"Let's make PSO2 together!" (SOJ hiring call)

[Ffuzzy-Logik]

It's just their way of expanding the number of people who will apply, so they have a better selection. Don't read too much into it.

[HyperShot-X-]

mm.. didn't really know what to make out of all this but not to speculate much too early on this.. I take it they are hiring additional staffs for each job opening on top of original in house staffs already been working on the project since they didn't specify how many ppl they are hiring for each job.

[Kent]

It's just their way of expanding the number of people who will apply, so they have a better selection. Don't read too much into it.

It also means that when it's time to move on to the next project, the new hiree will potentially already have experience working with a particular console, should the project be targeted at one.

[Crateria]

Reading the part about them wanting programmers with ps3 and xbox 360 experience is disheartening to me.

Does no one care about the fact that having this game on a console will ruin it for PC players? It will be the same thing as PSU. They won't be able to patch it as well as they could if it was only on the PC, it limits what you can do with the game.

If you really care about this game getting to its full potential, you should want it only on PC. Obviously there's a bias if you have a PS3 or Xbox 360, but most people also have a PC, and I can't imagine that this game will be that demanding of a high performance PC.

I don't blame them if they do since the return on having it be on consoles is probably worth it, but I don't care about that. I care about the game being the best it can be.

[Kent]

Does no one care about the fact that having this game on a console will ruin it for PC players? It will be the same thing as PSU. They won't be able to patch it as well as they could if it was only on the PC, it limits what you can do with the game.

If you really care about this game getting to its full potential, you should want it only on PC.

Be honest here, this is kind of a nonsensical statement.

Do you know why PSU couldn't be properly patched and updated? It wasn't because "it was on consoles." It was specifically because it was on the PlayStation 2 - a console that was already part of the previous generation, a move counterproductive to making a game like that last into the future. Nobody is going to argue that the PlayStation 2 basis of the game wasn't a mistake (unless, of course, they're critically ignorant).

We're talking modern consoles here. Modern consoles that actually allow things like patching, and downloadable version updates, and installation of expansion packs. To say that it shouldn't be on consoles because consoles cannot do things that they very clearly can is just folly. That said, there's not really a legitimate reason for wanting to keep the game off of consoles, assuming server segregation isn't an issue (which, if they put it on both of the consoles, that could be a problem - but if they only put it on one of them, then sever segregation wouldn't really become an issue).

[Ffuzzy-Logik]

There is a lot of truth and validity to what he said, though. Even though modern consoles may have hard drives, SEGA would still have to wait for Sony or Microsoft to approve their patches instead of being able to apply them whenever they want.

And really, if PSO2 is on multiple platforms, this greatly increases the odds of separate servers, which would ruin the game for the same reasons PSU was dead on arrival.

[Roger Triton]

There is a lot of truth and validity to what he said, though. Even though modern consoles may have hard drives, SEGA would still have to wait for Sony or Microsoft to approve their patches instead of being able to apply them whenever they want.

And really, if PSO2 is on multiple platforms, this greatly increases the odds of separate servers, which would ruin the game for the same reasons PSU was dead on arrival.

I was reading some news on another site how one company (damnit my brain is FRIED today! LOL) was working on bringing out an RPG for several systems. Microsoft wanted that company to tailor their release for the Xbox (which would have pushed up dev costs), so in the planning stages the company said no f***ing way. Come to think of it, it may have been SquareEnix and FF14 (????) Anyway, Microsoft put some demands on them & that comp. said no. So M$ being the big bully they are, brought it to the attention of either the media or the game industry. So the company looked bad not releasing it for both PS3 & the other system. Wrong attitude M$, way way wrong.

I still wonder why SEGA made the bone-headed move to put PSU across different servers for diff. platforms? Were their programmers that n00bish that they couldn't find a way to make the PC, PS2 and 360 games all run together?

Right, ok, but if PSO was going to be PC-only, why would they even put PS3/360 in the job description? I understand that they want someone with recent console experience, but isn't programming PC games more than a touch different than console games(I actually don't know, so I'm sort of asking)? Why would someone with PS3/360 experience merit any attention from Sega if PSO2 will indeed be a PC-only game? I don't understand.

PS3 requires very specialized programming (everyone from Rockstar to Konami has complained about how to make games for PS3, saying dev costs are MUCH higher than 360), so think of it this way. If they wanted, and I must say bluntly, specific experience in PS3 then you KNOW they were going for a PS3 project. But if they want either/or experience, it could be that they might have dual console releases. Or maybe not, and just want someone that could work on either. Except for one major release in the past 2 years, I have not heard of any game companies making a game for one system & dropping that project halfway through. Not unless you could the abomination that came out of SquareEnix on that RPG that was released for the PC & PS3. can't think of the name right now...

That doesn't necessarily hint at any cross platform release. I'm not saying it won't happen though, as it's likely going to.

It could just mean they want someone who has been steadily busy in the industry, and/or someone who has worked on current-gen games.

That is (atleast partically) true. When it comes to programming, from what I've hard the PS3 is very tough. And so, if they wanted someone to work with PS3 that person should have certified experience in programing. For someone that is just a planner (and not the programmer), then it's not necessary to have hands on experience with PS3 but it always helps. The planners often will just convert programmer speak to plain English (or in this case Japanese, LOL) so that they can get the tools & 'stuff' necessay to complete the project. Look at a person like Michael Bay vs. Steven Spielberg. One has hands on experience in every aspect of film making (Steven) while the other is just a Director with little experience in the grunt work. That is closer to a planner than it is to a programmer. Programmers have very specialized skills, moreso on consoles than on the PC (unless they also do MAC).

Well then. I'm actually qualified for that first position.

Save for probably the fact that they want someone who speaks Japanese.

Forward your resume & ask if they need anyone for Sega of America. Perhaps you could be involved in the localization?

You'll need to be able to speak Japanese, of course, and some companies can get jitterish when it comes to sponsering a visa for a foriegner to work in Japan if they don't already have one. But there was one non-Japanese name I recognized in the PSP2 credit roll so letting foriegners/non-Japanese work on Phantasy Star games is ok.

Unfortunately, I often hear Japanese being called Xenophobic. I have never had a friend from there or been there, so this is only what I've heard.

that's what i was thinking when reading this as well =)

as for the jobs.. i suppose you have to be japanese or at least be able to speak japanese fluently in order to get hired? i doubt they'll let gaijin work on a phantasy star game xD

You would think that by having a dev (non-Japanese) involved in the project, that would help them hand off the voice acting & English production at a lower cost than 'filling them in afterward' once the game is mostly done.
As many companies can tell you, by having someone from the U.S. or atleast English speaking involved in development, it significantly reduces the lead time (time to get a game from Japan to the U.S.). SquareEnix did this with FF13 & that come out wonderful.

Shogai thinks that looking for programmers with experience in PS3 and 360 means that PSO2 could be on those particular consoles.

I truly hope Sega will try to broaden the market as much as possible, because when it comes right down to it, the total players on their servers will only be good vs. trying to appeal to a niche audience. And in all honesty, the 360 is much much easier to develop for than the PS3. I know not everyone will agree with me but if the Japan market could support it, if I were Sega of Japan I would make this for Jpn Wii as well.