How Serious Sam HD could be on PlayStation Network
Last week it was revealed that Croteam was working on an HD re-release of its popular first-person shooter for PC and Xbox Live Arcade. Conspicuously absent from that news was mention of a PlayStation Network version of the game. PS3 owners may have been wondering why Croteam would avoid trying to bringing to PSN. As Ascaron can tell you, developing games on multiple platforms can literally kill your company (see Sacred 2). But beyond the money, the man hours and the resources needed to develop on multiple platforms, there has to be a demand for the game - especially if it has to come out later than other versions..
To fill in the blanks, G4 spoke to Croteam CEO Roman Ribaric, who explained the reasoning on passing on a PSN version - at least for now. When Croteam decided to create an HD version of the game, the PSN was a part of that equation. But it wasn’t until the company tried to secure funding for it that it realized that it wasn’t going to happen right away. They tried finding another team to work on the game as well but couldn’t find a developer willing to commit to.
The only solution they could come up with was to create a PSN version after the PC and Xbox Live versions were complete. But again, problems arose:
“We [have considered] doing PSN after we finish PC and XBLA,” said Ribaric. “However, we keep hearing over and over from publishers, investors, marketing and other suits that players from one console, in this case PSN, wouldn’t want to get it later, let’s say eight months and seven days after, if it’s released sooner on the other console, here that would be XBLA. I would normally say that’s a lot of bull, but I will refrain here from my comment. What do your readers think?”
And so, that is where the PSN version’s fate lies: with you. If Croteam gets a strong enough response for a PSN version to be released at some point later, will you buy it?
“It would feel perfect to have it on PSN as well,” Ribaric added. “However, we are a garage team of 20 people, although with a larger garage now, working on Serious Sam HD for PC and XBLA platforms. Along that, we are developing Serious Sam 3 and Serious Engine 3 tech for both platforms. Now, I know we are good, but we are not that good to add PSN and finish at the same time. Just kidding, we are that good, but we are not supermen.”
There’s a bit more to the story, which you can only find on G4TV.com. Read it and then sound off if you want Serious Sam HD on the PlayStation Network. Or not.
