Re: A rational and reasonable write-up of the issue.
I notice that the technical standard of 8-bit software (graphics in particular) improved *very* significantly over the decade, but particularly around the mid-80s.
Is this because larger companies started using the newly-released Atari ST and Amiga- and more dedicated artists- to more easily develop graphics for the 8-bit formats (#), along with possibly other cross-development tools? I'm assuming all this more team-based and equipment-intensive approach also forced a move away from the "bedroom programmer" approach?
(#) Since designing even (e.g.) mono Spectrum graphics would be easier with the mouse-based packages on the 16-bit machines than on the Spectrum itself. (Even if the 16-bit formats- especially the Amiga- were initially a bit too expensive to support many mainstream games in their own right).