I think there is a second order effect of this: it won't be worth making games for PC. At least, large budget games.

It also won't be worth it to make games for next gen consoles if the prices end up being what people are saying. So in the end they'll just keep doing what they're doing right now, and not increase the hardware requirements of their games.

The extensive use of AI for producing better code (if so instructed) may even decrease the hardware requirements.

not true. it wont be worth it anymore to implement Path Tracing or Ray tracing which is absolutely not needed for a prime gaming experience. its deterimental even because ull only get into games with a certain type of person who can afford a big machine.

Many games that come out still, and are quite successful, do not require such technologies.

AI slop-cloning is killing small indie games too.

Is it really? Slop clones of games have been a thing for ages, I’d expext the market to be reasonably resistant by now.

Here's how it's been going:

1. Indy developer releases a game or trailer of a game. 2. Within an extremely short time (days to weeks at most) there are clones on the market. 3. These games often outperform the original.

It's absolutely not something that's gone on for ages.

It might be a novel gameplay idea / twist on a genre, and mere days after launch instead of being able to stand on its own and gather attention it's drowning in a pool of lookalikes. It's no longer distinct.

The speed of being able to slop together something like this is less than 1% of what it used to be.

HN went crazy over 2048, which was a slop clone of Threes, something like 15 years ago.

So yes maybe it happens more often now, but it’s still not new.