The PS4's lead architect admits that the PS3's architecture just wasn't developer friendly enough, and promises that the PS4 won't make the same mistake
Image/Photo Credit: Sony
The lead architect of Sony's upcoming PS4 console says that the PS3's over-complicated architecture was detrimental to the concept-driven development process that made games for the original PlayStation and the PS2 more fun.
Instead the complex architecture of the PS3 hampered indie development in the early days of the console, and indie development is where the fun factor" often comes from, says PS4 architect Mark Cerny.
"A number of issues began to arose from the design and technology of the PlayStation 3," Cerny explains.
Cerny says that even as early as the PS2 era, the console and software toolset had started to be tailored to bigger development with more resources and complicated frameworks. The increased difficulty in getting the best out of consoles like the PS3 made it difficult for indie developers to make their mark.
"In some cases, it became an inspiration to indie developers. Flower and PixelJunk Shooter were in many ways born out of a testament to how SPUs and CPUs can be used to create distinct visuals and unique gameplay.
"But more often than not, architecture of the hardware in the early days on the PlayStation 3 hampered indie development of the platform," adds Cerny.
And working on the PS4, Cerny says that the lessons have been well and truly learned. Instead, Sony's new console will be much more friendly to indie developers, and will support a variety of business models, including free-to-play and in-game purchases.
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