With the release of the PS4 Pro, the video game industry entered a new iterative era of console video games.
For consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro and eventually Microsoft’s upcoming Project Scorpio to truly succeed, however, developers need to be enthusiastic about implementing improved visuals in their games. As some may have guessed, many developers aren’t fond of creating their games with two levels of technical specifications in mind.
According to a survey conducted by the Game Developers Conference (GDC), only 18 percent of developers believe consoles like the PS4 Pro and upcoming Scorpio are a positive move for the video game industry.
“…I do not want the markets to be divided”
Furthermore, 41 percent of respondents are undecided that there are benefits of releasing new, incrementally upgraded consoles, while 36 percent are neutral on the topic. Most feel that the extra work involved in creating games designed to take advantage of the additional hardware power the PS4 Pro or Scorpio provides, is not actually worth the effort.
“I do not want the markets to be divided. I also do not want the eventuality of a yearly release of a new console as I believe this could damage the console market severely,” wrote one developer that took part in the study. “Although, I do not want the markets to be divided,” said another.
On the other side of the spectrum, only five percent of developers view these new, iterative consoles as a negative development.
GDC’s survey stems from data polled via 4,500 video game developers that attended the conference. In terms of geography, most respondents were from North America (67 percent), with 78 percent of participants being male. In terms of length in the industry, 36 percent of those surveyed have worked in video games for between three and six years.
Other interesting stats that can be gleaned from the study include the fact the HTC Vive is now outpacing the Oculus Rift in terms of popularity among virtual reality developers, as well as the fact that video game developers are optimistic about Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console.
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