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[Kuranghi]

Will the Xbox version have the Sony team in the credits?

Nah the Xbox version had all different motion capture done by an MS studio... of course it will ya pie!

Spoiler

 

[TGO]

How?

MLB is made by Sony is on Xbox. Games made for PS5 are made on windows operating system, audio software used in lots of games is owned by Sony etc etc.

MLB is a given.
The others is not the same.
So yeah.

 

[Lions Gate]

is striking distance owned by krafton ?

 

[Represent.]

They're going to either purchase this studio or IP if it sells well. Thats a shit ton of people.

 

[remember_spinal]

people asking if they will remove 150 developer names in the xbox credits because they are owned by playstation…

If only you all knew how many game companies sony are invested in

 

[CamHostage]

It's a little weird, as you'd assume these people would be plenty busy contributing to PlayStation games for the home team, but I guess this team's job is specifically to collaborate and farm stuff out, so whatever jobs are available, they're potentially for hire?

Their boilerplate corporate description only mentions first-party games, so I don't know if this is a new thing VASG offers or it's something specifically requested by Strike Force / Krafton?

The Sony PlayStation Visual Arts Services Group (VASG) provides world class content, development, and services to Worldwide Studios. We offer a full service production studio with an emphasis in art, animation, as well as previsualization, character creation, motion capture, software development, face/body scanning, tracking and solving...

Our team is always at the cutting edge of technology and partners with the industry’s best minds and companies: Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studios, Guerrilla Games, Japan Studios, and other Sony PlayStation first-party studios.

These are not game makers, they're asset and production service manufacturers, so they don't really fit with what we think of as "Team PlayStation", more like they're an office that the PlayStation game makers we know go to. (In fact, the description below say they provide their work "to Worldwide Studios", not "as part of Worldwide Studios." Also, they are not listed on the SIE WWS rolecall, although Nixes is, but that's a little different.)

We already knew that Sony rents out its audio and mocap studios, this is kind of in that vein... although 150 people is a lot of contribution, plus they list them as "PlayStation Studios Visual Arts - Development Team", so I'm back to seeing this as sensible contracting but still a little weird.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

Outsourcing is a pretty common practice nowadays, for both AA and AAA games.

 

[Flabagast]

Thats an insane amount of devs for a 3rd party game. Most studios aren’t even that big

You do know that even small indies like Kena Bridge of Spirits have 200+ external devs working on it right ?

 

[remember_spinal]

You do know that even small indies like Kena Bridge of Spirits have 200+ external devs working on it right ?

Yeah, white moon dreams worked on Kena

 

[yurinka]

Yes, Sony VASG also does cutscenes/art outsourcing stuff for 3rd party multiplatform games.

Will the Xbox version have the Sony team in the credits?

So does this show up in the Xbox version too?

Yes, as happened in the previous 3rd party multiplatform games where Sony VASG did work before doing cutscenes and art outsourcing stuff.

Acquisition incoming?

No. This is an internal support group that does outsourcing art stuff (mostly for cutscenes) typically for Sony games, but from time to time they also do outsourcing jobs for 3rd party multiplatform games.

Probably in periods when there's no Sony game that needs them.

 

[TGO]

Yes, as happened in the previous 3rd party multiplatform games where Sony VASG did work before doing cutscenes and art outsourcing stuff.

What games was they?


remember_spinal
More of an inquiry if they worked on both versions.
Obviously if they worked on it they should be credited regardless of platform.
But it is a little weird seeing it.
Just like it would be weird seeing Nintendo popping up.

 

[remember_spinal]

What games was they?


remember_spinal
More of an inquiry if they worked on both versions.
Obviously if they worked on it they should be credited regardless of platform.
But it is a little weird seeing it.
Just like it would be weird seeing Nintendo popping up.

The only time i could see that being the case if if they did a late port or localization for one platform.

You can’t really remove the team that helped work on mo cap/cinematics/animations

 

[CamHostage]

So does this show up in the Xbox version too?

Heh, it'd be a lot shorter Xbox game if the work of 150 extra people only showed up on the other versions...

 

[kyliethicc]

Thats an insane amount of devs for a 3rd party game.

Are people still surprised about this? They did the same thing for Fallen Order a few years ago. Gotta pay the bills.

Most studios aren’t even that big

Most $70 games are made by developers with more than 150 employees.

150 isn't much in terms of headcount anymore for big budget.

For comparison, about 800 people worked on Ragnarok with 400 of them at SMS.

What games was they?


remember_spinal
More of an inquiry if they worked on both versions.
Obviously if they worked on it they should be credited regardless of platform.
But it is a little weird seeing it.
Just like it would be weird seeing Nintendo popping up.

PlayStation's Visual Arts team works on various 3rd party games' cinematics all the time.

They worked on Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and Resident Evil Village recently, among others.

They're like ILM of the games industry. They do mocap, characters, cinematic animation, etc.

Doesn't indicate any exclusivity or even marketing deals, necessarily. Just a way to pay the bills.

 

[jakinov]

If that many PS people contributed to it, it should have been an exclusive game, or at least a timed exclusive.

Perhaps PS is looking at a potential studio acquisition with this partnership.

It’s very likely they simply got paid for their services which would then make no sense to give them a special benefit of exclusivity. The company appears to specialize in supporting other studios with things like but not exclusive to mocap. Things that with a 5 year game cycle even across several studios might not keep them busy all the time.

The idea of companies subsidies only doing things exclusively for sister and parent companies has historically been common in gaming but it’s not always the case elsewhere and maybe something they are embracing so that they can maximize value out of this group.

A notable example is the company Industrial Light and Magic which is VFX company now owned by Disney, known for creating VFX for the Star Wars movies and many Disney owned movies like Marvel. But they don’t just do Disney owned movies despite being owned by Disney else they run out of work. They do movies for anyone including Warner Bros and their DC movies. There a lot of examples of competitors using each other services or buying parts from each other in electronics especially.

 

[CamHostage]

A notable example is the company Industrial Light and Magic which is VFX company now owned by Disney, known for creating VFX for the Star Wars movies and many Disney owned movies like Marvel. But they don’t just do Disney owned movies despite being owned by Disney else they run out of work. They do movies for anyone including Warner Bros and their DC movies. There a lot of examples of competitors using each other services or buying parts from each other in electronics especially.

It's crazier than that. There are (or were, at least; I'm not sure how often it still happens in today's questionably-vertically-integrated market) shows on network TV channels which are produced by their rival parent studios. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was made by NBC Universal Television but broadcast on Fox (until NBC picked it back up when it was canceled,) Scrubs was produced by ABC Studios but ran most of its seasons on NBC (same thing happened when it was canceled though, ABC rescued it,) and JAG was made by NBC but they canceled it after a season and let CBS acquire it and make it a hit for another 9 seasons.

Are people still surprised about this? They did the same thing for Fallen Order a few years ago. Gotta pay the bills.

I don't think people are surprised, just that PlayStation's own contract staff did the job.

Usually you see independent support studios doing contract work, like Virtuos or Certain Affinity or High Voltage. Or there's support, but it's from inside the family, like VASG usually does or like all the Ubisoft China studios you've never heard of. Or there was some contracting, but it was for professional facilities like mocap or audio recording. 150 Sony staffers specifically working as "developer" on a non-Sony project is, even for those who stick around for the credits, not something too too familiar.

But, you're right, it's ultimately just a job, and devs gotta eat.

 

[kyliethicc]

It's crazier than that. There are (or were, at least; I'm not sure how often it still happens in today's questionably-vertically-integrated market) shows on network TV channels which are produced by their rival parent studios. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was made by NBC Universal Television but broadcast on Fox (until NBC picked it back up when it was canceled,) Scrubs was produced by ABC Studios but ran most of its seasons on NBC (same thing happened when it was canceled though, ABC rescued it,) and JAG was made by NBC but they canceled it after a season and let CBS acquire it and make it a hit for another 9 seasons.



I don't think people are surprised, just that PlayStation's own contract staff did the job.

Usually you see independent support studios doing contract work, like Virtuos or Certain Affinity or High Voltage. Or there's support, but it's from inside the family, like VASG usually does or like all the Ubisoft China studios you've never heard of. Or there was some contracting, but it was for professional facilities like mocap or audio recording. 150 Sony staffers specifically working as "developer" on a non-Sony project is, even for those who stick around for the credits, not something too too familiar.

But, you're right, it's ultimately just a job, and devs gotta eat.

PlayStation Visual Arts work on plenty of 3rd party games. Have for many years.

They even worked on Titanfall, an Xbox exclusive.

 

[CamHostage]

PlayStation Visual Arts work on plenty of 3rd party games. Have for many years.

They even worked on Titanfall, an Xbox exclusive.

Eh, so they did. You learn something new every day.

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/titanfall/credits

Still, that's the type of specialty facility services (mocap) that you're used to seeing deep down in the credits. You'd expect a recording studio or mocap group to take jobs from whoever walks through the proverbial doors, but hiring "PlayStation developers", I don't know, it just doesn't click the same even though it's the same thing of renting skilled labor and professional workspace time.

(They also were "Sony Computer Entertainment: Visual Arts Services Group" at the time, not "PlayStation Visual Arts Services Group", so people didn't notice it as much, although SCE/SIE is the PlayStation division so it's the same thing ultimately.)

 

[Heisenberg007]

It’s very likely they simply got paid for their services which would then make no sense to give them a special benefit of exclusivity. The company appears to specialize in supporting other studios with things like but not exclusive to mocap. Things that with a 5 year game cycle even across several studios might not keep them busy all the time.

The idea of companies subsidies only doing things exclusively for sister and parent companies has historically been common in gaming but it’s not always the case elsewhere and maybe something they are embracing so that they can maximize value out of this group.

A notable example is the company Industrial Light and Magic which is VFX company now owned by Disney, known for creating VFX for the Star Wars movies and many Disney owned movies like Marvel. But they don’t just do Disney owned movies despite being owned by Disney else they run out of work. They do movies for anyone including Warner Bros and their DC movies. There a lot of examples of competitors using each other services or buying parts from each other in electronics especially.

If they simply outsourced and got paid, then it's fine. I wasn't aware that they outsource services until a few posters here told me.

My point was if it was purely altruistic, then mere marketing rights in exchange don't seem enough from a business perspective.

 

[Black_Stride]

So does this show up in the Xbox version too?

Yes.
Just like SIE shows up in the Jedi Fallen Order credits.

Just like they show up in the credits of TitanFall.....an Xbox exclusive.

 

[TGO]

Just like SIE shows up in the Jedi Fallen Order credits.

I didn't notice that

 

[Black_Stride]

I didn't notice that

If you are in the west coast the PDS Group is one of the best studios to work with on pretty much every part of development.
They are an outsourcing studio.
Not sure why this is "news" now when the PDS Group has existed for a long time and has worked on games which appear on Xbox since atleast the Xbox One.
Im sure if I keep looking I could find more "xbox" projects they have worked on.

Hell Microsoft lets Sony use Azure as their network and cloud backend.
The console war is one thing but at their core these companies are in it for the money.
I wouldnt be shocked if PDS Group appears in Microsoft first party titles........I just gotta find some Microsoft First Party titles. (I keed, I keed).
They already appear in third party Xbox exclusive Titanfall.

 

[bxrz]

If that many PS people contributed to it, it should have been an exclusive game, or at least a timed exclusive.

Perhaps PS is looking at a potential studio acquisition with this partnership.

They can have them after that metacritic score

Sony really believes in this new studio and franchise...

Sony’s judgement is now in question

 

[Heisenberg007]

They can have them after that metacritic score

Sony’s judgement is now in question

The game apparently is good, and most of the elements are top-notch: audio design, acting, gameplay, satisfying combat, art direction, graphics, environment vibe, etc. Example:

Reviewers deducted scores mostly because of difficulty and a relatively smaller linear experience.

Funnily enough, the same reviewers praise Elden Ring for being difficult, complain about the abundance of open-world games, and appreciate the simplicity and linearity of games like Plague Tale and Gears 5, which also take the same amount of time to complete.

Reviewers aren't to be taken seriously nowadays.