The Wanderer
Hopefully they hurry up with perfecting that digitization technology. That would probably decrease costs a fair bit.
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.
Ugh, if the next gen systems are as hostile to used games as that article makes it sound, then I'm not going to bother. There are already plenty of games for the current systems I want to try.
Warlock Necromancer
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Don't know 'bout Sony or Microsoft, but Nintendo has stated that they don't have a policy on used games.
Down with the Privileged🪓
See, this is what happens when graphics are front and center in development, which is also why indies are going to receive the opposite effect here, with a higher chance of people seeing their titles with less AAA stuff out there. I really have to ask if the graphical fidelity is even all that necessary.
Evidently, current costs can't sustain themselves in AAA development, so this will be even worse, yet they're still bothering with using the full power of the system.
Why?
Warlock Necromancer
Hence why I'm going with Wii U.
I'm pretty much gonna be forced into getting an Orbis to go with my Wii U, since some of my favourite series appear to be Sony system exclusives.
edited 27th Aug '12 3:10:00 PM by burnpsy
I predict this will cause the Durango and Orbis to fail. The Wii U will probably struggle but I foresee a lot of developers going towards that instead.
When I hear about these developments, I pray that this is because the game-designers actually feel that they require more exquisite hardware to make new and visionary games that are meant to push the boundaries of gaming as a story-telling medium and games as art.
...and that it is not just a thing imposed by higher-ups that think that more pixels = more games sold.
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!
...I don't think most of the money would be going towards graphics if people who actually cared about game quality were at the reigns.
Warlock Necromancer
I once heard a rumor that "Orbis" will support 4k TVs.
I don't really want that to be true.
Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!
The Wanderer
Folt, could you explain what's so bad about that exactly?
Warlock Necromancer
It's not bad in itself, but price-wise, I don't think the average consumer would be able to afford that yet... which could possibly make it a wasted thing to have. (And I think you can be sure that Sony will up the price a bit if they do include it.)
Indiana Solo
I'd get an orbis, but only if it was backwards compatible. If not I'm pretty sure I'll be done with Consoles for good. PC all the way! 
Avvie-free for life!
Hmm... the few developers who are still focused on P Cs continue to bring out stuff that can cripple the latest NVIDIA and Intel money grabs (especially those East European devs who can't optimize their way out of a paper bag) and I haven't heard of any budget problems they're having. Besides monster licensing fees on proprietary dev kits I don't see why things have to be so expensive.
Warlock Necromancer
I'd chalk that up to PC game development being different from console development, but I'm probably wrong.
Uniocular
Honestly I don't see why graphics need to get better at all right now. They're pretty damn good, and not really important to games anyway.
"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Okay, to sum it up
- The costs will be higher due to the focus on better graphics
- The time taken to develop a title will be longer
- They are willing to tackle used games by eliminating it or using Online Passes (the latter being annoying but manageable)
- More DL Cs
- More difficulty in there being new I Ps(:S)
Is that it?
...So all of the worst parts of this generation will be carried over to the next generation.
Fuck.
And this is why I think Microsoft and Sony are stupid for making new systems now. We can probably get another five years out of the systems we have now before they start to get too outdated and in need of replacement.
Warlock Necromancer
Something like that, yes.
edited 28th Aug '12 1:02:13 PM by Folt
Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!
But one of the reasons the industry is falling in sales right now is that several companies have noted that people are less likely to try new IPs the older a console is, meaning this is a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.
Warlock Necromancer
This gen has been a rollercoaster...
Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!
http://www.anonym.to/?http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-03-next-gen-consoles-mean-increased-development-costs
Developers with access to the Durango (the code name for Microsoft's next console) are seeing costs rise sharply, primarily due to higher polygon counts and better textures required. "I'm having to double my budget for models," said one developer working on a sequel to an earlier title that appeared on Xbox 360 and PS 3. "If we want to take advantage of Durango's capabilities it takes a lot more time for each model." This can also result in either a longer time to develop a title, or the need to put more artists on, or both.
Similar budget issues are expected for the Play Station 4 (codename Orbis) and the Wii U. The Wii U's development costs will be higher than Wii titles due to increased resolution, but utilizing the tablet controller will also mean additional time in design. Some uses for the tablet controller seem obvious, like diagramming plays in a Madden game using your finger. Using the tablet controller in other games may be more challenging, depending on how much the developers want to create something unique for the Wii U (spending extra on that development that is not needed for other platforms).
At a time when many console titles have been finding it more difficult to make a profit, the prospect of doubling already considerable budgets is not making publishers happy. They are already looking to find ways to increase the revenue potential of their development efforts. The rumors of ways to cut down or eliminate the sale of used games may be part of that. At the least, we can expect more widespread adoption of the Online Pass, requiring buyers of a used title to pay a registration fee to the publisher in order to access online multiplayer game sessions.
More extensive DLC options are also likely. We may see a wider variety of price points, and in-game purchasing, as well as efforts to make the process of buying DLC as easy as possible. Subscription services like Call of Duty Elite are also being looked at; Activision's service has been well-received by fans. Expect other publishers (particularly Electronic Arts) to follow suit for top titles.
Increasing budgets, more extensive content, and cross-platform tie-ins through social networks are all part of the next-generation landscape, apparently. The implication is that publishers will be even more likely to focus on proven franchises, while new titles will have even greater odds against their success. The blockbusters will get bigger, and their marketing budgets will increase. New concepts will find it harder to get funding, and will be given fewer chances to succeed by big publishers.
Bucking the trend will be increasing opportunities for smaller, independent developers. Next-gen consoles should provide at least the same opportunities that Xbox Live and Play Station Network provide now for indies. Competitive pressures from mobile and social games may help next-gen consoles make things even easier for indie developers. The new Nintendo Network will provide another outlet for indie developers as well. Smaller products with smaller budgets will provide more opportunity for innovation in IP and design, as Will Wright noted in his recent interview.
Urgh... Can't say I'm too excited for the next gen... though from what I know, I'd still confidently invest in the Wii U when it comes.
Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!