It also makes life easier for the firms that create games. Mastering the intricacies of a custom-made chip can take programmers many years, a problem that was particularly acute with the unusual chip that powered the PlayStation 3. The new consoles’ PC-like architecture will make developing games much more straightforward. It will also make it easier to create games that run on both new consoles and on PCs too, and to release them simultaneously. Game prices have not risen for many years, even in nominal terms, but the cost of creating them has ballooned. Simultaneous release on multiple platforms maximises the potential market.
Besides, ever-snazzier graphics are only one area in which gaming firms can innovate, and one in which returns are diminishing. The first games with elaborate, three-dimensional game worlds, such as “Quake” and “Tomb Raider”, were revolutionary when they appeared in the mid-1990s. These days, extra graphical power is used for more subtle features such as more accurate lighting or more realistic-looking hair. With each new generation of consoles, the improvement in graphics is less dramatic. This means console-makers must find other ways to convince gamers to upgrade.
