Namco Bandai used Microsoft funds to develop Tales of Vesperia PS3

A Japanese game developer has let out a bombshell on his blog, saying that Microsoft did pay off Namco Bandai to secure an “exclusive” Xbox 360 release for Tales of Vesperia. Hold it, though. That’s not the best bit. The more interesting part is that Namco used the Microsoft subsidy to cut down the costs of the development of the PS3 version. In essence, therefore, Microsoft paid for the PS3 version‘s development. That got your attention, didn’t it? There’s more after the jump.

A Japanese game developer has let out a bombshell on his blog, saying that Microsoft did pay off Namco Bandai to secure an “exclusive” Xbox 360 release for Tales of Vesperia. Hold it, though. That’s not the best bit. The more interesting part is that Namco used the Microsoft subsidy to cut down the costs of the development of the PS3 version. In essence, therefore, Microsoft paid for the PS3 version‘s development.

That got your attention, didn’t it? There’s more. He said that Sony actually intervened and threatened them into adding “massive amounts of new content” or else the green light won’t be given for them to release on Sony’s console at all.

Here, let’s hear it straight from the horse’s mouth:

First off, it was easier developing for the Xbox 360. This is to do with the games I was involved with, but basically if you sign an exclusive contract with Microsoft (you wonÂ’t release it on other hardware for a year or similar), they will give you a lot of cash for development.

Their support is also very fast and complete in these cases.

SCE donÂ’t really give much cash out (any at all perhaps). Their support is confused and unreliable. When I was doing it at least, the 360 was easier to develop for, which lowers costs.

As a result, first we developed for the Xbox, reducing development costs. But the Xbox version wonÂ’t sell [in Japan], you canÂ’t recoup even those lowered costs at all.

So we ported to the PS3, it’s cheaper as you already have the game done, but then Sony came back and told us ‘We won’t recognise it if it’s the same as the Xbox 360 version. Make sure you put in a lot of extra stuff!’

If we didnÂ’t then they wouldnÂ’t have let us pass their checkÂ…

The said developer aired this insider laundry out in response to the complaints of Tales of Vesperia Xbox 360 fans regarding the supposed exclusivity of the game, and how Namco Bandai is carrying out “underhanded” and “unfair” tactics for putting in more on the PS3 version than on the Xbox 360.

Translated text via [Sankaku Complex]

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Via Ameblo