spawn more overlords!

[erf_]

Game industry, I love you, but you're bringing me down.

Do you remember when the Xbox 360 launched at $400? And the PS3 at $500? It never crossed my mind to buy either of those consoles at launch. Not because the launch titles were disappointing (promises of then-distant Lost Planet, Halo 2, and Gears of War for Xbox and Metal Gear Solid 4,

Comments

[kezinge]

I'm in a semi-frantic preparing for class mode, but the $200 pattern is interesting. As part of my semi-frantic preparing, I just happened upon the statement that the home version of Pong, released in 1974, was $350.

Also, there were early software contracting companies, starting in 1955, that were just a couple of programmers. They didn't have computers. They'd either rent computer time or do their testing on their clients' machines.

Neither of these is that pertinent, except in the whole standard historian's observation that this isn't a new phenomenon way.

How much of this price and performance increase in the consoles do you think is a result of competition between them and how much do you think is competition with PCs? I might elaborate on this when I have actual time tonight.

[erf_]

Yeah, it's fascinating how consumer perceptions of what a video game console is have changed. In 1974 Pong was a frivolous luxury item, a useless but fancy tech toy (like those Sharper Image LED waterfalls). In 1977 the Atari 2600, while still a luxury item, was marketed as a useful everyday gadget that also gave the kids something to do--it was a low-end home computer. By 1983 the late Atari, Magnavox, and Coleco models were seen as over-expensive, under-useful toys in an emerging desktop PC market, and their advertisers fruitlessly tried to advertise them as accounting and calculating machines that did more than just play video games. It wasn't until after the crash that the Famicom/NES cemented the console's position in the American household as an affordable entertainment device, so much so that More Than Just A Console projects like the 3DO and the Jaguar never took off. And now, after 20 years, we're back in high-end luxury device land again. I guess a PS3 is now what a cable box was in the 1990s, or what a VCR was in the 1980s

[erf_]

Sixteen. Sixteen years ago, in 1994, the AWE 32 was the price of an SNES. I forgot that it's 2010 already.

*sigh* We grow old fast these days.

[retch]

Man, I'm about to hit the point of being out of college 4x as long as I was in it...

[oddtodd]

Wasn't the ps2 300 at launch? Although as an unemployed high school kid telling the difference between 200 and 300 was kind of hard

[erf_]

Sell it to a gaming magazine...lol, so basically, "will bitch for food." :D

Ugh...I looked at a couple more sources; some say $200, some say $300. $300's still a far cry from the PS3's launch price though...

One of the inspirations for this entry was me remembering when you had to sell the Xbox 360 you got for your birthday to help your mom and dad pay the bills. That was such a gigantic bummer.

[retch]

well, always the chance that game devloper would be interested in paying for it... :)

[erf_]

Holy crap, you're right. I've been getting them in my inbox ever since GDC '07 and it hadn't occurred to me to submit to them.

I've spent a little time today earmarking stuff I've written about the industry since GDC. After my current contract expires later this month I'll polish it up and start sending it out.

[jqsilver]

I'm pretty glad that we have a communal PS3 at work over here at my silicon valley startup. Although I haven't actually used it, i have tried out DJ Hero without paying exorbitant prices, and someday when I have some time I'll rent Heavy Rain and play it work.

Also, Nintendo is smart for realizing that they could make a ton of money with graphics that hardcore gamers would sniff at b/c if they made games that normal people would buy.

I play a lot of free indie games. Would making one of those improve your street cret/hirability?

[erf_]

I am hoping so. (I am making one! One point five, if you count a certain NDS side project.) It looks like it would improve my hirability with the indie market more than the mainstream market, but working in the indie market would in turn improve my hirability in the mainstream market. Who knows, maybe I'll find myself more comfortable working for a small developer and stay there. (Not that I wouldn't leap at the chance to work on a triple-A title, but yeah.)

[retch]

Rising cost of development has actually been a theme since the mid 90s when budgets started poking over the million dollar range on a regular basis.

As you noted, consoles are roughly the same in constant dollars, inflation does indeed mean that the $200 console of our youth is the $600 console of today. When I was at Oberlin in the early 90s, buying videogames was very hard to do with my limited supply of money and my various demands such as being able to go out and get a meal at Rax once a week...

Zynga is hiring out here in the casual facebook space.

Persistence + personal contacts is the key for breaking in. If you have DS stuff to show, don't forget that Powerhead in NYC is a DS shop predominantly, and you are 2 degrees from the owner of the company.

:)

[erf_]

Oh geez. I forget if it was you who told me that the big sea change is that games have transformed from a software development industry to an entertainment industry. That high-budget advertising channel they play on TVs at GameStop, with the developer interviews and the MTV VJ-style presenters, reminds me uncomfortably of Access Hollywood. Where did all this glitz come from, all of a sudden?

The Rax went out of business, for what it's worth. I miss that place.

I've been in touch with Powerhead! :D And there are facebook game developers out here too. Some of these guys want to see the DS shmup I've been working on. I'm very excited.

Thanks for your encouragement, as always!

[retch]

I don't think there really is any sea change in the industry for real. Sure, the glitz the PR/marketing folks generate exists, but the work is the same, the environment is the same. Never had any rock star moments sadly.. :) My big fan contact is doing IRC chats from time to time with a bunch of other folks on the team. :)

[erf_]

I did notice that the GameStop Channel typically features PR guys and some random photogenic testers and artists, regardless of whether or not those people actually had any input on the art direction or gameplay mechanics. It is kind of reassuring, if not a little unflattering, that glossy EGM Serious Industry Face spreads aside, folks like Gabe Newell still aren't photogenic enough for television. :]

Aren't mainstream studios a lot bigger now, though? Teams in the hundreds instead of like five, with proportionately more complicated workflows--and the same artists who do CG models for TV and animated films being contracted to do game assets.

[retch]

so... GDC? :)

[erf_]

I am waitlisted for the volunteer program. Chances don't look good now. :[

[retch]

coming out regardless? Still time to get a flight. :)

[erf_]

Money's still a problem... :[