Jamba Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The next generation of hardware presents an interesting conundrum that I think deserves discussing. What can each company do to sell their platforms? The Wii U seems obvious, their controller right? But is that enough? Also (and this is what I see as pretty interesting) what can the other 2 do? With massive numbers of consoles already sold, a new generation shrinks the number incredibly. So publishers and developers don't even want it to happen I recon. What can they do? Better graphics? More power? Do publishers want to make games with budgets like that? Do developers? Is there any reason for a consumer to even bother upgrading? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamishmash Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I expect that in 2013 XBox will probably release a XBox361 or something... which will basically be identical to the new one but with more power for a select number of XBox361 games which won't work on the old console. Sony will probably release a PS4 in 2014 or something. I think this generation is going to be interesting because everything is changing and what a "games console" is, is going to have to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamba Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 I expect that in 2013 XBox will probably release a XBox361 or something... which will basically be identical to the new one but with more power for a select number of XBox361 games which won't work on the old console. Sony will probably release a PS4 in 2014 or something. I think this generation is going to be interesting because everything is changing and what a "games console" is, is going to have to change. So do you think that the next gen of the HD platforms will be totally backwards compatible then? I agree with you on the definition of console though... but what can they offer to get people to buy them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debug Mode Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Actual 1080p gameplay rather than this dynamic framebuffer crap. But hey, they can't advertise that otherwise the majority of people will finally realise they have been lying about this 'full HD' crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burny Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I agree with you on the definition of console though... but what can they offer to get people to buy them? What did past new console generations offer to people? Wasn't it new games and "Moah graphix!"? This would be a start even today (actual HD-resolutions and more solid fps), although I highly doubt that the differences will be as striking this time. It seems studios are already often hitting the limits of their budgets before they hit the limits of the machines they have available today. I can even see ports of the same game spanning console generations when the new machines hit. Eventually, the new CoD or GTA that'll only run on the new machines will come. Beyond that, I could imagine that MS and Sony will try to push social features even more than they do now. Organizing Clan's / Groups within PSN/XBL, copying features of social networks. Integrating new business models ("f2p" games) into their respective services. I wouldn't put it beyond Microsoft to integrate an evolved version of Kinect completely into their new system either. Going by MS' last two E3 conferences, they'll try even harder to establish the "Xbox720" as a media streaming device and Sony might follow. For the most part though, it's going to be games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazza Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 There comes a point when technology becomes "good enough". The limitations of all the previous generations were clear, however enjoyable the games were. The Xbox 360 and PS3, however, are probably the first consoles that really seem like they don't have any serious limitations. The proof is how long this generation has lasted, with no real appetite for Xbox 3/PS4. I also get this feeling with the 3DS. With its sharp PPI and impressive graphics, it is simply "good enough". That's not to say I won't welcome more powerful consoles and handhelds, but it is now the job of developers and publishers to show us what can be done. I believe the Wii U will have this "good enough" feeling. That's not to say there won't be a new generation started that leaves it behind, but the Wii U should be well-equipped to just feel right from the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fused King Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 My view is that, when it comes to creativity in games, the surface hasn't even been scratched. Cross-over genres, creative online capabilities, and more different art-styles should make this coming generation the last before the global social breakdown. Having said that, the same actually goes for this generation regarding those ideas; by which I mean that this generation could have been stretched much further into the future with more creative ideas, though perhaps not the Wii for it lacks in too many areas. On another note, I'm quite lookin' forward to the WiiU, but I just can't help but wonder if NINTENDO will still see motion-controls as a road to further invest in. I hope so though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I've wondered to myself whats next in the sense of, whats will they do after the 3DS and Wii U. I know thats a long way off, but I find it difficult to think of whats left to do with games. What can be added? Graphically, theres not much beyond making everything ultra photo-realistic (which was the dream back during the PS1 and N64 days, lol). The 3DS level of graphics is more than good enough for a handheld, imo, so I don't personally see there being much to do beyond what it offers. Same with the Wii U (even though its not out) we know it will be atleast on par with Xbox 360 and PS3, and do we want more than what they offer graphically? Not really. Yeah, I'm just thinking inside the graphical box here, but its weird to think that essentially graphics no longer matter. Whats needed is ideas. Fun ideas. Nintendo franchises are by and large the best out there, but another generation of the same games sounds like Fifa syndrome. Luckily, Nintendo usually are the kings of fun and imagination but can that last forever? We have touch screens and we have motion controls. What further functionality can be added...? With Sony steaming ahead with VR, will Nintendo follow? Are Saturday mornings always this pensive or am I getting to old for this gaming lark? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tapedeck Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) Nice post Darksnowman (and Jamba's thread). I was looking at that Sony VR headset earlier this week and weighing up the pro's and con's. I think VR is always a 'want' by those who are involved in gaming. We seem to strive for this escapism from the real world into the gaming world. But I wonder how far that can go. For instance: I've been playing Xenoblade Chronicles and it has been infiltrating my mind after playing it. It has therefore seeped into my consciousness and thus is perhaps a living, breathing world in a way that VR is supposed to be. We've all had these moments where you can't shake a game from your mind. This is what the very best games bring and something that keeps me coming back to gaming. Nintendo went there with the Virtual Boy and now with the 3DS. What I like about 3D gaming is that it is like looking into a world (OoT is stunning for instance). But ... overall, it's the game itself that matters. The feel of the game, the characters, the world. Some PS3 3D games feel flat, even with the 3D effects. For me though, the best titles are the many titles that evoke a sort of VR, "been-there" feeling, from 8-Bit to the current generation. I look forward to a generation where the industry grows up and starts to focus on the immersion of games rather than shouting about who has better GFX than the other. However, the industry used power to sell, it is innate to the industry not only from a marketing perspective but from a technological perceptive. This won't change when there are companies battling it out for supremacy rather than working together to benefit the industry for all. I'd like the focus to be on immersion in the next generation. I like the idea of playing a full console game at any point via pick up and play and so the WiiU appeals. Nintendo's support from third parties still concerns me though. Especially as many developers forge onwards towards graphical oomph for their games. As soon as PS4/XboX 3 come out developers will go for the new power. They always do. Who knows what the next generation will bring, but the immersion gaming offers is what it's all about to me. It is still what makes me come back. With immersive, social experiences, gaming will always be exciting, interesting and a tool for the imagination to soar. Edited September 3, 2011 by tapedeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamba Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 Nintendo's support from third parties still concerns me though. Especially as many developers forge onwards towards graphical oomph for their games. As soon as PS4/XboX 3 come out developers will go for the new power. They always do. Totally agree with you about immersion, however this is something that I feel has been getting worse and worse over the generations. Is that creativity lacking or is it because of the graphical fidelity? Dunno... I understand what you mean in the quoted section above and it definitely had been the case with most of the big 3rd parties this generation. But this coming generation, I'm not sure that is going to be the case. I'm not sure if publishers are going to be ready to fork out that level of money to develop a game with such a ridiculous budget. Companies are finding it tough at the moment and look how many big players got royally screwed at the beginning of this gen. The industry has never been at a point where they have had to consider the cost of development so carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rummy Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Personally I think traditional 'console gaming' is topping out, it's done everything it can. I think the 'next' generation(worth noting this is possible the longest 'generation' of games consoles unless I'm mistaken) will be more about a total multi-purpose system/approach. Something which isn't just a games console, but rather a total home entertainment system. Streaming, media playback, games, everything. Something very sort of casual, not a dedicated gaming console, but a thing that does a lot AND plays games sort of thing. I think from the early look of the Wii U and whatnot, that might also be where they're headed. Knowing Nintendo they'll mess it up though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazza Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Great post by tapedeck about immersion. If I think of the games that have immersed me the most over the years, they would probably be: Link's Awakening Landstalker Wind Waker (plus the N64 Zeldas) Dragon Quest VIII It's less to do with graphics and more to do with a true vision being properly portrayed. Anyway, it's funny to think that all we really need at the moment is turbo-charged versions of the current consoles. More RAM, faster processors etc. If we had the current level of graphics, but everything in 1080p and at 60hz, that'd be enough for me for ages. However... I can also see a breakthrough technology that makes the current consoles seem way underpowered, such as holograms. If holographic displays became popular, then we'd soon need much faster processors, much bigger formats etc. Really, current consoles just need to be perfectly suited to 1080p HDTVs. The moment that changes, there'll be a case for much better ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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