General Gaming Katsuhiro Harada: "Development costs are now 10 times more expensive than in the 90's and more than double or nearly triple the cost of Tekken 7"

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

His Xwitter response to someone who bugged him about microtransactions in Tekken 8:

 

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Development costs are now 10 times more expensive than in the 90's and more than double or nearly triple the cost of Tekken 7. Even the Fight Lounge servers are costly to maintain. In the past there weren't so many specs and there wasn't online. Plus they didn't have such high resolution and high definition. Now, So many people want the game to run and be supported for a long time. It costs money to continually update the game for that reason. However, he probably only keeps good memories of the old games he experienced as a boy and does not pay attention to these changing times and increasing costs. The economic situation and everything else is changing. If we simply do nothing as he suggests, the game will simply stop running in a few months. I think that is what he wants. So there is no point in talking to him about these realities. He wants us to stop economic activity and stop updating and supporting the game.

"Cost control" will more than likely be the dominant factor in development going forward.

[ShreddieMercury]

Video game graphics in particular are at the point of diminishing marginal returns.  More and more resources will need to be poured into them to achieve at best minimal improvement.  Hopefully this tipping point leads to shorter games that utilize unique art styles and favor replayability and engaging mechanics.  AA basically.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Just now, ShreddieMercury said:

Video game graphics in particular are at the point of diminishing marginal returns.  More and more resources will need to poured into them to achieve at best minimal improvement. 

 

Which is exactly what Insomniac stated in one of the internal slides that was leaked from last December's ransomware attack:

 

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“...is 3x the investment [$300 million] in [Spider-Man 2] evident to anyone who plays the game?”

 

Speaking as someone who is a bit more than halfway through Spider-Man 2, I can resolutely say that "no, it's certainly not".

[best3444]

Yea, we are definitely at an interesting apex in visuals for games and cost. I don't like where things are headed really. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

At some point, game companies will start to realize that:

1) they need to share assets a whole lot more between projects.

2) AI can do a whole lot to simplify the development of new assets.

[Keyser_Soze]

This guy really needs to stop replying to the morons on there.

 

Although it is fun when he puts people in their place.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

I wonder what the cost is on updating and maintaining in house engines vs using something like Unity or UE. 
 

CDPR lately has abandoned their in house engine. I wonder if cost was the factor or was their in house engine too much of a hassle. 

[unogueen]

Category:PlayStation 5-only games - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Look at this sad list. Costs are dumb. All this trying for accessibility but not an inch on the most pressing issue, cost. Make cheaper games, make cheaper hardware, leave the ridiculous crunch at the doorstep.

[SuperSpreader]

8 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

His Xwitter response to someone who bugged him about microtransactions in Tekken 8:

 

"Cost control" will more than likely be the dominant factor in development going forward.

The 90s were mostly 2D

[best3444]

Just now, SuperSpreader said:

The 90s were mostly 2D

 

From 1995 to 2000 it was mainly 3-D. 

[SuperSpreader]

1 minute ago, best3444 said:

 

From 1995 to 2000 it was mainly 3-D. 

Barely

[GameDadGrant]

*sips tea* 

[Dodger]

Some of these games are just too far up their own ass. Games like Last of Us 2 and God of War 2 I kill all the gods Norse mythology edition should have been half the length. Who the fuck told Ubisoft Assassins Creed games need to be 100+ hours long? Not every game needs to be 100 hours. If you're making what is ultimately an action game of some sort, 20 hours is the sweet spot. And we don't need 10 hours of cutscenes. Go make a fucking movie.