Defining next-gen consoles

[Bucket]

I realized that the line between current- and next-gen is rather blurred when speaking strctly in terms of CPU power, graphics features, memory and whatnot. Relatively, they're no longer set apart by which can do 3D, which has more colors or anything in the way they used to. There is no "advent" of a technology anymore, at least none we should care about.

Considering all that, I feel next-gen will be characterized by the evolution of the "home entertainment" concept.

Thirty years ago, all you needed to be the envy of your neighbors was a high-wattage stereo system. Twenty years ago, it was cable TV. Ten years ago, surround sound. Soon, with gamers getting older and the public in general getting more materialistic, gaming will be incorporated into the isolation-booth-like home theater environment.

High-budget games will be exceedingly immersive, theatrical. Even arcade and party games will abandon simplicity for a more complete experience. Online features and other technology will be secondary to this, or at least will be homogenized in some way to preserve the sheltered living room environment. Gaming will be absorbed into other facets of connective entertainment, as people chat with grandma, rent movies and order fast food by remote control. People who don't relegate an entire furnished room for their theater systems will be weird.

Companies will use the next generation as a test bed for this, gearing up the general public to buy into the complete, cohesive experience 5 years on.

[Goat]

whered that come from cuz it doesnt sound like something joe shmoe would post on a forum

[Use]

That's the problems with new systems, they all have such huge graphics horsepower everyone forgot what makes a good game. All the development time goes into making 'purdy' graphics and utilizing those fancy chips.

[Bucket]

It came from something I replied in another forum. From my brain.

[Manc]

I've got at least one if not two, with joysticks and paddle knob controllers (and games of course).

[-_DLD_-]

Aaand this is why I'm an "old schooler". I very rarely want anything remotely new, as classics are much better, IMO. They're proper challenging and fun games, not a graphic-whored mess.

If I were to get one of these systems, it'd probably the Revolution, because I <3 Nintendo.

[Remilia Scarlet]

This is the main reason why I'm becoming more and more reluctant to buy a console system, or even a game. While on handhelds I like the concept of having it do much more than play games, on a console, I expect it to play a game and that's it.

Out of the three "next-gen" ones, the Revolution is the only system I'm very excited about. The PS3 comes next due to the Blu-Ray technology (I saw that stuff first-hand in a Sony store in Japan...good gravy!). The 360 I could give a crap about. So I'll probably get the Rev. and the PS3. But...maybe I won't get a PS3 and will instead buy an arcade cabinet. 'Cause in the end, newer games don't do me justice. They feel like messes of graphics, atmosphere, "immersion", and story, not gameplay.

[Sharessa]

This is why I stick to PCs. With PCs you can just customise it to do whatever you want it to do.

[Ralphis]

DJ_Haruko said:

Out of the three "next-gen" ones, the Revolution is the only system I'm very excited about. The PS3 comes next due to the Blu-Ray technology (I saw that stuff first-hand in a Sony store in Japan...good gravy!). The 360 I could give a crap about. So I'll probably get the Rev. and the PS3. But...maybe I won't get a PS3 and will instead buy an arcade cabinet. 'Cause in the end, newer games don't do me justice. They feel like messes of graphics, atmosphere, "immersion", and story, not gameplay.

That's my feeling. Even the cabinet

[caco_killer]

Danarchy said:

This is why I stick to PCs. With PCs you can just customise it to do whatever you want it to do.

That's one of the reasons why I don't really want any of the next-gen consoles. Why pay $500 for a console and games when I can save the money and get a good PC (I know a place where I get a really good one for about $800)?

[Captain Red]

is the ps3 backwards compatable?

if so, no contest.

[iori]

Rev is backwards compatable with NES, SNES, N64, and Cube games, so they say.

[Bashe]

From what I heard, it's not the original catridges/discs, you download the games somewhere and then you can play them.

[Ralphis]

Bashe said:

From what I heard, it's not the original catridges/discs, you download the games somewhere and then you can play them.

Well, yes. That is the concept, except for the Gamecube games. It can play them right on the machine

[Technician]

iori said:

Rev is backwards compatable with NES, SNES, N64, and Cube games, so they say.

Nintendo’s new system will have downloadable content. You can't actually use carts but for a reasonable price you can download ROM images and the appropriate emulators to run them. It will coast big time you add up the server fees and coast of the ROMs I heard its backward compatable with the cube games but the system will just emulate the classics.

[Ralphis]

He just kept talking in one long incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt. It was really quite hypnotic.

[Alboroto]

Ralphis said:

He just kept talking in one long incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt. It was really quite hypnotic.

Hahahahaha!

Thamnks, you just made my day.

I'd go with the revolution, since it's the only one that offers a new concept in controller design.

[caco_killer]

Captain Red said:

is the ps3 backwards compatable?

if so, no contest.

I've heard rumors that it will be "selectively backwards compatible" like the Xbox 360.