Here's my question, how do people know the PS4 and Xbox 720 will get great third party support?, I'm wondering, people shouldn't always assume just because they had good third party support last gen doesn't mean it will happen next gen, the SNES had great third party support, the N64 not really, the PS2 had great third party support, the first few years of the PS3 didn't and we still get gimped PS3 ports, everyone assumed the PSP would great amazing third party support because the PS2 got it and the PSP sold great but third party's still ran away from PSP, and Sony confirmed it them self's that they are struggling to get third party support on the Vita, Microsoft didn't have the best third party support on the Xbox but it got it on the Xbox 360.
Because by what we know the PS4 and 720 will be comparable in nature and engine makers appear to be targeting these platforms for their middleware, as well as in-house engines.
Because, as such, PC/PS4/720 development as standard shouldn't be unexpected, in the same way that PC/PS360 development became standard this generation.
Because from my understanding Nintendo didn't only lose publisher support because of hardware decisions but because of behaviors during their dominance - such that when alternative viable platforms came along third parties jumped at the chance. While afaik Sony and Microsoft haven't gone out of their way to alienate third parties.
Because Sony and Microsoft have spent generations cultivating ecosystems on their lines of hardware conducive to the nature of third parties' "core" development.
Because, Microsoft in particular, has shown a willingness to play ball when it comes to third party hardware desires as well as moneyhats.
Because there are plentiful reasons for third parties to continue developing for said platform lines, and the only reason not to is their commercial failure.
But the PS3 wasn't easy to develop for, developers confirmed the Wii U is easy to develop for and it doesn't cost much to port.
There's something of a contradiction in claiming the ease to which the console is to develop for and port to, while simultaneously decrying the comparison of launch software between the platforms...
At any rate, developers have thus far, afaict, referred to the ease of porting from current gen systems.
I asked in another thread, but never got an answer; if for example the full featured UE4 that for example allows real-time global illumination becomes standard for example, while the Wii U isn't likely to run that specific build of the engine, how difficult is it to translate a game over.