Xbox Addict

Oddworld X

One topic of discussion is one that I’ve heard ringing in the development community for a while, is the fact that many developers are struggling with the PS2 as far as hardware and programming are concerned. This to me is just another reason why the XBOX is bound to topple the PS2 market. Why would developers want to struggle first with having to write their own programs to make the games on an akward gaming system when that precious time could be devoted to making the games better. You can click here to read the full interview. Here’s just a tid bit of morsels to get you going.

Ivan: It’s been no secret that Oddworld Inhabitants has encountered a multitude of shortcomings in the PlayStation 2’s hardware. What specifically have been the problems, and how have you been able to work past them?

Lorne: Well, the more ambitious you’re trying to be and the higher your standards are with a game, the more potholes you’re going to find in the system. When we found these potholes in the PS2, some of them caused design changes because the system wasn’t delivering what we thought it could.

Other problems were solvable, but we had to invest time and money in areas that completely surprised us. All of the surprise costs or diversions ultimately came out of the game’s budget. Some of these were projected and expected because it’s a new system, and others were more debatable. As a developer, I’d rather be putting money into the game rather than hardware quirks.

Ivan: Has it ever popped into your mind while struggling with the PS2’s hardware that you could abandon the PS2 for the seemingly greener pastures of the Xbox?

Lorne: Yes, but who’s going to pay the bills while waiting for the Xbox?