- Jan 17, 2013
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Now that the current generation is drawing to a close and we have seen how the console manufacturers have fared, I thought it would be nice to do a fun little thought experiment:
If you can go back in time, how would you have changed the design/launch of the current gen consoles?
I'll start the ball rolling:
X360
If you can go back in time, how would you have changed the design/launch of the current gen consoles?
I'll start the ball rolling:
X360
- Delay launch by a year to hopefully nip RROD issues in the bud
- Maybe increase RAM amount to 1GB? (Seriously not much seemed to need changing with the X360 design)
- Change the Cell processor to a 2 PPE, 4 SPE design running at 2.5ghz+, this will increase the general processing power in the PS3 (lacking compared to X360), combined with the GPU change below, will also decrease reliance on Cell for graphics tasks, which was very difficult for developers to use.
- Instead of the gimped G71 that is the RSX, work with Nvidia to produce some derivative of the G80 as the GPU, not saying put a 8800 GTX in there, but a stripped down 64-80sp part would have been much more competitive with the Xenos as a GPU than the RSX.
- Unified memory architecture
- Ditch Blu-ray/make it an optional extra, this was the main reason the PS3 cost so much to make, and was sold at a massive loss for a very high price, leading to a huge loss in market share. Sure, Sony won the format war because of it, but considering that digital distribution models are taking over, is it really worth it?
- Change the GPU to be something like a shrunk NV43/RV410 (6600/x700), maybe add the original GC GPU for BC purposes. While this would hurt short term profitability for Nintendo, this move will mean that the Wii could at least appear to be technically in the ball park of the other consoles, before HDTVs were widespread anyway. More importantly, giving a chance for Nintendo developers to develop on "modern" programmable shader architecture would have been very valuable experience for the inevitable transition later on. (The difficulties in HD development faced by Nintendo right now for the Wii U is at least partially due to a lack of such experience).
- Add more VRAM, to maybe something like 128MB, would have helped to promote the idea of "technical parity" mentioned above.
