A Haze-y Outlook for the PS3

[Dr.Finger]

It looks like Haze, the new first-person shooter from Free Radical (Time Splitters), will be a Playstation 3 exclusive, if a limited exclusive. From GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6171219&part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6171219).This morning, Ubisoft revealed that the PS3 is now the "lead platform" for Free Radical's forthcoming shooter Haze. Originally set for a release on the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 this spring, the game will now debut solely on the PS3 this fall. In fact, the fact sheet provided by Ubisoft no longer lists the PC or Xbox 360 versions of the game, prompting some speculation that it may become PS3-exclusive. The UK Haze site (http://hazegame.uk.ubi.com/teaser/) for the game also only bears the PS3 logo, although the American Haze site (http://hazegame.us.ubi.com/teaser/index.php) still sports the Xbox 360 and PC-DVD logos at its bottom.

When contacted by GameSpot, Ubisoft reps were somewhat cagey. "Haze is leading on PS3, but no exclusivity for any platform has been officially announced," a spokesperson said. This leaves open the possibility that the game could arrive on the 360 and PC sometime in 2008. Haze is set in a near future in which corporations field private armies of biologically and technologically enhanced soldiers.

I loved me some Timesplitters

[Gorvi]

Good to see the rumor (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30369) I posted earlier actually got some confirmation. Timesplitters was fun, if a bit simple. I never got the third game, did they ever finally put in a jump button?

[Norse]

I guess Sony has started handing out some money. Quite surprised to see Ubisoft going the exclusive route. With a fall release I doubt it would stand much chance on the 360 anyway. It might be a wise move to release it after the Halo3 chaos has ended.

[Adam Blue]

Good to see the rumor (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30369) I posted earlier actually got some confirmation. Timesplitters was fun, if a bit simple. I never got the third game, did they ever finally put in a jump button?

No. That would only change the gameplay style. Too bad the 3rd reeked of 'easy'. That's not what these games are known for.

[TArmstrong]

"Haze is set in a near future in which corporations field private armies of biologically and technologically enhanced soldiers."

Wasn't that called "Syndicate"? Now there was a good game. I played the Colorado mission, where you could take out an entire parade, over and over again.

Anyway, I never played Timesplitters, but exclusives are a good thing for Sony.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Good company, good games. Too bad nobody cares about them, for some reason.

[J3DI]

4 Player Co-op!!! Woot!!!

[Wonka]

Lead SKU is not the same thing as exclusive. Not even close.

Quite the opposite in fact. If the PS3 is the "lead platform" then what are the other platforms???

[SPBTooL]

The 360 already has and is getting plenty of better FPSes. The PS3 on the other hand needs it. If it came out on the 360 in fall it would not only be completing with Halo 3 but Halflife 2 as well.

[Zander]

Why a company would only want to sell 100k copies of a game only to come out later on broader markets who won't care anymore is just beyond me. They must be getting a nice kick-back in order to make up for lost sales I guess.

[lockwoodx]

Time splitters was a bad attempt at Goldeneye having a love child with Unreal Tournament.

[Dr.Finger]

Lead SKU is not the same thing as exclusive. Not even close.

Quite the opposite in fact. If the PS3 is the "lead platform" then what are the other platforms???Limited exclusive means that for at least some time it'll only be out on the system, usually at least 6 months. The statments also implied that it may never come out on other platforms.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Limited exclusive means that for at least some time it'll only be out on the system, usually at least 6 months. The statments also implied that it may never come out on other platforms.
Because this move will bankrupt the company? :)

[RUSKULL]

Good company, good games. Too bad nobody cares about them, for some reason.

Apparently Sony does.

[Bingley Joe]

This is a UBI title. It's fairly safe to assume that it will eventually come out for every_platform_imaginable..

I look forward to playing this thing on my bike odometer one day. :D

[EvilBob46]

The 360 already has and is getting plenty of better FPSes.

You're making assumptions about the quality of a game that hasn't been released and won't be released for at least another 6 months.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Apparently Sony does.
I'm just sayin' - very few people really care about the Timesplitters series, when I personally think it's nearly as good as Halo (in a different way).

[Telefrog]

The 360 already has and is getting plenty of better FPSes. The PS3 on the other hand needs it. If it came out on the 360 in fall it would not only be completing with Halo 3 but Halflife 2 as well.

I would agree. I don't think Sony had to hand out much (if any) money to get this timed exclusive. With the 360 fall schedule being as jam-packed with A-list titles, I'm sure Free Radical could easily have been convinced that this would be the smart move.

Who wants to be compared to Halo 3 when it comes out? Even if H3 isn't a great game, it will sell a bazillion copies.

[Gorvi]

I would agree. I don't think Sony had to hand out much (if any) money to get this timed exclusive. With the 360 fall schedule being as jam-packed with A-list titles, I'm sure Free Radical could easily have been convinced that this would be the smart move.

Who wants to be compared to Halo 3 when it comes out? Even if H3 isn't a great game, it will sell a bazillion copies.
There are a lot of great PS3 titles coming out in the fall as well, finally (as well as the HL2 box, why does that keep getting thrown in as just a 360 game?). I think it's just a genre thing. You've got Halo 3 coming out, almost any other FPS is going to be overshadowed. For the PS3, you've got Killzone 2 in the FPS category (along with HL2), maybe, and that's a complete unknown at this point. It makes Sony happy because Ubi is giving them an exclusive, and Ubi can turn around and release a special edition of the game for the 360 in the spring (if they ever do) once the H3 buzz has died down.

[DoubleUranium]

What a pity. I was one of the few who really enjoyed Timesplitters FP on the Xbox. Good luck on the PS3 Ubi. I hope they don't want too long to bring it to the 360.

[Yeti2005]

FPS games need rumble. Hopefully by then Sony will have released the rumble Sixaxis.

[Johan]

This is a UBI title. It's fairly safe to assume that it will eventually come out for every_platform_imaginable..

I look forward to playing this thing on my bike odometer one day. :D

Thank you for a hearty laugh! :D

I'm sure this is a timed exclusive, which makes virtually everyone happy, actually, because the first platform gets an exclusive for a while, and then the following platforms tend to get a few additional crumbs/morsels tossed in to make up for the wait.

We'll see!

[Hexxagonal]

This is great for Haze. The later it is pushed away from the Halo 3 release the better. Same goes for all other FPS games on the 360.

It is also great for the PS3 as I personally have little faith in the Killzone 2 developers.

[Grimmjow]

You're making assumptions about the quality of a game that hasn't been released and won't be released for at least another 6 months.


this is perfect

http://i13.tinypic.com/53ot56w.jpg

[Mdot23]

Now it makes sense why that developer was talking shit about Halo 3 a couple of days ago. Fool.

[walkstheplanes]

"Haze is set in a near future in which corporations field private armies of biologically and technologically enhanced soldiers."

Wasn't that called "Syndicate"? Now there was a good game. I played the Colorado mission, where you could take out an entire parade, over and over again.

Anyway, I never played Timesplitters, but exclusives are a good thing for Sony.

Haha, yes that was Syndicate/Syndicate Wars

[CptTripps]

Haha, yes that was Syndicate/Syndicate Wars

First one was best, man I loved some old school bullfrog.

[Slack3r78]

Damn you all. I'm going to have to figure out some way to make Syndicate run on my Mac now. I remember that game could be a bitch to get running, but once you did, it was sooooo worth it.

[krackmonkey]

Why a company would only want to sell 100k copies of a game only to come out later on broader markets who won't care anymore is just beyond me. They must be getting a nice kick-back in order to make up for lost sales I guess.

Sounds like a perfect "paid beta" opportunity, only the playtesters pay instead of getting paid.

On the other hand, the correct way to "kill" a title like Halo is to grow a franchise with the same sort of small, yet ambitious launch that ends up generating buzz not only for itself but the hardware too. Whatever kills a series like Halo will take time and good word-of-mouth support, it won't happen overnight. Any game could be the one, it just needs to be in the right place at the right time, aiming small and focusing on making the best game you can is going to be the secret behind whatever emerges on top.

I love me some Halo, but I still hope it happens, whatever platform it happens to happen on- it'll be good for all of us in the long run.

[tombofsoldier]

Meh, timesplitters was boring and this game looks like a cheap knock off of Far Cry. Doesn't really interest me.

[theguido]

Timesplitters is an extremely underrated franchise, IMO. If I have access to a PS3 by the time it comes out I'll get it for that, but if not I'll wait for the 360 version.

[DarkDaY]

cool i guess, this title isnt a biggie to me so i could care less,
ill wait till its out and see then.
reguardless if I get it on the ps3 or wait a couple months and get it on 360, all depends on which has better online, but thats if I have time or care.

too many fps coming out for all systems, this one had better be something else to get my attention let alone anyothers.

[51|RandoM]

FPS games need rumble.

That must be why every pc FPS ever made featured rumble... oh wait, nevermind.

FPS games need dedicated servers more than they need rumble, but that is just my opinion. ;)

[dimsumx]

Avoiding Halo 3 and Halflife 2 is definately a valid point...just the response of people picking up Crackdown just to play the Beta shows where the people's money is going to go, even before the game is done.

It'd be smarter for these guys to hold off the release on the 360, wait for the initial steam of H3 and H2 to plateau before bringing it out. If anything, a more polished code and extra content is always a possibility.

[Royal Fool]

Sony might have bought limited exclusivity in the UK/Europe. They did the same thing with Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil when they launched.

[Wonka]

Limited exclusive means that for at least some time it'll only be out on the system, usually at least 6 months. The statments also implied that it may never come out on other platforms.

I know what limited exclusive means. And it's certainly quite possible that it will be at time limited exclusive just to avoid competing with other properties that will be launching this fall. It's also quite possible that this game is behind schedule. But the fact remains that the only "real" information we have on this topic however is what Ubisoft has said. And what they said was that the PS3 was the lead SKU.

This means two things. 1) they are making the PS3 version 1st and then porting it to something else, and 2) there is something else being worked on still.

My point, was that people don't say things like "lead platform" unless there are "other" platforms... Meaning that this is pretty much an (accidental) admission that as of right now, there are other SKUs (of some kind) at least being worked on. And this makes any speculation that this thing is going to be anything other than a timed exclusive seem pretty silly.

[DaXIthR]

My point, was that people don't say things like "lead platform" unless there are "other" platforms... Meaning that this is pretty much an (accidental) admission that as of right now, there are other SKUs (of some kind) at least being worked on. And this makes any speculation that this thing is going to be anything other than a timed exclusive seem pretty silly.

I'm not so sure. I believe the use of the term 'lead platform' is just to let the world know that Haze is being developed from the ground up for the PS3. They are not cutting any corners or planning the development in any way to ease the potential task of porting the title to the 360 or PS3.

That said, I hope they open their minds to a Wii port. I'd like to see as many FPS on the console until someone gets it right and makes the mouse/keyboard setup second best. I know the Wii can do it...I just know it can.

[NeoSuplex]

[...]Why does [The HL2 box] keep getting thrown in as just a 360 game?[...]
Slightly OT,
Didn't the PS3 Version of that game get delayed? I remember hearing that somewhere but I have no clue as to the context, reasoning, or reliability.

Edit: Also, it looks like this story's been debunked. (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=76830)
I am seriously anticipating that game, just on Value alone. 60+10 for a MS GS Game vs 60 for 3 Valve Games.