PS2 to become open platform in Europe

By Robert Purchese Published 29 October, 2008

Sony encouraging local, cheap projects.

Sony development bigwig George Bain has said the PlayStation 2 is "effectively an open platform" in Europe.

"You no longer have to submit a game for content approval," Bain told a throng of Euro developers, according to GameDaily.

The idea behind the move is to encourage regional developers to be able to make "low-development cost titles and release them in their market", he said, using India and Russia as examples.

And while development kits can be costly, Sony has often been known to loan them for the duration of a project.

There are over 120 million PlayStation 2 consoles scattered across houses around the world, which ought to make the whole idea very appealing. The numbers are partly due to the continued support for the platform, which still undergoes hardware revisions and receives its swathe of multiformat titles. And SingStar Singalong With Disney.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • chrisjm #1 3 years ago

    rikshaw racer here we come

  • Retroid #2 3 years ago

    Could be interesting.... I'd love to get more japanese stuff without the publisher having to dub it.

  • seasidebaz #3 3 years ago

    You still require a publisher to actually print the discs, though. In that regard, the PSP and PS3 are far more "open".

  • Cappy #4 3 years ago

    Here come the hentai games.

  • miiiguel #5 3 years ago

    While it can be good move in a offline system such as PS2, I hope the trend doesn't expand to networked systems, ot it'll be anarchy-land like the PC.

  • Fodder #6 3 years ago

    What does this mean in practice? No TRC checks at all? What's to stop people releasing buggy software which wipes the user's memory card or something like that? Also, who presses the disks? Do Sony still have to do it, or are they releasing details of how to produce disks that run in unmodified PS2s so anybody can make them? Does the PlayStation branding stay on the boxes?

  • Razz #7 3 years ago

    yaay! PS2 Net Yaroze!

  • mcbi4kh2 #8 3 years ago

    what do you reckon, will the ps2 still be being made after production of ps3 and 360 has stopped?

  • Eraser #9 3 years ago

    I don't know what a PS2 development kit all contains, but if they could release all the API's and PS2 SDK and allow custom software to be run from DVD-ROM's, then that'd be amazing for homebrew development and would make the PS2 quite interesting.

  • kangarootoo #10 3 years ago

    @Fodder

    As I understand it, any potential release would still have to meet TRCs and so on. Not quite as open platform as the article suggests.

    This just means that Sony won't turn around and say something like "There are too many fishing games on our platform right now, so you can't develop another one Comapny X".

    It used to be the case that they would have to approve of your concept and everything before development would be supported (same for MS and Nintendo of course, no cat buggering games on the DS you will note). Now I guess they aren't fussed about retaining creative control on the PS2 (which seems fair, given its position in its lifecycle).

    Does this mean an influx of cat buggering games on PS2 I wonder? So long as they meet technical submission requirements, I guess its feasible. I forsee hedbog exceeding his overdraft.
    Edited by 1 at 29/10/08 @ 10:56

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #11 3 years ago

    I'm going to develop a series of games based on the works of Jane Austin

    Pride without Prejudice - Mr Darcy with double flintlock pistols kicking arse in a beautiful Edwardian country manor
    Senseless Insensibility - You play one of the Dashwood sisters robbing people with disabilities in order to rise from the poverty sticken life forced upon you since your father's death.
    Persuasion - More arse kicking
    Northanger Abbey - You play a mad monk trying to invent the perfect flying machine (like LittleBigPlanet)
    Mansfield Park - Edwardian ladies footy game with smock swapping at fulltime
    Emma - strip poker
    Edited by 1 at 29/10/08 @ 11:08

  • JDub #12 3 years ago

    Got some cool ideas for a 2.5D platformer with a great level desi.....oh!

    /leaves

  • IronCladChicken #13 3 years ago

    lol@miiiguel
    it'll be anarchy-land like the PC.

    Lol... Are you touched?

  • firefly #14 3 years ago

    Good idea Sony.
    You know what would be better though? If the PS3 were backwards compatible with all these titles that are going to emerge!

  • SEVQA #15 3 years ago

    Yeah but if shops are no longer going to give shelf space and support the platform what is the point other than a homebrew scene!

  • kangarootoo #16 3 years ago

    @SEVQA

    Online purchase is pretty significant these days isn't it? Shelf space isn't everything.

    The obvious problem with only supporting a homebrew scene is that it would make Sony no money at all, wheres this change will still make them some money. I know some people might feel that making money is evil, but its not really is it.

  • SEVQA #17 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    "Online purchase is pretty significant these days isn't it? Shelf space isn't everything. "

    Err yes it is! I work for a publisher so I do know something about it, and all good for Sony making money but if publishers and developers cant what’s the point!

  • kangarootoo #18 3 years ago

    Cool your boots dude, I'm not saying you don't know your onions. I am just questioning whether a lack of dedicated shelf space for PS2 titles means that software can't still sell by other avenues. I would also question whether devs and publishers "can't make any money" out of this move. If anything, it makes it easier than before, surely.

    Anyway, how would a homebrew scene help devs and publishers any more than this current proposal. A legitimised homebrew scene basically means taking all security off the platform and throwing it away as a business asset. How can a completely unsecure platform be a good environment for any console development business to be involved in?

  • SEVQA #19 3 years ago

    For god sake that’s exactly the point I was making, if publishers and devs are unable to make money then it might as well be for the homebrew scene.

    “If anything, it makes it easier than before, surely.” Before what, before the time the platform made money and when shops dedicated shelf space other than 3 for 1 and barging bin deals!

    Where this might be of interest as the article pointed out would be for a country like Russia for example – who generally have very little care for paying for anything!!

  • miiiguel #20 3 years ago

    "lol@miiiguel
    it'll be anarchy-land like the PC.

    Lol... Are you touched? "


    I honestly didn't get the joke (english is not my 1st language)... Anyway, I quit PC-gaming because all the upgrading-BS, and lack of control and standards. Just the other day, was trying to play Viva Piñata in my new Vista laptop and I quit... just can't stand it anymore. It's freaking relaxing to sit down on my couch and just press on. That's what I meant (or tried to).

  • Les #21 3 years ago

    "Good idea Sony.
    You know what would be better though? If the PS3 were backwards compatible with all these titles that are going to emerge!"

    +1

    Was gone write something similar then saw your post :)

  • kangarootoo #22 3 years ago

    @SEVQA

    Dude, we don't even seem to be talking about the same thing.

    Sony have reduced the hurdles any dev needs to jump over to get a game published on PS2. HOW does that make things any worse than they were before?

    "For god sake that’s exactly the point I was making, if publishers and devs are unable to make money then it might as well be for the homebrew scene."

    Devs and publishers can currently make money from PS2 development. That is fact. This change makes it easier as I far as I can see for them to continue doing the same. Regardless of the shelf space given by big stores to PS2 titles, I can't see how that is relevant to this particular change.


    "Before what"

    Before the change in policy that the article describes. Sorry if that wasn't obvious. I kind of figured it was implied.

  • bonker #23 3 years ago

    Blimey, that feels desperate ...

  • SEVQA #24 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Either you work for Sony's viral marketing department or you are the most eloquent moron I've ever had the misfortune to debate with!

  • Feanor #25 3 years ago

    What a dick.

  • callum9999 #26 3 years ago

    SEVQA: As someone who works for a publisher, will you explain how this will lose publishers money? The only disadvantage I see is possibly increased competition, in which case I have no sympathy for the publisher if it can't make good enough games.

  • djed #27 3 years ago

    There are over 120 million PlayStation 2 consoles scattered across houses around the world,

    don't forget the 50 PS3s out there, half of which can play PS2 games too!

  • SEVQA #28 3 years ago

    @callum9999 and djed Read my previous posts as I don’t want to have to keep repeating myself! (Shelf space issue what the concern is!).