It’s been a while since we’ve seen any mud-slinging in World Console War V, but Sony took another shot overnight, going after Microsoft’s controversial console parity policy.
Although many independent developers have praised Microsoft for ramping up its indie support on Xbox One with the new ID@Xbox program, some have criticised the Xbox maker for insisting on “launch parity” — in other words, games would have to launch on Xbox the same day that they go live on other platforms. Under a policy like this, an indie developer would not be able to do any sort of timed exclusive release on the Xbox’s big competitor: the PlayStation 4.
Microsoft recently told Edge that they hope to work with developers on a “case by case basis” when it comes to exclusive releases on other consoles, but that didn’t stop Sony VP of publisher/developer relations Adam Boyes from going after the policy on Twitter tonight:
In the interest of transparency, I want to share our Dev clause that lists which platforms you cannot release on. pic.twitter.com/cJD46rFKcl
— Adam Boyes (@amboyes) March 12, 2014
This is of course not the first time Sony has gone after Microsoft’s controversial policies — one of E3 2013’s most memorable moments was a short video in which PlayStation executives hammered Microsoft’s anti-used games policy, which was reversed a few weeks later. Console wars!
Comments
71 responses to “Sony Takes Another Shot At Xbox Policies”
World wide Sony Data centres that offer free dedicated servers to all developers:
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See how easy that was ? Grow up Sony.
I really hate mud slinging, I was going to get a PS4 in April but I really don’t want to now as crap like this upset’s me more than anyone’s policies or reversed policies.
Why would you do that? Just go on the internet and tell lies.
Your right deep down i still want a PS4 for exclusives, lets see if my spite is greater than my wants…..at the moment spite is winning.
bugger it im getting a mini split aircon for my gaming room instead..im done with Sony..
Correct me if I’m wrong, but both Sony and MS sling mud. Both are companies that are just after our money. If they didn’t sling mud at each other in public what would stop them both from screwing us over?
If not buying a console hinges solely on “X calling Y names” (To any party applicable) then I feel very sorry for you, you’re gonna miss out on some great games. And that’s coming from a PC gamer.
Yeah I’ll correct you….maybe it just hasn’t been in the news stories I’ve read but so far I’ve seen MS congratulating Sony on a great launch and Sony slinging mud on 3 occasions.
I’m not sure how mud slinging from Sony had any effect rather it came from the general public in my opinion and a company really needs to rise above what is portrayed as common trolling even if it may have a good outcome in the end.
I guess I will miss out on some great games but it strongly upset me that they continue to do so after MS has been polite…i have no knowledge of what may have happened in the past but started following news like this since last year and found it bloody disgusting that CEO’s would behave like this, definitely a bad example and would boycott a company doing this regardless what they sell.
MS were all over Sony last gen. Why? They were ahead. He who leads mocks the rest. It’s been like that for a while now. This is nothing new. Besides some MS guys took a swing at Sony’s Indy policies at Gamescon last year. Honestly, you sound like a fanboy who has no reason not to buy the console so you have to make up a ‘moral grounds’ argument. I hope that’s not the case.
Like I said earlier, IMO competition is good, cause if these companies didn’t do things like this to each other they would walk all over the consumer. Right now MS happen to have more things wrong than Sony, I suspect that when they catch up, and they will, then they will take shots at Sony. It’s not like MS don’t knock PS+ and the way you are ‘renting’ games unlike ‘owning’ games for gold games.
I own both machines, and they are both decent. If no one bought hardware because of the politics then no one would have any hardware, even PC.
I have plenty of reason to buy the console, I have 4 kids and a wife that loves PS games but my morals are my own, I have also banned uncle Toby’s because my wife was treated very rudely 10 years ago but anyway we arnt normally that stubborn or quick to get upset but really offended me that a CEO would act that way. I really tried to see the funny side of it but I can’t, I seriously get sick to the stomach when I discuss it with people……maybe its old age and I’m a grumpy old man in denial? Can’t explain my feelings.
Thats all fine and well, but then why buy a X1 then seeing as they were trying to launch with anti-consumer policies? I get what you are saying, and yes Sony are being a little crude. But if Sony, and other companies, didn’t do this stuff we would have a hard time getting anything better form MS, and other companies.
Good.
Either MS will reverse this stupid policy as well, or they’ll continue to be identified as a system that doesn’t really care for independents.
Why would MS reverse this policy? So devs feel happy giving Sony exclusives because they can release on Xbox later?
It’s not about exclusives. If the Dev is small, they might suffer if they have to release at the same time on multiple platforms. Especially seeing that the PS4 has sold more, they would be inclined to put the game on PS first for the larger market. I don’t think it has much to do with shacking up to one company over the other.
So Microsoft should care why? Sounds lose lose to MS and their supporters for them to flip on this?
IDK, to help developers out… So that, you know, they will actually keep making games on your system. I guess theres an unrelated reason as to why Sony have more Indies coming their way.
Wow, Sony acting like a child banging on about who’s dad is better again, what a surprise. The more Sony slings Sh!t about how good they are (even if its true in some aspects) the less I want to associate with their Fanboy brand name, lest I be tarred by the same brush.
I hope Microsoft stick to their guns this time.
Don’t take the bait.
Why would you want that? You like MS crap policy?
Maybe he owns an Xbox and doesn’t want to be screwed over with indie games? MS is protecting him.
They are protecting themselves at the cost of Indy developers, in return Indy developers are going to Sony, hence hurting xbox gamers. I do not see your point.
Sounds like indy developers who work with Microsoft because they need to stagger releases due to workload are being looked after by Microsoft and praising them. It’s only the ones who want an exclusivity period, probably with a bit of financial boost behind it from Sony, are the ones being hurt.
What about the developers who want that but for the other platform? So you’r saying it’s OK for MS to ‘woo’ devs but not Sony? Especially seeing as MS have quite a large history of paying for timed exclusives (Titanfall being the latest that was not originally intended for the platform and will most likely go multiplatform if/ when there is a sequel). Seriously?
Both parties have timed exclusives, especially indies. Why should the bigger companies try and force them into submission.
The issue here isn’t what games go to what platforms first. It’s about empowering the Indy developers to make the bast games they can and not limiting them.
Adam Boyes bringing the beef.
Looks like a blatant attempt to take the focus off Titanfall’s success. Perhaps Sony should just worry about releasing actual games. I’m sick of my PS4 being an overpriced Netflix box.
Woah buddy, none of that now. It’s really only acceptable to talk bad about the Xbox One/Microsoft.
It’s not more acceptable, it’s just generally so much easier.
Edit: Geez, even mattm has copped a downvote from coolhandluke, the guy’s out of control.
Based on media coverage it does seem unacceptable to take shots at the PS4… as for easier, I find it hilarious many Sony DVD players have more DLNA functionality than the PS4.
That’s the reason I don’t own a PS4 yet, I’m waiting for them to address that issue.
And I only know about the issue because of… media coverage.
If memory serves correctly it wouldn’t have been over 6 or more articles a day at launch stating how terrible the PS4 was and how the Xbox was pro-gamer 🙂 When that news came out the tone was muted at best rather than mounting the console on a crucifix and screaming “LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO”… yeah I still find Kotaku’s behaviour in November mildly agitating!
Haha yeah I think @mattm could have used @namiwakiru ‘s Sarcastica font there.
Gotta cancel out those coolhandluke downvotes! Downvoting anyone who doesn’t hate on Sony. The fanboys, wooo.
This is just how companies work. They hang shit on each other and try to promote their own products.
Who is coolhandluke?..
hotfootluke’s older brother, I think.
So, wait… Do I upvote you or downvote? I’m so confused!
Can I just vote for both companies are huge buttheads who need to get their shit together?
Sounds good to me!
More childish games from a company that prefers to take shots at the competitions shortcomings rather then market the selling points of its own products.
*looks at Retro Sega & Nintendo*
MS really should be called out on this more. It’s a total d-bag move.
I think all company’s MS, Sony, Nintendo, EA, activision etc… should all be called on scumbag moves
maybe it will improve the industry
Totally agree. The mud-slinging between companies just detracts from the feuding companies’ silly policies – which they all have.
Let’s focus on the companies and not fall for the political style bagging of opponents to hide their own short-comings.
Keep the bastards honest!!
Why don’t the companies just make games like they used to? Don’t give the mud-slinging any attention.
That is pretty hypocritical. MS last gen was about buying games and paying for 3-12 month exclusivity. Try to release a game 1 month later on xbone and they are not having it.
While that is true it’s not like Sony have ever paid Blizzard to not at all market the existence of Xbox versions in the past (and potentially present… D3 on XB1?… who knows).
I think people forget that Microsoft deserve all the crap they get.
you wont get far here with that sort of attitude. Micro$oft!
Yet no one has brought up that Sony has a policy that states any game that has timed exclusivity on another system must have exclusive content on the Playstation platforms.
Maybe Sony should be following MS’s lead, improve their product and make good games instead. Say what you will about MS as a whole, but the Xbox One is a good product. One of the handful of good consumer products they’ve made in the past 10 or so years.
MS had it rough at the start but they have had way better exclusives so far and they’ve actually released a few updates that improves things. Meanwhile all Sony has is indie games from last year on PS+. Not to mention Sony scrapped Driveclub to rebuild it from scratch and likely scrapped whatever Santa Monica were working on when they laid off people there recently.
I agree here, owning a PS4 – Still waiting for more games to come out (So much generic BS Games with pretty graphics wont cut it for me and the only game Ive enjoyed so far has been Black Flag which is on all consoles anyways). Sony need to push for something like this themselves, especially since they make us have playstation plus now just to access online games.
Xbone is not a good product, it’s underpowered, overpriced, designed with advertising in mind with a fancy camera you don’t need.
They had more exclusives at launch because they starved the 360 in its final years.
Who cares if sony scrapped a game that nobody knew anything about, it happens all the time.
Owning both the Xbox One & PS4, I get way more enjoyment out of the Xbox One. I haven’t powered up my PS4 in weeks. And with this sort of bullshit from them I’m less inclined to.
It would seem that with an early lead in sales it has given them an excuse to act like asshats. Let’s see how they’re tracking after 4 years instead of 4 months before we start sucking each other’s dicks about how awesome the PS4 is…
You never know it could be another ps2 or it could not.
Hence why I said give it time…Early days yet.
All you people crying about having no games. Don’t forget second son is this month.
Comments consist of sony bashing, microsoft praising, but hardly any actually addressing the issue that if you want to release a cross platform game, you have to launch it on the xbone at the same time as any other platform.
Well, if you read it, it has been pointed out that MS has addressed this before and said they’ll work with devs on a case-by-case basis.
In fact, you should do yourself a favor and read the entire Edge article (linked above) on the indie program. A lot developers have been impressed with Microsoft’s dealings with them. A few developers talking about Microsoft catering their separate platform release dates.
This is nothing more than Sony doing what it does best, since launch, and that’s fuel the circlejerk that is prevalent on many a gaming website. If you’d like to see what I’m talking about, head on over to N4G or IGN and take a whiff of the comment sections. And on the cusp of Titanfall release as well?
Don’t act like this is anything more than a marketing ploy, which is fine, business be business.
How can we expect to stop the blind and rampant fanboyism when the companies themselves act like childish dicks?
Well I can’t say that i agree with MS policy, in the same way i can’t agree with time exclusive DLC . This is not a biased comment, I just would rather see indie devs get a proper start and the ability to sell games to who they want. If Indie devs want to make exclusive MS content more power to them.
this is no sega vs nintendo console war
So, M$ releases a statement saying, “Our goal is not to limit developers who are interested in Xbox One…”
If that’s your goal, then why does this policy exist in the first place?
So Microsoft can at the very least not be shafted by developers, but nice way to remove the part of the statement that matters quite a bit.
“Our goal is not to limit developers who are interested in Xbox One. In instances where games have signed a timed exclusive with another platform, we’ll work with them on a case by case basis. We encourage them to get in touch at id@xbox.com.”
Several developers have already said that MS is working with them despite a disparity in launch dates.
But are you really interested in a fair argument when you show your prejudice no more than 2 words in?
I’m always interested in a fair debate, so please, enlighten me. Give me an example of a developer shafting Microsoft (Sony, Nintendo, et al).
As Sony have pointed out, even if this has been done to them in the past, they aren’t limiting anyone’s access based on launch dates.
As I said, this would not be necessary if the policy didn’t exist in the first place.
$ony…. omg look at my wit
So what’s the argument for having this clause. It clearly limits a devs options and is there for the sole benefit of Ms.
Anyone notice how anything positive for MS or negative about Sony is always down-voted by Baraqyal and Omega_man, but anything positive for Sony or Negative about MS is Up-voted by them? I think this is the Fanboy Class of Sony douche I was talking about getting tarnished by. Here’s a quirky idea you two! – how about reading a comment and voting appropriately for its content rather than your one eyed loyalties? *Gasp, shock, Horror*!
Well maybe im in the minority but… i thought that was actually pretty funny. Ahem, nevermind then.
me too.
To quote a great man… “Why so serious?”
This is Sony keeping Microsoft honest. You can hate on Sony for being a narc or whatever, but this is EXACTLY why competition is good. Negative PR for negative stuff, the consumer wins. =)
It’s a comment between two competing companies…
I don’t see what there is to be angry about.
List of games that have inspired me to buy a PS4:
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Come to think of it, this is very telling. Devs would rather work on Xbox with restrictions than on Playstation.
That’s the same games on my list to buy an XBone.
Seriously I’m waiting till the end of the year.
I have to say you all missed the real issue here.
Console War V as in 5, I think that’s wrong.
CW1: NES vs Master System
CW2: SNES vs Mega Drive
CW3: PS1 vs Saturn
CW4: PS2 vs Dreamcast vs XBox
CW5: PS3 vs X360 vs Wii
CW6: PS4 vs XBone vs Mobiles