True, but the energy consumption is key: Raspberry 4 draws 1/3 of a C64 at 1000x perf, at 2Gflops/W not even the M1 (at 2.5Gflops/w) chip is hurting that stat with 5nm vs. 28nm for the Raspberry.
Tools are peaking and linux with TWM from the 1987 is winning! ;)
In any case, I was able to start programming my first games using a pirated copy of GW Basic on a PC XT. That's all you really needed.
Then I think around the 286 or 386 PC clones I discovered open source libraries like Allegro (a competitor of today's SDL), and it wasn't even pirated anymore! Really, all you need to program games.
> "Because, if you haven't noticed, we are running out of energy?"
Energy as an abstract concern is a very low priority for any hobbyist games creator. You care about building cool stuff. You only care about energy if it impacts your game.
> "Basic is not performant enough to make games that are interesting."
This is simply not true. There are even commercial BASICs that specialize in game creation.
> "If you could afford a 286/386 you are not really in the majority of the human population."
Nobody with an interest in videogame creation is. It was a very cheap 286 PC clone anyway; we couldn't afford a brand PC. But I acknowledge most people weren't programming at home back then.
My point: Raspberries aren't at all needed for programming. Any computer would do. You don't need a magic device.
Tools are peaking and linux with TWM from the 1987 is winning! ;)
For more depth on my reasoning: http://move.rupy.se/file/park_engine.html