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| - Any software program, particularly a Video Game, that is simultaneously developed and (usually) simultaneously released for more than one system. Functionally, multiplatform games differ from port in that the game was written with the other systems in mind even during initial development. Keep in mind the difference between this and a port. If a game was made for one system first, any version past that is a port or remake, like Tetris. It also doesn't count if the series has many different versions on each system, like Dance Dance Revolution or the Tales (series). Compare Cash Cow Franchise.
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| abstract
| - Any software program, particularly a Video Game, that is simultaneously developed and (usually) simultaneously released for more than one system. Functionally, multiplatform games differ from port in that the game was written with the other systems in mind even during initial development. The time and effort to make a multiplatform game is not as great as some assume. Some developers have stated that it raises the cost only about 10 percent. This can vary quite a bit depending on how different the systems in question are. For instance, the X Box and PC versions of Sands of Time are quite similar, the iPhone and PS3 versions of The Force Unleashed are quite a bit different. This really became popular with developers in the 6th console generation. Even though the Play Station 2 was in the lead, games on the X Box, Game Cube, and Windows still sold well enough to ensure an even bigger profit than on the PS2 alone for very little extra development. This was even carried to the point of the wildly popular Game Boy Advance receiving "ports" of set-top titles! With the cost of video game development being even higher with "high definition systems", this trope is more popular than ever. Series that used to be at least timed-exclusive are now going multi-platform. Nowadays, however, the priorities have shifted -- as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 concentrate more on graphics than the Wii, and the Wii's controls are non-standard compared to the other systems, the result is usually one version of a game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, sometimes called PS 360, and another version which is released on the Wii (and occasionally on Play Station 2 as well, hence also the term WiiS2). On the PC side of things, some games are literally multiplatform, with the versions for different platforms (say, Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) all on the same physical media (sometimes called a "hybrid" release.) This is Older Than the NES in PC-land; in the days of 5.25" floppy disks, some games were released with a version for one computer (for example, the Commodore 64) on one side, and a version for another (Apple II, IBM PC, or Atari 8-bit) on the other. Obviously, this sort of thing doesn't fly in console-land, due to dictatorial fiat console companies have over developers (possibly carried over from the days of carts, when it was physically impossible.) Keep in mind the difference between this and a port. If a game was made for one system first, any version past that is a port or remake, like Tetris. It also doesn't count if the series has many different versions on each system, like Dance Dance Revolution or the Tales (series). Compare Cash Cow Franchise.
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