PS3: 40 downloadable games in the making

[Rehmann]

Today Phil Harrison, SCE World Wide Studios head, announced that around 40 PlayStation 3 downloadable titles are in development. These games, published by Sony, will be specifically made so PS3 owners can download them through Sony’s online network.

Harrison also gave insight into Sony’s belief of what downloadable games should look like. "...What we’ve seen on other systems tend to be retro 2D games, and we’re pushing the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation 3. Plus, the fact that every PS3 has a hard disc drive means that we’re not restricted by the size of the download, and that has a huge impact on the kind of game design that you can do.”

Microsoft currently restricts it’s Xbox Arcade title developers to 50mb of game space. This specification is designed to keep Xbox 360 owners with 64mb memory cards and no hard drive in mind. However, this small amount of work room limits arcade titles to sometimes retro, 2D, and relatively short games.

Despite this drawback, it’s easy to say that Microsoft’s Arcade feature is a huge success with over 8 million arcade game downloads. If Sony ever wants to beat Microsoft’s Arcade, innovation must be the backbone in Sony’s online strategy. Harrison believes just that and is confident Sony will spur developers to creating larger, 3D, and of course, more innovative titles.