Here come the new consoles -- maybe for the last time
Wolverton: With a new generation of game consoles slated to start hitting store shelves later this year, game enthusiasts should savor the moment. It may not come again.
(3DS, PS Vita, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360)
The last time? No, as long as GPU's keep being made, ever increasing the bar for graphic performance, as well as better processors, there will always be a need to upgrade. We won't be seeing the last batch of consoles until probably 30-40+ years from now. Plus, once they DO get life-like in looks, they'll still be improving by adding things like virtual reality which I'm sure won't become fully realized in a year or two after the PS6-7 whatever comes out. They'll have to iron that out, and make it better and better as the years go on.
One is we are getting close to the point where consoles can render photo-realistic quality images at a high frame rate and high resolution. Once this happens there is no need to release another generation of console because it won't be possible to improve the graphics. I don't see this happening with a ps4 but I think it's possible with a ps5 or ps6.
Another issue is as bandwidth improves for networks we are getting to the point that we can stream video games live without the console being in a person's home. If this catches on instead of going out and buying a game we could just pick a game we want to play on the tv and you can immediately play it. Onlive already has a streaming service but it's not as good as having a device playing the game in your home due to latency. Once the latency issue is resolved streaming gaming will be a real competitor to consoles.
This is exactly what I was going to say. The reason there will be no more consoles in the future isn't because the hardware will be maxed, it will be because it will get beat out by new technology such as OnLive.
I think PC's will still be alive though, because if internet does get a lot faster, downloading PC games will be faster. It could be the dominant gaming style since I believe there will still be problems with OnLive and steaming games because of latency.
OnLive is a system I will never be a part of for 3 reasons... 1. Internet goes out and you can't play the game. 2. I buy a game and then get what.?.? Nothing. No box. No disk. Not even the games downloaded to a HDD. 3. If I stop paying for the OnLive service. I no longer have access to my invisible games that I bought with real money. Oh..one more.. small reason. I can't sell or loan my game that I bought to anyone.
Those are all deal breakers for me until they majorly resolve some issues. IMO
Now someone will eventually bring the Movie renting services like netflix, hulu, or blockbuster inferring that its the same as the OnLive service. It is Not. You are getting access to a set number of available movies. You have not purchased any of those movies. Now on OnLive if I buy Dead Island or Assassin's Creed 2. I am buying the singular products. Not access to all the games on the service. Once if I stop paying for the service I stop being able to play that game that I bought. That is the main and most dealbreaking detail that will stop me from ever using their service.
You must realize that maybe graphics are not the only reason to update a gaming system.What about more realistic physics as an example there is always room for improvement in that area. That type of process uses a bunch of CPU and ram and will not be perfected for a while....I'm just saying think beyond the graphics there's a whole lot more going on in video games than just graphics and there could be a lot more going on to enhance the games above what we already have.
If something like OnLive will take over, then who will set the milestone for new games? I just really don't think developers like the idea of their games, that they made to run on real hardware in realtime, only being available via a video feed. I just think it seems unreliable.
latency is a massive issue for gamers who play online. But with single player experiences I believe that this technology may improve gaming in some ways.
For example, if I was stuck on a certain part of a game, I would be able to call an online friend and show him a video feed/stream of me playing to get hints on what to do next. It's easier for him to tell me what to do since he could visually see where I am stuck.
Not sure if PC gamers do this with skype or some other services already, but I would love this to be implemented in consoles.
Latency isn't the only issue with services like OnLive. The second major issue is the fact that the video stream is horribly compressed. The resolution is greatly degraded, low framerate, and all the colors are just completely washed out.
It is going to be a couple of years before they fix the latency issue. Then they will have to increase their video quality drastically just to match current generation.
That said, I do think streaming services are going to gain massive popularity due to its potential simplicity. However, it is going to be more casual, and won't be replacing a dedicated gaming machine. For somebody who plays games everyday or several times a week a dedicated machine is always going to be better than what can be offered over streaming.
Onlive-like services will never get big for one MASSIVE reason:
No one wants to pay for the service. Onlive dropped their service charge because Onlive's launch was a flop, because no one wanted to pay full price for games AND to play them in laggy, ugly-compression fashion. And the servers are expensive.
Not enough profit, not enough marketing and expansion/negotiation money.
Though i agree with you on teh graphics point. I disagree with you with saying they somehow won't need to upgrade in the future. Graphics are not everthing (but they are really important)
Processing will need to be upgraded for more life like AI, the size and scoope of games will grow. And we have yet to have a game the size of a GTA game that allows you to walk into ever building and room. Now this is something to say will most likely happen in the future of gaming. But it won't happen next gen (for consoles anyway) and my not even happen for PC's (yet). But it is very much likely such a game can be made with the right tech. Look at Epics Samaritan demo. Mind you that was running on UE3, not UE4. But it doesn't matter what engine it is....it matter what hardware its running under. It looked amazing yes, but how big of a world can even be made to fit in lets say a standerd Bluray disk of 25gbs or even 50gbs?
To be make better sense of this, MGS4 and GT5 both maxed 50gb disk. What would the Samaritan game do? Mind you MGS4 and GT5 are not even next gen nor openworld. Gaming has a long way t6o go and it doesn't end with graphics. Not even close.
Once we get true to life AI, amazing SSD space and speed, faster ram and in ever console, VR etc. Gaming will continue to grow and grow. We haven't even got close to what is possible.
It's still pretty easy to tell "virtual" from reality even on the highest end PCs.
But "close" is subjective.. At least a decade or two before something almost completely photorealistic are made for mainstream gaming (excludes high end PC gaming) xD
The major issue will always be latency, nomatter how good connection you have there is always a fixed time it takes to travel from one physical location to another. The only solution to this will be to have game servers all over the world, close enough to consumers so that everyone will get less then a certain very small latency.
That will cost alot of money to invest in and im definately not certain it will pay off. Certainly its still a long time til we get a service that will be able to replace consoles. Id say definately not in the next 10 years, and it could take alot longer.
the next generation (following ps4/720) will be hand-held devices that can plug into a tv and still be in 1080p or higher.
chances are in 10 years or so, MS will probably incorporate everything into a windows phone and have everything in one device. apple will likely go this route as well (if they aren't already)
Next Gen is the Last Gen this is pretty much it for consoles.
No reason to lose money designing and making hardware when there are many other ways to get HD Gaming out to the masses.
PC, Cloud, and mobile gaming will be all that's left after this next and Last gen. Sony Nintendo MS will make use of these 3 platforms but making consoles is NO LONGER a smart move.
They will still make accessories of course but if your dreaming of a PS5 or Xbox 1080 then you can forget it.
Now consolers don't flip out and go all STUPID! The consoles will be DEAD but the games will still be alive. You will still get your yearly Call of Duty's, GTA's, Halo's, Uncharted's blah blah blah just sent through your CABLE box instead of a console.
And then a magical rabbit will come up and turn us all into flying mushroom dragonflies and then we will meet our creators and they will all buy us kit kats and we shall live in a nice utopia.
If MS has a disk format that is 25gbs. It means PC gaming is pretty much never going to be what it once was.
Games for PC where made with the 360 in mind. (as where most systems)
Ported from 360 to PS3 and PC. Thus games being 9gbs or 12gbs has almost everthing to do with the 360 being the lead sku because its lessor.
Now what does this have to do with PC gaming? Steam. Its a great service.....thats if your internet isn't shit. Thats if YOU EVEN HAVE INTERNET! Console require bare minimum. System and disk. No OS, upgrades, CD codes, DRM or internet speeds or internet at all.
Thus Console will be the base for all gaming because its the easiest way for the consumer to game. The PC being the elites way to game.
What does this have to do with next gen? Games will get bigger. The PS3 has Bluray and seeing how Killzone 2 had 3bg and 4gb levels is clear it adds something to gaming. No to mention all the other amazing PS3 exclusives that have released. They all took a shit load of space on disk.
Wii U has a 25gb disk, we all know the PS4 will have Bluray (50gbs or more disk) MS can't use DVD9 again clearly, it might be 25gb or even more of either Bluray or a different format. Regardless, all platforms are growing in terms of disk size, History will show gaming doesn't get smaller in space....IT GROWS. It why GTAIV sucked, it was the only GTA in history to have to take away features that where in the last based on space and space alone.
So how will steam be next gen with 720 or PS4 games as being the "bare minimum" for gaming? Meaning 25gbs and up? So who has the bandwith to do this? Publishers will release games on Bluray for PC in the future when that gen starts to get everyone who are PC gamers on board. They won't just leave "Steam" as teh only option to limit how much money they make "that would be fucking stupid"
Bandwidth won't catch up to game sizes next gen. Not everyone has internet versus FAST internet. Thus, such a PC/Cloud future will NEVER out due retail. Only a moron would think such a thing. So retail makes up the most of gaming and "Cloud" makes how this baby percent, but it will kill consoles.......? Funny. So with next gen's games possblbly topping 100gbs? Who the fuck has the bandwidth for that and why would they some how just stop releasing games to retail? LOL! Cable won't be the ONLY way, it will merely be just a way for those who have the internet to due so. Retail will never die idiot.
Doesn't even matter if the internet speeds do catch up. Do you really think we gamers are so clever that companies like Microsoft and Sony haven't already thought about this whole scenario?
Worst case, OnLive starts to pick up steam and Microsoft/Sony buys it out. Neither company is going to stand idly while one of their most profitable branches is slowly killed off.
If serious cloud gaming were to gain prominence though, the infrastructure wouldn't be ready to support it for at least another 15 years. Netflix Instant with it's ultra compressed video is already majorly taxing the system, can you imagine throwing 100 million gamers streaming 1080p 60fps (wishful thinking compared to what will likely be standard by then) titles into the mix? It's honestly not even worth the investment to make it work.
I must disagree with Sabian187 about the ability to regain your titles. In simplicity, everything that is connected to online is temporary and not in anyone's control.
No matter what they say if you do not have complete control over the products you buy then they are not yours. Period. If they say it's yours and store it on their servers...it's not yours. People keep forgetting that any reliance on anyone else to maintain your games results in just that....a reliance on an outside entity. These companies have the power to discontinue anything they choose. They can go out of business. They can change names. They can and will follow money and profit. If they have a server it will eventually get shut down. If they have terms and conditions it will be changed consisitantly. To top it off, current gen consoles are doing the same exact thing, even on the hardware front. I'll explain why in a minute.
One system update right now can destroy the used market and any physical format. That is how much control they have over the product. For the purposes of my research I will stick to services and products I know from experience. I've had experience mainly with the PS3 console so I will explain how this console effects ownership of digital and physical.
For starters let's assume you disconnect from online and ban it from your life. On the PS3 game disks there are occasional, and mandatory, system update disks. If you refuse to update your console to their desired OS you will not be able to play that particular video game. God of War III is an example of this and proves the control of your purchase despite the choice to stay offline and not take part in something you disagree with. Let's say for example that you updated the OS. Sure it may be because they updated it to properly play the game. Yet it could also mean they added or replaced other features or abilities that can change what you consider "yours". Need an example? I have over 100 songs I bought that all played fine during the early years of the PS3. After one of the updates a particular format became "corrupted". Now I can't say which update because the system doesn't list the file as corrupted until you try to play it. That means it could be months or years before you try to play the file again. That further means you can't identify which specific update caused it.
Other times you buy a physical disk and it refuses to let you play unless you are connected to the internet, regardless if internet is required or not. Still refuse online? Okay. You go to the store and buy a disk that has purposely been bugged right from the start and near unplayable. Yes, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim come to mind. You'll just return the opened video game to the store and demand your money back right? After all, these titles aren't starting this update trend on release day are they?
So, as much as it pains me to say it, I have no choice but say that online and the digital format take away ownership. This industry has purposely shifted ownership away from the consumer, and in the process, made the masses believe they own it. The sick reality is this: If people found out that they are paying more for nothing then people are going to rent. If people are going to rent then these console can no longer sell everything at the prices they are selling them at. It's a big con that no one sees yet. It's concept has bled into the physical format in ways not many can see, UNLESS YOU DISCONNECT THE INTERNET. Try it for a month or two, see how far the physical format provides you. I did and the experience is disturbing. I won't even get into PS3 backups as I found they don't back up anything game related. Anyone wants to know more just ask. I've been studying this for 6 years.
The PS3 is a pretty badly thrown together online service. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on live which has made sure every developer has intergrated and supported it since the conception of xbox and 360.
@Jazz4108. It all doesn't matter in the end. Xbox Live and it's "integrated and supported" concept is still a temporary service. Proven through the original Xbox's end for Xbox Live support. If I were to plug my original Xbox console in today I would not be able to get any required updates to play certain titles...nor be able to play any of the games online....nor be able to get the OS update for the console.
To be fair, I'm a hardcore gamer through and through, but the idea of virtual reality really excites me. How can it not? I owned a Wii for a while, and the novelty of the motion controls wore off rather quickly. Very few games have pulled it off so that it's nearly seamless, and the same will have to be done for virtual reality in the future. Anything can be amazing if it's utilized correctly.
It's starting to happen Sony visor and move playing .kz3. Bet that's a pretty awesome experience. Also shows that Sony are interested in vr. What they need to be working on is some sort of body vibration sensors or suit to make you feel like you've been shot. It could vibrate violently as your getting shot then pulsate in the same area til you heal or summer.
I don't think we'll see the last console generation come for a long time.
Internet services in many countries including Australia, where I live, have crap internet. So streaming will not do.
Yes, distribution methods will change, but I don't think streaming games will be good enough for a lot of gamers. Console manufacturers will just place greater emphasis on greater hard drive capacity and digital distribution. Streaming games of any kind will probably be limited to older, smaller games or be part of some subscription model incorporating the above games...
New consoles will still be released as improvements to hardware continue and there may be a greater emphasis on 'services' as part of differentiation or something....yada yada yada. I just don't see streaming games as a viable option for a long while unless its what people really want and don't care for lag. I do though.
I see the distinction of the hardcore gamer and the casual gamer becoming more defined with the core gamers wanting to play with games and other content stored (either disc based or HDD) on the system they're playing.
The problems with these articles is that they are too simple and generalise way too much.
the author believes that cloud gaming like on live will takeover, i do believe that cloud gaming could become more mainstream but i still think consoles will have its place. The author also mentioned gaming handhelds poor sales, i think this is mainly because of the things that gaming handhelds cant do.The vita should be able to do almost everything a smartphone can do,actually i think gaming handhelds in general r a little stone age at this point. We like multi-purpose devices, Gaming on the vita is state of the art the problem is you cant do much on the vita besides gaming(and all the stuff you could do on the psp like watch movies,play music&surf the web.)
do you use netflix? Is not having your movies bullshit?
I trust Valve more than Sony and MS and Valve services is based on non physical products. I think console gamers re scared because that market is full of money grubbing corporation. Also console gamers are more part of the mainstream crowd where people don't complain much. Just about everything will be monetized.
I think your actually right. People always say BS like "I will never do that" or "this type of thing will never catch on" but then in 5, 10, 15 years it does because anything can and will change whether someone likes it or not.
It's a good possibility that in the future (15+ years) that game developers could entirely stop distributing their game files and only release their game on a cloud streaming service. Now obviously this is here say, but you never know. It would undoubtedly be the most effective way to combat piracy.
I agree with some of what you said and re Gaikai I wouldn't be surprised that if Sony did come to any agreement with them it would be related to their TV business as with Samsung, hence it was not discussed at E3!
You say you will never support cloud gaming but as said above if developers are only releasing their titles on the cloud your only choice will be to support it or stop gaming. I done think it will be purely down to cloud gaming however it will end up being purely digital only, still having the option to download from psn. Maybe a a couple more generations before this happens.
@GamingPerson I agree with what you are saying but I don't see AV or ea using there own service for there games as you say. I still think the likes of XBOX and Playstation will still be around but you have a console that will do what they do now for watching Netflix, Zune ect but they will also offer offline and online gaming too in terms of the cloud. If you think about how they all work now as in you can chat to you mates ect when they are playing COD but you could be playing Forza where if you have all the developers having there own online service this wont work like it dose now on the home consoles as if you want to chat to some one on a different studio's game you will have to log onto there server to do it.
I see PSN and Xbox live being the front end of the service and then you pick your game from there as this helps game sales and also keeps everyone connected.
I don't see the home console going anywhere but I do see them changing to cloud gaming once most of the world has the right internet speeds to do it.
Paying for a entertainment service is fine as long as the price is competitive, and even tho you dont use netflix you're problably willing to pay for other services such as
Your ISP
Your Apartment
Cell Phone
Cinema
Concerts
e.t.c.
as great as a pc is, you just can't have games like smash bros. on it, there are some things you can only do on consoles.
although, it would be great in the sense that everybody would have the same system, then there wouldn't be that fanboy barrier where you show a friend a game that is exclusive to your console, and instead of enjoying it, they have to convince themselves, and you that there console is better, and that this game sucks compared to that one they have on their console
not quite what i meant, like, pc could run smash bros and all if consoles went away, but it wouldn't be the same with consoles, where you can just grab a few people who might not have played that game before, and you can all grab a controller and play with friends
I dont know what this guy say but as long we talk for JRPG fans no smartphone, tablet or even the most powerful PC cant replace a console or a handheld that's where all JRPG is u cant play those games anywhere else and I dont believe that something will change in 10-15 years SONY & Nintendo will continue to be the main providers for those kind of games and the fans will continue to buy their consoles to play their favorite games, simple as that.
TL;DR: This article is about smartphones and tablets. Again. Another clueless "journalist" saying consoles are dying. They said the same thing about PC's and look how that's turning out.
New generation of consoles slated this year....? Umm only wii u is gonna come out this year. I don't really even consider it next gen. Its more less a ps3.5 at most.
Market activity and trends determine where technology does or doesn't go...
One thing for certain is, in the future we may not be playing our favourite IP's on specifically branded consoles (e.g Sony, MS or Nintendo), but we will be playing those IP's via streaming on a variety of other devices (Internet TV's, Smart Phones included).
Think Sega, a once prolific console manufacturer who now touts their IP's on a variety of media.
I don't thinl they'll stop making consoles cause their are some casual gamers who don't care about graphics or performance power that would wan't an easy and simple way to play and that's what consoles are.
Console gaming could definitely go away, not sure if next gen will be the last but if not the one after probably will be. People doubt the power of cloud gaming + smart TVs.
Physical media is old. In an age where the market has fully embraced MP3s, internet news, and video services like Netflix and Hulu its perplexing to me why gamers think video games need to be any different. I have huge game collections myself but I for one won't mind one bit to have those collections in a virtual format.
Digital is the future of every kind of media we consume, accept it.
This isn't about digital vs physical media. That makes sense. This is about live streaming and the reason why we think it doesn't work right now is because they don't work well. That and not every one wants to have to have extra-high speed internet to stream processing heavy AAA games.
You can have digital versions of games without physical media. That is the way of the future right now.
Yeah but the key there is "right now". With the rate that technology is progressing I think cloud gaming will be pretty much perfect in another 7-10 years, hence why I said maybe 2-3 console generations away.
And the adoption rate for extra-high speed internet is only to go up. No one really has dial-up anymore, for example. High speed will probably be the only thing available in another 10 years.
Well, Bill Gates once (allegedly) said: "640K ought to be enough for anybody" in reference to RAM.
Whether or not he actually did, the point is we now approaching terabytes of RAM as a standard. Technology always increases, as does the ingenuity of pioneers to utilize it and make amazing things that were never even considered as possible.
Consoles will keep coming out as long as they remain economically viable for their manufacturers.
This statement makes no sense, aside from graphics and physics I have yet to see truly realistic animation and A.I. There is so much more to gaming than just graphics and a smooth frame rate. I see plenty of pretty pictures of games online and a great majority of the time I am disappointed once I see it in action.
I think this guy is smokin crack. First of all for streaming services to work out over consoles you have to assume that every consumer out there has internet, and I'm willing to bet that there are still a lot of people who dont, and why would you want to throw away a good portion of your customer base like that.
And I haven't seen even one game on a mobile platform that runs better or even close to the quality of a console game so if you think mobile phone gaming is catching up to consoles than you dont play the same games i have.
All of the big console makers have even talked about going to a download only or cloud based service but realized that this would alienate too much of their fanbase that would not or could not keep up with the technology.I could see stuff like that working as an add-on or like an app to use for stuff like classic games or small time waster games but the infastructure just isnt there for a complete takeover yet. Sure its great for the people that have the option to deal with it that way but its just not wide spread enough.
I think the days of physical media and consoles will be here for at least another generation or two.
Whether it be on PC,360, PS3, Wii, cloud gaming etc.... Exclusivity matters....
Sure, Ill enjoy cloud gaming like the rest of us..... But if there is that one must have title i must own, and it takes a hardware purchase to play it..... thats what I'll do.
In my opinion, it may be the last time. ...For traditional HOME console game systems. In 10 years, we will all be playing our Xbox, PS and Nintendo games where ever we go, and streaming to our TVs when we get home if we so choose. Everything is getting more compact. I don't see dedicated game systems fading anytime soon, just transforming into something more portable.
In "MY" opinion u say bullsh1t :P The only place handhelds outsell consoles is in Japan nowhere else, in US & EU ppl prefer to play games comfortably on their couch at 720/1080p full HD and some of them with Dolby Surround ON your idea of what future gaming will be is the exactly opposite of what we do right now and the reason it's bullsh1t is because u cant play a game on a 40-50 inch screen on the go also it's not comfortable in any way.
Best overall sales in console history (three systems with more than 60 million units sold has never happened before) but consoles are set to die? Yeah, right.
Without question I think next Playstation and Xbox are the last consoles, at least for a VERY long time. But they need something more than better specs. higher res and better fps won't make me buy a new console, I have a gaming PC for that and I know for a fact that whatever sony or micrsoft make they won't top a high end pc.
So the consoles must be unique in some way like the Wii U with its controller. But since the PS3 and 360 are still selling so well I think it will take at least 3 years before the new consoles are reveald.
Well whatever happens I'm all for it! Virtual reality is the next step! I just think games are more expensive than they should be. P3 & 360 been out for years and they still cost $300. The games too are $60. Which should be at least $40 for a new game and $20 for an old game just like the ps1 & 2 were
Well, it seems that this discussion has evolved to talking about the point of limbo, when there will be no point in pushing hardware because it has reached the limit of human perception. It seems that some are pushing for cloud based gaming so that we may reach this point faster, but at this point we will still be limited by our connections being avalible at all times. Yet only a few short years afterward even our phones will be capable of the photorealism that we dream of. The technology won't just stop at photorealism, it will become smaller, more efficent, and cheaper. What would be the point of having your games at the mercy of your internet, when it could be in the palm of your hand?
The premise of cloud gaming may gain popularity temporarily because of advantages, but those advantages will only last for so long and the disadvantage of insecurity will always be there.
That is the very reason that hardware will continue to be produced.
P.S. Even when we do reach that point, the real race, the race for the most intuitive controls, the race for VR will finally begin.
That might be true. Next-Gen consoles will be able to be updated even more regularly than current-gen ones. They will also be much more capable and have multi-tasking.
PC games are far too stolen through bit torrents for that to ever be the dominate platform. Alot of games for the pc are only profitable because they are ports from consoles and already made thier profits there.
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One is we are getting close to the point where consoles can render photo-realistic quality images at a high frame rate and high resolution. Once this happens there is no need to release another generation of console because it won't be possible to improve the graphics. I don't see this happening with a ps4 but I think it's possible with a ps5 or ps6.
Another issue is as bandwidth improves for networks we are getting to the point that we can stream video games live without the console being in a person's home. If this catches on instead of going out and buying a game we could just pick a game we want to play on the tv and you can immediately play it. Onlive already has a streaming service but it's not as good as having a device playing the game in your home due to latency. Once the latency issue is resolved streaming gaming will be a real competitor to consoles.
I think PC's will still be alive though, because if internet does get a lot faster, downloading PC games will be faster. It could be the dominant gaming style since I believe there will still be problems with OnLive and steaming games because of latency.
1. Internet goes out and you can't play the game.
2. I buy a game and then get what.?.? Nothing. No box. No disk. Not even the games downloaded to a HDD.
3. If I stop paying for the OnLive service. I no longer have access to my invisible games that I bought with real money.
Oh..one more.. small reason. I can't sell or loan my game that I bought to anyone.
Those are all deal breakers for me until they majorly resolve some issues. IMO
Now someone will eventually bring the Movie renting services like netflix, hulu, or blockbuster inferring that its the same as the OnLive service. It is Not.
You are getting access to a set number of available movies. You have not purchased any of those movies.
Now on OnLive if I buy Dead Island or Assassin's Creed 2. I am buying the singular products. Not access to all the games on the service. Once if I stop paying for the service I stop being able to play that game that I bought.
That is the main and most dealbreaking detail that will stop me from ever using their service.
For example, if I was stuck on a certain part of a game, I would be able to call an online friend and show him a video feed/stream of me playing to get hints on what to do next. It's easier for him to tell me what to do since he could visually see where I am stuck.
Not sure if PC gamers do this with skype or some other services already, but I would love this to be implemented in consoles.
It is going to be a couple of years before they fix the latency issue. Then they will have to increase their video quality drastically just to match current generation.
That said, I do think streaming services are going to gain massive popularity due to its potential simplicity. However, it is going to be more casual, and won't be replacing a dedicated gaming machine. For somebody who plays games everyday or several times a week a dedicated machine is always going to be better than what can be offered over streaming.
No one wants to pay for the service. Onlive dropped their service charge because Onlive's launch was a flop, because no one wanted to pay full price for games AND to play them in laggy, ugly-compression fashion. And the servers are expensive.
Not enough profit, not enough marketing and expansion/negotiation money.
there will be no need to get another PC.
http://arstechnica.com/gami...
or not..
Processing will need to be upgraded for more life like AI, the size and scoope of games will grow. And we have yet to have a game the size of a GTA game that allows you to walk into ever building and room. Now this is something to say will most likely happen in the future of gaming. But it won't happen next gen (for consoles anyway) and my not even happen for PC's (yet). But it is very much likely such a game can be made with the right tech. Look at Epics Samaritan demo. Mind you that was running on UE3, not UE4. But it doesn't matter what engine it is....it matter what hardware its running under. It looked amazing yes, but how big of a world can even be made to fit in lets say a standerd Bluray disk of 25gbs or even 50gbs?
To be make better sense of this, MGS4 and GT5 both maxed 50gb disk. What would the Samaritan game do? Mind you MGS4 and GT5 are not even next gen nor openworld. Gaming has a long way t6o go and it doesn't end with graphics. Not even close.
Once we get true to life AI, amazing SSD space and speed, faster ram and in ever console, VR etc. Gaming will continue to grow and grow. We haven't even got close to what is possible.
It's still pretty easy to tell "virtual" from reality even on the highest end PCs.
But "close" is subjective.. At least a decade or two before something almost completely photorealistic are made for mainstream gaming (excludes high end PC gaming) xD
That will cost alot of money to invest in and im definately not certain it will pay off. Certainly its still a long time til we get a service that will be able to replace consoles. Id say definately not in the next 10 years, and it could take alot longer.
chances are in 10 years or so, MS will probably incorporate everything into a windows phone and have everything in one device. apple will likely go this route as well (if they aren't already)
this is pretty much it for consoles.
No reason to lose money designing and making hardware when there are many other ways to get HD Gaming out to the masses.
PC, Cloud, and mobile gaming will be all that's left after this next and Last gen. Sony Nintendo MS will make use of these 3 platforms but making consoles is NO LONGER a smart move.
They will still make accessories of course but if your dreaming of a PS5 or Xbox 1080 then you can forget it.
Now consolers don't flip out and go all STUPID! The consoles will be DEAD but the games will still be alive. You will still get your yearly Call of Duty's, GTA's, Halo's, Uncharted's blah blah blah just sent through your CABLE box instead of a console.
Games for PC where made with the 360 in mind. (as where most systems)
Ported from 360 to PS3 and PC. Thus games being 9gbs or 12gbs has almost everthing to do with the 360 being the lead sku because its lessor.
Now what does this have to do with PC gaming? Steam. Its a great service.....thats if your internet isn't shit. Thats if YOU EVEN HAVE INTERNET! Console require bare minimum. System and disk. No OS, upgrades, CD codes, DRM or internet speeds or internet at all.
Thus Console will be the base for all gaming because its the easiest way for the consumer to game. The PC being the elites way to game.
What does this have to do with next gen? Games will get bigger. The PS3 has Bluray and seeing how Killzone 2 had 3bg and 4gb levels is clear it adds something to gaming. No to mention all the other amazing PS3 exclusives that have released. They all took a shit load of space on disk.
Wii U has a 25gb disk, we all know the PS4 will have Bluray (50gbs or more disk) MS can't use DVD9 again clearly, it might be 25gb or even more of either Bluray or a different format. Regardless, all platforms are growing in terms of disk size, History will show gaming doesn't get smaller in space....IT GROWS. It why GTAIV sucked, it was the only GTA in history to have to take away features that where in the last based on space and space alone.
So how will steam be next gen with 720 or PS4 games as being the "bare minimum" for gaming? Meaning 25gbs and up? So who has the bandwith to do this? Publishers will release games on Bluray for PC in the future when that gen starts to get everyone who are PC gamers on board. They won't just leave "Steam" as teh only option to limit how much money they make "that would be fucking stupid"
Bandwidth won't catch up to game sizes next gen. Not everyone has internet versus FAST internet. Thus, such a PC/Cloud future will NEVER out due retail. Only a moron would think such a thing. So retail makes up the most of gaming and "Cloud" makes how this baby percent, but it will kill consoles.......? Funny. So with next gen's games possblbly topping 100gbs? Who the fuck has the bandwidth for that and why would they some how just stop releasing games to retail? LOL! Cable won't be the ONLY way, it will merely be just a way for those who have the internet to due so. Retail will never die idiot.
Worst case, OnLive starts to pick up steam and Microsoft/Sony buys it out. Neither company is going to stand idly while one of their most profitable branches is slowly killed off.
If serious cloud gaming were to gain prominence though, the infrastructure wouldn't be ready to support it for at least another 15 years. Netflix Instant with it's ultra compressed video is already majorly taxing the system, can you imagine throwing 100 million gamers streaming 1080p 60fps (wishful thinking compared to what will likely be standard by then) titles into the mix? It's honestly not even worth the investment to make it work.
No matter what they say if you do not have complete control over the products you buy then they are not yours. Period. If they say it's yours and store it on their servers...it's not yours. People keep forgetting that any reliance on anyone else to maintain your games results in just that....a reliance on an outside entity. These companies have the power to discontinue anything they choose. They can go out of business. They can change names. They can and will follow money and profit. If they have a server it will eventually get shut down. If they have terms and conditions it will be changed consisitantly. To top it off, current gen consoles are doing the same exact thing, even on the hardware front. I'll explain why in a minute.
One system update right now can destroy the used market and any physical format. That is how much control they have over the product. For the purposes of my research I will stick to services and products I know from experience. I've had experience mainly with the PS3 console so I will explain how this console effects ownership of digital and physical.
For starters let's assume you disconnect from online and ban it from your life. On the PS3 game disks there are occasional, and mandatory, system update disks. If you refuse to update your console to their desired OS you will not be able to play that particular video game. God of War III is an example of this and proves the control of your purchase despite the choice to stay offline and not take part in something you disagree with. Let's say for example that you updated the OS. Sure it may be because they updated it to properly play the game. Yet it could also mean they added or replaced other features or abilities that can change what you consider "yours". Need an example? I have over 100 songs I bought that all played fine during the early years of the PS3. After one of the updates a particular format became "corrupted". Now I can't say which update because the system doesn't list the file as corrupted until you try to play it. That means it could be months or years before you try to play the file again. That further means you can't identify which specific update caused it.
Other times you buy a physical disk and it refuses to let you play unless you are connected to the internet, regardless if internet is required or not. Still refuse online? Okay. You go to the store and buy a disk that has purposely been bugged right from the start and near unplayable. Yes, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim come to mind. You'll just return the opened video game to the store and demand your money back right? After all, these titles aren't starting this update trend on release day are they?
So, as much as it pains me to say it, I have no choice but say that online and the digital format take away ownership. This industry has purposely shifted ownership away from the consumer, and in the process, made the masses believe they own it. The sick reality is this: If people found out that they are paying more for nothing then people are going to rent. If people are going to rent then these console can no longer sell everything at the prices they are selling them at. It's a big con that no one sees yet. It's concept has bled into the physical format in ways not many can see, UNLESS YOU DISCONNECT THE INTERNET. Try it for a month or two, see how far the physical format provides you. I did and the experience is disturbing. I won't even get into PS3 backups as I found they don't back up anything game related. Anyone wants to know more just ask. I've been studying this for 6 years.
Even the single player only games? ;)
Internet services in many countries including Australia, where I live, have crap internet. So streaming will not do.
Yes, distribution methods will change, but I don't think streaming games will be good enough for a lot of gamers. Console manufacturers will just place greater emphasis on greater hard drive capacity and digital distribution. Streaming games of any kind will probably be limited to older, smaller games or be part of some subscription model incorporating the above games...
New consoles will still be released as improvements to hardware continue and there may be a greater emphasis on 'services' as part of differentiation or something....yada yada yada. I just don't see streaming games as a viable option for a long while unless its what people really want and don't care for lag. I do though.
I see the distinction of the hardcore gamer and the casual gamer becoming more defined with the core gamers wanting to play with games and other content stored (either disc based or HDD) on the system they're playing.
The problems with these articles is that they are too simple and generalise way too much.
I trust Valve more than Sony and MS and Valve services is based on non physical products. I think console gamers re scared because that market is full of money grubbing corporation. Also console gamers are more part of the mainstream crowd where people don't complain much. Just about everything will be monetized.
lol
http://www.ps3trophies.org/...
http://www.joystiq.com/2012...
http://www.escapistmagazine...
Since console gamers have accepted this kind of treatment until it's industry standard then what are you gonna do?
Cloud gaming would hurt Sony and MS.
Cod/Activision would be it's own service in the cloud.
Also LG google tv, Vizio and Onlive push this
http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/...
Gaikai and Samsung pushing this
http://www.hollywoodreporte...
If smart phones can slightly threaten consoles what could smart tv's do?
TV makers are not liking the fact that after you buy their TV's that they can't cash in on the entertainment part.
It will be interesting see how another TV maker named sony will react to this.
What are they gonna say? "buy our tv then our $500 new console?"
The world imo is changing to fast for static hardware and is moving faster than in 2006.
Nvidia.
http://www.2dayblog.com/ima...
Even vita is trying to adapt to smart phones while smart phones hardly try to adapt to handheld consoles.
Just giving you the facts of the industry right now.
Disagree with this if you want but that won't make it untrue or go away.
It's a good possibility that in the future (15+ years) that game developers could entirely stop distributing their game files and only release their game on a cloud streaming service. Now obviously this is here say, but you never know. It would undoubtedly be the most effective way to combat piracy.
Also, steam is only an option for pc gamers. I'm talking about having a completely cloud based system.
I see PSN and Xbox live being the front end of the service and then you pick your game from there as this helps game sales and also keeps everyone connected.
I don't see the home console going anywhere but I do see them changing to cloud gaming once most of the world has the right internet speeds to do it.
Your ISP
Your Apartment
Cell Phone
Cinema
Concerts
e.t.c.
although, it would be great in the sense that everybody would have the same system, then there wouldn't be that fanboy barrier where you show a friend a game that is exclusive to your console, and instead of enjoying it, they have to convince themselves, and you that there console is better, and that this game sucks compared to that one they have on their console
Console gaming is here to stay.
One thing for certain is, in the future we may not be playing our favourite IP's on specifically branded consoles (e.g Sony, MS or Nintendo), but we will be playing those IP's via streaming on a variety of other devices (Internet TV's, Smart Phones included).
Think Sega, a once prolific console manufacturer who now touts their IP's on a variety of media.
Physical media is old. In an age where the market has fully embraced MP3s, internet news, and video services like Netflix and Hulu its perplexing to me why gamers think video games need to be any different. I have huge game collections myself but I for one won't mind one bit to have those collections in a virtual format.
Digital is the future of every kind of media we consume, accept it.
You can have digital versions of games without physical media. That is the way of the future right now.
And the adoption rate for extra-high speed internet is only to go up. No one really has dial-up anymore, for example. High speed will probably be the only thing available in another 10 years.
PS1 games $39.99
PS2 games $49.99
PS3 games $59.99
and if the trends continues
PS4 games $69.99?
PS5 games $79.99?
I doubt people will pay that much.
Handheld games at best wll always be free-$49.99
Whether or not he actually did, the point is we now approaching terabytes of RAM as a standard. Technology always increases, as does the ingenuity of pioneers to utilize it and make amazing things that were never even considered as possible.
Consoles will keep coming out as long as they remain economically viable for their manufacturers.
I dont know anyone with 1TB of RAM...
And I haven't seen even one game on a mobile platform that runs better or even close to the quality of a console game so if you think mobile phone gaming is catching up to consoles than you dont play the same games i have.
All of the big console makers have even talked about going to a download only or cloud based service but realized that this would alienate too much of their fanbase that would not or could not keep up with the technology.I could see stuff like that working as an add-on or like an app to use for stuff like classic games or small time waster games but the infastructure just isnt there for a complete takeover yet. Sure its great for the people that have the option to deal with it that way but its just not wide spread enough.
I think the days of physical media and consoles will be here for at least another generation or two.
end of story...
uh, no... only the wii U is coming out later this year, and it's arguably current gen, not next gen.
the other two will be out in 2014.
also, they won't stop making consoles. that's just silly to assume...
Sure, Ill enjoy cloud gaming like the rest of us..... But if there is that one must have title i must own, and it takes a hardware purchase to play it..... thats what I'll do.
...For traditional HOME console game systems.
In 10 years, we will all be playing our Xbox, PS and Nintendo games where ever we go, and streaming to our TVs when we get home if we so choose.
Everything is getting more compact. I don't see dedicated game systems fading anytime soon, just transforming into something more portable.
The only place handhelds outsell consoles is in Japan nowhere else, in US & EU ppl prefer to play games comfortably on their couch at 720/1080p full HD and some of them with Dolby Surround ON your idea of what future gaming will be is the exactly opposite of what we do right now and the reason it's bullsh1t is because u cant play a game on a 40-50 inch screen on the go also it's not comfortable in any way.
So the consoles must be unique in some way like the Wii U with its controller. But since the PS3 and 360 are still selling so well I think it will take at least 3 years before the new consoles are reveald.
The premise of cloud gaming may gain popularity temporarily because of advantages, but those advantages will only last for so long and the disadvantage of insecurity will always be there.
That is the very reason that hardware will continue to be produced.
P.S. Even when we do reach that point, the real race, the race for the most intuitive controls, the race for VR will finally begin.
Next-Gen consoles will be able to be updated even more regularly than current-gen ones. They will also be much more capable and have multi-tasking.