Ben-DutkaThe PS3's architecture might be complex, but developers are already beginning to notice the system's true potential. Over the past few months, multiple development teams have spoken about the surprising power of the Cell processor, and now, we can add another team to the list.
According to a recent interview in DevelopMag , UK studio Relentless (co-creator of the Buzz! quiz games for the PS2) has announced their shift to developing for the PS3. At the same time, they talk about how Sony's new system is "starting to reveal its power." Relentless development director and co-founder, Andrew Eades, called their venture into the PS3 realm "a strange journey."
"We were really comfortable making PS2 games, but when it comes to PS3 we found it harder than we thought it would be," said Eades. "We didn't think it would be a walk in the park, but we found it harder than we should have. We had some missteps in the art style, and that slowed us down – we were a bit worried at first but now it looks like a true next-gen game. Now we've got in place everything we need – with the right technical people and art people – and PS3 is starting to reveal its power to us."
It's no big shock to hear it was "harder" than they thought, what with all the early complaints. When the PS3 was launched last year, developers all over the world instantly responded with frustration, claiming the machine's intricate architecture was completely foreign to them, and Sony wasn't helping them along, either. But now, development houses like Relentless are starting to catch a glimpse of the system's potential.
"When we're walking around the studio we're starting to see things on people's screens that really make you stop in your tracks to look at," added Eades. "It has taken us longer than we would have liked, but we're really happy with what we're seeing for PS3."
We don't yet know what game they're working on, but in this case, it's almost irrelevant. What matters is that we're seeing more and more professionals stepping up and saying, "okay, this console has some serious power." And that's nothing but good news for the future.
