Danny Weber
Former Naughty Dog and Rocksteady artist Del Walker warns that new consoles may make AAA games costlier, slower and even safer than before.
The next generation of consoles, PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix, is already being actively discussed, but not everyone in the industry is waiting for it with enthusiasm. Former Naughty Dog and Rocksteady artist and art director Del Walker believes Sony and Microsoft’s new platforms could simply make the game industry’s problems worse: rising budgets, more complicated development, fresh layoffs and an even more cautious approach to big projects.
According to Walker, every new hardware generation has historically not made development cheaper, but added complexity, stretched schedules and inflated budgets. At the same time, he notes, there is no guarantee that games become noticeably more interesting as a result. Against the backdrop of talk about rising production costs and possible console prices above $1000, that argument sounds especially sharp: a more powerful device does not automatically guarantee bolder or more engaging projects.
Walker argues that technical limits often help developers find better solutions. When there are fewer limits, there is more room to overspend resources, and with budgets climbing, the industry ends up with fewer successful games and more layoffs. That is why, according to him, he would prefer PS6 and Xbox Project Helix not to arrive at all this decade.
The developer also criticized the push for AAA games to be as safe as possible and “for everyone.” He compared it to a dish that cannot be spicy or sweet because it must not annoy anyone. As one symptom, he pointed to modern games where companions give puzzle hints too quickly and do not let players think for themselves. In his view, the same logic explains the popularity of the open-world formula with a long list of activities: the more “filling” there is, the easier it is to justify a huge budget.
Despite the criticism, canceling or heavily delaying the next generation looks unlikely. Sony and Microsoft are already preparing future platforms, and manufacturers probably find it easier to launch expensive consoles with the risk of weak sales than to freeze nearly finished directions. The main question is different: whether companies can convince players to move on from current systems if PS6 and Xbox Project Helix really end up far above the familiar price range. Official prices have not been confirmed yet.
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