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You know why I'm here...
OVR: 25
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tacoma, WA
Posts: 1,625
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First Party vs. Third Party Football Gaming
I just got through watching TechnoBuffalo's comparisons of the Xbox 360 vs. PS3 (they go on a round by round basis; they're tied 2-2 so far, with a few more upcoming rounds left). When they were comparing CPU's, I was intrigued by the two different central units.
Xbox's Xenon has 3 powerful "cores" attatched the CPU, which gives it raw computing power. The Cell Engine has 1 central CPU, while having 8 SPE's (with one disabled, one reserved for the XMB; each SPE handles a different task) that are totally separate from the CPU. This allows the Cell engine to multi-task graphics, physics, etc., with speed and quality. Also, since the PS3's CPU, by itself, isn't handling the majority of the work, developers can pass complex graphics code onto the CPU, which takes the load off the PS3's otherwise inferior RSX graphics card. The only developer to do that so far, is Naughty Dog with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
But, while the Cell Engine can do a lot more, developers sometimes have difficulty writing code for it, therefore giving the 360 the advantage of being easier to make games for. This is coupled with the fact that the 360 has a larger install base (main reason: 360's 1-year head start), so the 360 is the console of choice.
But, also because of this, PS3 users are left with "ports" (games that were developed for another console, namely the 360, that are transfered to another console's format, regardless of difference in architecture). While it really depends on the developer, most multi-platform games don't play well on the PS3, because, simply put, the CPU, by itself, is handling too much at once.
Remember how I mentioned the differences between the CPU's? While 360's Xenon has 3 cores, that makes up, pretty much, the entire entity of the CPU; PS3's, however, have 1 CPU with 6 separate entities. But, since developers are "putting all their eggs in ONE basket", so to speak, with the 360, it leaves multi-platform games using ONLY the PS3's CPU, leaving the 6 available SPE's unused. The result: sloppier framrates, graphical glitches, less resolution, etc., with multi-platform PS3 ports.
What does this have to do with Madden? A LOT!
Madden, as much as Ian Cummings says it isn't, is developed for Xbox, then ported to Playstation. So, as a result, hitches occur. Even though Madden 10 has done well to even out the differences, there are still issues with the PS3 version (such as the rotation of the football on passes).
And, we all remember the framerate disaster that was Madden 06-08 on the PS3. I had to go through therapy for weeks.
Because EA Sports is such a universal brand, they're not gonna spend extra time and resources getting the coding right for the PS3. They just aren't. But, maybe they're aren't even the source of a solution...
There are two different types of developers: third party (Bungie, Infinity Ward, Electronic Arts, ActiVision, Naughty Dog, Insomniac, etc.), and first party (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and formerly, Sega). Madden, developed by EA Sports, is third party; Sony Entertainment of America is first party.
EA Sport gained the exclusive rights to use the NFL license as they see fit until 2014. But, if I'm not mistaken, that only applies third party restrictions. Meaning, Sony can come out with it's own NFL game. Now, I remember the horrid Gameday franchise, but a new console equals new opportunies.
This isn't a console war post. This isn't an attempt to start a flame war between EA Sports and 2K Sports (first time I even mentioned them). This is an honestly good-natured conversation starter, and I'd like for it to be kept that way.
What do you think? Comment away...
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12-10-2009, 12:19 PM
