Any idea about new consoles?

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

Does anyone know when the new round of consoles might be coming out? Or has there been any announcement from Microsoft or Sony about new consoles even being developed? I thought I heard something about an Xbox 720 a while back, but I don't think it was ever confirmed.

Peasant Posts : 109 Rep : 4 Join date : 2011-09-16

Well they are going to release the next Wii next year and they have already announced the new PSP and DS but other than that the only news you hear about Sony and Microsoft's future consoles are going to be pure speculation.

Moderator Posts : 217 Rep : 3 Join date : 2011-09-16

They're really past the 'cycle' as they call it, so the ''next gen'' (despise that word being referred to CONSOLES. but hey ho...) cycle is soon. Nothing is concrete yet so we jsut have to speculate. The Wii U will sell tons, again. Casual families buy into the simpleness of the Wii and the gimmickyness of the Motion controls.

So, Sony and Micro$oft will need to make a move soon.

Peasant Posts : 109 Rep : 4 Join date : 2011-09-16

Epic-beatrice wrote:: So, Sony and Micro$oft will need to make a move soon.

Well to me all this generation proved was that price mattered more than the hardware. I mean notice how the Wii outsold both consoles easily. Then we look back at the PS2 which after dropping in price saw a huge boom in sales. The PS3 had a bombshell of a launch because it was incredibly overpriced, understocked, and the last to the next gen console party which made Sony fanboys turn to the 360 as it had a similar range of games but was more cheaper.

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

I would say the Wii outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3 not so much due to its price (though that was a minor factor) but due to its extremely casual appeal. It became the "family" gaming device, rather than the "gaming" gaming device. The only people I know who own Wii's bought them as "family" entertainment devices. I think that played a major role in its success. Of course that also played a major role in the absolute shit games (shovelware) that are available for the Wii.

Moderator Posts : 217 Rep : 3 Join date : 2011-09-16

Ooh, new forum layout!

The wii only sold because of the casuals and there are alot more of them than us so :L

Tourist Posts : 15 Rep : 0 Join date : 2011-09-19

My first and only "current gen" console (PS3) is only just barely 2 years old, i may be late to the party but i am NOT ready for a new round of consoles just yet i mean to be honest i still see plenty of life left in them, i also don't see that much in the way of graphical improvements happening to even warrant a new one (obviously there's improvements but it's not drastic).. it just feels like the way games have looked the past 4-5 years has been the same for a while and has changed very little.

I would be perfectly fine not seeing a PS4 until at least 2013-14.

Looking at a game like Half Life 2 on the PC (which came out in what.... 2004?), the source engine is only JUST starting to look dated, what does that say about the rate of graphical development?

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

I would like to see them release the "next gen" consoles with native keyboard and mouse support. I don't mind bland graphics as long as the gameplay isn't hampered by the controller, thereby hampering my PC version at the same time.

Moderator Posts : 217 Rep : 3 Join date : 2011-09-16

consoles are stipped down locked PC's with gamepads. That's what they are, to add a KB+MS is a bit, Un-nessiscary because if it has that support, then the people with keyboards and mice will dominate the gamepad users with the enhanced precision and movement capabilities.

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

I'm ok with that. lol I don't play on the consoles so competition on them doesn't matter much to me. But it would be nice if developers were able to think about how to utilize keyboard and mouse when making a game rather than thinking about how to limit their game to fit on a controller.

Moderator Posts : 217 Rep : 3 Join date : 2011-09-16

So, making games for pc with that title the porting it to console?

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

I just mean that if consoles could drop the controllers then developers wouldn't be cutting out features in games like lean, number of weapons you can carry, etc. Contrary to popular belief, the two weapon limit in so many modern shooters did not come about as a "gameplay" decision, but as a design decision because of controllers. Imagine if there were no controller limitations what games we might get. As it is now, they develop for consoles (AKA controllers) and then port to PC. Since the gaming industry is basically about maximizing their dollars, they refuse to port games that properly use keyboard and mouse. This way, no matter which platform a game is designed on, it will have proper keyboard and mouse support across all platforms. No more problems with controls in shoddy ports.

Peasant Posts : 109 Rep : 4 Join date : 2011-09-16

Epic-beatrice wrote:: consoles are stipped down locked PC's with gamepads. That's what they are, to add a KB+MS is a bit, Un-nessiscary because if it has that support, then the people with keyboards and mice will dominate the gamepad users with the enhanced precision and movement capabilities.

Just because you can play easier on PC doesn't essentially make it better. Consoles will always have the social factor that allows 2 or more people to sit around a TV playing together where with PCs it's impossible to pull it off as a PC will always just be sitting on a desk with room for one and even when people do LANs it still doesn't have the social factor as people will still be on individual computer set ups rather than the same TV.

I also disagree with keyboard and mouse being the superior set up. It's all on preference and to me there are some games such as Assassin's Creed and Prototype that are just nowhere as user friendly on keyboard as they are on controller. But sure you can always just plug a 360 controller into a PC anyways.

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

Spigot wrote:: I also disagree with keyboard and mouse being the superior set up. It's all on preference and to me there are some games such as Assassin's Creed and Prototype that are just nowhere as user friendly on keyboard as they are on controller. But sure you can always just plug a 360 controller into a PC anyways.

I believe if the controls for these games were designed FOR the keyboard and mouse, they would be superior with the keyboard and mouse. But since they were designed for controllers from the beginning, then naturally they will handle better with a controller. It all starts in development. A controller method is only better because it was designed FOR that controller setup. See what I mean? If every game was designed with keyboard and mouse in mind, then it would be a better setup than a controller, which is what I would like to see, because frankly controllers are too limiting in my eyes.

Peasant Posts : 109 Rep : 4 Join date : 2011-09-16

WolfDen - Michael wrote:

Spigot wrote:: I also disagree with keyboard and mouse being the superior set up. It's all on preference and to me there are some games such as Assassin's Creed and Prototype that are just nowhere as user friendly on keyboard as they are on controller. But sure you can always just plug a 360 controller into a PC anyways.

I believe if the controls for these games were designed FOR the keyboard and mouse, they would be superior with the keyboard and mouse. But since they were designed for controllers from the beginning, then naturally they will handle better with a controller. It all starts in development. A controller method is only better because it was designed FOR that controller setup. See what I mean? If every game was designed with keyboard and mouse in mind, then it would be a better setup than a controller, which is what I would like to see, because frankly controllers are too limiting in my eyes.

Yeah I get how controllers can be limiting when you count the buttons but in some cases two joysticks are so much more useful to navigate in a game the WASD and a mouse. When my older brother came home from uni with a 360 he borrowed I enjoyed playing Assassin's Creed II and Prototype so much but then when I tried them on PC the keyboard was so awkward and I could only stand the games for 5 minutes because it was so uncomfortable to play. But in the end if people have more fun playing with a controller than a keyboard who's right is it to tell them otherwise?

Admin Posts : 224 Rep : 13 Join date : 2011-09-05

Sorry Spigot. I should have been more clear. I understand some people prefer using controllers and other prefer K&M. My point was if game developers designed a game for K&M, they would not have to focus on the restraints of controllers. I don't know if you realize exactly how many great ideas are immediately taken off the table due to controller limitations. So I'm not really looking at it from a gaming/comfort standpoint, but a developer standpoint.

Peasant Posts : 109 Rep : 4 Join date : 2011-09-16

WolfDen - Michael wrote:: Sorry Spigot. I should have been more clear. I understand some people prefer using controllers and other prefer K&M. My point was if game developers designed a game for K&M, they would not have to focus on the restraints of controllers. I don't know if you realize exactly how many great ideas are immediately taken off the table due to controller limitations. So I'm not really looking at it from a gaming/comfort standpoint, but a developer standpoint.

That's a good point most big developers aren't willing to try new things out and risk the potential of making a flop of a game. So instead they'll slap some all round console friendly game. That's but in all truth their will always be games made by indie developers that won't need restraints of consoles, because let's be honest no publisher would agree to invest all that money to do so. But I still stand by what I say with some games being much more enjoyable with joysticks rather than a mouse.