VIDEO.DESTRUCTOID   |   JAPANATOR   |   TOMOPOP
Destructoid is obsessive about gaming news.
Home #PS3


Grasshopper's new PS3 game could make publisher 'bankrupt' photo

Grasshopper is not a studio known for its mainstream smash hit success. The cult developer, responsible for such demented games as No More Heroes and Killer 7, is working on a brand new PS3 title and, true to form, it's a financial risk. So much so that publisher Marvelous is a tiny bit worried.

"If we do that [game] we might go bankrupt," laughs Marvelous president Yasuhiro Wada. "We are making it, but if we make everything then it's a little too risky. Because it's secret we can't really go into details."

A new game from Suda 51's studio is always fine by me, and no matter how risky it is, Marvelous can at least count on my custom. Nobody knows what this risky new PS3 game will be, but if it's anything like Grasshopper's previous efforts, it'll be the worst and best experience we've had in a long while.  Can't wait to find out more!


Continue reading: More Suda 51 stories





34 comments | showing # 1 to 34
prev next

flaming burrito's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:03
flaming burrito
I loved No More Heroes and Killer 7, and I would get whatever new game they released on day one... but alas, I don't own a PS3 =[
RonBurgandy2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:12
RonBurgandy2010
Marvelous is really the only publisher who would take chances with a team like Grasshopper. Day one purchase guys.

For Creativity!!!
Count Grishnack's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:16
Count Grishnack
Day one double purchase please.
Mentok the Mindtaker's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:17
Mentok the Mindtaker
Go Grasshopper, thats a ballsy move! I will buy your game, because you have balls, unlike Valve.
silvain's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:22
silvain
I really like suda51's stuff, and I'll be looking forward to seeing what this game is.
Narishma's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:24
Narishma
@flaming burrito: You don't need a PS3 to buy it, just to play it.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:24
Tubatic
Yes, please.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:32
Cowboy TTop
That's worrying. PS3 is still struggling, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel, with PS3's motion controls, if that's what he's aiming for.

Grasshopper's games didn't get the sales on Wii unfortunately. I'd hate to see Suda and co go under though. I pray things pan out for them.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:36
GoldenGamerXero
I'll get this and I don't even have a PS3! (Also looking forward to NMH2)

@Count Grishnack

Judging from your avatar that was fairly obvious =)
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:39
Black Nexus
What Ron said.
covah's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:39
covah
DO IT
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:46
Holyetheline
They need to go multiplatform and make some money.
themizarkshow's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:47
themizarkshow
Don't care what it is. I'm buying it.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:47
Monodi
Maybe they could make some money if they make a huge brag of "ONLY FOR PS3" big on the trailers etc.

But still Marvelous is one of the best publishers for Nintendo systems for now
Fanatism's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:51
Fanatism
Isn't 400k sales for NMH kind of..alright, for such a title? (vgchartz.com)
GameraTheGreat's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 10:53
GameraTheGreat
I wonder if Sony Execs (and fanboys) take these reports into account when lamenting the PS3's slow start in this latest console gen. Small dev houses struggle with the programming and then after putting in a maximum effort, they have to seriously worry whether the game will garnish enough sales to break even in light of sky-high development costs.

I'm not attempting to start a flame war; I'm just pointing what never seems to get mentioned when fans scream that Dev teams are "lazy" regarding PS3 dev. First party houses (sucker punch, naughty dog) don't incur the same cost for developing and marketing games in house and other than Little Big Planet....I cannot recall a small team making the PS3 sing.

Sony will need to work on making their next system dev friendly if they want to return to prominence. I am all for pushing the envelope, but I am wondering whether we will ever see what the PS3 can really do. When I see something that "truly" cannot be done on a 360, I will buy one....
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:15
PappaDukes
@Gamera - Why would Sony care about making their system "dev" friendly? The PS2 was difficult for devs to work with and that's one of the strongest systems ever made IMO, in terms of the number of games available to date. Devs will either can work with it, or they won't. Sink or swim, fight or flight. I think developers will catch on eventually to the PS3 architecture and start cranking out games like clockwork.
Lucca's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:16
Lucca
YES. DO IT.
stafax's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:27
stafax
Well, I don't blame them for being afraid of going bankrupt, just look what happened to Majesco when they released a bunch of creative games around 2004.... and then look at the games Majesco started to published after 2005......
Cadtalfryn's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:28
Cadtalfryn
I'll will buy anything that Suda51 puts out. Both Killer7 and No More Heroes were awesome. Hopefully by the time this comes out I'll have a PS3 to play it on.
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:54
Black Nexus
@Gamera
There's more to it than that, sony (nor any company) predicted the massive suck that would be our economy, a lot of people are forgetting that these things aren't built over night and the decision of what twch goes into a system is made long before the thing is actually made

The dev costs that were expensive now weren't back. In the past environment the cost were minimal compared to the advantages of blu ray and the cell, it was a logical choice at the moment.
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 11:59
Black Nexus
(Edit)Twch is tech BTW.
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 12:12
Magnalon
Make No More Heroes 1 and 2 available on the 360 and PS3, idiots. They'd sell more copies.
WarZombie's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 12:30
WarZombie
Dammit, I'm so jealous of anyone that owns a PS3 right now.

@ Mentok The Mindtaker

It's not that Valve doesn't have the balls, they just don't like developing for the PS3. We've been over this this.
-PL-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 12:31
-PL-
Cool, maybe they'll pack it full of nerdy pop culture so I can feel like the game "understands" me. That will at least help me overlook its buggy, repetitive gameplay. Let's get hyped!
peachboy's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 13:09
peachboy
this and project trico.
still haven't played mgs4.
there goes this month's rent.
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 14:03
PappaDukes
@peachboy, if you want to keep your eye on it, Project Trico was officially unveiled @ E3 as "The Last Guardian".
JLanphear's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 15:27
JLanphear
Suda 51 wins. They could put out the shittiest game ever made and I would still buy it. . . lmao.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 16:32
HiddenAHB
Do one for the 360 Suda, i swear i buy it!
Umihara Kawase's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 17:52
Umihara Kawase
I thought they were making a game with EA, or did I hear wrong?
Holiday's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/17/2009 19:39
Holiday
I'm all for creativity and taking chances...But if it gets to be so goddamn weird that nobody gets it well...

Can't say I'm a fan of Suda 51 studio, the games come off like some 14 year old Japanese boy on a bad acid trip.
GameraTheGreat's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2009 08:55
GameraTheGreat
@pappadukes (silly aside: isn’t papa normally spelled with one p?:P)
Of course they should care. The projected cost of developing a game has been estimated to be 60 million (currently around 7-10 million) for the next generation of consoles. Sony was unquestionably the “leader” in the last generation of consoles (PS2/Xbox,Gamecube). As a result, developers were much more inclined to work with difficult (but nowhere near as difficult as the cell processor) hardware specs due to Sony’s install base and the probability of recouping development costs.
In this generation, the lead has changed. Developers are far less inclined to “apply” themselves to tech that may vanish in the next round. This especially the case when a console’s install base is in “last place” and its game attach rate is significantly lower than its competition. It only behooves Sony (and fans like you) to make the production process of developers easier. Games will come out quickly and you won’t have the hiccups with inferior translations (Ghostbusters is the latest example of this problem…a very sad situation considering Sony owns the movie on which the game is licensed)
GameraTheGreat's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2009 09:39
GameraTheGreat
@Black Nexus
I disagree with your citing development cost as being less of a spec. determining factor in the past. I am a huge SEGA fan who has owned and played SEGA games and systems since the Master System. When Sony burst onto the scene with the PS they touted the ease in which games could be made on their systems using their development tools and kits. The Saturn (2d BEAST and inexpensive Neo-Geo-killer) had more difficult specs and SEGA was often lambasted for not simplifying the process. Ultimately, the non-developer-friendly tech ushered in the abandonment of SEGA by the development community and their newer Dreamcast had trouble winning suitors.
Sony was guilty of hubris after their crowning success in the last generation (PS2). With most of the industry in their back pocket, Sony ignored the techniques that provided them with success in their initial outing (PS) which punctuated easily made games and direct Sony support. While Blu-ray did seem to readily offer info storage advantages, the Cell Processor was/is/will be a much riskier gamble given it’s entirely “new” approach.
While I agree that many did not predict the severity of the financial meltdown (I worked at a financial mag at the time and trust me…the financial community was aware of the warning signs despite how the media has portrayed their knowledge), making development on the side of creators and publishers easier is a no-brainer. After all, MS approached the creation of the 360 with this mindset. MS polled game developers as to what they wanted and needed in a console to make development easier, less costly, and ultimately faster. Why wouldn’t they do this? After all, they learned this strategy from Sony success. I’ll quote what a Sony fan said to me when I poo-pooed Sony’s trouncing of SEGA, “Don’t you want the console company you support to make the most forward thinking decisions and the wise business moves?” I wanted to slap to slap the shit out of him, but he was right.
Novakaine's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2009 09:55
Novakaine
As a PS3 owner and a huge Suda fan, I will buy this game on day one.

Should the failure of this game be Grasshopper's downfall, I will personally hold every self-professed "hardcore gamer" who did not purchase this game responsible, and hunt them down with extreme prejudice.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 



see all
Freedom and Boredom
RUSE Open Beta - Advanced Instructions
World of LordCraft - Launch
Kuki Se Vraci
Splinter Cell: Conviction - GameStop Promo
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - Euro
EVE Online: Tryannis
Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom
Naughty Bear - Aliens Spoof
Try our new video site: vToid.com





Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
by Jim Sterling
Heavy Rain Chronicles, Chapter 1: The Taxidermist
Final Fantasy XIII
Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver
Calling
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
God of War III
Mega Man 10
Battlefield: Bad Company 2



Why you need to be excited about SpyParty
by Anthony Burch
Plain Sight
Need for Speed World: Race
A mindbending with Poto & Cabenga
Pocket Creatures
Easy Piano
inXile's Hunted
Resident Evil : Zombie Infection (iPhone)
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Frobot




Call for entries

New posts Expand all

New to the c-blogs? Read the survival guide
- The Dtoid Army is 60658 strong -







Why Ekans is the best Pokemon
What classic IP should Sega resurrect?
The hidden truth behind game reviews
Counterpoint: God of War III is too long, boring
The joys of being a videogame reviewer
Gather around old man Niero: Destructoid turns four
The most immature thing we've ever done: The Name Game






tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Niero
Founder, El Jefe
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman
Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Joseph Leray Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
Samit Sarkar
Hollie Bennett Daniel Lingen
Mikey Turvey
   








 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online
seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006