Sony's PlayStation-3 game development package available at half-price
20 Nov 2007
The world''s largest maker of video-game consoles, Sony, has halved the price of a software program package used to create new games for its PlayStation 3 (PS-3), allowing developers to lower game-making costs.
Called a ''reference tool'', the package is now priced at ¥950,000 ($8,600) in Japan and $10,250 in the US. Nintendo''s Wii game console has been outselling PS-3 with its Mario and Wii Sports titles.
As of 30 September, Sony had sold 5.59 million PS-3 consoles worldwide, compared with 13.17 million of Nintendo''s Wii players.
This has meant creators of games prefer to write them for Wii rather than PS-3. For example, Capcom, publisher of the Resident Evil video-game, said on 11 October that it would make a sequel to its Monster Hunter series for the Wii. Previously, it said the game would be produced for the PlayStation 3. Sony''s ''game plan'' is that it expects this to lead eventually to releases of more games for PS-3.
