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The death of AAA gaming...A tale of self-harm.

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RandyT:

--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on October 13, 2024, 01:05:25 am ---Adding to that...

--- End quote ---

The "that" to which you are adding, I don't disagree with.  I mentioned it, just not in detail.  The thing is, if that is your bag as a gamer, the results of those efforts are available for you.  The problem is that if it's not, and you already paid the exorbitant price of admission, it's not easy to take the loss and just toss it aside.  This has the effect of making the consumer extraordinarily wary about future purchases.  But when it's pervasive, there's nowhere else to go.  The real issue is that the potential market for that material is exceedingly small, which equates to massive losses for the studios when it is produced.  One can easily go down the rabbit-hole to find the "whys and whatfors" but that wasn't my focus.


--- Quote --- You do realize, that the Real reason why companies are over-pricing hardware... is most likely a combination of Inflation (that the radicals actually created), Blackrock Losses (Due to DEI), And ECO-Radical pushes.

--- End quote ---

While I don't doubt SOME of that, I believe that I gave an accurate assessment regarding prices.  Inflation only accounts for 20-25%, but the prices have risen MUCH more and aren't reflecting advances in production technologies or economies of scale.  When Nvidia saw scalpers buy up their product, double the price and people still dumb enough to pay for it, they learned the power that they possess.  When you couple this with the explosion of AI, it creates a perfect storm for grossly overpriced tech.  Just like the Internet bubble of the late 90's, I believe the AI bubble will eventually burst.  Also like the Internet, it will always be with us, for better or worse, but what drives it will ultimately change.  Any technology which requires a dedicated nuclear power plant and investment on the order of the combined GDP of several large countries is not sustainable.   As the AI folks love to tell you, this is the worst the technology will ever get.  Nvidia knows this and are leveraging their position to the max.  They will likely continue to do this until such time that they no longer are able.  What happens to them, as a company, at that point will be reflected by their current actions. 

Right now, what sets them apart is the monopoly on the CUDA infrastructure.  That is going to change over the next year or two, with CUDA compatibility layers currently being developed for both Intel and AMD platforms.  When those become viable alternatives at the lower-end, Nvidia will be kneecapped in those markets, and may find it difficult to retain market share even after lowering it's prices. If at the same time, something comes along in the server market with that capability, with lower barriers to entry and better prospects for sustainability, Nvidia could be decimated.   This, and the fact that their future is tied to a company on a constantly under threat little island in the Pacific, has to have them a bit worried.  Perhaps they are also "feathering the nest" for the harsh times they see as inevitable.

MrInitialMan:
Thing is, I've played a lot of one-developer games that are of poor graphic quality, have only basic music and sounds, no voice-acting or anything---indeed, some that look 20 or 30 years older than they are.

But.  They.  Were.  FUN.

RandyT:

--- Quote from: MrInitialMan on December 24, 2024, 04:05:32 am ---Thing is, I've played a lot of one-developer games that are of poor graphic quality, have only basic music and sounds, no voice-acting or anything---indeed, some that look 20 or 30 years older than they are.

But.  They.  Were.  FUN.

--- End quote ---

I agree.  I feel like AAA gaming has become a trudgefest at times, with some like Call of Duty no longer being a game, rather a pastime where the game basically decides how well you do and tries to manipulate players into extra purchases.  I don't know why anyone would play something like that, but I swore it off a couple of generations ago.  It's sad, but at the same time, it will push a "return to roots" which is sorely needed in the industry.

But things are looking better on the graphic card front, and Nvidia had better hope their AI shtick holds out.  Intel is undercutting Nvida and AMD on the lower end while offering more, and reports are that the cards are good now.  I expect that they will be working toward some higher-end cards as well, given the recent success.  The only problem with these is that they require ReBar support to reach full performance, so not great for older hardware.

MrInitialMan:
I recall watching a game review video--I cannot recall the name of the reviewer nor the name of the game--and the revieweractually said he'd have more fun playing Pong.  Then called a friend over, and they started playing Pong.

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