How long can you work on a game?

[.jayderyu]

Stefan.De.Machtige said:

The rise in development costs.

It's not a new problem but with the HD revolution it has become more prudent.

It also brings up more questinos for the future: 

1) a) Will development time rise even more? Advances in developmentskills can make them more efficient but that only goes to a certain point.

    b) If yes. Could this lead to a backlash, where the company's, who did it, nearly goes under and subsequently build off the development time again? If that would take place, then halfway in the next gen.

2) Nintendo started a move to new game experiences, away from mere graphical improvements. A move which will in all likelyhood be followed by the competition. Could this shorten again the growing movement of the devopment time?

3) In the past the company's, who best manage their deveopment costs, survived the best in the cutthroath business of the gaming industry. Does this mean that the current company's who struggle now with the issue will go under first? Is that a trend which will be come clear in the coming years?

4) Will this increasing development trend force the consolemakers to lengthen the lifespand of their consoles? Will we see the current gen lifetime expanded for this reason alone?

 

What are your thoughts?

I assume me HD evolution not revolution. Since a revolution changes the status qou while the HD platforms only increased the current model.

1
a)  Yes, and yes companies have and do go under from this current cycle. A company that isnt growing is in a dangerous state. You will hear far more companies having to cut back than expand.

Solution: more emphasis on comunal and resused resourced. Numerous games will uses texture & model packs rather than do all textures over and over again for each game. As it is this fill content talent goes mostly towards visual space. Game features have never vastly increased programming time.

2. Yes. Resuing Mii or Avatars, simple textures, simple models means quicker dev time. This relates to 1 though. Characters like Kratos, Snake, Master Chief typicaly don't get upgraded, but built from scratch to support new engines. resuing a univeral model design and upscaling would be cheaper, but doesn't really happen.

3. Many current console developers spawned from the rise of playstation era. Which was an established stable era of growth. So many of the console developers are gamers and poor buisiness men. Also the the rise of the era brought around a self arrogance of invulnerability. These developers are now suffering from decisions of image, bias rather than good business.

4. No, this is soley based on the consumer market. Not the desires of the people who work in the industry. Mush like the DS has been given revisions and the new DSi is only a step up. Expect Nintendo to do the same. MS is in a position for a new console since the 360 did particualry well. Sony however for them to make a PS4 will have move it to the long haul. However MS and Nintendo will move based on the consumer rather self arrogance.

 

edit: console developer as in employees not companies.