Why Are So Many PS3 Exclusives "Secret"? - Blu-ray Forum

xtop · 01-08-2009, 12:03 AM

http://www.ps3informer.com/playstati...ret-009662.php

Quote:

Sony has been trying out an interesting marketing strategy over the last couple of months, and so far it appears to be working. Amid a lack of high-quality exclusive titles for the PS3, Sony has been leaking whispers of “top secret” games to members of the press. Journalists have helped the company build hype for a number of games that we know absolutely nothing about. First, there was the infamous BBC reveal, in which a journalist claimed to have seen a game of incredible quality behind closed doors. Then this week, Sony Worldwide Executive Shuhei Yoshida dropped the ambiguous hint that “more big titles that we have not even announced yet” on the horizon in the coming year.

What’s up with all of this secrecy, Sony? Surely if you have a big game in development there is no harm in telling us about it so we have something to look forward to.

One possibility is that the games are so far from being ready that the software companies involved have very little to show a curious public. This is Sony’s way of telling fans that they have exclusives coming, without having to reveal that they may not be ready in 2009. Mounting development costs and the complexity of current-gen systems means that games often take several years to complete. Games that were started in 2008 might not be ready before 2010/2011. Of course, Sony can’t wait that long to sell hardware, or it risks losing even more market share to Microsoft’s cheaper Xbox 360.

Another possibility, and one that fanboys will undoubtedly prefer, is that these secret games are being kept that way because of their immense awesomeness. Perhaps Sony and the development studios involved have crafted games so amazing, so innovative, that they don’t want to risk them being copied by unscrupulous competitors. If this is the case, maybe we really will see a true, top secret game surface in 2009.

Regardless of the reasons behind this stance, Sony is the only company among the big three hardware manufacturers that has been aggressively promoting “secret” games. They had better have something incredible up their sleeve when it comes time to reveal these projects.

JonD7 · 01-08-2009, 12:42 AM

I have to agree that it's really working, I am always excited to hear new info.

Septimus Prime · 01-08-2009, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonD7

I have to agree that it's really working, I am always excited to hear new info.

I feel the opposite, since these secret games are nothing but words and unfulfilled promises to me. None of them so far have been worth their hype (and no, Uncharted 2, God of War 3, and Gran Turismo 5 are not secret games, since we all knew they were coming).

Terjyn · 01-08-2009, 12:57 AM

I tend to believe it's that the games won't be out until 2014.

Ascended_Saiyan · 01-08-2009, 02:03 AM

LMAO...good one!

Marquoz · 01-08-2009, 05:14 AM

Oh that just gets me. "Hey, I just saw this super duper awesome game, that will blow your socks off!!!! It's like the best of the best of the best, and that's all I can say. I have a NDA about anything but hyping it without actually telling you a thing. So ha ha ha ha! I know about it and you don't! Let me rub it in some more that you don't know a thing about this thing that's super awesome! Neener Neener! Don't worry though, it will be disclosed in 6 months and nobody will ever reference that it was this super awesome thing so all you can do is make guesses and never really know. Pbbbttt!"

Icemage · 01-08-2009, 05:43 AM

Sony's got a lot of irons in the fire, but what strikes me about this is that they saw what happened with the overloaded hype (read: Killzone 2, FF13, etc.) which largely backfired on them.

For the hardcore, most of us are tuned in and don't need years to digest news about upcoming games. Announcing early and delaying just frustrates people.

So if they are indeed keeping more secrets, then good for them. While everyone "wants" more news about upcoming games, we don't really need it, as long as the games keep coming in.

As things stand, we only know about what half of the Sony internal and 2nd party development teams are working on right now. Zipper is working on Massive Action Game. Team Ico's working on... well.. whatever they're working on. Polyphony Digital is finishing up the full version of Gran Turismo 5. Santa Monica is working on God of War 3. Sucker Punch is working on inFamous. Guerilla is finishing up Killzone 2. Naughty Dog is working on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Insomniac is working on the next Ratchet and Clank.

But there's a bunch of studios not on that list. Evilution (Motorstorm 1 & 2) is currently between projects right now. Sony Japan's got a ton of developers and we've not heard of anything new from them since Afrika. Sony London's probably got some people working on non-SingStar things. SCE Bend is probably working on another Syphon Filter game (but maybe not?). SCE Cambridge has been awfully quiet lately too, and I've no idea what they're up to. SCE Liverpool just finished WipeOut HD, and since Sony doesn't hold the F1 license any more, they've got a whole team at loose ends - and likely working on something else.

quexos · 01-08-2009, 08:32 AM

Pesonally I hope some of the secret games are RPG's and a few platform games too why not.

Twankies08 · 01-08-2009, 11:22 AM

I hope none of the exclusives turn out
like HAZE did!!

Giyomu · 01-08-2009, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terjyn

I tend to believe it's that the games won't be out until 2014.

+1

they are so secret that even Sony doesn t know

Bourne1 · 01-08-2009, 11:52 AM

This is just like the auto industry. A lot of these companies invite the press to townhall meetings that reveal future products and concepts. The press is not allowed to bring cameras and are not allowed to digest the specifics of what they saw. But you will read in an automotive journal about X company releasing this great innovative product for the 2010 Model Year. They don't give the nameplate, any hints on design and performance specs, etc. But it creates hype, curiosity, interest, and attention towards the brand. You can spend a $100 million on an advertising campaign for one product, but it will never have the same results as an effective word of mouth from credible sources (jounalists/journals).

Marine Mike · 01-08-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Another possibility, and one that fanboys will undoubtedly prefer, is that these secret games are being kept that way because of their immense awesomeness.

At one point I thought I was a Sony fanboy, but after reading that statement I'm definately not, lol.

I personally think that its a horrible tactic and it is hurting sales.

BLu-Balls · 01-08-2009, 12:13 PM

I figure that Sony wants to keep the exclusives a secret so that M$ doesn't poach these titles

becomingwater · 01-08-2009, 12:25 PM

I hope they really have some great games on the horizon or it might backfire.

Maximus · 01-08-2009, 12:32 PM

Why show your whole hand when less than half of it is better than anything the competition can come up with?

Next year is going to be the best year in gaming for a very long time, it's the old 5 year cycle coming around again. The thing is we have seen about half of the SCE published games, the other half have yet to be announced...

Maximus · 01-08-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bourne1

This is just like the auto industry. A lot of these companies invite the press to townhall meetings that reveal future products and concepts. The press is not allowed to bring cameras and are not allowed to digest the specifics of what they saw. But you will read in an automotive journal about X company releasing this great innovative product for the 2010 Model Year. They don't give the nameplate, any hints on design and performance specs, etc. But it creates hype, curiosity, interest, and attention towards the brand. You can spend a $100 million on an advertising campaign for one product, but it will never have the same results as an effective word of mouth from credible sources (jounalists/journals).

That's a big problem in the gaming industry, there are very few credible sources, and now that 1up is going to go the way of IGN, we have only Giant Bomb left as a site that will stand up the publishers.

As much as I shit on Edge Magazine, at least they have some sort of ethics and their fanboyism is kept to a minimum...

xtop · 01-08-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Why show your whole hand when less than half of it is better than anything the competition can come up with?

Next year is going to be the best year in gaming for a very long time, it's the old 5 year cycle coming around again. The thing is we have seen about half of the SCE published games, the other half have yet to be announced...

i hope you mean 09 when you say next year..

Maximus · 01-08-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtop

i hope you mean 09 when you say next year..

Should have read "This year"...

Blu Jacket · 01-08-2009, 01:09 PM

The credibility of the entire article flew out the window (and I quit reading) as soon as I saw the words "Amid a lack of high-quality exclusive titles for the PS3". When was this written, 2 years ago?

xtop · 01-08-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Should have read "This year"...

haha good! i'll let it slide since we're barely into 09

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01-08-2009, 12:42 AM	#2
JonD7 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Cali 4K collection:86 Blu-ray collection:251	I have to agree that it's really working, I am always excited to hear new info.

01-08-2009, 12:57 AM	#4
Terjyn Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jul 2007 Blu-ray collection:122	I tend to believe it's that the games won't be out until 2014.

01-08-2009, 02:03 AM	#5
Ascended_Saiyan Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2006 Location:Atlanta, Georgia Blu-ray collection:608 Trading Score:1	LMAO...good one!

01-08-2009, 05:14 AM	#6
Marquoz Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2008 Location:New Orleans Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:167 Trading Score:2	Oh that just gets me. "Hey, I just saw this super duper awesome game, that will blow your socks off!!!! It's like the best of the best of the best, and that's all I can say. I have a NDA about anything but hyping it without actually telling you a thing. So ha ha ha ha! I know about it and you don't! Let me rub it in some more that you don't know a thing about this thing that's super awesome! Neener Neener! Don't worry though, it will be disclosed in 6 months and nobody will ever reference that it was this super awesome thing so all you can do is make guesses and never really know. Pbbbttt!"

01-08-2009, 05:43 AM	#7
Icemage Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007	Sony's got a lot of irons in the fire, but what strikes me about this is that they saw what happened with the overloaded hype (read: Killzone 2, FF13, etc.) which largely backfired on them. For the hardcore, most of us are tuned in and don't need years to digest news about upcoming games. Announcing early and delaying just frustrates people. So if they are indeed keeping more secrets, then good for them. While everyone "wants" more news about upcoming games, we don't really need it, as long as the games keep coming in. As things stand, we only know about what half of the Sony internal and 2nd party development teams are working on right now. Zipper is working on Massive Action Game. Team Ico's working on... well.. whatever they're working on. Polyphony Digital is finishing up the full version of Gran Turismo 5. Santa Monica is working on God of War 3. Sucker Punch is working on inFamous. Guerilla is finishing up Killzone 2. Naughty Dog is working on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Insomniac is working on the next Ratchet and Clank. But there's a bunch of studios not on that list. Evilution (Motorstorm 1 & 2) is currently between projects right now. Sony Japan's got a ton of developers and we've not heard of anything new from them since Afrika. Sony London's probably got some people working on non-SingStar things. SCE Bend is probably working on another Syphon Filter game (but maybe not?). SCE Cambridge has been awfully quiet lately too, and I've no idea what they're up to. SCE Liverpool just finished WipeOut HD, and since Sony doesn't hold the F1 license any more, they've got a whole team at loose ends - and likely working on something else.

01-08-2009, 08:32 AM	#8
quexos Banned Member since:May 2007 Location:Brussels, Belgium	Pesonally I hope some of the secret games are RPG's and a few platform games too why not.

01-08-2009, 11:22 AM	#9
Twankies08 Senior Member Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Panama City, Florida Blu-ray collection:168 Blu-ray reviews:8 Trading Score:18	I hope none of the exclusives turn out like HAZE did!!

01-08-2009, 11:52 AM	#11
Bourne1 Senior Member Member since:Dec 2007	This is just like the auto industry. A lot of these companies invite the press to townhall meetings that reveal future products and concepts. The press is not allowed to bring cameras and are not allowed to digest the specifics of what they saw. But you will read in an automotive journal about X company releasing this great innovative product for the 2010 Model Year. They don't give the nameplate, any hints on design and performance specs, etc. But it creates hype, curiosity, interest, and attention towards the brand. You can spend a $100 million on an advertising campaign for one product, but it will never have the same results as an effective word of mouth from credible sources (jounalists/journals).

01-08-2009, 12:13 PM	#13
BLu-Balls Expert Member Member since:Dec 2006 Location:TO Canada Blu-ray collection:867 DVD collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 10	I figure that Sony wants to keep the exclusives a secret so that M$ doesn't poach these titles

01-08-2009, 12:25 PM	#14
becomingwater Power Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:New Mexico Home Theater Gallery:1 4K collection:15 Blu-ray collection:526 Blu-ray reviews:13 Trading Score:3	I hope they really have some great games on the horizon or it might backfire.

01-08-2009, 12:32 PM	#15
Maximus Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2006	Why show your whole hand when less than half of it is better than anything the competition can come up with? Next year is going to be the best year in gaming for a very long time, it's the old 5 year cycle coming around again. The thing is we have seen about half of the SCE published games, the other half have yet to be announced...

01-08-2009, 01:09 PM	#19
Blu Jacket Expert Member Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Ohio Blu-ray collection:44	The credibility of the entire article flew out the window (and I quit reading) as soon as I saw the words "Amid a lack of high-quality exclusive titles for the PS3". When was this written, 2 years ago?

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