Back in 2013, less than three years ago when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 first launched, I don’t think any of us ever suspected that we would be having major new hardware launches so soon- and yet, here we are in mid 2016, and on the cusp of new systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo- it’s practically a new hardware generation, in a sense, especially once you throw in new paradigms like VR into the mix.
It’s all this new hardware that’s presumably as exciting for gaming developers as it is for us consumers. Speaking to GamingBolt, Reinhard Pollice, Business and Product Development Director at THQ Nordic discussed his take on all the new systems coming up.
“VR platforms are definitely a new generation, but right now they aren’t replacing anything, just broadening it and bringing some exciting new possibilities,” he said. “Neo, Scorpio, and the NX seem to be more traditional gaming consoles with a lot of power which is great as working on consoles always meant strict limitations.”
Speaking strictly about the Neo and Scorpio, and about the difference between Sony’s more incremental approach compared to Microsoft’s more dramatic leap, Pollice said, “This is a pretty new situation for all developers so I think we all have to wait for the consumer’s feedback first. We are ok with both approaches as long as there aren’t any rules or artificial barriers that block real steps forward when creating games.”
Finally, he also shared his thoughts on suddenly having two new SKUs to develop for with the Neo and Scorpio. “I think Sony and Microsoft will need to ensure that they won’t have completely new SKUs but rather subsets where a few variables are different. Until they announce exact details I can’t really say much about this,” he said.
On the whole, it seems like this is uncharted territory for everybody- so Pollice’s caution does make sense here. But, as he points out, the expanded capabilities of the Neo, Scorpio, and NX should ensure that console development continues to get more and more attractive for developers.
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