Ubi to "leverage" 360/PS3 work for Café

By Fred Dutton Published 12 May, 2011

Won't have to "redo" titles for Wii successor.

Making Project Café versions of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games won't be a stretch, according to comments from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.

Speaking at an investor call today, Guillemot revealed that his teams will be able to utilise a lot of the work done on titles for the current HD consoles when developing for Nintendo's new platform.

"The platform Nintendo is coming with is really a fantastic platform. We think it will be extremely successful," he stated.

"What we see is that we will be able to leverage a lot of the work we do for Xbox 360 and PS3 while we create games for the platform.

"So we will not have to redo completely the games that we create. We'll be able to use all the capacity the console is giving but also use all the work we do for the other platforms."

Nintendo hasn't officially released tech specs for its new console yet but speculation suggests it'll boast slightly more oomph than Microsoft and Sony's current systems. A full reveal is expected during its E3 presentation next month.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Phantom_Dynamite #1 1 year ago

    So Project Cafe will get Ps360 ports, which isn't unusual for a new console, but if MS and Sony take there time getting new consoles out the gate how long will this last.

    Either way Ninty need to make there first party something special.

  • murphsp1 #2 1 year ago

    Of course ... this is exactly why the Big N's strategy is pretty clever ... although it means that gamers will see TONS of recycled games.

  • INSOMANiAC #3 1 year ago

    Aka 'we will be able to churn out shitty ports and rake the cash in from unsuspecting morons, just like we're doing with the 3DS'

  • Dolly #4 1 year ago

    Good stuff, but I still hope that there is a LOT more oomph, rather than it only being a teeny tiny bit more powerful than the 360/PS3.

  • Hunam #5 1 year ago

    Cue Ubisoft bringing in another line of dodgy ports and sub par games for a console launch.

  • Cappy #6 1 year ago

    And I bet the games will still have tearing and frame rate problems.

    Have Ubisoft released anything this generation without tearing?

  • ianegg #7 1 year ago

    I wonder if Nintendo will change their minds about achievements. I'll almost certainly be getting one of these, but unless it's miles better then the PS3, Trophies will sway any multiplatform purchasing decisions I make.

    Not that I care as long as I get my Zelda/Mario/etc fix.

  • Yuroko #8 1 year ago

    Yay! 3 consoles with the exact same games. That's what I love about this gen, the diversity.

  • bdc #9 1 year ago

    Explicit confirmation that Cafe is equally powerful as PS3/360?

  • Kaminari #10 1 year ago

    Assassin's Creed HD!

    ... oh, wait.

  • Syrette #11 1 year ago

    trophieslol

  • mr2ange #12 1 year ago

    Hmm interesting strategy,

    However it does make sense seeing as almost every dev in the world had a very bitter taste with the Wii.

    I can't get used to the name though, please Nintendo announce a better name at E3, the "Revolution" was good, something cool please!

    Edit - @Ianegg, Trophies/Achievements are just a gamers form of E-Peen
    Edited by mr2ange at 12/05/11 @ 19:04

  • Syrette #13 1 year ago

    @Hunam

    I thought Ghost Recon on the 3DS was meant to be good?

  • AlcohollicA #14 1 year ago

    Ghost Recon might be good but Rayman and Splinter Cell are quick cash-ins.

  • harzo #15 1 year ago

    How about make some original games from the ground up you lazy bastards!

  • rick1199 #16 1 year ago

    I'd like to think this will mean any games Ubi release after the Cafe is lauched will launch on all 3 platform. Rather than this just being about old games

  • Johnius #17 1 year ago

    Isn't this why third party involvement with the wii is a pile of shit - loads of ps2/xbox games were ported over with motion controls tacked on?

    Expect the same here - same games, little work done to play to the platform's strengths with unimaginative use of the controller's screen.

    No thanks.

  • Centrifugal #18 1 year ago

    I'll be interested to see what the graphics for this new console are like.

  • OnlyMe #19 1 year ago

    I fail to see how it's a good idea to tell your customers that they're basically going to get PS360 ports for their shiny new console.

  • uknortherner2000 #20 1 year ago

    UbiShovelware

  • Machetazo #21 1 year ago

    "project" names (i.e internal codenames) for Nintendo hardware has yet to last till the platform release. I don't see why, if the Cafe name is associated with Nintendo's new machine, that it'll be sticking around for launch.

    Also: Ubisoft..Ports...Console launches [aghhhhh!]
    /Straightens clothing and dusts down
    That's better. ^.^

  • BuckEntropy #22 1 year ago

    Wii Tuu?

  • RodHull #23 1 year ago

    To be fair a lot of games have been subject to "leverage" onto the Wii. The most common tool for "leveraging" this ware has been a shovel.

  • RobTheBuilder #24 1 year ago

    What they possibly mean is:

    We won't have to bother making any improvements to the graphics, we'll just stick with the 360 versions.

    /cynic

  • The-Bodybuilder #25 1 year ago

    It's not clever really.
    Why would general gamers buy a new console that just seems to have all the games they can get on their current, cheaper one?

    This is a dangerous, "dreamcast-like" move by Ninty. If Sony or MS release their new consoles in the next 2 years, it may leave this for dust.

    But then.....I thought the wii would be a failure, so what do I know.

  • infernox1 #26 1 year ago

    well if the rumours are true, this new nintendo console will be like an upgraded xbox 360. faster gpu, newer, and therefore faster, cpu architecture and likely more ram means the best console version for multiplatform games will be on this (pc will still be better obviously). devs wont need to fiddle with much of the code for games made for the xbox 360 since their architecture will be similar.

  • Subdominator #27 1 year ago

    So what he's saying is I should pay 200+ pounds in order to play converted 360/PS3 games and one or two Nintendo games that I'm interested in? LOL! Reminds me of Xbox vs PS2. Yes, games looked better on Xbox. But nobody cared because PS2 had way more titles and was cheaper (unless you bought the HD addon). Why buy a Wii 1.5 if you can get a real next gen console two years later?

  • TonyHarrison #28 1 year ago

    Trying to read anything into this is largely redundant, as this is just Ubisoft being Ubisoft...

    A tenner says they'll be 'leveraging' Rayman in there somehow.

  • CallousB #29 1 year ago

    Well I suppose ports of their 360/PS3 games (hopefully with improved framerates/resolution and item selection on the touchscreen)....

    ...is better than the crap they have stuck on Wii (with the exception of Red Steel 2).

    Having said thay...I can't say Ubisoft's 360/PS3 games are that appealing to me.

  • thedriffter50 #30 1 year ago

    I don't want to play any Ubisoft game on PS3 let alone on a Nintendo console.

  • BonzoBanana #31 1 year ago

    I can see the appeal to both Nintendo and Ubisoft. Nintendo says we may charge you £8 royalty per game (or whatever it is) but you can quickly port 360 assets to create a Cafe game for very little money so you still make big money. Whats worrying is in the states 3DS games are $40 and in the UK £40, current full price games in the states are $60 but £50 here. I wonder if Nintendo will drive the UK price upto £60.

    For me a new console especially a home based console needs cutting edge original games. If Project Cafe has great original games I will buy it but if most of the games are also on 360 and near identical for far less money I'm not going to be an early adopter.

    I'd love to get a Nintendo 3DS but for me there isn't much to play on it and I know I'd get bored of it quickly. If Project Cafe comes out with 360 and gamecube conversions making up most of the games with original games either very rare or very basic it won't be worth getting.

    I was a devoted Nintendo home gamer upto the Gamecube but lost interest in Nintendo because of the wii. Just as Nintendo became a huge gaming brand my interest declined. Maybe the same will happen with portable consoles. I've been with Nintendo since the gameboy, then gameboy advance, then ds but I've sort of lost interest as 3DS doesn't seem that good or that practical. Motion controllers and 3D graphics are no substitute for powerful hardware that can create immersive and alive game worlds.

    If Project Cafe can take the powerful console hardware crown for only two years thats enough for me to buy one if there are great original games on it.

  • HyperTails #32 1 year ago

    So rushed PS3/360 ports confirmed then?

    Or are Ubisoft just using their experience to create HD 'petz' games quicker?

  • SavageEvil #33 1 year ago

    Will be interesting to see if Ubi bring out any new IP's as they have been claiming that they need new round of consoles to deliver new IP's. Well come 2012, Nintendo is ushering in the new round of consoles, so lets have at it Ubi, no more sequels or spin offs of other spin offs either.

  • Collymilad #34 1 year ago

    Sounds alright.

    Now let's just hope that Cafe actually gets some decent games converted over.

    Also, the Xbox did do games that the PS2 wasn't capable of. Let's not forget that.
    Edited by Collymilad at 12/05/11 @ 23:23

  • Mister-Wario #35 1 year ago

    I would hope Cafe would be capable of playing the PS3/360's successor titles, rather than emulating what technically counts as the last generation.

  • 32768Colours #36 1 year ago

    I have always been platform agnostic, but I'm hoping the new Nintendo console knocks seven bells out of MS and Sony. Say what you will about Nintendo (and I certainly have) but I'm on 360 No.4 right now, whilst I only ever had one SNES, Gamecube, GBA etc.

    Its one of the reasons I really can't wait to get away from what has to be my most love/hate console generation yet. I'd sum it up like this: Some of the most incredible games in history released for 3 of the most half-baked, over-priced systems in history.

    Not one £99 console yet, the still largely unproven motion control white elephant, RROD, PSN security, DRM, cynical DLC, friend codes, MS points., YLOD and my personal pet hate - the 360's noisy-as-hell fans.

    Were it not for the insanely high standard of so many games and the amazing resurgence of budget gaming providing stuff like Trials HD and Braid, I seriously doubt I'd have put up with all the grief and cynicism gaming has made me feel this generation. So on topic, to be honest, if I need to suffer 6 months of half-arsed ports on a new system, I'd be willing to take the hit! Anything for a fresh start I say :)

  • lockload #37 1 year ago

    Im struggling to see the motivation for ps3/xbox360 owners to buy another system

    Seems like the best plan would be to keep their ps3/xbox then buy as much more powerful system a few years later
    Edited by lockload at 13/05/11 @ 05:31

  • jumpdeveraux #38 1 year ago

    It won't just be Ubisoft - I'd wager all 3rd parties will just do direct ports of their 360/PS3 titles. The economic environment for devs/publishers is tight - I don't see many leaping aboard the Cafe which has an install base of zero at launch and will take years to get the footprint of 360/PS3 (even more risky is the creation of a new IP exclusive to that platform). Sadly it's a very risk averse gaming world out there (or so the accountants tell me).

    Lots of questions to ask - what's the size of the target market for those ported gamesl? Are they Wii owners that don't already have a 360 or PS3? What are the user projections for Wii users upgrading? How many PS3/360 owners are expected to also buy a Cafe?

    I think Nintendo must rely on a stellar lineup of 1st party titles for the Cafe to get it flying off shelves - this will spark developer interest. As Nintendo courts 3rd parties all of these devs/publishers are making calls to Sony and Microsoft straight after to try and get visibility on their next platforms.

    Nintendo have the smarts to avoid a Dreamcast scenario but they need to be flawless in their execution - a couple of wrong moves and their platform will be out in the cold.

  • cjs #39 1 year ago

    Will the ports be poor? Sure, the developers will have much less time and experience with the new console, but if Nintendo's got half a brain, they've anticipated that and will counterbalance it with enough extra hardware power that you won't need to be as good a developer to get the same frame rates and quality as on the Xbox 360 or PS3.

  • Geordiemp #40 1 year ago

    Just to think big N, if Wii had HD graphics and 512 MB RAM, with the separate controller it would have had all the 3rd party games as well.

    I would of not needed to buy a ps3/360 and wii would have won and continued to do so..and software would be no 1.

    Bit late now..

  • des #41 1 year ago

    DF must be happy,another platform to dissect and compare.I predict Cafe>360>PS3,but imagine if if turns the other way,360>PS3>Cafe...hot hot hot

  • tancredo #42 1 year ago

    Considering Nintendo's recent history of third party support, I do not think we will see anything better than ports in the Cafe console. Hardly anybody is going to risk investing in AAA development with Nintendo, given their current user base and lack of support for outsiders of the company.

  • Lusterpurge #43 1 year ago

    Everyone seems to forget the Gamecube was on par or better than the other consoles yet every major game came out only on the PS2 and Xbox. As a Cube only owner, I was hoping the Wii and it's enormous sales would lure developers.

    Even if Cafe was powerful and successful like former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi, I doubt developers would make games for it; I suspect somewhere in the developer contract states that the dev team must sacrifice their first born child to create games on a Nintendo console.
    Edited by Lusterpurge at 13/05/11 @ 10:26