PopCap: Simultaneous multiplatform development is a “lowest common denominator approach”

2 June 2011

It seems that, with just a few exceptions, most games these days are developed and launched simultaneously on PC, Xbox, and PS3. That just makes good business sense, right? PopCap dev boss Ed Allard isn’t completely convinced.

“Well [PopCap’s] rolling platform release strategy has been something that’s evolved out of, not out of a business plan – although it turned out to be pretty good from a business perspective – but it’s more about being able to approach these platforms with such individual care and attention. Releasing them all simultaneously, well, we worry about that forcing us into a kind of lowest common denominator thinking,” he tells GamesIndustry.biz.

“When the console industry started hitting a point where everything was coming out multiplatform, you started feeling that. If you’ve got Wii, 360 and PS3 day and date, you kind of end up playing a Wii game on your PS3 as opposed to playing a great PS3 game, because that’s sort of what it takes from a development perspective.

“I really fear the lowest common denominator approach,” he concludes.

Aaaaand this is the part where PC gamers complain about Crysis 2. The floor is yours, guys.

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