Poll: Who really wants a new console?

[Joccaren]

You will still be able to play your Xbox 360 for a few more years. Thing is, you won't get the better more awesome games on it because it can't run them. There isn't more that can be done with current Technology. There is a new console generation needed - even if you don't want to use it.

Consoles have been holding back gaming for a while, and I'm not just talking PCs. The longer we stay in this generation, the less new stuff we will get. Hell, some devs like Crytek may even become PC exclusive as they become sick of trying to make their games work on consoles.

With new hardware we get the possibility of better AI, better Graphics, larger levels, more possible interactions within those levels, widened FoV, you may get splitscreen with high detail again, more things on screen at once, higher framerates, dependent on whether bandwidth limits are raised too larger online matches - everything will improve. Hell, the market when a new console comes out is high-risk, which will allow devs to make more games that aren't simply clones of others.

If you don't want anything to improve, don't buy the new console. Stay playing these same old games on your Xbox 360, and let us play the new stuff.

Hell, if you're worried about how expensive it will be - get a PC. I can guarantee you a lot of people with PCs from 6 years ago won't have to upgrade when this console cycle ends. They may choose to by choice, but their PC will last through the next gen of consoles too, maybe with a $100 graphics card upgrade midway through.

That said, it will come down to the specs. If they have 1Gb RAM, a single core processor a little faster than the previous, a 320Gb Drive and the effect of a 9800GTX, not worth it (The 9800 was a legendary card, yes, but it does not support modern gaming features, and is not properly equipped to live in this day and age).
What I expect from them to be worth a purchase would be 6Gb RAM, Quad Core processor, 1Tb Drive and the effect of a 560Ti. That will bring them on par with mid range gaming computers. They'll still be outdated by hardware standards, but not by a ton, and especially not when compared to the low end gaming computers.

What I find amusing is that everyone supports the Wii upgrading, 'because it needs it', whilst the Xbox and PS apparently don't. IMO, its the other way round. The Wii is fine for what it tries to accomplish: Casual gaming experiences with low end graphics, made to be that entertaining thing that you sit down and pay for a laugh.
The Xbox and PS are now failing at their goal - to provide a cross between hardcore and casual gaming, where you can play games not only that you just sit down and laugh whilst playing on a Sunday morning, but also where you can play the new and latest games in a competitive fashion.
They get 30FPS BF3, on the effect of low settings. That's not competitive. Games like Dark Souls lag at times, and they'd hardly be taxing games on even semi-reasonable hardware. The PS3 is having bad lag problems with Skyrim. The PC version, according to some modders who edit the engine, is not at all optimised for the PC, yet a mid range PC will play it without problems.

There is no reason not to make a new generation of consoles, and there is no reason not to make them well. These consoles were fine for six years ago, and have now outlived their usefulness. Devs have to spend money finding ways to make consoles run games, as opposed to just making them and knowing the hardware will handle it. Things need to change. You want your old games, play your current consoles and don't buy new ones. You want good new games, put the money into getting that new console, or get a PC. Don't expect your bad old hardware to be able to run the new stuff though, or get upset like that guy on Youtube who was pissed that the console version of BF3 was streamlined. Live with your choice, but let us have a choice.

 

[infohippie]

Hell yes I want a new console generation, like yesterday. I don't even own a console nor do I plan on buying one, but I'm tired of my gaming experience being limited by the need to get it to run on the venerable hardware inside current consoles. I want consoles to undergo a vast improvement so developers will be free to use the power I have in my desktop.

 

[Lucem712]

I really don't see any substance behind the our games will get much more clone-y and limited if we continued for 2-3 more years. Look at the PS2, it lasted 6 years. We are bordering on that and that's fine. You won't get more innovative games just because the processor is bigger, hell, you'll get more clones because they'll want to sell games, not take a chance on a strange game like Zombie dog fights through other zombies to get back to his family or something. Hardware is expensive, not just to us but to everyone. Sony just started making a profit a year or two ago, you think they want to see red numbers again?

 

[babinro]

No. I've yet to see any information or ideas that call for a new generation of console. The improvement in terms of graphical output is visually minor. Certainly not enough to warrant what would probably be a $400+ console at launch.

The exception is with the Wii as I feel it's controls are inherently broken. Very few games truly excel with it's motion technology. The Wii needs to revisit how it handles motion controls to make them as flawless as traditional controller output.

 

[nklshaz]

Absolutely not. Few companies can even fully utilize the full capabilities of the consoles we already have, we don't need new and more expensive technology to alienate starting developers.

 

[Tim Mazzola]

There is so much more that can be done with the current console generation. A change in hardware now sounds a lot like a) A desperate attempt to drain our pockets and b) a massive waste of potential for the current consoles.

 

[CrystalShadow]

I'm surprised that nobody has said that "we don't need a new console generation because the current graphics are fine" or "New hardware will just increase the already high development costs for games" as these statements appear in just about every thread about a new console generation. So, I will preemptively argue against those two points.

Publishers will want games to continue to have better graphics regardless of weather new consoles come out or not. This is because graphics are a very easy and effective selling point (just look at all the praise for Skyrim's graphics).

So, developers have to spend lots of time optimizing code and making graphical workarounds, which add to development costs. And the more the graphics improve on the current consoles, the more time and money it's going to take to do this.

With better hardware, developers will be able to make better graphics without spending as much time and money on optimization, at least at the beginning of the console cycle.

Obviously, there are more factors to the costs of making a game. However, saying that new consoles will increase development costs for graphics is a partially untrue oversimplification.

An interesting argument, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Sure optimisation isn't easy, but take a good, long look at the credits for a modern high-budget game.

Look very carefully at where most of the people are employed...

Because honestly, as far as I can tell, since 1995 the average game has gone from about 5 programmers to 20...

But in that same period it's gone from about 10 artists, to about 100 or more... I'd bet that the ever-increasing detail expected amounts to more work than the challenges of squeezing a bit more performance out of an ageing console.

Now, it probably is true that a new hardware generation would probably make it possible to keep graphics at about the same level as they are now, while making much less effort.
But... I suspect any dev doing that will field a lot of complaints about it.

(Also ask yourself why the Wii is cheaper to develop for, because by all accounts, it is...)

 

[hashtag]

I'd like the newer technology, however I feel as this gen just hit it's stride in 2010. So if the consoles are backwards compatible, yes I would like them if not, they can go die in a hole.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

We're going through the late stages of the console cycle. Remember during the waning years of the PS2 and Xbox? That was when some of the best games came out, since by that point, the developers had been able to work around their console's limitations to provide quality experiences like Shadow of the Colossus, or Battlefront 2.

We're reaching that same point now with the 360 and PS3. Killzone 3 and Uncharted have pretty much pushed graphical fidelity as far as it will go on the PS3. Once the graphics plateau for a console has been reached, then the gameplay begins to improve. The last few games for these consoles are going to be good ones.

I look forward to the new console generation. Just don't expect me to buy the launch day titles. If they are as bad as the PS3 lineup was, I'll wait a year, thank you.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

I'm surprised that nobody has said that "we don't need a new console generation because the current graphics are fine" or "New hardware will just increase the already high development costs for games" as these statements appear in just about every thread about a new console generation. So, I will preemptively argue against those two points.

Publishers will want games to continue to have better graphics regardless of weather new consoles come out or not. This is because graphics are a very easy and effective selling point (just look at all the praise for Skyrim's graphics).

So, developers have to spend lots of time optimizing code and making graphical workarounds, which add to development costs. And the more the graphics improve on the current consoles, the more time and money it's going to take to do this.

With better hardware, developers will be able to make better graphics without spending as much time and money on optimization, at least at the beginning of the console cycle.

Obviously, there are more factors to the costs of making a game. However, saying that new consoles will increase development costs for graphics is a partially untrue oversimplification.

An interesting argument, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Sure optimisation isn't easy, but take a good, long look at the credits for a modern high-budget game.

Look very carefully at where most of the people are employed...

Because honestly, as far as I can tell, since 1995 the average game has gone from about 5 programmers to 20...

But in that same period it's gone from about 10 artists, to about 100 or more... I'd bet that the ever-increasing detail expected amounts to more work than the challenges of squeezing a bit more performance out of an ageing console.

Now, it probably is true that a new hardware generation would probably make it possible to keep graphics at about the same level as they are now, while making much less effort.
But... I suspect any dev doing that will field a lot of complaints about it.

(Also ask yourself why the Wii is cheaper to develop for, because by all accounts, it is...)

Everything you said here is true. However, the two points I was trying to make are that there are many more factors of developing graphics than just hardware power, and that game development costs will go up regardless of weather or not there is a new console generation.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

If it means The Elder Scrolls VI comes out sooner. YES!!!

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

honestly, I am completely and utterly indifferent to this

regardless of when these new consoles were announced its probably going to be a couple of years from announcement until their ready and a further three years from that for the price to drop to a reasonable level and we're past the launch title phase, and in that time its not like they going to just stop making games for the curren gen consoles in that timespan

and even once this 5 year period has passed, you will still have your previous consoles and the games you liked (there is still a SNES and a PS2 in my house alongside the PS3) so i don't really see what all the fuss and drama is about

 

[yman15]

Ehh kinda but tbh I've kind of been more interested in getting a gaming PC instead of another console

 

[Lunar Templar]

Hmm, I'm wondering when the first goons will show up to tell me that graphics don't matter and based on that we don't need more power...

hai I would be one of those goons.

and they don't matter if the devs do their jobs right, but since the add campaign will pretty much be 'look how much better every thing looks!!1!111!!eleven!' as the 'great innovation' yeah, the PS4 and Xbox 720 (or what ever they'll end up being called) can fuck right off.

once they go back to innovation in games being more then just it being prettier, and ripping each other off whole, THEN I'll care again.

 

[Laser Priest]

My Xbox is on the verge of an explosive end to its existence after surviving by some miracle for all of these years.

And thanks to family, I have more money in gift cards to tech and gaming stores than I will ever really need.

I certainly would not mind.

My only worry is that my friends might not be too quick to purchase new ones, and I may be lonely.

 

[AT God]

I wont buy one, PC suits me just fine. However a new console generation will make it easier for games to be ported to the PC from the console.

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

I'm honestly perfectly fine with my current loveable x-box 360actually, and as a wise man once said: "If it aint broke, don't fix it".
Also I'm beginning to dislike the use of motion technology; it's like why do we need to get up and use my body? I'm fine with my controller and its a comfortable form to play a game.

 

[zombieshark6666]

I think people will be quite disappointed from their next "big investment". Budgets will grow bigger, games will be shorter and shallow and I predict that more people will turn to the PC. I don't see the next consoles being that successful. There will not be another SNES or PS2 era and that's kinda sad.

I might get a handheld instead.

****Or I'll replace my 360 by a PS3 in a year or two. So many great games to play...