Factor 5 shifts to PlayStation 3 development

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron developer Factor 5 has announced that it is to develop games exclusively for Sony's new PlayStation 3 platform, in a major U-turn from its previously stated support for Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The company was formerly focused exclusively on Nintendo's GameCube platform, but shifted its allegiance to Xbox 360 when it started next-gen development - with president Julian Eggebrecht describing Microsoft's XNA as "what the industry needs right now" and saying that the firm was "extremely excited" about the technology.

However, speaking to CNET at E3, Eggebrecht revealed that the firm has now changed tack once more - and will now be focusing exclusively on the PlayStation 3, which was revealed by Sony at an event in Los Angeles last week.

Eggebrecht claims that the difference in performance between Sony's custom-built Cell microprocessor and the multiple PowerPC cores which power Xbox 360 was the key factor in making the decision.

"I was shocked by how powerful the new consoles are," he commented. "They should really free our development."

It's hard not to suspect that the hand - and indeed wallet, and hand in said wallet - of Sony played a part in the decision to shift from Xbox 360 to PS3, however. Both Microsoft and Sony are believed to be aggressively courting developers to secure exclusives for their respective platforms at present.