Game Publishers sweating the next generation of consoles

Like I hinted at earlier, game developers are very nervous about costs to develop on the next generation of consoles. The Playstation 3, XBox 2, and Nintendo Whatever are thought to have 100s of times more power than the current generation. The cost to develop is thought to increase 5 times. In this generation we already are seeing the big studios pull out ahead. Games like NFS: Underground are employing Hollywood SpecialFX masters to give them a certain look that can't be reproduced by polygons alone.

There is still room to rise in the ranks. A good example of the type of cycle we will probably see is seen in the Burnout games - #1 was relatively simple with less than impressive graphics, #2 turned everything up a notch, and #3 is a classic. EA saw the potential and threw a lot of money at the 3rd game. Consider Battlefield 1942 vs. Battlefield 2. Truly original games will start small, without the hollywood graphics or sound we'll see on established sequels. As the cream rises to the top, we'll see lots of money and attention lavished on the most popular originals. Plus, I don't think gamers really care anymore about graphics. Hundreds of thousands play old MMORPGs like Ultima Online and Everquest with primative graphics, or play old retro games, or bust through the bargin bins for games they couldn't afford a year ago at full price. Just like the movies, we're gonna see blockbusters and little independent projects, both with a charm all their own.