As console tech advances, game libraries shrink.

[Nurb]

If you really think about it, ever since the NES and his HUUUUGE library of games that came out between 1985 and 1990 (when the SNES was released), and then beyond 1990, the number of games developers can make for the consoles has dropped with every generation.

Is this True/False?

 

[Zhukov]

Games are getting more expensive to make. So it's certainly possible that there aren't as many being made nowadays.

Then again, aren't there a lot more companies making them now?

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Well, I certainly own less PS3 games than PS1 games.

 

[baddude1337]

I actually have something like 150+ SNES games and about the same number of Xbox. There definitely were more then. But as someone said games are becoming more expensive and difficult to make. Before a handful of people could crank out a decent game on SNES in a few months, but now the average development cycle even for a huge team of hundreds of people is about 2 years.

 

[bassdrum]

It takes more time and money to make modern games--in the old days, a handful of guys could sit down with a great idea and make something solid reasonably quickly. Now, it takes years of hard work by large teams to turn out even a single game, and it costs quite a bit of money.

So yeah, the library selection has dropped, but that's fine with me--it's hard enough to keep up with all of the awesome games that are coming out already.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Bear in mind the NES was on the market something of the order of 11 years, most of it with no competition.

The game libraries in each generation probably haven't contracted significantly, but they've been more spread out.

 

[Gindil]

I'm going with false.

Think about how many games came out for the PSX or the SNES. It certainly doesn't seem like a lot but who has time to notice every last game?

What would need to happen is a website dedicated to cataloguing every game on every system. I think the SNES had ~500 games made for it.

Whereas the PSX had... 1200-1300?

I could be here all day naming them, but then if you look at what is on the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade, I think you'll find that the number of games continues to increase.

 

[Arehexes]

One guy made ET on the atari 2600 in like 6 months. Even though that was a bad game it shows you how much could be done .

 

[Veylon]

It was far cheaper to make console games back then. Games could be produced for as little as a few thousand dollars. Often, the same guy would do level design, programming, graphics, and handle the paperwork. Today, companies employ dozens of artists, modelers, voice actors, and lawyers. Those people cost a lot of money.

 

[Double A]

Games are more expensive to make and buy. As a consequence, less shovelware is produced or bought.

 

[MrAkuma201]

Games are getting more expensive to make. they also take much more time. what took a day to do for ps2 game can take 3 to 6 weeks for the ps3