| Lafiel said: Hmm.. more powerful is good now? I thought more power = more expensive to develop for = less profits = less games, which possibly have a more shallow gameplay experience as devs focused on graphics ? |
I can give 1 very good reason it's a good thing that is economic based.
Amortization of costs. The more platforms a publisher can amortize funds across, the greater the chance for a higher return. The figures below are for example only and do not reflect any known real world development data.
Game = $30 million to develop on 1 console | $32 million for 2 consoles | $34 million for 3 consoles | $36 million for 3 consoles plus PC.
1 console with a $20 publish rate. Must sell 1.5 million units on one console.
2 consoles with a $20 publish rate. Must sell 750,000 per console.
3 consoles with a $20 publish rate. Must sell 500,000 per console.
3 consoles plus PC with a $20 publish rate. Must sell 375,000 per platform.
In the early days of HD console development, scenario 1 and 2 were the only options and as we saw, dozens of studios either closed up shop or had to merge with a bigger studio just to survive. As the console plus PC option become more valid, it helped ensure studios remained solvent. With a 4th platform, publishers are excited because it goes even further to ensure a return on investment.
The rEVOLution is not being televised
