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Next-gen. consoles...any guesses?
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Well, whenever they do drop, we can be certain that the nintendo one will cost the least and be the least powerful, and I'd expect it to STILL use friend codes.
I'm also fairly certain that MS is going to make sure they're drops before Sony, but it still won't sell in japan.
And when it comes to corporate double-speak, no one does it like Sony - no matter what happens, it'll be exactly what they intended. 😛
I'm also fairly certain all three are going to incorporate IR pointing in some form, but motion controls - maybe, maybe not.
I'm also fairly certain that MS is going to make sure they're drops before Sony, but it still won't sell in japan.
And when it comes to corporate double-speak, no one does it like Sony - no matter what happens, it'll be exactly what they intended. 😛
I'm also fairly certain all three are going to incorporate IR pointing in some form, but motion controls - maybe, maybe not.
Well, I think they would be very smart for anyone to stay away from the Sony strategy of dropping massive consoles for $600 that they expect to last over 5-6 years. A much more sensible strategy is to drop $250-300 consoles every 3 years, based on similar architecture, with 100% backwards compatibility. If they can make older games play better, all the more reason.
DivideBYZero
Lifer
I think full BC will have to be mandatory on the next gen to stop from killing the Goose that laid the Golden Egg.
They won't come out until the sales numbers really start to slump, and so far no console has really had that problem.
Why? Because the second they announce a new console, sales numbers will go down even more with people not wanting to buy two systems in only a couple of years and developers will hold out with their current BIG titles to bring them to the new systems.
All 3 consoles (5 if you include DS and PSP) are really riding a rocket to huge sales right now and there is NO reason to try and screw it up.
I can easily see revised versions of the consoles... slimmed down versions with cheaper parts and such, but other than that, I wouldn't hold your breath on even an announcement of what's in the work for at least a few years.
Why? Because the second they announce a new console, sales numbers will go down even more with people not wanting to buy two systems in only a couple of years and developers will hold out with their current BIG titles to bring them to the new systems.
All 3 consoles (5 if you include DS and PSP) are really riding a rocket to huge sales right now and there is NO reason to try and screw it up.
I can easily see revised versions of the consoles... slimmed down versions with cheaper parts and such, but other than that, I wouldn't hold your breath on even an announcement of what's in the work for at least a few years.
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
It would be nice if the major game developers / publishers got together and created an "open standard" (no license fee for producing the hardware or games) specification for a PC using a stripped down Linux operating system specifically for gaming (only 3D API being OpenGL) that has at most the media features like that of the Xbox 360. Have a controller interface specification for interaction with the machine (so game makers do not have to worry about controllers). From my limited experience with "lower level" c++ programming, I find that programming for Linux is much easier than programming for the MFC (but, I am still a noob and that could be incorrect in the wider view of things).
That way, developers would have greater freedom and it could improve profit margins because they do not have to pay license fees and anyone that wanted to could make the hardware as long as it matched the specifications.
Didnt EA mention something like this a while back?
They basically have this already: it's called your Windows PC with DirectX. You don't need to pay money to develop on Windows, and since everyone already has it, there's really no cost of entry to the consumer. There's also no difference in terms of programming difficulty - if anything, writing a major game in DirectX is a bit easier than trying to wrestle with OpenAL/OpenGL/SDL.
They still have to pay money to develop this fancy new hardware, which is almost guaranteed to be either slower or more expensive to produce than the proprietary competition, as there's no reason for manufacturers to subsidize the product at all.
Open standards aren't about innovation, but that's what people expect from game consoles. That's an important fact to remember.
Also, I wouldn't expect new consoles until 2010, either.
DivideBYZero
Lifer
The common platform for consoles was promised with the 3DO, and we all know how well that went...
Oyeve
Lifer
Actually I do. Say an Xbox 720 comes out in a few years, wouldnt it be cool if instead of dropping 500+ bucks on a new console every couple of years, if you can just get the Xbox 720 GPU or CPU upgrade for a lot less? I kinda like the old Sega Mantra, Genesis, CDrom upgrade, 32X upgrade, SMS addon. They were a true video game console company. The Genesis had more upgrades options than any other system. Ever. We need that again.
purbeast0
No Lifer
none of sega's "upgrades" did anything NEARLY as close to the differences between xbox and xbox360, not even remotely close, other than the cdrom letting you gte FMV in some craptastic resolution.
comparably, the sega CD was like double the price of the Sega Genesis when it came out for a simple cdrom upgrade. so would you glady pay $800 for an upgrade to the current xbox360?
and the 32x was the biggest piece of crap.
Oyeve
Lifer
Your missing the point. An upgrade path would be ideal. Sega had the right idea with the upgrade path. Whether the upgrades were good or not is not the point I was trying to make. We can upgrade our PCs with a $150 video card every few years, why not for the console market? If a 150 buck upgrade for an upgradable console would yield the then next-gen capabilities would you not opt for that rather than dropping another 500 bucks on a completely new console? I definately would.
purbeast0
No Lifer
i see what you are saying, but i still don't agree.
upgrading your PC w/a $150 video card is nowhere near the difference between an xbox and an xbox360.
the 360 has more ram, different CPU(s), and different graphics card. If it was only the graphics card being updated I could somewhat agree, but it's not, its a lot more than that
Your idea is foolish.
Consoles are built around standards. They unify a community - giving everyone an equal platform with equal performance. When this unity gets tampered with (ie, Xbox 360 consoles with and without a hard drive) - it leads to an imbalance which effects everyone involved. To maximize sale potential, developers are required to develop for the least common denominator so everyone has the exact same gameplay experience.
These standards are exactly what PC games lack and is one of the many reasons the console market has grown bigger than the PC gaming market. In fact - it's the primary reason why casual, browser-based games are growing exponentially - as Flash is a unifying standard that can be run on just about any PC or Mac that is capable of running a modern OS.
mugs
Lifer
:thumbsup: Console generations are 5 years. If you're going to upgrade your PC after 5 years, it's likely going to have all new RAM, new motherboard, new processor, new video card, new hard drive. After 5 years pretty much ALL of the components will be replaced.
You could say that the ability to upgrade would eliminate the need for a 5 year lifecycle, but I would say that destroys a major part of the appeal of consoles - you never have to worry about whether your system can handle the latest and greatest games.
It seems a lot of PC gamers want to make console gaming more like PC gaming. They want their keyboard and mouse controls, they want their upgradeability. If you want those things, play games on your PC! I think the sales numbers show pretty clearly that people prefer console gaming over PC gaming, so I don't know why in the world a console maker would want to make their consoles MORE like PCs.
Kabob
Lifer
Edible consoles. You order in your favorite flavor and when you get tired of it you can ingest!!
Ok, seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if instead of CD/DVD's they used something like SD cards and just stuck the games on their. By that time an SD card will hold quite a few gigs and they are already pretty cheap.
I'm guessing 2011 they'll be out.
Ok, seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if instead of CD/DVD's they used something like SD cards and just stuck the games on their. By that time an SD card will hold quite a few gigs and they are already pretty cheap.
I'm guessing 2011 they'll be out.
Yep. And that kind of upgradability leads to developer laziness. Why try to maximize what you can get out of a limited console, when people can just throw money at the problem? The PC version of COD4 runs horrendously compared to the console versions, and there are a zillion other examples going back years and years.
OTOH, there is certainly room for two versions of a console as long as it doesnt break compatibility - theoretically, one could create an HD Wii by doing nothing but adding in a GPU with a higher fillrate. Then, put two versions of the textures on the disc, and since devs can just easily downsample a high res texture, it wouldnt be any extra work for the standard Wii. It wouldnt be the same as a full blown HD Wii, but the higher resolution + textures would make a serious difference on a HDTV. They could also sell it with more internal storage as well. They'd have the downmarket "casual/kiddie" Wii and the upmarket "hardcore/professional" Wii, all running the same games. Don't think it'll ever happen, but it certainly could be done.
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
COD4 seems to get 48 FPS on a $110 video card (9600GT @ 1600 X 1200 with 4X FSAA and 16AF, probably would be higher if that FSAA and AF was throttled back). Not exactly horrendous performance.....
When COD4 came out, an 8600gt ran around $150 - the 9600 didnt exist. There was no way I could *lock* 60fps in 1280x720 with vsync on, even with no AA/AF. Obviously thats gonna change when cheaper cards come out. The deal was the same with COD2 when it came out - reasonably priced cards at the time absolutely chugged compared to the silky smooth 360 version. Then you have the absurd Halo ports, etc etc.
One of the main benefits with the console is the standardization that allows devs to know exactly what specs their system has. On the PC? Screw efficiency, just buy a faster card. Sure, that opens up possibilites and scalability down the road, but it kinda sucks if you cant afford to constantly upgrade. My 7900GS that I paid $150 for less than a year ago is quickly becoming nearly useless.
herkulease
Diamond Member
Microsoft already plans for a combined cpu/gpu for the 360 for sometime in late 2009/early 2010. My guess is we'll probably first hear about next gen system in spring of 2011 and won't see anything until 2012. By that time I'll probably have kids and won't have as much time to play as a do now anyhow.
But I want to see Microsoft and Sony address the cost of their system. with the rate things are progressing we'll never fully tap the limits a cpu/gpu of a console system anyhow. How long did it take for developers to max out the ps2.
Instead of focusing on throwing into their console's somehing I guess at that time woudl be 5ghz cpu and some gpu that's nvidia will probably labeled as part of their 12K series.
they should focus on something by then would probably considered dated but likely still work well like something that close the geforce 9900 series.
Put their attention towards smaller dies and maybe a single die with cpu and gpu. having a small system from the get go would be great.
Hell they can play up the whole energy efficient angle. I'm sure by then the world will still be about going green.
But I want to see Microsoft and Sony address the cost of their system. with the rate things are progressing we'll never fully tap the limits a cpu/gpu of a console system anyhow. How long did it take for developers to max out the ps2.
Instead of focusing on throwing into their console's somehing I guess at that time woudl be 5ghz cpu and some gpu that's nvidia will probably labeled as part of their 12K series.
they should focus on something by then would probably considered dated but likely still work well like something that close the geforce 9900 series.
Put their attention towards smaller dies and maybe a single die with cpu and gpu. having a small system from the get go would be great.
Hell they can play up the whole energy efficient angle. I'm sure by then the world will still be about going green.
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