Quote:
Originally Posted by EowynCarter
True. But if you want the game your making to work on more than one console, you think it that way from the start. Most games for ps3 goes out on Xbox too. wii is different.
|
That is today.
Remember *last* generation?
The PS2 market share was so overwhelming that many developers chose to develop solely for PS2 because the incremental sales for ports didn't justify the costs.
The same happened early this generation (2006-2007) when many developers (even Japanese companies) were doing 360 exclusives out of necessity; the PS3 installed base wasn't there.
The point DMcCunney made above:
Quote:
|
You're a games developer. You make your living creating games that will sell. What platform will give you the most exposure and best chance of success?
|
...applies to Wylie's new publishing venture; "Which ebook delivery platform will give you the most exposure and best chance of success?". If Wylie is to annoy the BPHs by getting into the ebook publishing aspect of the business, it *has* to succeed. "When you strike a king you *must* kill him." The venture *must* succeed.
They are making a bet that a two-year window with Amazon will provide enough sales to justify going into competition with their "customers", the BPHs. As Kindle exclusives they can count on not only direct access to all Amazon customers (which all Kindle ebooks get) but an added marketting nudge and (probably) other financial considerations that would not be available if they were "cross-platform". These preferrential considerations could very well be the difference between success and failure.
What nobody knows is what comes at the end of those 2 years. Wide-open release? A new exclusivity contract? Maybe with B&N? The business is young and changing rapidly; anything can happen.
And probably will.
The entire publishing industry is in unheaval and the oligopolistic empires of old are under stress and in some cases collapsing; and when empires fall there is always an extended period of disrruption until a new baseline/status quo emerges.
Wylie is running an experiment. Good for them.
We will see more experiments. And it will be good for us.
There is a need for new publishing business models to replace the tired 19th century schemes now in play. Let's see how things play out (on hardware, software, and retail channels) before decrying anything or anybody.
There are no good guys here, no bad guys; just a bunch of companies (some more "confused" than others) scrambling to keep up with change.