A number of high profile publishers have stated that they have plan to scale back on big budget projects to cut cost and focus more on the main stream market.   This can not be good news as this scaling back effect probably will be painfully obvious as 2010-2011 release schedules are slowly unveiled.   Will we see the day when there are hundreds of Puzzle Quest clones on the market and no Halo or Resistance to be found?

Yes, just like when the PS1 expanded the market, and all games except sports and FMV-gagged menu fighters disappeared.

no wait-

Suits me. I like Puzzle Quest.

For starters, Resistance is 1st party, SONY decides where that goes.

Because they are scaling back doesn't mean that they're cutting Hardcore gamers lose. In no way does that say "Hardcore" games will stop coming. It just says that we'll probably start getting less of them from 3rd parties.

Big budget does not make a game hardcore, or even good for that matter. There are lots of games that are awesome without having killer budgets. Thank god for that.

You're right. The big budget games aren't very hardcore at all. They're designed to give the player a cinematic experience rather than to challenge him or her. As developers start cutting back on big budget games, maybe we'll get less casual fare like Gears of War 2 and more hardcore games like Bangai-O Spirits.

I doubt sony is gonna do the same. They have enough developers to do both which is what they've always done.

Poor studios might be forced to focus on story and idea instead of huge cinematic cutscenes 6 hours long shooters how sad ...
oh wait :D

You'll still see the traditional HD blockbusters, albiet in smaller quanities - But would missing games like Fracture really be a waste?

Those that do stay with the formula are likely to be rewarded since there'll be less competition, so it's a win-win.