Game developers don't know what to make of Sony and Microsoft's mid-cycle console updates
Image/Photo Credit: Sony
A survey of game developers has found that most aren't particularly interested in the mid-cycle hardware updates by Sony, namely the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One 'Scorpio'.
These mid-cycle updates improves the performance of the consoles, allowing developers to produce better looking games, while still maintaining compatibility with all previously released titles.
But according to the GDC's (Game Developers Conference) annual "state of the game industry" survey, a majority of game developers are still undecided on the benefits of a mid-cycle update (41% of respondents) or were at best neutral about it (36%).
The results of the survey, which polled more than 4,500 developers, found that only 18 percent felt this latest development was a positive one for the industry.
Many developers feared the creation of two tiers of game consoles could mean extra work and less certainty for developers, and could end up dividing the market.
But the majority simply "don't really know what to make of it", says GDC general manager Meggan Scavio.
The survey also revealed some other interesting facts about the state of the game industry. For example, more developers are now working on Android projects than on iOS projects (54% to 51%), for the first time since the survey was conducted five years ago.
Half of respondents also believed that Nintendo's new console, the Nintendo Switch, would be more popular than the Wii U.
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