There's a timely story on CNET today claiming that developers are getting worried about the financial implications of the next gen hardware. How much is it going to cost to produce games in Microsoft's HD era? $10m? $20m? $30?m. If we're complaining about licenses and sequels now, what's it going to be like next year when games cost twice as much to produce?
An interesting solution was quoted in the article:
Allard also touted a new "marketplace" feature of the Xbox system, in which developers will be able to post downloadable content ranging from trailers to demos to rub-on tattoos. That will help developers and publishers make extra money for their games and could provide publishers with a way to experiment with new ideas cheaply, a little bit like pilot shows on television, Allard said.
Hmm, so the solution is charging customers for downloadable demos? How very Microsoft.
