@sqrl ... sadly the problem with the pc is it does not have uniform product cycles, also 100% market is a fantasy apple now represents about 10% (largest seller of educational laptops, bigger than dell as of this year) and linux at about 5% while still truly dominent with the windows family, you have people still using 98 in large numbers, xp is about the best platform penetration with the best odds of uniform performance abilities (none of that drm through hardware bull) unfortunately vista and dx10 are the here and now, and will choke the market for awhile again until a majority of new computers reach consumers... also integrated graphics chips must die, they waste more resources than they ever help.
the rise of consoles has much to do with the very uniform hardware specs, making it easier for games to be developed, and allowed for quick hardware price drops.
but as to the topic development cost will continue to rise until there is a market slump. before this slump there will be another rise in game cost, i see games in the states going up to 75 bucks a piece before 2011 first it will be major 3rd party titles then first part will edge up to keep going, budget titles will have the 59 dollar price.
this however may be avoided if one of the many laws being pushed by the video game industry gives them monies of of used game sales, (normally a %) look at florida as an example of what is to come, where used games have waiting periods before they can be sold must be licenced and reported, they are supposed to be implementing a new tax that is paid to a gaming industry body similar in nature to the riaa but going after the likes of gamestop, and their ilk.
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