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[MightyHedgehog]

As gamers anxiously await powerful new consoles from Microsoft and Sony, game publishers are trying to figure out where they'll get the extra millions of dollars needed to create titles for the new hardware.

ZD Net link

Not much new, but interesting.

 

[dog$]

Remember when all of the development and publisher houses were all happy about how much Microsoft "listened to them" when it came to XBox development?

Can't they collectively tell Microsoft to just wait a goddamned minute so that they can fully utilize all the crap they figured out how to do and milk every drop out of the barn before jumping ship?

 

[Vennt]

As gamers anxiously await powerful new consoles from Microsoft and Sony, game publishers are trying to figure out where they'll get the extra millions of dollars needed to create titles for the new hardware.

My belief is that generally, they just won't bother investing too much extra, cost constraints on titles will simply become of more importance than technical constraints, if we haven't reached that point already.

The public gnashing and wailing will just be a precursor to negotiations with the hardware providers to reduce costs / increase profits, using the inflated costs of development as leverage for better terms etc.

 

[pilonv1]

So we're probably going to see either long and unpolished games, or very polished short games. No one will have the money or the time to do anything else.

 

[P90]

So we're probably going to see either long and unpolished games, or very polished short games. No one will have the money or the time to do anything else.

The PSP and DS only add to the strain and splitting of resources. Nintendo's home consoles make a pretty profit without third parties. Survival guaranteed, even with only occasional ports. I would not be suprised if third parties do even less for Xenon than they do for Xbox. FPS first. Ports for violent genres. Only Western RPGs. Unless, MS can leverage a big Japanese RPG...Money hats to the rescue!

 

[Agent Dormer]

So we're probably going to see either long and unpolished games, or very polished short games. No one will have the money or the time to do anything else.

I'd rather see the latter. Polished and short (Ico, for example) is a lot better than long and unpolished.

 

[human5892]

So we're probably going to see either long and unpolished games, or very polished short games. No one will have the money or the time to do anything else.

I don't believe this. We were hearing the exact same thing at the end of the 32/64 bit generation...and the 16 bit generation too, for that matter.

 

[DarienA]

I don't believe this. We were hearing the exact same thing at the end of the 32/64 bit generation.

Yup as we near the end of each generation we get the same articles.

Cost are going up! Developers are gonna drop like flies! Gaming is becoming too expensive!

And each new generation developers that have strong portfolios produce products and rake in the cash. Midline developers squeak by and those questionable ones drop off. Do some get caught in the crossfire? Yeah some do.

 

[evilromero]

I don't want new systems. Why the fuck can't we just be satisfied with what we have? It's mostly Sony's fault for announcing their intentions with the PS3 like a year after the PS2 launch. The current gen is just fine.

 

[dog$]

Yeah, evil Sony!

Naturally this didn't happen when they were discussing the PS2 before the PS1 was released, but it's definitely their fault now!

The PSP and DS only add to the strain and splitting of resources.

This is why the support of proprietary handhelds is a detriment to console gaming.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

This is why the support of proprietary handhelds is a detriment to console gaming.

It's most certainly the case with Nintendo and the Gamecube, IMO.

 

[evilromero]

This is why the support of proprietary handhelds is a detriment to console gaming.

Haha. I'm sure if Sony had trounced Nintendo in the handheld market before now it wouldn't be a "detriment". Shit, the handheld gaming business is probably the best thing to happen to the industry. It's not straining developers, it's bringing them plenty of revenue. Majesco wouldn't agree that they're being "strained" as a result of handheld development.

 

[P90]

Yeah, evil Sony!

Naturally this didn't happen when they were discussing the PS2 before the PS1 was released, but it's definitely their fault now!

This is why the support of proprietary handhelds is a detriment to console gaming.

That can only hurt MS as MS is the only console company without a handheld. Revenue is revenue whether it comes from consoles or handhelds.

 

[Belfast]

Publishers need to stop whining. Its their fault there's so much pure shit on the market. If you didn't spedn your $$$ on funding those games, you wouldn't be in a pickle.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

What they need to stop doing is overfunding turkeys like Driver 3. I really would love it if pre-rendered cutscenes went away, that's for sure. They really shouldn't have been part of this gen, either, IMO.

 

[Agent Dormer]

Publishers need to stop whining. Its their fault there's so much pure shit on the market. If you didn't spedn your $$$ on funding those games, you wouldn't be in a pickle.

Agreed. Was there really any reason to make a Catwoman game? Really?

 

[evilromero]

What they need to stop doing is overfunding turkeys like Driver 3. I really would love it if pre-rendered cutscenes went away, that's for sure. They really shouldn't have been part of this gen, either, IMO.

Yes! I fully agree. When I was showing T3 to a friend for the first time I had to explain to him that "good" games don't generally use pre-rendered cut-scenes and that this is an exception. But I felt so dirty having to explain that. Because in most cases the pre-rendered movies look worse than the in-games models.

 

[dog$]

Haha. I'm sure if Sony had trounced Nintendo in the handheld market before now it wouldn't be a "detriment".

Actually, the PSP isn't already out and it already is such a detriment.

It's getting a new Ridge Racer, a new Wipeout, and a completely new game by Mizuguchi among others.

So either I have to choose from buying all new crap just for the "privilege" of playing these new games on some shitty handheld or whining on message boards about how new games belong on consoles (at least at first; inferior handheld ports are always to be expected) where the majority of the series/developers/companies fans have supported them for the last two decades.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

I still fail to see what the consumer will be gaining w/ these new consoles. I'm good for right now.

I really would love it if pre-rendered cutscenes went away, that's for sure. They really shouldn't have been part of this gen, either, IMO.

So true.

 

[kaching]

I don't want new systems. Why the fuck can't we just be satisfied with what we have? It's mostly Sony's fault for announcing their intentions with the PS3 like a year after the PS2 launch. The current gen is just fine.

Considering that the acceptable lifecyle of 4-6 yrs for a console was established BEFORE Sony entered the market, that Sony isn't expected to bring out the PS3 until 6 yrs after the PS2 and that Sony has every intent to support the PS2 for at least 10 yrs for just such people as yourself who are satisfied with what you have, you really can't reasonably lay blame at Sony's feet for whatever anxiety you feel about next gen systems arriving within th next 1-2 yrs.

 

[dark10x]

I really would love it if pre-rendered cutscenes went away, that's for sure. They really shouldn't have been part of this gen, either, IMO.

In general, I agree...but the occasional pre-rendered CG movie can still be a treat. Onimusha 1 and 3, for example, had some truly fine CG work that would not have been possible in realtime.

One thing I've always wondered about...

When artists create various models for use in a game, don't they usually create high-resolution models first and then scale them down for use in the game later? With newer hardware, wouldn't that possibly limit the need to creatively "scale down" model quality? You could just model something as you would normally and just use the full resolution asset. I mean, with textures and models, you start with high resolution base work and sample it down to the point where it can be used, right? From that perspective, some things seem like they could become easier...

 

[kaching]

Dark, your last point is one I've wondered about myself. The tradeoff, I suspect, would be that you now need to make that higher asset model work in game and that is more work since it probably implies more complex physics calculations for hit detection, cloth movement etc. Is it easier to scale down a model and deal with lesser in-game calculations, or scale down the model less and deal with greater in-game calculations?

 

[Vennt]

When artists create various models for use in a game, don't they usually create high-resolution models first and then scale them down for use in the game later? With newer hardware, wouldn't that possibly limit the need to creatively "scale down" model quality? You could just model something as you would normally and just use the full resolution asset. I mean, with textures and models, you start with high resolution base work and sample it down to the point where it can be used, right? From that perspective, some things seem like they could become easier...

Depends on the artist, and also depends on whether there is even a need for a high-resolution model in the first place.

Generally (although this is a matter of preference) it is easier to create a low-poly model from scratch than it is to create a high-poly model and lower the polygon count, automatic "optimize" functions to reduce poly counts while 'functional' tend to create models that are extremely difficult to map textures onto, and manually optimizing a model is a right royal pain in the ass, creating a low-poly model via box modelling techniques produces better models, and is quicker overall.

 

[Lord Error]

I really would love it if pre-rendered cutscenes went away, that's for sure. They really shouldn't have been part of this gen, either, IMO.

I used to think the same, but some of the FMVs are too damn good to be dismissed. I'll openly admit that I wouldn't like Onimusha 3 as much, if it didn't have that incredible opening cinematic. Was that a smart business move for Capcom, though, that's another question.

*edit* the same actually goes for the first two Onimusha games, but FMVs of that quality are more of an exception than the rule.