Poll: Do we really want next Gen consoles?

[Zeke63]

Yes just cause itll make pc gaming better because of how itll shift development. Better ports cause basically the same and better graphics/other engines since no longer held back by 360/ps3 2006 tech

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

And engines are becoming more easy to use as technology moves along, Unreal Engine 4 is looking like a fun engine to mess around with.

I'm personally excited for this as technology moves along. Unreal Engine 4 supposedly cuts out a lot of time consuming processes in game making. There have been estimates that it could cut development time in half. Those are probably very generous estimates but anything a dev can do to decrease production costs and time without cutting content are welcome.

Of course, this is only if developers and publishers learn to reuse game engines and assets instead of building everything from the ground up

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

I don't care about better graphics, but I would like to see games like Metal Gear Rising in more densely packed environments where chopped objects stick around for more than five seconds so you can appreciate the devastation. We need better hardware for that sorta stuff.

 

[darlarosa]

To be honest...not really...I feel like they're pushing new consoles not to push technology but because we've reached some arbitrary time limit. There are advances to be made...but I'm not sure they're actually going to make ones that matter. (I don't give two flying fucks about graphics)

 

[Joccaren]

Yes, because PC games will get better ports, and some games with interesting levels and AI might start being made again, rather than the corridor games ATM made due to lack of RAM on consoles.

Also, why do we need another console generation? So that the companies can make money. So that we can get more games. So that fewer people move to PC and console is forgotten. If MS/Sony didn't release new consoles, PC would dominate the market ATM. Imagine the PS1 vs a modern day PC, and tell me which one you see people playing. Sure, the PS1 would cost $20 or so, but it would be the equivalent of a phone in terms of a gaming machine when everything gets put on the more advanced system.
Its already started happening this generation, with half the people I know who played exclusively on consoles swapping to PC exclusivity as the 360 and 3 begin to look dated, with inaccurate control schemes and not many real advantages. Give it the next 10 years until VR actually works, and the console market would cease to exist.
Yeah, I'd like that. Not going to lie. More focus on the PC means no crappy ports, no exclusive titles I have to pay over $300 to get, and a much larger community to interact with. However, console manufacturers would not like that, and would quite prefer you gave them your money. So they release a new generation to try and keep up [And fail to keep up of course].

 

[GonzoGamer]

It all depends on what they're going to do with it. If it's all about more polygons for David Cage's emotions (thanks for that Jimquisition), I'm not interested. If it's all about Borderlands 3 having hoards of enemies rushing at me while I shred them with an orange-tier rocket launcher, I'm game.
Either way, I'm not buying one at launch. I don't want to be stuck with a console that I'm afraid is going to brick or one that gets awful support. Hopefully that wont be the two choices again.

That's kind of the same boat I'm in. "How will they use the horsepower?"
I'm guessing it will mostly go towards the most superficial elements of gaming: Graphics and sound, while putting little effort into enhancing the other areas that gaming is lacking.

And if so, I lose nothing.
I've abjectly avoided the previous generation (and stumbled into a Wii, which even by happy accident was still a mistake), because it didn't really offer much of what I wanted to play.

The one and only game on the 360 that I cannot play on PC is Shadow Complex. The PS3 has Warriors Orochi 3, and I only really play Dynasty Warriors and its ilk with my friend when he visits.

My old standby in Armored Core turned into Speed KillZ blurry nonsense and online grief-fests (if you're losing in AC4, just push Dashboard and it draws the match. Or unplug your network cable for a second to gain unbreakable lag armor. Brilliant!) so that's out..

Really, there is no reason for me to buy non-handhelds, and even the handhelds are largely failing me.

I know how you feel.
We got three consoles this gen and they were all a disappointment. The Wii was actually pretty good but didn't have the best third party games. The 360 was defective and had a monthly fee. Then the ps3 had lame firmware and crappy ports.
I mentioned this in another thread but one of my favorites on the ps2 was Burnout Revenge. When the current gen hit I was exited to see bigger Crash Junctions with more cars piling up and bigger explosions. Then Burnout Paradise hit and it didn't have crash junctions at all. Couldn't help but wonder why they/I bothered. It felt like any other racing game, just looked nicer.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Do we *want* a new console generation? I can't speak for everyone but I frankly don't care. I might buy one, I might not, there're no exclusives I care about to buy one for that alone.

Do we *need* a new console generation? Absolutely. Ancient, ailing console hardware has held back PC gaming for years now. Since big publishers entirely stopped PC developement and now only make console games which get ported across, the PC only gets these games made to run on 8 year old technology, an eternity in IT terms.

I'm looking forward to an eventual leap forward in graphics, physics, AI and map design/sizes even if the shitty UIs, achievements and other console shit insist on coming to the new generation as well. Current consoles have held gaming back for far too long and outstayed their welcome. If all I get is shitty console ports, the least the consoles can be is slightly closer to the power of a PC.

 

[1UPZ]

I am completely and utterly apathetic towards it. I don't think it's a bad idea, but nothing I have seen or heard so far has made me look forward to it either.

That may change when we get more details, but to be honest it seems like the console developers are simply trying to make the next gen about multi-media machines and I only care about consoles for gaming. A PC upgrade would pretty much be cheaper and more effective way of continuing with that.

Agreed.

1. Looking at the bunch of Xbox "720" unveil articles online, I browsed through an article with "Gaming Experts" input on the next generation Xbox. And some if not most of them focus on the "all-in-one" media hub in your living room direction.
How the next xbox and PS4 should incorporate as much non-gaming features on it as possible; which is to me is not right.

I'm in the engineering field and I know how to deal with marketing, accounting departments etc, and to me, these so called "gaming" experts sound like marketers and accountants talking instead of "gaming" experts.

I do understand the market demands, I do understand the standard and consumer expectations today, but I also KNOW that it is driven and dictated by they (ALL OF THEM) are willing to add to outsell each other, sadly non-gaming features are as high focus to them as much as or if not more than the gaming focus.

It only hurts the game developers... and it hurts the gaming aspect of games.
Marketing executives and the decision makers are pushing the console engineers to crank out as much power as possible even if not required, so that they can "out muscle" the competition.... The same people are pushing the game programmers to spend more on making their games prettier make them look movie like and it affects game play and game depth overall.

Look at FFXIII as an example, completely streamed down, removed of any depth rpg elements from its previous games so they could spend the budget on making prettier backdrops, graphic details.... and the game is just that, a pretty game without depth. Even the battle system has been designed to be movie like, instead of allowing gamers full control.

Sadly thats how it is for most of these big developers.


And this will continue, because its about graphics now, its about selling the game(s) on WOW factor after seeing screen shots and videos online.... the days of buying games because they are amazing and lovable are limited to the small developers who value artisitic aspects more than market appeal, for now anyways, until they get bigger and ran by accountants and marketing professionals.


I know why Nintendo went with the Wii the way it was.... and why they adopted HD late with the Wii U. 1 is they wanted to make profit from their hard ware, 2, they wanted to lower development cost for themselves and for other developers, 3 they rather spend the additional budget on development on other traits that will add to the gaming experience...
many say its a "gimmick", but the whole concept of controlling in-screen characters to do what you want them to do is based on a gimmick.

With Wii U, Nintendo is just slightly more powerful than the PS3 and 360, because they know majority of developers already have the game engines, tools to create graphic features and they dont have to spend high amounts on development.... this is one reason why big companies like EA are hating on Nintendo... 1 is Nintendo rejected the EA's origin plan, 2 EA's new engine which they spent millions on is too much for the Wii U according to them...

I dont want to sound a complete Nintendo fanboy, I do like them, but I'm just seeing it from a bigger picture.

The more powerful the hardware, the more emphasis on graphics (again)..... instead of actually just carrying on with current graphic levels and enriching games by adding depth and artistic flair.....

In a perfect gaming world NIntendo Wii U will allow these small developers to thrive and put out great games again, or atleast consoles like PS4 and the next Xbox allow these developers to make games without them being flagged for "not being next generation looking" enough.

With that said, I do plan a PS4.... I need a new Blu Ray player... but 90% of the games I'm playing at the moment are from the PS2, PSX, SNES era... reliving the good old days of deep games not compromised (too much) by being graphic focused.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Well whether we want them or not they are coming personally I couldnt care less I am perfectly happy with this gen to be honest they deliver what I want.

My PC and laptop cant run games as well as my PS3 and 360 because I havent upgraded it in ages but they still do me fine its really been diminishing returns for quite some while.

Basically I just dont want to fork out more money but then I suppose I wont have to it just means missing out on some games.