PS3 owners appreciate Art more?

[Geostigma]

PlayStation 3 gamers have a deeper proclivity for artistic games than Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii users, according to Journey developer and thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen. Speaking to VentureBeat, Chen plainly stated, "The player who owns a PlayStation 3 is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360."

Expanding on his claim, Chen said titles offered on Sony platforms are aimed at an older crowd, and suggested the publisher seeks to promote titles that users can emotionally connect with.

"Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste," he said. "They care about how grown-ups feel toward their games."

In a statement provided to VentureBeat, PlayStation senior director of digital platforms Jack Buser agreed with Chen's assessment.

"Our primary PSN audience is indeed more adult, and many of our best-selling titles appeal to this demographic," reads a line from the statement. "Many PlayStation and PSN games have themes that require a user to think and feel about a deep, immersive gameplay experience, and we see that exemplified in the success of titles like Flower, Journey, and Heavy Rain. Titles like these can only be found on PlayStation, and our users enjoy the emotional and thematic sophistication of their games, especially with our digital offerings."

Chen's latest project was Journey, which became the PlayStation Network's fastest-selling title of all time following its release in March, though Sony did not parse specific sales figures. A not-so-traditional title, the game casts players as a robed adventurer, wandering through an expansive desert world, journeying toward a distant mountain.

Not sure how I feel about the generalizations made. Then again looking at it on a non personal level, he could just be talking about the demographics that they market too and how they believe theres more of them on PS3 then there are on XBL or on Wii.
Who knows.

 

[Tennyo]

I would look at it from a marketing standpoint as well. Nintendo seems to really push the Wii toward younger players, mostly families as an activity they can do together, so obviously you wouldn't release an art game on that an expect it to do well.

Uh, I guess I've never really looked into Microsoft's whole thing but I do feel like the 360 is built up as being beefier and with more badassery, so maybe not the artsy crowd?

Sony, though, yeah I can see it.

This obviously doesn't apply to everyone who owns these consoles, but for stuff like this you have to think mass market rather than individual.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I'd agree with this primarily as the demographic types that the company caters to, which to an extent means that this is what the audience is interested in. I think that of all of the console system companies, Sony takes more risks on titles that are artistic, especially because they have a background from games like SotC and other experiments that go after a different gaming experience.

In my mind, this is how it breaks down: Nintendo kinda has the past in a lot of solid titles that bring up familiar gaming concepts, and will happily introduce that to new people, and change how games are played. They do innovation, but they like to center around simplicity and accessibility that are enjoyable by a non-specific group. Sony's had systems around for a long time, and tend to step outside of the box more toward a unique experience in what games are and what they mean to people. Microsoft's background in computer gaming focuses them on the gamers themselves and enhancing the gaming experience that people have together. Or to simplify it even more Nintendo is local multiplayer focused, Sony is single player focused, and Microsoft is online multiplayer focused. That doesn't mean it's ALL they do by a long shot, but I think when people think of the big three, that's the type of experience you're going to be stereotypically lumped into.

I know it's true of a number of people I know. I only own my PS3, and every so often I'll play online, I'll more often play with other people, but I'm most often looking for that singular type of experience in gaming. My little brother has an Xbox, and plays online or with his roommate almost constantly, and doesn't play singleplayer-only games very often anymore. Even though we both grew up gaming together, our tastes are different, and I think that our gaming consoles and habits reflect that. Then the few people I know with Wii's use them most when other people are around at their houses, or for single-player games like Zelda/Mario.

Yes it's stereotyping, but from a developer standpoint, I can see why Jenova Chen would be inclined to make a comment that way, because there is some truth to it, and he's an INCREDIBLY artistically-focused game designer who got his big break from Sony being willing to take that chance, and make it a huge success.



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[Obsidian Fire]

I'd like to know what he defines an "art game" as. Graphics only? Story and graphics? Is gameplay a factor?

Kinda wonder what he would make of Epic Micky. That game's art was so pretty. And your play-style actually mattered!

 

[Tennyo]

I think they are mainly meaning experimental games that don't follow conventional forms of gameplay. I've never played Epic Mickey but I would say it more closely follows a traditional game plan than Journey does.

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

I can definitely see where this is coming from and lol I am that demographic they speak of. Things that are very visually different and just flat out nice-looking appeal to me. Uncharted's focus is heavily cinematographic and its scenes are very well thought out in terms of composition and color. Journey, though I haven't played it, interests me because its style and gameplay isn't something I had seen before. Look at LBP too and its overall direction.

I hope this all makes some kind of sense.

 

[Hisako]

To me this article reads like a heap of projected shit.

Sure, the demographics exist, but the way he makes it out to be feels like gross exaggeration. The difference probably isn't as great as he says it is.

Also, it ignores the heap of multiplatformers that are just as mindless as the ones on the other consoles, as if "deep, immersive gameplay experiences" were only found on Playstation consoles. Please.

 

[Madame Mayor]

There are beautiful games on all of the systems. Games that are immersive in story and visuals.

Limbo (which was originally Xbox only) and Bastion come to mind right away for 360.

 

[Ghost X]

There's some crazy stuff on the PSN (or whatever name its under now). Those games don't really interest me. I do have a PS3 though, and only a PS3. Don't use my PC for gaming beyond minecraft and flash games *shame*. Not interested in getting a wii or an xbox.

 

[Max Payne]

To me this article reads like a heap of projected shit.

Sure, the demographics exist, but the way he makes it out to be feels like gross exaggeration. The difference probably isn't as great as he says it is.

Also, it ignores the heap of multiplatformers that are just as mindless as the ones on the other consoles, as if "deep, immersive gameplay experiences" were only found on Playstation consoles. Please.

For once I agree with you.

This is a stupid self indulgent article that doesn't seem to have much basis in reality.

Many of the same owners of PS3s own Xboxs.

 

[Hisako]

If I were to be cynical it basically just reads like a developer plugging the console that he works for by offhandedly suggesting people who appreciate art should be part of the PS3 crowd -

owait

 

[X-SOLDIER]

If I were to be cynical it basically just reads like a developer plugging the console that he works for by offhandedly suggesting people who appreciate art should be part of the PS3 crowd -

owait

The interesting thing is that thatgamecompany's contract with Sony ended with Journey, so he's not exactly obligated to say that stuff. I think it may reflect his attitude on attempting to push forward on developing those types of games while no longer being tied down, and who he's finding it easiest to work with.

That's probably because, like I said before, I think it speaks more to the interests of what the companies (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) are most willing to go out on a limb for, rather than the console itself or who owns them. That means that there's an indirect correlation between the two, and the likelyhood of the interests of the people who own them, but it's nothing to say that an 360 owner doesn't appreciate art as much as someone with a PS3 does - that's just absurd.


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[Max Payne]

I just dunno when exactly supposition and generalization became a valid methodology of expressing a point of view.

No one's going to say anything to slag off past and possibly future business partners that they already have a good relationship with.

The very act of saying "playstation users appreciate art more" is foolish imo, because there's no way of even cataloging and classifying such a thing short of going through an insane amount of information collecting that ultimately wouldn't even be worth the trouble.

Then there's the ultimately silly notion that some people have that games that aren't using high concepts as a primary form of communication with the player can't be artistic. Look at the Gears of War games. At first look it's a macho nonsensical face stomping fest, and while that is definitely present in some fashion, it doesn't begin to define it for me.

That's not even what got me interested in the games, it was the architectural design and the whole concept of "destroyed beauty" that drew me in.

Look at the artistry and design that have gone into the worlds of games like Halo, Kameo, Alice the Madness returns, and hell, look at the sheer amount of creativity that went into a game like Bayonetta, which appears insipid at first glance.

Most of Nintendo's big games like Zelda, Mario, even the latest Donkey Kong have gone to great lengths to create beautiful, vibrant worlds and have even attempted to innovate gameplay, even in some small fashion, despite trying to adhere to the gamers of old as well. For the most part they have succeeded.

We are living in an age where artistry and creativity are not limited to any console, and creators have a wide array of tools at their disposal for creating truly immerssive worlds and characters. Thanks to the advent of indie games gaining more exposure thanks to Xbox Live, Steam and PSN, there's no shortage of truly artistic games that are available to players. One only needs to browse the selection of titles on each service to see this. Not only are these games available to almost everyone, they're also doing surprisingly well for many of them not even being something that has worldwide appeal in the opinion of many marketers.

It's not some phenomenon limited to any one platform.

That's why it irks me when people say something like this, because it seems like a deliberate strike at not just the consumers, but the developers of the games for all platforms.

Art is present in a major way in video games, whether they're on consoles or pc, people should be more aware of that imo.

 

[Hisako]

The interesting thing is that thatgamecompany's contract with Sony ended with Journey, so he's not exactly obligated to say that stuff. I think it may reflect his attitude on attempting to push forward on developing those types of games while no longer being tied down, and who he's finding it easiest to work with.

That's probably because, like I said before, I think it speaks more to the interests of what the companies (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) are most willing to go out on a limb for, rather than the console itself or who owns them. That means that there's an indirect correlation between the two, and the likelyhood of the interests of the people who own them, but it's nothing to say that an 360 owner doesn't appreciate art as much as someone with a PS3 does - that's just absurd.


X

See it's asinine to even assume the interests of each company for each console. How would you see, quote-unquote, "Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste" as anything other than an attempt to make the Playstation 3 (or more specifically, its PSN network) look better than equivalents on other consoles?

It basically boils down to Jenova Chen passing his opinions off as fact. Now, if he were to come out and say "I developed for the PSN network and I was very pleased at the way Sony appreciated my artistic efforts, I hadn't gotten that from the other companies" blah blah blah, I could count that as 1. his personal (professional) opinion, and 2. his personal experiences. And fine, okay. Maybe his ideas might be justified. I might even agree with his angle from his perspective.

But he specifically throws out this rhetoric about the player, the average player on the Playstation 3 being more likely to be interested in artistic games, extrapolating this nonsense (what it seems to be) just from the PSN portfolio.

Claiming to strive for a more artistic taste is one thing. Claiming that they've achieved that over their other competitors is another. Blanketing their audience into that claim is bullshit.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

It's worth noting that the statement "playstation users appreciate art more" doesn't really convey the context of the actual quotes from Jenova Chen. Not to mention that the title of the article on Gamespot is also a misrepresentation of this misconclusion. I'd suggest reading through the original article on VentureBeat for a more apt representation and to get the facts straight on who said what.

I'll add the direct quotes that make this the most clear.

"Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste, they care about how grown-ups feel toward their games. The player who owns a PlayStation 3 is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360."

No one's saying at all that Gears of War or any other games lack artistic inspiration or lavish artistic detail. World creation and detailing is honestly one of the main reasons that I play games at all these days, and the art that goes into them is almost always just mind-blowing (and something I'd love to do if I could be focused enough on art to pursue it as a career).

That being said, it's not that type of art in games that Jenova Chen is referring to in his quote. Having played all of his games and listened to him in a lot of interviews, I can say with a confidence that he's referring to the idea of a game as a singlular artistic expression, rather than the art within a game that makes it up. (It may also be worth noting that English isn't his native language).

The second part of the quote is directly fron Sony, and not from Jenova Chen (Microsoft and Nintendo were reached out to, but didn't respond).

Our primary PSN audience is indeed more adult, and many of our best-selling titles appeal to this demographic. Many PlayStation and PSN games have themes that require a user to think and feel about a deep, immersive gameplay experience, and we see that exemplified in the success of titles like Flower, Journey, and Heavy Rain. Titles like these can only be found on PlayStation, and our users enjoy the emotional and thematic sophistication of their games, especially with our digital offerings."

Again, this directly reflects the idea of a demographic that the Sony seeks to cater to most. Anything that states otherwise is misrepresenting the point that Jenova Chen is making in his intention.



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[Max Payne]

Don't see how that changes anything I said, but okay.

 

[Hisako]

Yeah, I already read the original article rather than the one in OP before I posted last. It puts things much more into the original context, although my position on the matter still stands.

No one's saying at all that Gears of War or any other games lack artistic inspiration or lavish artistic detail. World creation and detailing is honestly one of the main reasons that I play games at all these days, and the art that goes into them is almost always just mind-blowing (and something I'd love to do if I could be focused enough on art to pursue it as a career).

That being said, it's not that type of art in games that Jenova Chen is referring to in his quote. Having played all of his games and listened to him in a lot of interviews, I can say with a confidence that he's referring to the idea of a game as a singlular artistic expression, rather than the art within a game that makes it up. (It may also be worth noting that English isn't his native language).

All I can say is that then he probably did a doody, because his comparative claims are still ridiculous, grand sweeping generalisations.

And even if Chen's company isn't contractually bound to Sony anymore, it still shows his obvious bias. That's neither here nor there, but would you be going 'oh I think experimental development has had a fairly even occurence across all platforms of gaming' if Sony was the company that gave you your big break?

Again, this directly reflects the idea of a demographic that the Sony seeks to cater to most. Anything that states otherwise is misrepresenting the point that Jenova Chen is making in his intention.

Like I said, it's great that they're catering to a portion of their users that make up a more intelligent/artistic//thoughtful demographic (it'd be absurd to suggest otherwise), but then Buser makes up some dumb nonsense about how titles like those in the PSN can only be found on Playstation.
So even if we were to consider this from Chen's (highly restrictive) definition of "artistic", they were poor choices of words from all fronts that came off as an attempt to plug the PSN and make non-PS3 users seem less intelligent in contrast. What's there to misrepresent? When someone claims superiority in one thing, they're also claiming inferiority in others.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I'd like to bring this up, since I noticed these today (although they were posted about a week ago).

Apparently Jenova Chen saw the article, and was rather significantly displeased about how his supposed opinion was represented in them. I've added a couple quotes from a brief conversation as well as a couple other comments he made about the articles on Twitter.

PS3 fans are more appreciative of art games? So why was Limbo such a success on Xbox 360?

Why would you read into a news where a journalist played with my words to build up fan boy fights?

I was quick to believe it because I've heard that claim before. Again, my apologies for taking Gamespot's words as gospel.

That's all right. I had to dig deep into my mailbox to verify since I don't recall doing an interview like that.

I lost my respect for the news editor as well. Don't you find it's a strange news with only two lines from me?

Don't get me start on that. Hopefully people will just forget about this tomorrow.

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