Silicon Knights Boss - One Console To Rule Them All
Dennis Dyak believes "unified gaming standard" on the horizon
Silicon Knight’s Denis Dyack – he of Too Human fame (pictured here) – has some interesting predictions for the long-term future of gaming, claiming that we are moving increasingly closer to one standardized gaming platform in the near future.
Dyack told a packed hall in his speech at GC Developers Conference (GCDC) this week that he thinks the games industry is “starting to reach a perceptual threshold where the average consumer can't tell the difference between the next-generation consoles.
"I think this trend's going to continue," he added, noting that the average consumer can hardly tell any difference between current PS3 and Xbox 360 games.
However, Dyack jokingly noted that, "if you talk about commodification to a hardware manufacturer, they usually turn white.
"We've got a bunch of pressures that are now starting to push us to a certain direction," Dyack noted, claiming that increasing costs of development mean that it is increasingly hard for developers to make a return on investment.
"A couple of years ago in November there were 250 games released. There's not enough consumers to play all those games", said Dyack
On Wii and PC he added, "With the Wii adoption rate, Nintendo's come out of the gate much faster than anyone expected. Short term, I think everyone agrees Nintendo's doing great - long term, they might not take that bet… I think the PC is the ultimate 'no standard', which is the opposite of where I think we're going… That whole market's going in circles and it's going to go nowhere... Unless there's some kind of standardisation there it's going to get worse and worse."
Concluding his talk Dyack claimed, "Next generation, you could see people agreeing on one platform. I think this model, if it occurs, will change everything."
Too Human is due sometime in 2008.
Dyack told a packed hall in his speech at GC Developers Conference (GCDC) this week that he thinks the games industry is “starting to reach a perceptual threshold where the average consumer can't tell the difference between the next-generation consoles.
"I think this trend's going to continue," he added, noting that the average consumer can hardly tell any difference between current PS3 and Xbox 360 games.
However, Dyack jokingly noted that, "if you talk about commodification to a hardware manufacturer, they usually turn white.
"We've got a bunch of pressures that are now starting to push us to a certain direction," Dyack noted, claiming that increasing costs of development mean that it is increasingly hard for developers to make a return on investment.
"A couple of years ago in November there were 250 games released. There's not enough consumers to play all those games", said Dyack
On Wii and PC he added, "With the Wii adoption rate, Nintendo's come out of the gate much faster than anyone expected. Short term, I think everyone agrees Nintendo's doing great - long term, they might not take that bet… I think the PC is the ultimate 'no standard', which is the opposite of where I think we're going… That whole market's going in circles and it's going to go nowhere... Unless there's some kind of standardisation there it's going to get worse and worse."
Concluding his talk Dyack claimed, "Next generation, you could see people agreeing on one platform. I think this model, if it occurs, will change everything."
Too Human is due sometime in 2008.
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Comments
Joji 21 Aug 2007 13:45
1/5
We'd love for there to be such a standard, but I reckon we won't see that for ages. The main reasons being Nintendo, Sony and MS wanting supreme control of their systems, and the core ideas of what the industry can be, that drive them.
Greed is another great factor, as each want all the cash they can get, and neither is gonna bow out of the market anytime soon. Out of all of them, I still feel Nintendo and MS are both on the right kind of track. Once Nintendo accepts hard drive based hardware and put their fears of the net etc, at ease, they too can grow and evolve without being a bit out of touch with their gamers. They fail to tackle this acceptably, I feel.
Greed is another great factor, as each want all the cash they can get, and neither is gonna bow out of the market anytime soon. Out of all of them, I still feel Nintendo and MS are both on the right kind of track. Once Nintendo accepts hard drive based hardware and put their fears of the net etc, at ease, they too can grow and evolve without being a bit out of touch with their gamers. They fail to tackle this acceptably, I feel.
ozfunghi 21 Aug 2007 18:16
2/5
Dyack is not only a fool, he's a naive fool as well!
"ooh, games cost too much to produce"... and at the same time dissing Nintendo when this was exactly what they were saying which drove SK away. They chose to be in the position they're in. And now they come crying that their game(s?) won't sell enough to cover the costs and they can't go multiplatform. Poor baby. All the while he keeps doubting Nintendo's tactics. Check out September - December's line up Denis, and tell me when exactly you think the Wii will fall back? Same time everybody expected DS to falter no doubt. Still hasn't figured out what it's all about.
As for one standardized console, what more can i say than: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... etc.
"ooh, games cost too much to produce"... and at the same time dissing Nintendo when this was exactly what they were saying which drove SK away. They chose to be in the position they're in. And now they come crying that their game(s?) won't sell enough to cover the costs and they can't go multiplatform. Poor baby. All the while he keeps doubting Nintendo's tactics. Check out September - December's line up Denis, and tell me when exactly you think the Wii will fall back? Same time everybody expected DS to falter no doubt. Still hasn't figured out what it's all about.
As for one standardized console, what more can i say than: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... etc.
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Captain Chaos! 22 Aug 2007 10:38
3/5
So Satoru Iwata only plans for the short term? absolute rubbish. He's just sore that he f**ked off from Nintendo at possibly the worst time he could.
Why, with all of Nintendos history, proven long term sales of DS, barnstorming first year Wii sales and under the relatively new stewardship of Iwata would no-one bet on Nintendo and its Wii console in the long term?
oh dyack, bold space marines with lazers are out, dogs and professors are in.
Why, with all of Nintendos history, proven long term sales of DS, barnstorming first year Wii sales and under the relatively new stewardship of Iwata would no-one bet on Nintendo and its Wii console in the long term?
oh dyack, bold space marines with lazers are out, dogs and professors are in.
Joji 22 Aug 2007 12:40
4/5
I suppose Slicon Knight are licking their wounds in pain. Unlike Rare who got purchased by MS, now they know how hard it is to not be under Nintendo's big umbrella. The acid rain of industry pain is felt. How different it could have been.
Nintendo have Monolith, Retro Studios, Brownie Brown,Camelot etc. Silicon talent may be harder to see now they are on their own.
Suck it up, SK. You made your bed.
Nintendo have Monolith, Retro Studios, Brownie Brown,Camelot etc. Silicon talent may be harder to see now they are on their own.
Suck it up, SK. You made your bed.
Captain Chaos! 22 Aug 2007 13:05
5/5
Yeah, absolutely!
Reading through what he said again he sounds bitter as a lemon.
Credit where its due though, I thought Eternal Darkness and MGS re-make on cube were superb and spent many hours playing both.
I bet the reason SK left Nintendo was that Nintendo werent too keen on Too Human due to Iwatas new direction and with the cubes poor sales SK thought it was a no brainer joining the darksides.
I wonder whether Nintendo showed Dyack the Wiimote before they both parted company?
Reading through what he said again he sounds bitter as a lemon.
Credit where its due though, I thought Eternal Darkness and MGS re-make on cube were superb and spent many hours playing both.
I bet the reason SK left Nintendo was that Nintendo werent too keen on Too Human due to Iwatas new direction and with the cubes poor sales SK thought it was a no brainer joining the darksides.
I wonder whether Nintendo showed Dyack the Wiimote before they both parted company?