I read one of VGR's articles, and it got me thinking...

[Shagger]

https://www.vgr.com/never-been-easier-to-make-games-on-playstation-than-it-is-on-ps5/

 I more or less agree with the article, but I want to expand onto something.

 

I've seen this coming, not just for the PS5, but the Series X as well. The hardware and software architecture has been growing more similar to PC's in recent years, and not just any PC's, a single PC, with all the same parts in it, and that's important for game development on consoles. Developing games to operate on the same hardware is much easier than developing a game to work on thousands of different adequate hardware and software configurations. The article references the difficulties surrounding game development for the PS3. The PS3 was a beast, in fact even now there is no APU you can buy that can match its capabilities, but's complex architecture meant few game developers could easily tap into it's full potential.

 

I bring this up for a reason. It may sound like I'm saying consoles should be even more like PC's, but in fact that couldn't be further from the truth. Consoles, their exclusives, they way the influence game development and the gaming industry as a whole are essential.

 

All modern games are PC games really, that's how they're developed, but the last couple of generations consoles have become more like PC's. PC ports are only harder to develop because they have to work for thousands of different of adequate hardware and software configurations, whereas on consoles it's only as may versions of that console the is (Usually 2 or 3 tops). This close association to PC hardware architecture for consoles is good overall, but I really want consoles to remain consoles. Great quality exclusives, physical media (and the buyers rights that come with it) and the ease of use are great features a PC just lacks. Some say consoles hold PC game development back. I agree, but I see it as a good thing because if the fast paced world of PC gaming tech was left to set the bar for game development it would be disastrous. PC fanboys often delude themselves and others into thinking consoles don't need to exist, but like them or not, consoles need to exist.

 

Now seriously, think about it. What would happen if the next generation of console just didn't happen? We'd be left with PC's, right? Doesn't sound so bad until you think it through. Gamers would constantly demand better graphics (as we do, admit it, we're vain little shits), so hardware manufactures would have to develop more powerful and expensive hardware to make that possible more frequently, making gaming more expensive. Without exclusive hardware platforms to promote, games would have to make money on their own, as would hardware manufactures who don't get a cut of software sales on PC like console manufactures do, again making gaming more expensive. It wouldn't do to sell hardware that will still be useful in a few years, like how no washing machine manufacturer makes a washing machine to last more than a couple of years, making gaming more expensive again. This higher hardware cost (that's already much higher or PC's than consoles anyway) would shrink the market for gaming hardware, thus shrink the market for games themselves as fewer people would have enough money to buy the hardware to play them on, meaning each game would, yet again, have to draw more money out of each customer, making gaming more expensive yet again. Game development itself would become more expensive to keep with the hardware advancements, yet again most likely increasing cost to gamers through higher prices and more shady business practices like microtransactions. Putting it bluntly, the cost of gaming for both developers/publishers and customers would spiral out of control to the point it was to expensive for everyone.

 

Console exclusives also play their part. These games are made to sell not just themselves and make money, but to sell the console and give people a reason to buy them. That's why console exclusives tend to be best games, there's a purpose and focus to them to actually be good games that multiplat's just lack. Exclusive games are about making their own money, but also promoting the hardware you play them on, so less easily surrender to shady money making bullshit you see on major multiplatform games.

 

So what I'm curious about guys and gals is, how close should consoles get to PC'S? Or should PC's even be more like consoles? What, for you, is the happy medium? Do you think I'm right or do believe that, based on this, my brain is smaller the boils on my rear end.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Shagger

[skyfire]

I think the underlying platform code these days is pretty much the same for console and PCs, unless they want to use specific depth for the device. Unity and other graphic engine pretty much make it easy to write code once and run anywhere.