Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, director of the upcoming RPG "The Blood of Dawnwalker" and former director on "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," believes a delayed next-generation console launch could ultimately benefit developers. His comments arrive as the industry grapples with escalating component costs, which have already impacted hardware pricing.
Industry-wide price increases for base consoles are a new phenomenon, with reports suggesting the PlayStation 6 could cost Sony as much as $1,000 to manufacture. Xbox has also warned that anticipated doubling of component prices within the next year could affect its next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix. These rising costs previously led to Valve's Steam Machine launching at a price point significantly higher than initially planned.
Tomaszkiewicz suggests these market conditions could lead to extended console generations, as manufacturers potentially pause or postpone new hardware releases until prices stabilize. However, he views this not as a negative, but as an advantage for studios like Rebel Wolves.
"Always, a new platform is a new challenge: you need to learn it, you need to know what are your borders, what you can do, what you cannot do," Tomaszkiewicz explained. "And also it's an additional build you need to create that you need to take care of later." He highlighted the complexity of managing multiple game builds, noting that "The Blood of Dawnwalker" already requires four separate builds for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and two regional PC versions due to content rating restrictions. Adding next-generation consoles would further multiply this workload, requiring extensive testing across each new platform.
"When you have next-gen," he added, "you're adding an additional two builds, and it multiplies the amount of work you need to do. It sounds easy but you need to know that there is a group of testers who need to test every platform separately... It's a huge effort, to be honest, and if we work on the consoles we have right now, it's easier, because we know how many builds we have and it's easier to manage."
"The Blood of Dawnwalker" is slated for release on September 3rd and is designed for current-generation hardware. Rebel Wolves has publicly expressed ambitions for the game to become a series, with a trailer hinting at a future modern-day setting beyond the game's current medieval scope. Tomaszkiewicz indicated that while developing for more powerful hardware primarily impacts visual fidelity and the ability to incorporate more complex features, it is not the sole determinant of game design.
"From my perspective, it impacts mostly visuals, because when you have stronger tech, stronger hardware, you can do more stuff more easily, because you have more RAM, you have a better processor," he stated. "We can, for example, try to fit more animations in the game... But for sure we'll try to do it for the next game. And if you have stronger hardware, you can show more."
Beyond the technical considerations, Tomaszkiewicz pointed out that new consoles initially cater to a limited audience compared to established platforms. With over 90 million PlayStation 5 consoles in circulation, for instance, it will take considerable time for a new console to reach a comparable install base. This reality, he suggested, makes cross-generational development the more logical approach, absent any lucrative exclusivity deals.
"The Blood of Dawnwalker" is described as a dark fantasy RPG with a dual-protagonist system, where the player character exists as human by day and a vampire by night. The game also features a freeform world structure and a controlled use of time, aiming to provide a distinct player experience.