Jump to content

Just imagine: The next Next Gen


Airwalker
 Share

Recommended Posts

Maybe such a topic belongs on a Gamefaqs board somewhere in the barren landscape of that part of the internet, but I somehow shudder to think what those kids will make of a serious topic.

But, with the current generation established, what will the Next Gen hold? It's only 4-5 years away.

What about the major players? Will we still have the current big 3?

If Sony pulls out of its current slide, we can certainly expect a PS4, as I expect it will. But some have cast doubts about a PS4 even existing. The Xbox is picking up momentum and so Microsoft will probably continue its console line at least into another gen. Nintendo doesn't seem to want to die, and will probably do really well this gen.

As for other players? Rumors are going around that Apple may be planning to break into the console game. (Hopes for a Nintendo-Apple merger? Possible.)

What about the technology?

"Better graphics" are beginning to hit an apex--where realistic games have enough power to run. (Some would argue realistic graphics shouldn't be a goal at all.) So, what direction will it take? With the Wii's innovation, or "novelty" as naysayers call it, catching on, it seems interactivity will be a major focus next-gen. My hopes? I hope that Nintendo revives the power glove! And for all the systems, I hope the TV will bow down to a 3D virtual reality headset.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I feel the PS4 is unlikely for the next cycle. As Sony has said, they feel that the PS3 is more than enough for both this and next generation. I think that's a load of bull, but I may be proven wrong (though I don't think it).

Microsoft's 360 is certainly showing strong, so they'll most certainly have a new console. Nintendo's success with the Wii is probably enough to encourage them for a new console as well.

I feel that, depending on the Wii's success, the new trend won't be graphics, it'll be innovation. The new controller seems to have really taken off, and I like that. I'm sure graphics will be bumped up, but I think that companies will be trying to out-innovate rather than out-HD each other.

I don't think a home console from Apple is likely, seeing as they seem to like the mobile market a lot more. (Of course, I also said that MS would probably never step into the home console market. :P)

I don't see a virtual reality home console for the next cycle, to be honest. I don't think the technology will be good enough to make it cheap, and I don't see any major company using it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I am a little hopeful for a jump-start on the realm of a virtual reality headset. But a pair of gloves that manipulate a game is not far off at all.

Apple, however, has enough of a good reason to get into video game consoles. Microsoft did such a move to make its compatible windows PC more appealing. It did it to take control of the home media center in your living room, probably the center of the new direction for computers. Apple very well has a reason to want a piece of this pie just as much as Microsoft and Sony.

Now, of course this is all a blend of speculation and rumors. Its like commentators talking about who will take the super bowl before the season begins--they have no idea what surprises will happen, and what will happen in the future. But, if you don't wonder now, when should you begin?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They really do need to get some sort of headset or at least a screen that surrounds the player. I don't buy into the whole "immersion" thing people like to tout when I'm staring at a flat screen. Always found it weird I can hear an arrow whiz past my head or a grenade explode behind me but I can turn around and see my cat staring at me all confused.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm fairly certain there's nothing to be said in this thread besides fanboy-driven speculation.

"The PS3 suxx0rz it will flop DIE SONY!"

"Nintendo's gonna give up on consoles and develop games for Microsoft's HUGEBOX 1080!!"

I'm content to wait and see how things pan out just a little more before voicing my opinion.

PS: But I will say this - the Nokia N-Gage2 will dominate the handheld market. You heard it here first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm fairly certain there's nothing to be said in this thread besides fanboy-driven speculation.

"The PS3 suxx0rz it will flop DIE SONY!"

"Nintendo's gonna give up on consoles and develop games for Microsoft's HUGEBOX 1080!!"

I'm content to wait and see how things pan out just a little more before voicing my opinion.

PS: But I will say this - the Nokia N-Gage2 will dominate the handheld market. You heard it here first.

I think you just voiced your opinion

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys who are saying that "we've hit the boundary of realistic game graphics" are going to be laughed at in 10 years (5?). You're telling me you can't tell the difference between a super-modern game screenshot and a photograph? Also, I think that just because the Wii will likely be successful and that it has mediocre graphics doesn't mean that "companies will focus more on innovation than graphics". Anyway, yeah, this gen has barely gotten going yet, and if I'm going to speculate, this will probably be the gen I'll do it for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering sonys "10 year plan" for ps3 i doubt we'll see ps4 anytime soon. Will sony even be able to turn a profit in 5 years? I bet the new xbox or whatever will be shown in 2008. Who really knows?

I remember Sony saying thsame about the Playstation 2, and NIntendo with their Gamecube. Those two systems were created to last for more then 8 years....

Yeah right...

Only reason why i want to see PS4, is to see if it can handle Toy Story graphics in real-time....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, we'll probably get a console the size of a cellphone, which will be able to play games, go on the net, take pictures/videos, play music and actually works like a cellphone...

Kind of like current cellphones...only they cant hook up to TV's and play Zelda >_>

I dunno, like people say, it's too early to tell, I wouldn't know what to expect.

There will probably be some good surprises but I will slowly continue to lose interest in games if the quality of actual games is going down (more).

I see myself married by that time 0_0 maybe I'll even have a job in game design myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Predicting at such an early stage hurts my head...

Aye.

That having been said, as much as mere graphical upscaling irritates me, that's not going to slow down any time soon. Moore's law, anyone?

As for a lot of the predicted peripherals and so on, the surrounding screen is a little too baller for most people. To do it as a headset is possible, but that would probably bring back some bad memories of R-zones and Virtua Boys. I tend to think that motion sensing will become as standard as analog controls and wireless have in recent years. Beyond that, I'm not too sure. It's a tad early.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

uhh... you mean 'render in real-time' right? There are plenty of games out there with graphics better than those of Toy Story already.

No way man! Animated movies and video games are completely different animals. The models used in Toy Story are extremely EXTREMELY detailed and smooth on the polygonal level. There's no system now, or probably in the upcoming generation, that will be able to do the kind of calculations needed to render that kind of stuff in real time...

however, if they modifed the 3d models a little bit and made them less smooth, and decreased some of the texture quality they could easily recreate the movie to play off a PS3 or Xbox360 disc or something, just as one giant real-time cinematic.

Toy Story's style may be simple, but nothing on the video game market can compare to its triangle or polygon count.

Meh, computer animated movies shouldn't be compared too much with video games.... i mean, they're similar but, also inherently different in that with animated movies there are really no hardware limitations... its all a matter of how long you're willing to wait for it to render (which takes these companies months to render the entire movie because of their insane image quality and size.) The artist and the movie's style has free reign... video games don't have that luxury, and I don't think they ever will. It's all about crunching out the most math, proficiently, so you can have prettier graphics, or more physics based objects flying around and interacting with each other without slowdown.

but for this topic, I'm concerned for Nintendo in the next-gen, as most companies will most likely have made some kind of device similar to the wii-mote that sense motion. Nintendo will HAVE to innovate because clearly they're not big on bulky specs and photorealistic graphics... they have to... seriously, if a Microsoft Xbox360 or PS3 had Wii functionality, (as modders are doing) you'd have games with an insane amount of detail and visual awe, and you'd STILL get the wii-mote functionality.

to stay competitive Nintendo has to innovate something new... so what excites me. It'll be just another competitive move by Nintendo and my guess is that they'll either be flying high like they are with the Wii right now by innovating or we'll see a repeat of the SNES to N64 transition, good systems that just didn't innovate compeltely (choosing cartridges over CD-ROMs hurt Nintendo and let Sony take the lead)...

:)

So yeah, I believe the next gen will have another new device similar to wii coming out, and I think Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will probably all be coming up with different things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...