Are there any benefits to shorter lifespans for consoles?

[dharh]

SvennoJ said:

By level playing field I mean, any developer that wants to start out with the new hardware doesn't have to face a huge catalog to fit into. Early games receive the benefit of there not being that many games available yet, while the most hungry consumers are the ones that buy the console first.

Sequels happen and stagnate over the years as a console gen goes on. Publishers focus on pushing the graphics for each sequel leaving less room for extensive physics, smart AI or many characters at the same time on screen. Small teams have a much harder time producing anything that looks close to the graphic fidelity AAA games have gotten to. At the start of a gen everything is still fresh and people don't mind the gap so much, nor shorter games.

Unfortunately this gen the hardware isn't that big of an upgrade and we're already at the stage of graphics pushing innovation away :/ At least there's still a bit more (dumb) characters / cars on screen.

Except that when a new console gets released they absolutely are competing with previous gen games.  Not to mention they must contend with _new_ hardware with can increase the cost of making that new game, thus increasing the risk.

Sequals stagnate all on their own.  If you are talking about new hardware with new gimmick controls that is yet another risk.  Whether it is graphics, physics, AI, or whatever, it all requires more powerful hardware.

Likewise I think yet again you are wrong that people don't care about the gap in these things compared to previous gen.  People absolutely want better games than previous gen.

This gen has yet to see its limits. Seriously.