36.2 Software: Platform dependency

Platform dependency

If a video game is platform dependant this means that it is targeted or created for one system. An example of this would be Marvel’s Spider-Man which the software code has been written exclusively for the PlayStation 4. This means that Spider-Man legally can’t be played on another console besides the PlayStation 4. A benefit to having a game be dependant is that there is a sense of clarity as the game is being made for one specific system which may make it easier as there is only one target audience that the game developers need to adhere to whereas if the game wasn’t platform dependent they would have to cater to a lot of target audiences. An example of this would be Nintendo. Nintendo’s Super Mario is exclusive and platform dependant for the Wii-U and it is family friendly. This is because Super Mario can’t be played on any other competitors console such as PlayStation or Xbox but it can be played on other Nintendo systems. This examples clarifies that having one audience to please is much easier. Another benefit is the hardware aspect. An example of this would be that the PlayStation 4 is graphically better than the Xbox One but some may say the Xbox One provides a better player experience and then the Wii-U is limited when compared to both. Games which are dependant makes it easier to work on all the good functionalities of the console and can make up for what is lacking. This allows the game to be optimised fully for the platform. Another example is that if Super Mario 3D was available for other devices, then it would be without 3D and it would be playable in 2D. This is because it would’ve been specifically coded to play 3D for the Nintendo than any other device.

If a video game is independent this means that it is available for more than one platform and is designed properly for specific platforms. An example of independent games are DVD games. This is because the video game is put on the DVD which is a game storage medium. This makes the game independent as console devices can play film DVDs, so because of this it can be played on multiple platforms as most the platforms have a DVD drive. An example of this would be the DVD game Harry Potter. A benefit to the game being independent is that it does not segregate any gamer as a gamer will own a device which can be play the game. Another benefit is that the game will be allowed to be more successful as it would be available everywhere and like dependant games it doesn’t rely on one platform, so failure is less likely to happen. However, a drawback is that because it can be played on different platforms this means that the specification is suited for the weakest platform so if the DVD was suited for the specifications of the e.g. PlayStation 4, this is useless as it wouldn’t be supported by the weakest platform like a DVD player. Then it wouldn’t be independent. You can conclude from this that it doesn’t matter how good the console’s specifications are its potential will be limited due to the specifications of the DVD player. Due to this, DVD was replaced by BD (Blu-ray disc) as this can handle high-end graphical games. Also, games developers create game exclusives or different formats of the same game which forces users to buy the game again if they wish to use it on a different console.