you can't have it.