Console Gaming: The Next Generation

[Ajescent]

pedantically speaking umm...its next gen hand helds? lol i mean its currently competing against the DS and they are both the current gen but when pure was first thought up as a concept PsP was next gen...so...(ignore me i'm only waffling so i can avoid doing my philosophy assignment)

[Task]

No. Just because it's the next one to be produced, does not make it "next gen". There has to be some radical improvement that makes it leave the whole "last gen" behind. Like going from 16-bit to 32-bit. Such a radical change to the base architecture is supposed to be the _only_ way you can call something "next gen", but the term does get thrown around far too often. So now you can hear people calling something next gen because the graphics are better, they tripled the clock speed, and doubled the RAM on it. 8 P

Back when the world converted from 16-bit machines to 32-bit, that was everyone "going next gen". These days you're generally just "upgrading".

[Sausehuhn]

@ Ajescent
why did I know something like this would be said? :D

@ Task
agree

[Ajescent]

because in actual fact i will say anything to avoid doing my philosophy work. I agree with Task the phrase next gen has been around the block a few times but this time around I do feel its warrented because comparing the xbox to 360 and ps2 to ps3 even cube to revolution...I have to admit...it is one heck of an upgrade don't you think? IN terms of what you can do with these consoles (speciifcally the revolution control pad....if you can call it that.)

[Sausehuhn]

yes I agree in term of the revolution controller. Because that is something really new when your talking about gameplay.

But so or so the title "Next Gen" is not right for me. Xbox360 doesn't look like the graphic experience I was looking for. Without a HD-TV it looks like a better PC. Maybe a bit better. But this distance between PC and Xbox360 will be smaller and smaller in the next few months I'm sure.

maybe the PS3 can show us, that "Next Gen" is also available without HD-TVs...

[Axel]

Unfortunately I think we are going to have to wait a while before we see games producing some sweet graphics. I think we are coming to a apoint where graphics are becoming harder, and harder to improve each generation. I've said it before and I stand by it, these next gen consoles have come too soon. It's getting redicolous really nowadays.

[eLhabib]

have you seen any of the xbox 360 games in live action? (not some crappy quality stream on the web)
The next gen KICKS ASS graphics-wise, believe that! you won't be able to tell the difference on a low-quality video, but even on my standard definition TV games like PGR3 and Kameo look AMAZING. I wish I had enough change for an HDTV.

[Sausehuhn]

I had a look at RR6 for Xbox360 on my non-HDTV (they showed it on a german videogame-show called Giga-TV) and it looked good, better than current PCs, but not that good. Really not.

[Drakkenmensch]

Would be pretty cool to see what the Xbox 360 could do in terms of a Wipeout game ;)

[eLhabib]

RR6 is not very impressive, I agree. But then, it's ridge racer, this series has never been visually impressive...

PGR3 will make you poop your pants, just a little, I promise.

[Roger]

I have to disagree with you on that one, eLhabib (and I think Lance agrees with me on this one ;)), 'cause I think Ridge Racer Type 4 was (and still is) a really pleasing game, visually as well as aurally.

/here endeth my offtopic rant

[eLhabib]

note that the following is only my personal opinion:

The RR series continues to annoy me with it's stuuupid powerslide system. Yes, it's an arcade racer, I know, but still, THIS just doesn't feel right at all.
Add to that a terrible soundtrack (I don't see how anyone can like this kind of 'music'), a WAY too saturated color scheme, uninspired vehicle designs, boring, wide, untechnical tracks, and an AI which would be outsmarted by purE's autopilot, and you can probably imagine why I don't like this game.

Yes, visually it DOES have some nice effects, but the overall art direction just isn't all there...

[Lance]

.
i demur, sir. :)
.

[eLhabib]

aw, you did that on purpose, huh? throwing vocabs at me which I most likely don't know. So, I looked it up, and found out what you're saying is you DISAGREE;)
well, I'm not saying the game (series) is bad, just that it doesn't meet my personal taste at all, and at that you cannot demur.:p

[Rouni Kenshin#1]

i find that the nex-gen jump this time around is not the graphis upgrad.

it's the online. i heard that Project Gothem Racing 3 will have a fieature that lets you watch the top5 racers loged on while you race and it will tell you wheather or not your upcomming race is to be brodcasted or not.

i mean to watch the top five and thik about trying to race with (insert reallllllly large number here) watching you.

and the backwards compatiblity(downlad old games to you hard drive)

this nex-gen is a leap foward in many aspect not just graphics.

[Lance]

.
el, you seem upset. the only reason i used 'demur' is cos it rhymes with sir. [or at least it does the way i say it. :) ]

hmm... i could have said 'no sirree, i disagree', but that probably isn't a common phrase in Austria, either. well, maybe not too common where i live, either. ;)

i certainly agree that you know what you like.

what we don't get in Ridge Racer is realism. but i don't require it from every game. i like the real feel of F355 Challenge, but i also like the unreal feel of the Ridge Racer series. RR is 'show biz'; it has dashes of the overblown 'reality' that one sees in American racing. [which i don't like in real life, but which adds absurd fun to the RR games.][if absurdity amuses you instead of angers you. there's that personal taste thing again.]
.

[X]

Whould the new Xbox stand a change against the superior PS3? I'm still wondering why Micro$oft entered the console arena after one manufacturer (Sega) called it quits. There clearly is a different market for the Nintendo and Sony consoles, and Micro$oft clearly aims at Sony's market (the older gamer).
If you look at the numer of sold PS2 vs Xbox unit, Sony is way ahead, so does Microsoft really think they are gonna beat Sony this time?
Metal Gear Solid 4 and Resident Evil 5 will be released on PS3, so there are 2 big names allready... I'm just waiting for the next WipEout and then it'll be perfect... a Playstation without WipEout isn't a complete Playstation ;)

[eLhabib]

Lance, I'm not upset at all, just thought you were teasing me (as a continuation of that one thread where I didn't know what a 'raffle' is). Actually I thought it was pretty funny, but hey.

As for RR, it doesn't bother me that it's unrealistic, it just bothers me that it doesn't use the un-realism to look cool. It just looks weird IMO.

And concerning what was said about the xbox 360: I wouldn't BUY one, seeing as the starting games lineup isn't THAT great, but the graphics are certainly wowing, and PGR3 looks very promising ('heroes channel' lets you watch the top 100 players live when they are racing, 'friends channel' does the same with watching your friends racing, and there can be as many as 30 000 people spectating one race!), so I am pretty excited that I won one:D

Just to clarify this, backwards compatibility works on an emulation basis, means you download emulation software to your 360's harddrive, not the entire previous-gen game.

[Lance]

.
X, i agree with an article i saw in arstechnica.com that says that because the PS3 will be so difficult to program for and that because the third-party developers have to have multi-platform games in order to make enough money to pay development costs, that most third-party games will not be specialised to take full advantage of each individual console's strengths. it will be a lowest-common denominator gameworld, though on the new consoles that lowest denominator will be fairly high, but it will mean that no console is likely to have an advantage over the other except in the games made by the console makers themselves.

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el, i don't tease; i may joke or i may criticise, but i'm not a teaser. i look on teasing as sadism, just as ''practical jokes'' are. i hate that crap; it's designed to deliberately hurt someone else to a small or great degree.

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um... what was the topic of this thread? oh. yeah, i took care of that in the first part of this post. :D whoo, i almost got on a roll in starting a rant. but pulled back in time. sorta.
.

[Mobius]

The next gen leap seems really early to me, I dont know why, probably because I am more concious of this kind of thing this time round. Seeing what the X360 graphical power, it doesn't seem that much of a difference but seeign as i have neither and only have videos on gamer Tv to go by, i can't really say,

Apparantly, the x360 was designed wiht hd-tv in mind and the ps3 wasnt but had the option. But there is so much junk on the interweb that you don't really know. For some reason i just don't feel like i want a next gen system yet. Could be that i am still reeling by the hefty tag my psp cost me. I dont think I have ever shelled the much cash for anything, ever. It could be due to a lack of ps3 wipeout, which i guess is a good thing, i have a school trip to save for and allsorts and can mean i have time to get some money together with my brother.

But to be honest, devlopers have got a really hard time ahead, its the business in to which i want to go in and it looks more and more difficult to produce games nowerdays, who knows, but the time i get through uni, the ps4 will be ageing hardware... :cold Perfect Dark zero has taken over two years to develop so imagine in a few years time...

Anyway, who esle thinks the ps3 looks like breville toaster with a spiderman font?

[Drakkenmensch]

There's a lot of issues that need to be fixed with the gaming industry as a whole, and a lot of those get mentionned in the Gamer's Manifesto (http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/games/manifesto.html), and unless they get addressed, not even the best so-called "next gen" console will be able to rescue the industry from going further down the downward spiral.

[eLhabib]

Anyway, who esle thinks the ps3 looks like breville toaster with a spiderman font?

I do:D
If you look closely, you will quickly see that what was shown of the PS3 console so far can only be a concept, or maybe even a total marketing joke. The console doesn't show an original logo/font (spiderman font, as you said), which is VERY unlikely for a new flagship sony product. Furthermore, the console doesn't show ANY ventilation holes! If anything, THAT is proof that this design is not final by any means. My guess is that the PS3 shown at the next E3 will look VERY different actually.

[Axel]

eLhabib mate, trust me, sony will have to change that look. It's horrible. After seeing Xbox360 and EVEN NINTENDO design, I have to say some design modifications have to be done. Back on topic, what are the chances of the Nintendo graphics capabilities not being that much different from Xbox360? To be honest, the leap is not that massive from the last gen. I have a feeling the revo graphics will not be as bad as everybody is making it out to be.

[eLhabib]

everyone who is saying that xbox360's graphics are NOT a big leap from current-gen, listen up! YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET. I did a TV show last month, previewing some games for the xbox360 for a local TV station, and I was WOWED. I know, I know, it doesn't look that great in the movies you see on the net, but just wait until you see it in live action on a TV set right before your eyes - IT ROCKS. Believe that. It's a freakin' HUGE step ahead from current-gen!

[Rouni Kenshin#1]

i agree with Elabib, the graphics are better but they dont seem a huge step up because theis is the begining of the scycle and the creators don't know everthying about the system yet. I think that it's also saft to say that a good bit of these launch titles were origionally made for the xbox and were ported.(that does not mean all)