A much more obviously visible correlation on that graph is the inverse correlation between installed base and average Metacritic score. Platforms with huge installed bases like the PS2 and DS have lower average Metacritic scores than platforms with smaller installed bases like the PS3.bad rider said:Well I am using this the graph to portray it, although I can't say it's evidence as a correlation can be due to other factors, but what I'm saying is your options are greater allowing for more to be done, while it may frustrate teams it's a case of you can get far better quality which this correlation may suggest. But you are right in saying that and maybe only developers who want to make killer apps or have experience with the PS3 will make games with it stoping the flow of bad games (look at the wii)so I don't know maybe, but the correlation shows it and maybe it's also a case of developers get frustrated, but can still make higher quality games for it.Eclectic Dreck said:Making something more difficult to do doesn't mean the result is any better, and I don't actually follow how logic can tell you otherwise. Difficulty with the development tools isn't going to do anything more than frustrate teams, slow them down and cause them to cut features in the end. The only benefit is many of the features will remain untapped for a certain portion of the product's life cycle, meaning there is always "just a little more power" to harness. The downside is many users simply do not see any evidence of the PS3's supposed hardware superority.bad rider said:Credit where credit is due, he has a point. If you make things difficult to program for your options get larger and more varied, whereas simple programming = simple options. That said I think Sony tends toward the extreme instead of going for the middle ground. But hey, they wanted to build a big powerful behemoth and thats what they are built.
*snipped the graph*
Pretty much sums it up.
And the metacritic score by platform doesn't tell me anything other than you get more garbage games on some platforms than others, and even that conculsion is sketchy.
Added: What I mean to say is that big installed bases attract more developers, which means a wider spread of titles since the overwhelming majority of games aren't first- or second-party. I think you could support this hypothesis by comparing average Metacritic scores between the GameCube and the Wii.