Poll: Who really wants a new console?

[Windcaler]

As I read more and more of this thread I've come to realize something. The ones who want a new generation are the PC gamers and the ones who don't are the console gamers. I think that statement speaks for itself. It's rather arrogant to ask for a product that you're not going to spend money on yourself. But perhaps I'm being harsh and over-simplifying things. If I am then I apologize but I personally don't see the need for new consoles. An argument I keep seeing being made over and over again on this thread is that this console generation has passed its prime and is dragging down the technology with it, and perhaps that is true but is that really such a big deal? I mean, big complex games have been made before and personally I don't see the production of these games slowing down at all. After all just look at some of this year's biggest games; Max Payne 3, Bioshock Infinite, Twisted Metal, Mass Effect 3 among others. They all look stunning and if the gameplay videos can be trusted then the gameplay is just as awe inspiring. And do you know what? They are all just fine on this generation. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to impede progress but maybe we should wait for everybody to be on the same page before we plunge into the next generation, eh?

I think your missing the point about exclusives. I made a point to mention Dark souls earlier which you can not get on PC without pirating a copy. Now I really like Dark souls, for me its a really fun game with a really tough but fair difficulty curve that goes back to the old days of gaming where every insect, person, and blade of grass was trying to kill you. However I can not play it on my PC without doing something illegal even though it is easily the superior machine. So I play it on my XBOX, meaning Im still using the XBOX as a product I purchased and does not live up to my personal needs of a gaming machine.

As a consumer I have the right to speak up and say this console isnt meeting my needs anymore because it doesnt have the processing power to run the game at its peak. It gets worse in even more intense games like battlefield 3 where split second decisions and reactions are required but the console limitations impede my experience (and I play Battlefield 3 on XBOX as well because I refuse to install origin on my PC). There are some tricks to increase processing power like narrowing Field of View but for some player (myself included) narrow FoV can lead to physical illness. This is why I cant play MW3 at all, its narrow FoV makes me feel sick after about five minutes

People can feel free to disagree with me but the argument I make is far more complex then "Im a PC gamer". The short of it is, as a consumer who owns these machines I continue to find them lacking for the exclusives that I have bought and want to play.

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

I don't understand why people are all up in arms over Sony supposedly not following their "10 year plan". If they announced something now, it'd be out sometime in the next 2 years and then would cause the PS3 to take a back seat to the new kid the same way the PS2 was forced to a few years ago. It'd coast its way through the rest of the "10 years" the same way the PS2 did with its last few.

Personally, I didn't have much stake in this console generation, so a new batch of consoles might be nice to see although with the economy still not being what it used to be I don't know if it will be the most intelligent course of action to release something like that now.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

I'm still playing on the Gamecube and the Dreamcast, and won't get an X360 until it's as cheap as they are.

 

[Safe in the Dark]

I only play Indie games, Doujin games, the occasional sequel to a franchise I like, and jrpgs, as far as I'm concerned, things are just fine.

 

[WolfThomas]

I'll buy a new X-box if it has reverse compatibility, because really a lot of the games I have on Xbox are still great and could benefit from a faster system.

Also reverse compatible controllers etc.

 

[Reaper195]

When everything else is better in video games, I will want a new console. Until then, stop bringing out fucking sequels.

 

[Vault101]

the xbox will never be called xbox720 becouse that would suggest that it would only display images of 720p. so its time for thAt to stop

xbox720+..?

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

As a PC gamer, I am dying for a new console generation, preferably with a very beefy hardware upgrade. The hardware in consoles nowadays is an absolute joke.
I say release new consoles and have them be as powerful as humanly possible. I would like my PC to finally be able to stretch its legs.

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

A lot of people here seem to think that processing power only means better graphics. That is really stupid...

The industry won't revolutionize until the hardware of their consumers can handle it.

 

[icaritos]

Because, if everyone thought like you, we'd still be playing Super Mario Bro's style games. Technology advancement would stagnate.
boundaries currently set by the console limitations.

I'm not saying to stay on this generation forever, but definitely give it some more time to live out its usefulness. It just seems like it has a couple more good years left in it.

Even after all the bitching console players did due to Skyrim? You do realize that was 100% a hardware problem, 256mb of dedicated RAM is just ridiculous for todays games.

 

[Anthony Wells]

well ocne they are released..hopefully i will have the money for it by then 2014 or so seems decent for release dates 2013 more likely. if i cant afford them im gonna avoid the escapist and other gaimng sites like the plague until i get a ps4. why? because lord knows i dont need to have it flaunted in my face about the "current gen gaming" again took me 3 years into the ps3's life before i got my hands on one and i wont be doing that again while being forced to look at them.


i said i dont wnat new consoles yet. but that doesnt mean they shouldnt be brought. I personally dont want them but my personal opinion should not stop tech advancement.

 

[longboardfan]

This generation, the major advances were in graphics at the expense of game play mechanics. I'd rather a few more years of graphical stagnation to force developers to use some other means of making their games stand out. Like actually making a good game?

 

[Frybird]

My opinion depends on execution, if we have a method of play that innovates and actually offers something fundamentally different and engaging than to what we currently have, I'm all for it. If the idea is to clone the entire current generation just to add some suitably large sounding jargon-filled number to the whatever-drive. Then I'll pass on the spending large amounts of money on nothing but a glorified glorified glorified PlayStation One.

Well that sums it up well for me too.

The jump from...let's say Playstation 1 to Playstation 2 was rather significant because suddenly we could get games that just weren't possible before, not only in terms of graphics but often in just about every technical sense.

The jump from Xbox (given that it was slightly more advanced than the PS2 and already had a hard drive and online services) to Xbox 360 was significant too, without a doubt, but already much less than in the generation before. The most important change that is attributable to better hardware was the shift to HD graphics, and MAYBE the use of more advanced physics models, but i felt there were much less games that wouldn't be, at least in THEORY, possible on a Xbox or Gamecube.

I'm still happy that we got this console generation, don't get me wrong, BUT:
I look at current high end PC graphical benchmarks and although there is of course a difference to what consoles can do, it's not really a giant, mindblowing step as was the switch to HD graphics. It just isn't THAT impressive.

As such, new consoles would need an Evolution not only in what games look like. It would need to evolve in ways that suit games that aren't possible yet.
Wich not only is tricky challenge to wrap my head around, there's also the problem that i don't see very many publishers and developers being willing to step up to the challenge, not for lack of crativity, but because it will cost more, and the games market is currently risky enough when it comes to the big productions.

(The Wii U might be a step in this direction, but i honestly think it's a very unfocused one that rather goes for an "jack of all trades" approach by trying to mash together previous successes that could possibly backfire into having a system that no one really knows what to do with, developers and gamers alike.)

So yeah:
New console: Great, but only when everyone is on the same boat when it comes to "new"

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

Because new consoles are fucking expensive, and the worlds still sort of in that recession.
Also current gen games can go for another solid 2 years, 2014 seems like a reasonable amount of time to introduce a new generation of consoles.
Also it seems the only people who want new consoles are PC gamers, and their only justification is usually just "better graphics" We've reached that point where we dont necessarily need better graphics because most games already look amazing.

Actually, the reason I want new ones is more to do with processing power and I play games on my PC when I have the choice to. When current games make the consoles chug, despite all the tricks used to render less like narrow FoV and large portions of a screen being covered up by weapons consoles still slow down to near unplayable levels when graphical rendering is pushed.

This is not a "better graphics" argument as much as it is a "consoles need more processing power" argument

Notice how I used the word usually. I know that theres a good reason for PC gamers to want a new console but in most cases it usually amounts to them wanting better graphics.
Also as a console gamer its hard to feel sympathy for PC gamers, I dont want you guys to the short end of the stick, but I really dont have the cash to buy a new console anytime soon

Then suck it up, so what if YOU don't have the cash right now, just don't buy it till you do. Just because you personally cannot get something RIGHT NOW shouldn't be a reason to make those who can get one right away and those who have even a basic gaming computer, who've had to keep playing a majority of games made for hardware from 2004, be unable to enjoy the emergence a new generation in console technology.

Yes god forbid Id rather come out with the better deal, what a stupid way of thinking that no one else shares obviously. Its not just me, a lot of console gamers dont want a new system because they dont have the money and theyre fine with the games we have now.

Besides a new console generation wouldnt really change anything Im betting, it would be good for a year or so then PC gamers would be back to crying about how much console gaming is holding them back, not just that but its also a bad business decision for companies like Sony and Microsoft, can they really risk selling a new console, knowing fully well theres a good chance of it completely bombing? May I remind you that for the majority of its life the PS3 has actually been making a loss? The only thing that would definitely change things for PC gamers is if more developers started making PC exclusive games, and if C ports were made with a PC in mind.

Note that the Ps3 contains processing technology of a make made SPECIFICALLY for the product, due to it not being widespread technology it costs more to produce, that and they also had to recall it for certain reasons due to a rushed release, so those issuaes can't have helped their overal proffit margin, the 360 is cheaper to make, but also has flaws in it's construction that cause a large number of them to experience critical hardware failures, maybe if the developers actually made a completely functional product in the first place it would be less costly for them in the long run eh?

you may not think 6 years is a long time for technological advancement, but when it comes to system power overall, well yeah it would make a pretty huge difference to everything, we've gone from the 1800 series ATi cards to the 7900 series, yes, that is 6 entire generations of video cards, not to mention Nvidia's huge leaps in technology, and the number of enhanced physics processors and whatnot being added into our hardware.

And yes it would help if more developers made pc exlusive titles, but with such a market split, it's not likely to happen, after all consoles make up a huge part of the gaming industry, so like it or not, consoles hafta get stronger for pc gamers to get any games that take advantage of the technology available now, or even a year ago.

I mean to a certain extent I don't mind the lack of change either, since it means that for the forseeable future I can play everything on the market on high or near enough, on my $500 rig, that I frankenbuilt and upgraded a couple times way back... but I would definately like to see the industry pick up the pace hardware wise, after all the computer components that are in consoles are out of production for the most part, so it may make them even more expensive to manufacture than they were a few years back.

Consoles are essencially a pc with a chopped down OS streamlined for only gaming, since they use pretty much all the same parts now, once a part becomes completely obsolete and thus drops out of mainstream production, then companies like sony and microsoft are essencially subsidizing the production of something a company has left in the dust, and isn't even selling to other customers at this point, therefor taking up space and materials that could be going towards better parts, which would make them more money per volume.

So in other words it may actually be more economically viable for console manufacturers to upgrade their hardware to a new generation sooner than later.

 

[Angry Camel]

I'd like to see an update, although it shouldn't be rushed. What they are pulling off with current consoles is quite good, but there's quite a leap they can make now in regards to hardware. I can understand your concern, though, OP. Also, I hope Microsoft learned not to skimp on the quality of the joint soldering and cooling systems (I think there was a soldering issue, let me know if it was something else) or people might not take very kindly to them.

 

[Frybird]

I want new gen you know why..

Maybe if given more raw power and given dare i ask "easier dev tools" *cough*sony..
people might to be able to risk trying games OTHER than FPS (mainly the COD clones)

I want new games new Ips fresh ideas and bigger adventures... what i get right now is 5 hour bullet fests.

Thats less an technical issue (although it plays a part) as it is more a financial one.

Games cost a lot of money these days, and it's kinda hard to predict how much a game will sell before making it. As such, devs prefer what sells well.

That said, it's not THAT hard to find games with a good amount of playing time that aren't FPS

 

[Cyrus Hanley]

I got my PlayStation 3 in 2008, so I'm hoping to get at least another two years out of it before the next big thing comes out and makes it obsolete.

 

[Conza]

With the announcement of a new Xbox (and possibly Playstation, though I've heard rumors of Sony not debuting a new console), I have to ask; why? Why do we need another console? I've become accustomed to the way my Xbox360 works and do not look forward to having to upgrade to the new Xbox(720?). Maybe I'm just the odd man out on this issue, but I feel like so much more could be done with the current technology.

By the way, a lot of this comes from my hatred of Kinect, and for some reason I feel that the new Xbox will use a lot of the motion feature, which would be a deal breaker for me.

So, what do you want? The current generation, or the next?

OMG, I'm in the minority on this?

PEOPLE WAKE UP!

2006 was SIX YEARS AGO. Fark, I mean, its way way WAAAAY overdue.

Look, I won't buy it, because I bought my PS3 in 2009, but it should be here for christmas this year, and its late, it'd be late if it came for christmas last year, but crickey.

There are so many things it could do, a dedicated 4GB VRAM card with DX11, 12GB of system ram, 500 and 750GB HDDs, maybe 128SSDs.

But above all, a faster blu-ray player, so we can load games without having to install most of it, or making a cup of coffee between scenes.

The consoles were old 18-24 months after they came out, both of them, one isn't even Full HD, and its still pretending its a 'current' console? Please. They're both jokes now, and its dispicable that they haven't already replaced them, its way overdue, just get it out here already.