SONY SAYS NO DIRECT PS2 PORTS TO PSP.

[rev>thanu]

Sony Says "No" To Direct Ports
Motto for 2005: O.G., original gaming!

June 14, 2004 - The PSP has, for all intents and purposes, all of the power of the PlayStation 2. That can be a good thing or a bad thing -- while the handheld system has the capabilities to play almost any type of game imaginable (except for, of course, games that rely on a ginchy touch screen for play), it also has the facilities to repurpose almost any console game a publisher may want to quickly cash in on. Fears of rampant porting and retreaded content are concerns apparently weighing in on Sony as well (sure, there are some stiffs in suits over at the corporate office, but you can't run a company without a good share of gamers), as we can confirm that the company is actively staying to its position against direct ports from PlayStation 2 to PSP.

Sony's stance to push developers towards original content for the handheld system is one that it has stated publicly many times before, but a development source actively in production with PSP has confirmed that, in the process of working towards concept approval with Sony (the first stage of getting a game going, where design docs and concept ideas are shot over to Sony for them to approve -- check out this article on Nintendo's game production process to get an idea of how the industry works), the company has been told by Sony that it will not approve direct ports of PS2 titles. How far the term "direct" can be extended is up in the air -- whether that means games without any additional content or PSP exclusive features, or it means no ports of any kind and that any franchise release would have to be a new edition of the series -- but it seems that Sony is standing firm on this issue. Many of the game demos at E3 were from established series, and some were even direct ports of titles in those lines, but E3 was always meant to be a temporary showcase of technology rather than in-game content -- everything we saw at the show could easily change by the time the system actually releases.
Of course, some could point out that Sony has already gone against its own rule. One of the only games actually announced for the system so far is Gran Turismo 4 Mobile -- a port of the upcoming PlayStation 2 racer -- and aside from WiFi online play instead of broadband networked play, the company has stated that GT4 is planned to be indistinguishable from its brother on the two systems. Whether it turns out that, as most other games at the show, GT4 was just a temporary demonstration example of a game that will in actuality end up in a significantly different form (think the difference between the early GT2000 when PS2 was first announced and the final GT3 delivered a year later) or if the company plans to break its own rule this one time just because GT4 is so covert-worthy is still unknown (the PSP version will show up long after the PS2 edition, so additional content may be their deal here.) However, this is a good indication that Sony has no intention of allowing the PSP to be a dumping ground for cash-ins -- they want new gaming experiences for the handheld crowd. And with the main competitor in the handheld space being Nintendo's unique DS system, gamers may well hold them to it.

[Makaveli_786]

I wanted to see some PS2 classics on PSP :x

[games_ fan]

There will be but with some extra things wich is even better :D

[alternate_ending]

There's nothing to stop sony from breaking this rule, it's their rule, they can do whatever they want with it. They are just putting this in place so that when a developer approaches them with a project to do a lazy, shitty port, they won't be too shocked when Sony turns them down.

[UltimaWeapon]

They probobly are just saying this to most PS2 developers. They would be stupid to stop Square Enix from putting Final Fantasy ports on the PSP.

[NickSCFC]

Naturally Sony have their main franchises on PSP, but at least they are variants, aprt from GT4 and it's sports line up. Typically EA will get away with unoriginal garbage.

[Kiwi]

I think it's good that they'll be doing this. May sound odd, but do you think that they would port PSP games to the PS2?

[richjwild]

Never thought of that. Maybe. It would be strange though seeing as PS2 is more powerful.

[Kiwi]

I don't mean direct ports, but perhaps Sony could take franchises from the PSP and develop them for the PS2.

[Brad]

I think it's good that they'll be doing this. May sound odd, but do you think that they would port PSP games to the PS2?
depends on how much business the game does. and if its a hit like say..mgs on ps, then they will obviously port it to the ps2 to triple or quadruple their revenue

[richjwild]

I don't mean direct ports, but perhaps Sony could take franchises from the PSP and develop them for the PS2.

I suppose, if something like Death Jr was popular on PSP it could go onto the PS2

[brownbeaner2]

i get what you mean but of coarse it wouldnt look as good because of the psp's internal hardware tricks. like lighting and stuff.

[Kiwi]

I don't mean direct ports, but perhaps Sony could take franchises from the PSP and develop them for the PS2.

I suppose, if something like Death Jr was popular on PSP it could go onto the PS2

Seems very similar to something like Jak or Ratchet. Would probably do quite well.

[NickSCFC]

i get what you mean but of coarse it wouldnt look as good because of the psp's internal hardware tricks. like lighting and stuff.
Even though PS2 games look better than PSP games?

[Kiwi]

I'm not talking about direct ports, just taking the games and developing them for the PS2.

[NickSCFC]

I was replying to BrownBeaner.

[Kiwi]

Ahh, righty-ho.

[slayerx]

I agree with the suggestions maybe sony are just hoping companies start to make new games which are fresh because im sure one of the things we all dont want to see is ports or a sequel to some extent because the industry really needs new ideas and ones that arent your typical game i for one would love to see more games like ICO and Bishi Bashi on it games like that could do just as well as your GT games and Silent hill games.

[lix]

If there's a publisher who wants to port a PS2 game to PSP, they ask Sony. Sony looks at the sales figures, and if they're quite good then I'll bet there's instant approval for the port. But as there's a lot of rubbish on the PS2, then I'll also bet that Sony are going to try to filter that out. Hence the 'no ports' statement, which to me at the end of the day looks just like a publicity stunt. But at the end of the day then hopefully it'll be a good decision all round.

[games_ fan]

games would be ported from the psp to ps2 they would be changed slightly to play on a console better if their succesful enough.

[rev>thanu]

well my friends sony will have exceptions of course. like big companies like konami, capcom, EA, square enix etc. but for the most part sony will not approve games that are direct ports of the ps2 counterpart. the developers will need to add extra content into the gameplay elements or storyline. so expect alot of classics with new stuff. but also expect alot of new franchises that will not be seen on ps2.

[ultimategamer2004]

YES :lol:

thing with playing the PSP on the PS2 with the psp games is that they are low res so enlarging them that much would be a problem i think.

[imported_The_One]

I think Sony is heading in the right direction. With this kind of thinking behind their products, we can very well assume that there will be LOTS of O.G. (original games) on the PS3.

[ultimategamer2004]

Yes and that is a really good thing. :lol:

[CloudANDTidus]

Sony just want a range of games.

They want a mix of ports (of the best PS2 games), sequals (of the best PS2 games) and originals.

What sony don't want on PSP are millions of ports and sequals of games we have all played.
If they do that I will personaly go and buy a million DS's so PSP rots in gaming hell.




Consols are only as good as the games that are made for them.

[ultimategamer2004]

Thats what i have always liked about sony the range of titles :P

There have loads of variety..

[Rallyracr420]

I agree that the 'no ports' rule will be broken more than once or twice.

But the real reason for the Original Gaming rule has to do with Sony's long term business plan. Sure, they want innovative and creative titles for people to play, but the real concern is in the UMD format. Sony wants the UMD to be a next gen media format in all sorts of devices, and they want the money they get to license this format to all kinds of devices and media. Even in the latest Game Informer they mention the UMD burner that everyone believes will never exist is something they actually plan on releasing in the future (pg 31 of the July 2004 GI).

In order to get people to invest in the UMD format, Sony needs PSP sales.

If people can get the title on a PS2 or other console already, why bother buying a PSP? Yes the PSP has plenty of its own advantages, ie. portability and WiFi, but those aren't enough to make many of the gamers out there spend extra dough on a new system and to pay twice for a game they already own. By making sure all (or at least most) games are original, Sony completely avoids this paradigm.

[NickSCFC]

Sony and EA have already broken this rule on a number of occasions. 1 out of 3 launch games will be a PS2 conversion.

[Jack Skellington]

Developers are also voicing concerns about this ‘original games’ policy sighting development costs. Most of them draw attention to the PSP specs pointing out that near PS2 power will demand a larger development group and so push up costs and time. Conversions, on the other hand, will only take a couple of months.

It’s also an incredibly ambitious and somewhat clumsy statement to make given that if the PSP is your first gaming machine (which SONY are hoping it will be for a large portion of potential customers) isn’t everything new

[NickSCFC]

I'm quite happy with games like Metal Gear Acid and Wipeout Pure which aren't entirely new but bring something new to the series.

[sfamato]

im sure somewhere down the line, Sony are gonna port PS1 games to it, just like Nintendo are doing with the GBA and Nes Classics

[Kiwi]

To be honest, they would be silly not to, because you know for a fact that people will buy them. Loads of people bought games like Breath of Fire and A Link to the Past for the GBA.

[games_ fan]

As long as they inprove the graphics and for some games the gameplay that would be a good thing.

[Kiwi]

Well the idea of ports are that they are exact copies.

[imported_The_One]

im sure somewhere down the line, Sony are gonna port PS1 games to it, just like Nintendo are doing with the GBA and Nes Classics Sony already has. Tales of Eternia, which was called Tale od Destriny 2 on the PS1, is going to be on the PSP!! YES!! :D.

[Kiwi]

So TOE is an exact port rather than a new game in the series then?

[imported_The_One]

So TOE is an exact port rather than a new game in the series then? From what I know, yes...
I lost my TOD2 discs so I need to get a new set... But can't find anymore so I guess TOE will do justice :D. Although I wouldn't mind even if it WAS a new game in the series... The Tale series has always ranked quite high on my RPG list because of it's unique battle system ;).

[Kiwi]

To be honest, I've never heard of the series before. Just took a look through Gamespot, they didn't give the first game a very good score:

As with the Mario 64 and Tomb Raider phenomena before it, the market has been flooded with RPGs since Final Fantasy VII was released in the US. While America's RPG drought has ended, a hidden plague of less-than-satisfactory RPGs lurks amongst the good ones. Namco's Tales of Destiny is one of those RPGs that should've been left abroad.

Tales of Destiny is the sequel to Namco's Super Famicom RPG, Tales of Phantasia. Taking place in the same world, Tales of Destiny centers around a rag-tag team of youths who uncover.... OK, sparing you the details, there is absolutely nothing original about the story in Tales of Destiny. In addition to a stale and exceedingly slow-moving story, you can also expect boring, moldy characters and dry, musty dialogue. To start, the story takes several hours to "take off," which isn't a problem in itself, but the speed of liftoff is slow compared with any respectable RPG. Namco's pacing of the game is neither rewarding nor predictable, with sparsely used major battles and painfully slow character development. In terms of playtime, Tales of Destiny is a monster of an RPG, but the lack of a compelling story will make the game seem at least twice as long - not a good thing. Even after the story has "picked up," players wander from town to town to hear the next batch of cracker-thin dialogue, fighting monsters every other step of the way. Nothing in the game stands out, rather blending into an endless tapestry of tedium.Tales of Destiny's one unique feature is its real-time battle system and many of the trappings therein. Played like a side-scrolling Secret of Mana, you control every aspect of the lead character's attack in real time while the other three characters attack on their own. Holding up and hitting the attack button will cause the onscreen ego to do an upward aerial attack. Likewise, holding down will result in a jab. Different monsters are more susceptible to different kinds of attacks, and strategic combination of attacks and spells is key to winning. Battle can be paused at any time to change your teammates' attack AI or ask them to use spells or items. In addition to spells, you also have special sword combos that are executed in battle with another button. The developers must have realized that the game's battle system was the only thing they had going for them, accordingly giving the game a fairly annoying encounter rate to increase the time spent in battle. Thanks to this encounter rate, the initially cool battles become as tedious as the rest of the game.

Tales of Phantasia was one of the last big Super Famicom games in Japan, drawing headlines with a whopping 44-megabit cart size and, for the time, a huge amount of voice. Unfortunately, Tales of Destiny has no such technological buzz surrounding its release. Looking and sounding far too much like an SNES game, Tales of Destiny seems like it was originally intended to be a sequel on the SNES that got delayed well into the PlayStation's life cycle. While towns and other locations sport some decent art, the characters almost completely lack animation, unlike many of the more recent 2D RPGs. In battle, the characters are large but still lack noteworthy animation. Spell effects are also standard SNES fare, as well, relying on transparency and Mode 7-esque effects. The game's overworld is presented with the game's token polygons but looks hastily done, especially with the garish 2D sprites walking over it. Musically, Tales of Destiny has a series of peppy, generic RPG tunes that are as devoid of hummability as they are overplayed. The game's battles are accented with voices, but Namco didn't bother translating them from Japanese, so a majority of the players won't care or will opt to turn them off in the options menu.

Tales of Destiny isn't terrible but simply reeks of being on Namco's back burner for far too long. So little is exciting or new here that you are probably better off playing another RPG or two in this game's stead.

Score: 4.9

Tales of Destiny II:

The 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation created an interesting rift in the RPG genre. On one side, you have lavishly produced pseudo-cinematic epics like the latter-day Final Fantasy games and Sony's derivative Legend of Dragoon. On the other side, you'll find all the Little RPGs That Could--games like Tales of Destiny II. RPGs from the first category cater to more than one audience, satisfying genre fans and casual gamers alike. Remove the graphics, though, and you lose the attention of the mainstream, which is precisely the situation that the Tales of Destiny series is in. Those looking for an FMV extravaganza need not apply, but if you value the gameplay that really makes an RPG what it is, you'll find a lot to like in Tales of Destiny II.

Unfortunately, we should address the story issue first in looking at Tales of Destiny II. In short, RPG veterans probably won't be very impressed. A mysterious young girl whom nobody can understand falls from the sky and is discovered by small-town friends Reid and Farrah. Through a series of standard RPG contrivances, the pair discovers that the girl's name is Meredy and that she has come to prevent the collision, or "grand fall," of her world, Celestia, with Inferia, Reid and Farrah's planet. So, with the help of some friends picked up along the way, Reid, Farrah, and Meredy set out on a quest to collect a set of elemental spiritual beings that can stop the grand fall. RPG diehards will recognize a number of clichés in this setup, but that's OK, because Tales of Destiny II isn't a game they'll play for its story. Rather, the game's positive aspects are all in its gameplay and presentation.

If not for the graphics, voices, and FMV, Tales of Destiny II would not be out of place on the Super Nintendo about eight years ago, during the golden age of 16-bit RPGs. It recalls the gameplay of those days of yore with a solid RPG framework of random enemy encounters, level building, and hidden treasure chests. Tales of Destiny II's battle system, however, is the one big departure from the classic RPG formula--rather than using a turn-based system, fighting occurs in real time. As the player, you directly control Reid in a 2D side-scrolling environment against your enemies. You can move him back and forth and control his physical and magical attacks with an almost fighting game-like control system. Your other party members fight alongside you, controlled by the game's AI. Using a strategy setup menu, you can prioritize their various maneuvers--one character can be made to emphasize offensive magic, for example, while another heals. The battles are typically very fast-paced, and their focus on action makes them less tedious than the combat in many other RPGs. In fact, Tales of Destiny II feels very fast overall. Load times are short, your character dashes quickly around the overworld, and menu access is expeditious. Even the short summary of statistics after a battle is rapidly displayed before you're sent on your way. It may seem like a trivial point, but all this speed keeps Tales of Destiny II from feeling like a chore, as some slower games can.

One of the effects on modern RPGs brought about by Final Fantasy VII is an ever-increasing focus on complex 3D graphics. Refreshingly, Tales of Destiny II bucks this trend--like its predecessors, Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Destiny, it presents itself in lovingly crafted 2D graphics. Its backgrounds are of a subdued, hand-painted variety, and the sprites and backgrounds used in its battle scenes are similarly, well, flat. At a time when Final Fantasy X is only a few months from release, many RPG fans will quietly applaud Tales of Destiny II's adherence to the old RPG ways.

As is often the case with RPGs, Tales of Destiny II is best recommended to real fans of the genre. Its story won't quite engage your intellect, and its graphics won't blow your mind. The fact remains, though, that if you like RPGs, it's a good bit of fun to play, and for fans of fun games, that may be all the recommendation necessary.

Score: 7.1

They released a 3rd game on the PS2 in Japan, though they also called that Tales of Desinty II.