| TheLightsAreOn 2004-09-12, 1:00 pm |
| R500-- R520 wrote:
quote:
> NEXT-GEN GAMES AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?
>
> Expect much fewer games on next-gen consoles, warns developer, as
> development times prepare to shoot through the roof
>
> 13:16 The number of games releasing on the likes of Xbox 2 and PS3 are
> likely to become less and less, an industry developer has warned,
> claiming that technological advancements and demands for more complex
> software will lead to projects requiring at least two years
> preparation before they can enter development.
> "We have the opportunity to elevate games to be the tenth art," said
> Tameem Antoniades, the co-founder of Just Add Monsters at last week's
> European Game Developers Conference. "[However] the expectations of
> players and publishers are rocketing. With every new generation,
> people want more realism."
I don't care if they give me stick figures to play. As long as the game is
fun, make it black and white (see also Cubivore/Animal Leader).
quote:
>
> Then - referencing the nine-moths his Cambridge-based team has already
> spent prototyping a next-gen samurai slasher entitled Heavenly Swords
> - he added : "We found that everything takes a very long time to
> make."
Yes - Take your time. FINISH the game. After you give the beta to the
testers, LISTEN to them. Fix it. After you give the game to Play Testers,
LISTEN to them.
quote:
>
> Antoniades' warning echoes similar comments recently made by EA's vice
> president Jeff Brown, who told BBC News that due to a rise in
> development costs, companies have to invest extra time into ensuring
> that their products are good enough to sell.
They don't do this now?
quote:
>
> It is a progression that is also likely to see a reduction in the
> number of independent developers unable to recover from just a single
> failed risk.
All the neigh-sayers have been saying Nintendo is going to close shop. This
is why they are not. They actually make games that sell and are fun.
quote:
>
> "I don't see the retail price increasing as games are already
> expensive," added Antoniades, allaying initial fears that the rise in
> costs would be reflected at retail. "In the past, sales of 500,000
> units would be a hit. Now you need to sell millions.
>
> "In the next generation there will be far fewer publishers, sinking
> their money into far fewer games. I believe that most independent
> developers will disappear, either through going bust or due to merger
> or acquisition."
>
> Of course, this is a trend that is already being witnessed with the
> current crop of consoles. Galleon developer Confounding Factor is
> suspected to have closed after spending literally years developing the
> Xbox game, while developer/publishers like Rage went bankrupt after
> big investments such as David Beckham Soccer failed to recuperate
> sufficient revenue at retail.
This happens every generation. No news here.
quote:
>
> Still, as the famous saying goes, it's quality not quantity, and while
> fewer games may be mooted on the next batch of home consoles, as long
> as the quality is sky-high, should us gamers really be complaining? Of
> course, a big concern is that of originality and innovation, which may
> be sacrificed in favour of big sequels and licenses. Plus, a
> monopolisation is rarely good for any industry.
>
> How the gaming world pans over the two next years or so will make for
> very interesting reading indeed.
>
>
> Stephen Daultrey
>
>
> http://www.computerandvideogames.com/front_index.php?
Yes Quality over Quantity. However, For the console manufacture to make it's
money, they need the quantity in there too. However, with the present
Microsoft is setting just buying more and more developers, this may be less
of a factor too.
|