[Waqar.]

Maybe the next generation will be a tv with a built in xbox/ps which has the latest glass and picture quality? Other than a combo like that, I cant think of anything that could change the way we play much

[hyakushiki1234]

(Original post by Waqar.)
Maybe the next generation will be a tv with a built in xbox/ps which has the latest glass and picture quality? Other than a combo like that, I cant think of anything that could change the way we play much

Power opens up possibilities. You couldn't run Call of Duty at any graphical level on the SNES, for example. They couldn't even put Dynasty Warriors on the PSP without severe compromises. Half Life 2 skipped the PS2 because of power. More recently, Battlefield 3 on consoles was severely stripped back compared to the PC version - with a massively lower playercount and smaller maps.

More power would avert that, and it would open up possibilities for concepts yet unimagined. It gives developers more freedom to make what they want without worrying about stripping it back. The power may not be innovative in and of itself, but it allows for greater innovation in the way we play.

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by Tahooper)
Unfortunately, it's all about the money and not customer satisfaction.

As soon as PS3/360 profits start to fall, they will start making a new console which they can guarantee will see their profits soar.

I couldn't find a better graph, but I think this explains a bit:

So it's exactly about customer satisfaction then, bringing out a new product when the current one isn't being as well received as it once was and giving people something new because they've shown that they want it?

[Aj12]

(Original post by Waqar.)
Maybe the next generation will be a tv with a built in xbox/ps which has the latest glass and picture quality? Other than a combo like that, I cant think of anything that could change the way we play much

The first couple of years you make ziltch profit off consoles, they are in fact a massive cash sink. Money comes from as pointed out in this thread software and also technology pushes. Sony lost money on the ps3 but did well with Blu Ray. Any new consoles that want to turn a decent profit are going to need very good technical innovations.

[tallen90]

I probably won't purchase them until they're a few years old. I mainly use my PC for gaming (custom-built it with some pretty awesome specs), whilst I use my PS3 for Netflix/Blu-Ray movies/some games that won't work on the PC (or PlayStation exclusives).

That said, it does annoy me that everything's getting pushed forward so quickly. I have a feeling it could be Nintendo's fault for announcing their new console so soon - competitors don't want them to be successful, so they'll release their consoles around the same time as Nintendo to stay competitive.

It's all a bit silly.

[Shih-na]

You can't spell ignorance without IGN

[Tahooper]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
So it's exactly about customer satisfaction then, bringing out a new product when the current one isn't being as well received as it once was and giving people something new because they've shown that they want it?

No, they start bringing out the consoles once sales start falling, that has nothing to do with customer satisfaction. The reason sales start falling is because the amount of people who wanted the console now have it, and the vast majority of people I know certainly don't want to see another console released until at least late 2014.

[123450]

Xbox 360 and PS3 games today still have to be built to run on hardware that is 7 years old. Most computers were running Windows XP when the 360 was released, and in terms of hardware the consoles are hopelessly outdated.

Next-gen isn't just about better graphics. It's about supporting better physics, 3D, higher resolutions, and things like AI and environments. The 360 has just 512Mb of DDR3 700Mhz memory when today's computers are usually running 4-8Gb 1600Mhz DDR4. This affects not just the games, but the entire system.

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by Tahooper)
No, they start bringing out the consoles once sales start falling, that has nothing to do with customer satisfaction. The reason sales start falling is because the amount of people who wanted the console now have it, and the vast majority of people I know certainly don't want to see another console released until at least late 2014.

Once sales have started to fall because most people who want the console have it, then there will be a majority of those users who will have had it since or near its launch and who will be wanting a new console after 6/7 years with the current one. If you can't understand this, or choose not to for the sake of winning an arguement or something, then maybe we shouldn't be having this mini debate.

You say that the vast majority of the people that you know don't want a new console until at least late 2014, well most people that i know are ready for a new ps3/xbox as they want to see what advancements will be made and so i'm forced to believe that either the vast majority of people that you know either bought their ps3s recently, or it's just you who wants this and you're trying to bolster your arguement by exacerbating the figure.

[Tahooper]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
Once sales have started to fall because most people who want the console have it, then there will be a majority of those users who will have had it since or near its launch and who will be wanting a new console after 6/7 years with the current one. If you can't understand this, or choose not to for the sake of winning an arguement or something, then maybe we shouldn't be having this mini debate.

You say that the vast majority of the people that you know don't want a new console until at least late 2014, well most people that i know are ready for a new ps3/xbox as they want to see what advancements will be made and so i'm forced to believe that either the vast majority of people that you know either bought their ps3s recently, or it's just you who wants this and you're trying to bolster your arguement by exacerbating the figure.

If your friends want to waste their money on a console now which wouldn't have the technological advances they are hoping for then that's their problem.

And remember this:

Fall in sales =/= customer dissatisfaction

[ANARCHY__]

(Original post by rich2606)
I bet people were saying the same thing in 2005. The leap may not have seemed much at the time, but going backwards the difference between generations is far more noticeable. I've got a pretty good PC rig atm, and it pains me to go back to consoles playing in sub-HD resolutions, 30fps, no AA and blurry textures left right and centre. Considering how often people are willing to upgrade their phones these days, it shouldn't be too unreasonable to upgrade a console after 8 years.

That said I'd wait for around a year after the launch of the next gen for them to iron out the kinks, and I really hope they'd have backwards compatibility.

Afraid I have to disagree there. I remember the hype from the PS1/2/3 releases respectively and whilst the PS2 release I guess seemed like more of a gimmick (there were improvements to the overall interface and generally quality of graphics), the real shift I believe came from the Xbox and the PS2 into the 360 and PS3.

Both of them boasted a great improvement off the cuff and provided significant avenues for other sorts of gameplay (e.g. online) where the PS2 certainly had pretty much fallen flat on its face. So in my view, the hype and build up from PS1 to 2 and PS2 to 3 was significant and merited, largely.

I cannot see what can improved in this iteration aside from a greater, seamless focus on 3D play and an integration of online and single player modes. However, I would be interested to see how easily this can be implemented in the current generation. I am of the impression that there's already a few PS3 3D titles and I'm pretty sure the same can be said of the 360. Suppose we will just have to wait and see.