PlayStation 4 And More

Forbes, home of the world's business leaders, talks PS4, X720 and Wii 2.

[-M4verick-]

Next generation is already right around the corner.

[Isaac]

Those that still use DVD9

[-M4verick-]

ok sorry. 3-4 years isn't that far away and if Microsft waits 4 more years...that would mean they didn't release another console for 7 YEARS after teh 360 launched making this the longest generation ever. No generation has lasted 7 years.

The next generation will be here in 3 years. 2011 would be 6 years after the 360 launched.

[hazeblaze]

Actually it's not that close at all. I don't think we'll see a new console from any of the hardware makers in less than 3 years. And frankly, with the next wave of games I'm seeing on the PS3, the hardware still has so far it can be pushed! I think I'm more interested in seeing what games look like in the next 2 years than the next gen of consoles.

Still... I am interested to see where the next gen of consoles takes us. And what type of decisions the console makers will make based on this generation. I don't think that Sony will try to be at the bleeding edge of technology next gen... while I love the PS3, they did lose some competitive advantage by being so technologically advanced.

[DARKKNIGHT]

wii2 doesnt sound too far off.

next gen i expect microsoft to copy everything the ps3 is doing. imitation is microsofts key factor in development.

ps4 should should once again push the gaming industry to creating movie quality games, while pushing innovation... which leads to enhanced multimedia capabilities.

[PimpHandHappy]

you wish it was because your getting bored with your 360!

If MS makes its 360 last 7 years i will buy the Xbox720! 3rd time has to be the charm right?!?!

All i know is they better start making themselfs some 1st party studios because they might have waited to long but if they start now the xbox720 might have more then just a couple shooters and racers to play!

lol MAV

you should really jump out and become a real gamer again! Buy a PS3 if you can afford it! You will never feel the need to defend MS again

[Lifendz]

with my cousin who owns a 360 and was talking about getting a PS3. He asked if I'd be getting a 360 for Gears 2. I told him I'd like to pick up a 360 (RROD aside) but I have a feeling the next MS console is 1-2 years away. He told me no way but after I told him how 360 has been out since 05 and the lifecycle of the original Xbox, I think I convinced him.

So yeah, I see MS dropping that next console sooner. Then it'll be the same scenario as with the PS2. MS' machine will be more powerful but the PS3 will be known by devs, have a great install base, and consumers who trusted MS to stick with 360 will probably go Sony out of disgust. Well....consumers that aren't MS fanboys at least.

[SL1M DADDY]

The PSone was on the market for 11 years. Sorry, but 7 years is not all that great considering that the PS2 is on it's 8th year at the moment and working on the reaching 9 years.

[Pr3-M3d_G4M3R]

I hope the new systems are a hybrid of eachother that way all these fanboys and fangirls can spend their time talking about the great games instead of flaming and being a fanboy/girl

[potenquatro]

i don't think MS or Nintendo will copy SONY at all. and after the succes of the 360 and wii, they won't be looking anywhere else but their own drawing board. the succes the ps3 is having makes me think that they'll use the Playstaion brand to push Sony's tech agenda again. i don't want the ps4 to have a format just for the sake of putting Sony's format in front of any other, and i don't want them to use a cpu nobody wants to work with just so they can test drive future tv tech and save a couple of bucks. i want Sony to really think about what they want to do in the gaming industry, and if it's not making the best posible console for gamers AND devs, they may not get my money next time around. same goes for MS if they try to pull a Sony with digital distribution.

[BrotherNick]

I don't think it'd be too smart to copy the losing system. The only thing I can see being copied is Blu-ray, and slightly better graphics. If Sony stays the course it'll become a second computer with less functionality, but good exclusives.

[ThanatosDMC]

It's called innovation.

Also, what success are you talking about??? M$ hasnt even reach their past xbox blah blah (cant think of the word right now). Just like a titration curve, M$ has started flatlining.

[watashi hideo kojima]

i think next consoles should be interactive with old ones like ps3 makes ps4 stronger faster.something like that...but with ps3 on market now i dont even know i will ever change my console again.i will try to push it until i die...probably 60 years. besides i will be making games in industry as well...

[yesah]

Ps2 is the longest running.

you can stop reaching into your As$, we've had enough.

[Megatron08]

seems all the sony fanboys dont even know that sony made ps3 yet. Sony better forget about the ps4 and figure out how to let are their less then bright fans know there is a ps3. Yes that right the ps2 came out in 2000 and the ps3 came out in 2006. I know sony fanboys cant count so I'll help you out that 6 years. So that gen least for only 6 years it doesnt matter if they still make the things cause it was 6 years between systems. If you figure 6 between them again that mean the ps4 be out in 2012. MS has already said they plan to release the next xbox in 2011 or 2012 thats 6-7 years. i dont think we'll ever see a "next gen" system from nintendo again.

[Expy]

"Official announcements on the successors of the current videogame consoles are expected soon. "

I call BS, whichever company does that first is basically conceding defeat this generation.

[Bob Dole]

The Wii will not concede defeat. They will just make a newer version with HD graphics that rival both the other consoles AND has BC. *SWOOSH*

[hazeblaze]

The Wii will NEVER have games that rival the graphics of its competitors. That's not the model for Nintendo this gen. I do think that they will be the first to introduce a next gen console though because the Wii will look dated long before the PS3 and 360 do.

[Voiceofreason]

@haze he did say the next Wii meaning next gen. Not this gen. In your hurry to disagree you missed the whole point.

[supahbad]

nintendo will take the inbetween route with their next console, to get back some of the fans they lost and keep the casuals they won over this gen

[Shadow Flare]

With the amount of things ps3 can do and with the untapped potential of the cell processor, i've always thought it would breach that 10 year life cycle. Unlike the ps2 and ps1, i reckon the ps3 will seem fresh for alot longer. Let alone it has a proper online system on it this time. I also wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft followed Nintendo's road more next generation, because that's where the money is. As for Nintendo, they could just get an empty bucket of lego, paint it white and sell it with Wii Sports 3, Wii Brain Training and Wii Brush Our Teeth 4 and people would still buy it.

[hazeblaze]

Well the PS2 life cycle has been about 8 years so far. So it came pretty close to 10 yrs as well. When Sony says a 10 yr life cycle, they do not mean that they will wait 10 years to release a new console. They mean that they will continue support of the PS3 until about it's 10th yr... similar to what they're continuing to do with the PS2 now. They have a low end console and a high end system on the market at the same time... both performing well.

[supahbad]

i agree sony will keep the ps3 running with the ps4, but i see the ps4 coming out a year and a half after the new xbox. i just wonder if the ps3 will be treated the same as the ps2, where it's like yeah there are still games coming out but i just don't care. now i think sony will make the ps4 like the wii and keep the ps3 for the core gamers. just a thought

[bruiser81]

HBlaza i agree with you 100%, the difference is though sony has never future packed any of their consoles the way they did the ps3. It seems to me their goal is to extend the life cycle of the systems starting with the ps3. As seen with the ps2 it is more profitable for them this way

[Ju]

I can't imagine why they'd want to make a new console anytime soon (except Nintendo, they do). How much HD do you want (especially PS3)? Online, well, yeah, could be. But renting a movie doesn't need faster CPUs or graphics chips, it needs a faster internet (line).

The PS3 is far from maxed out. Is "movie level quality" the only argument ? Then I would suggest to wait as long as they can with the next generation, to really create this "wow" effect. Even if current tech, or tech in 3-4 years can run circles around the CELL/RSX, I still wouldn't buy such a beast if there is not a very clear distance to the current gen, I mean way better visuals then KZ2, R2, MGS4, Infamous etc. Most of what we don't even know, yet. Way bigger crowds in games, even more physics, etc. But in a factor 10-100 to current games, well, yeah, then maybe - and still 90% of gamers (non hard core) will not care at all. So, what's the point in investing another $B into another console ?

[Vip3r]

I doubt the next gen console will be announced anytime soon. Plus why would the next xbox be the 720? Wouldn't it be a 4xx instead?

[ry-guy]

360 + 360 = 720.

[PwnShop]

They should call it xbox vista

[supahbad]

haha xbox vista, it would never stand a chance, even if it didn't melt it would run at 3fps and the online would suck

[mistertwoturbo]

If there's any such thing as a PS4. Just give us 2 Cell Processors, 1.5GB of RAM, and an insane GPU.

[jtucker78]

Computing power per $ doubles every 18 months, so two cells in 3 years time would be terribly underpowered considering the cell came out in 2006 in the US and Japan.
(It's like the Wii only being x2 gamecubes. Technically the Wii probably should have come out in 2003)

Basically what I'm saying is that every 5 years consoles should be roughly 8 to 10 times more powerful than the one that proceeded it.
(Although Sony say PS3 is 20 times more powerful than the PS2, I'd definitely agree it is well over 10 times the power.)

Maybe a super cell and a cell based GPU ;-)

[supahbad]

RAM will do it, if neither company increases the RAM next gen we are screwed imo

[mistertwoturbo]

Yeah, well I'd say two Cell CPUs because right now the Cell itself is a paradox to a lot of developers. So factor in Two complete cell's, which is theoretically 2 main processing cores, and 12-14 SPEs. Which seems to be more than any developer could wish to utilize.

[cp68]

Sony injected this massive math power..the CELL..but for what? It's never going to be used in gaming....as i'm writing this, it is used in medical ans astrophysical science...what the heck?

We want a console to play games, not to measure black holes and produce proteins.

[Shadow Flare]

Why even bother commenting when you know NOTHING about the cell processor? I'll give you 2 applications the Cell has been used for in gaming.

LittleBigPlanet -

The Cell Processor specialises in calculating huge amounts of numbers. So the amount of physics that can happen at one time in LittleBigPlanet would far surpass the amount of physics Xbox 360 could do at one time if this game were on 360

Gran Turismo 5 -

Again, due to massive amount of calculations the Cell can do, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue uses Ray Trace lighting in the pit area of GT5:P. Ray Trace lighting is the most realistic form of simulated lighting and usually only high-end pc's can do this. Needless to say, ray-tracing is something Xbox 360 cannot do.

[Voiceofreason]

LOL the power of the Cell is nothing but improved lighting? LOL you are actually trying to argue the point by pointing out how useless it really is... WoW next gen lighting with the power of the Cell. Silly of anyone to question such an obvious advancement in gaming...

[supahbad]

how are better graphics and more advanced physics bad for gaming? because the xbox doesn't have it? please.

i just don't get these blind fanboys, oh it's just uneccessary to upgrade your hardware with cell proccessing who's limits haven't even been reached by scientists and people studying cancer, and black holes, and the air force. the reason it is in the ps3 is so that we could see where it could take games, and i don't see how that is bad for gaming, it's the next step up.

[Torch]

"The CELL is useless i think"

Wow, that must be the most ironic statement I've ever read in my life.

*Enthusiastically slams 'Ignore' and proceeds to finish Act Five of Metal Gear Solid 4.*

[SL1M DADDY]

Uh-oh! Better give the developers of Killzone 2 a call, they might want to know that the game they demonstrated this E3 that won "Best Graphics" and is exclusive to the PS3 is not using a processor powerful enough to tap the games true potential!

You fail little buddy.

[N4g_null]

For gamers you guys sure know a lot more about this tech than the people who made it. Developers touted it's magical powers till they got hit with the truth and the delay hammer. There is a reason why the first year of the PS3 sucked so bad.

Go and look up what the architect of the cell said about it. Ars technica has a few write ups online with the guys saying 50% of that floating point power can be used for gaming and the rest is for number crunching only. I remember him using the words never in regards to it being tapped.

The stuff you see in killzone is a frame buffer technique. It can still be done with in the GPU. The way things are looking you would have a hard time using the smudge tool in photoshop on the cell only. The RSX is the saving grace of the PS3 other wise it would be an over price PS2 with blueray.

To make things worst the 360 is only slightly better but only by a little bit due to unified memory. The Wii is a GC2 which is fine for $250. As clueless as the top poster sounds he speaks the truth. Power is not some secret unless the designers are retarded. Intel chip have had multiple threads since the P4 and the core duos are pretty much the standard now. The cell isn't even coming close to what that chip can do.

Future proof? The 8800GTX is now about to be $200 that was a $600 GPU! The Cell and the PS3 is officially obsolete. ATI's terascale chips will have 800 of those little cores working away for around $300. You don't believe me then look it up. To be misinforming in gaming can be pretty expensive. Stop spreading the hype it just not true and it could cause people to hate SONY for fluffing the truth to them when it was just some fanboy claiming the cell was the second coming of the prophet.

[SolidSnake93]

@cp68
Uncharted says no.

[SL1M DADDY]

lol

Your actually pretty funny. Hypocritical, but funny. If you read interviews with the many developers who actually utilize the Cell, you will find that many of them are finding vast ways to use the Cell in gaming. Listening to some tech guy that doesn't program games is silly and something I would expect a fanboy to do...

Listen to the folks that make games, there is where you will find the beauty of the Cell.

[Daver]

lolll he says:

"After all, the thought of a next generation without a graphically spectacular "Halo," "Gran Turismo" or "Grand Theft Auto" is pretty difficult to imagine."

Halo and GTA4 lolll, he could have choose some other titles

[solidt12]

I will be buying Playstation 4 on day one and that's for certain. The PS3 is the best console out now and has the most legs. I will still be playing it when the PS4 comes out because they will still have a huge library of great games and Blu-Ray. I won't get a Xbox next time around I'll just build a PC for gaming to get Windows games.

[supahbad]

make sure to bring a gun to shoot someone if you want to get yours on day one, be like BAM! that belongs to me now sucka

idk

[Maedhros]

Given that we are approaching the point of diminishing return on our consoles, I can't see this happening all that soon. The cost of producing a new, more powerful machine will remain pretty prohibitive for a while, and there's obviously little need for a new generation of consoles at the moment. The lifecycle of the current gen will probably pass most before it.

The alternative is that the next gen is less a push in hardware and more a push in "innovation" - that we basically get an approach from the other two manufacturers that matches Nintendo's with the Wii. Slight hardware improvement coupled with a "new way to play". Can't say I'd be excited for it, though.

[Sir_Ken_Kutaragi]

SONY don't need a PS4 yet!!!;)

PS3 is the FUTURE!!! ;-P
MGS4 only uses 1% of PS3's power!!!;)

xBox 360??? Yep!!! They need to bring out the xBox 4(Something)
(they got to fool people it's their 4th Console like the xBox (3)60, sounds like their 3rd Console!!! ;-D HOW SAD!!!IT DIDN'T WORK!!!)next year i think.

Personally i just wish Micro$oft would just F**K-OFF really!!! ;-D
Leave it to SONY +Nintendo +?????? to make Gaming Consoles;)

[ClassiK]

I think this guys jumping the gun big time, the whole point of the PS3 is a media hub, they made this console to last a good 10yrs. Hence the firmware updates, why would they drop PS4 when PS3 is the best Blu-Ray player money can buy that supports BD live? And if something needs to be tweaked on the PS3, they simply do it through firmware. From what I'm to understand, PS3 hasn't even unleashed it's max potential. Not to mention that developers are now learning shaders are the way of next gen look and feel, and poly counts just don't matter anymore, atleast for next gen.

Then again, Crysis had that rendered shot of the soldiers suit and the poly count in it gave alot of detail, but by adding some shaders to it, it would have been prime.

[Bebedora]

It will be called The Y-box or 8-ball? The name will be unpredictable though.

[abcdog1000]

besides a ram expantion and harddrive expantion.

[AngryTypingGuy]

"MGS4 only uses 1% of PS3's power!!!;)"

Thanks man, I needed a good laugh!

[Mr PS3]

Has got some serious Ass Kicking to do
Before we get to the PS4

[Prismo_Fillusion]

When are the home virtual reality consoles I was promised in the mid 90's going to arrive!?

[gamerosity]

That's a good question. They're taking baby steps with online functionality and fostering community, but we are a long ways away.

[THC CELL]

anyone really think the ps4 will F**k up this time

NO chance
we will see a upgraded Cell and more

i cant understand why people dont use webspace/servers memory instead on console or hard drives or use both

ps3 is 10 years future proof and not even the next x box will top that

[TheColbertinator]

Its amazing how Microsoft and Nintendo are already planning their next consoles.The PS2 120,000,000 consumer market is still fresh for the picking and many have'nt bought a next gen system yet.That is why I prefer long cycles so that the 3 companies build up an enormous fanbase of 30 million or more.After all three have created their fanbase,the jump to next gen will be stronger and wont have many difficulties.I doubt a 10 year life cycle like Sony says but maybe a 7 or 8 year cycle sounds more plausible.

[ROCCOZILLA]

thats cool the PS4 will just be an update cause the CELL can do ANYTHING it wants to!!PLAY B3YOND!!!

[THC CELL]

forget that man i want the play station 9

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
shame i wont be a live

The next x box will be http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[jtucker78]

There won't be a Wii2. Well, not for a long time. Mark my words.

The Wii has proved that the general public aren't interested in flashy graphics, gameplay or sound.
Why would you need to improve it? They have simplified multiple button presses into a quick waggle here and there and the public love it. If the public honestly wanted amazing graphics, effects, hardcore games and technology then the PS3 and 360 would be winning the console war, but they aren't.

Blu ray is proof of this. I love my technology and picture quality so obviously I only buy blu ray disk movies. None of my friends do though. For them DVD is good enough. Same as the Wii graphics, they are good enough.

PS3 and 360 have advanced games technology and much as I hate to admit it, they just aren't as popular.
Wii has party games, rudimentary graphics and some waggle and is a hit. Nintendo are implementing the 2nd generation of motion with the Motion Plus(1:1) and they don't need to change the hardware in order to do this. So why create the Wii2?
The motion plus is kind of the Wii2. An upgraded Wii without replacing the machine.

Every 5 years consoles take a huge leap in technology.
Sony and Microsoft did. Nintendo didn't AND it proved that you don't need to. The public love this machine, they can't get enough of it.
Wiimotes, balanceboards, Motion Plus. Nintendo can keep the same machine and just add new peripherals or controller types to change the experience.

The only thing that would make Nintendo bring out a new machine is if they came up with a new peripheral that needed the hardware to change in order to interface with it (brain wave recognition, signal transmitted direct to the brain. That sort of thing.)

Why do they need to come up with a Wii2?

[derek]

I think the more correct statement is that the general public is less concerned about flashy graphics if it drives the price of the console out of reach for the average consumer. I think Sony may be able to mitigate cost to some extent next time if they simply build upon the existing technology used for the PS3.

[Ju]

The Wii will get a wakeup call after 2008 - especially after that E3 presentation. If it wouldn't be for Metroid Prime and BW2 my Wii would be collecting dust right now. There are another handful of core games out there, but then nothing. Wii-Fit and Motion+ can only last so long. PS3 hasn't been established yet, and OTHO it is simply not true that Wii alone dominates. It's still "just" 50% of the market. Means the other 50% like HD gaming. I wanted to replace all my TVs to HD sooner or later. When I do, I'd like to use it, not have that crappy SD signal on the HD scaled again. Main reason why I stopped watching TV for the most part. I'm getting HD movies instead, forget the news (nothing positive anyway) so what else ? Crappy game shows scaled to HD in bad quality ? No thanks. Prefer to play some games or go out.

[BrotherNick]

Maybe when they run out of innovation they'll raise up the graphics. :P

[N4g_null]

The HD system did not advance too much they just made people use direct x 8 and 9 a lot longer than maybe they should have. Thanks to this gen we have more normal mapping programs and epic has more money to pay bills with. The only thing good I get from HD gaming is companies final moving past the limits of console gaming to PC gaming in order to make good on a profit.

The Wii may just exist just like the DS did while the GBA was out. We may get another system and it will be better simply because what they can fit into a $250 box is going to increase in power by that time. We are in the era similar to 32bit 2d graphics. Sure they will get better but it's time to move on. SONY will need a new format to push and MS will need way more than halo. Development cost has to fall again though.

Motion+ is the second coming of the Wii. People said the same thing about the Wii mote until they tried it. Sure a graphic update would be cool but the Wii is good enough for a $250 machine.

I mean other could say the same about your controllers for the HD games they simply are not made for FPS but they are good enough once you slow the game way down. To me that kills the excitement. Hype and excitement are two different things. the HD guys need to figure out how to get the rest of the hardcore player to come over.

As long as the current players keep buying games though every thing will be fine.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Reading somewhere that Sony said that the ps3 was going to be their last console.

I think it was in the newspaper a while back. hmm

Times may have changed though.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Why Did someone disagree with me?

Did I not read the article? Did Sony not state this? Speak up!

[DFresh]

Don't expect any new consoles until 2014 or longer.
It's only been Microsoft's 3rd year and their trying to expand on growth of console sales.
Sony is in the process of taking over w/ tons of amazing exclusives taking advantage of the PS3 and only possible on the PS3.
Nintendo doesn't need to make a new console already selling like hot cakes just need more games for the hardcore.
No one at this point is in the position to make another console at this point.

[Torch]

But I couldn't help but notice and point out the Gravis PC gamepad in the story's image.

...Ah, my first GREAT PC gamepad...toppled only by the exquisite and ergonomic MS Sidewinder gamepad, which FINALLY allowed true control mapping of well more than the measly standard of two buttons (thanks in part to DirectX and Win98, if I correctly recall.)

Good times, good times indeed...

...Uh, carry on with, ummm...whatever this story's about. ;)

[PimpHandHappy]

wont even be talked about by Sony till atleast 2012

i could be wrong but i do think Sony is smarter then me and they want the PS3 to reach 140 million units sold!

In my book that means a LONG LONG run for the PS3!

Cant wait to see what games are like in 3 years on this machine

[Torch]

I think you're right.

Critics scoff at Sony's claim that the PS3 will have a ten year lifespan, but if history is any indicator, this is not a far-fetched claim by any stretch of the imagination.

-The PSOne was announced as ended in production only TWO years ago...some eleven or twelve years following launch!!!

-The PS2 is STILL going strong after launching eight years ago, with over one hundred new games yet to be released!

If you stop and think about it, that's just an AMAZING product track record...especially considering that they pertain to the fast-paced, ever changing field of electronic technology industry.

Momentum for, and value of, the PS3 just keeps building and building; pundits may want to think twice before scoffing at Sony's sales target of 140 million units across ten years.

But, I suppose suggesting that they 'think' may be asking a little too much, eh?

[Wii60Fan]

Wow, that must be the most ironic statement I've ever read in my life.

*Enthusiastically slams 'Ignore' and proceeds to finish Act Five of Metal Gear Solid 4.*

LOL.

[olivia]

does anyone agree it is way too early to be talking about next gen agsin.funny how microsoft is alreadly getting warm up for just that,while sony is focusing on the ps3 like they should.

[Citizen Cook]

I'm an XBOX gamer, which means, i'm NOT a Chav, and that i'm RICH. As a result, i want the most hard cutting edge processors know to man -- NOW -- .

Xbox 720 next year plase. Keep the 360 going by all means, but give us HARDCORE Gamers the processing grunt to make our eyes water. I'm already TIRED or the current gen. Move on...

NEXT!

[Microsoft_Spokesman]

Yes, this @ss is out of bubbles. *Throws confetti*

[Solid_Snake666]

1 bubble

[Ju]

Another thing, in case for a PS4 to succeed, a slim PS3 @ <$199 needs to completely replace the PS2, which will be retired. Until they can build a PS3 @ around <$100 bucks, this won't happen, I guess. (Don't know what MS will do, I'd guess, they'll scrap the 360 completely but will make the next backwards compatible).

[N4g_null]

The PS3 can never replace the PS2 because it does not have the games. At the current rate of blue ray sales don't expect the slim any thing too soon. I think SONY is just going to sit on this one and come out last again.

[pow3r of t3h c3ll]

The xbox 720 will be about as powerful as the PS3.
The wii 2 will regress to the power of the PS1.

But the PS4 however will be more powerful than God and we will worship it as our new religion!!!

[ThatCanadianGuy]

LOL!

[Solid_Snake666]

i agree

[Microsoft_Spokesman]

I can almost guarantee you that the next xbox will be for the casual gamer.

[BrotherNick]

Let's try not to have consoles more than 400 dollars next gen, the economy is killing everyone, I want to save a bit.

[IaMs12]

Personally, as i see the graphics of some of todays games, i dont see how they could make even better graphics with that or do much more... i think its starting to get to a point where the graphics will be the same all around, it will up to the Devs to make the graphics different from each other (EX. make it Cartoony, real life looky, Anime etc..) To me Everything else they can improve on of course but seems the Graphics are getting to the end of the line...

But of course i know we all said that what when N64 came out or PS1 with FFVII lol now when we play them we can hardly tell whats going on lol who knows i hope i am wrong though

[Descendant]

This generation didn't start until 2007. We had the Xbox 360 come out late 2005 with no "next gen" competition. Then we had both Nintendo and Sony come out with their systems late 2006. So actually in my opinion everyone should mark 2007 as the start of this gen, and that makes it seem like the years 2013-2015 seem a lot more realistic in a business sense, since gaming is becoming a lot more mainstream.

[Xi]

it had to fight off the hype machine of sony and nintendo, arguably the strongest competition ever.

[jtucker78]

Gears of War started this generation. That was the first Current Gen experience so I would say this gen started in 2006.

[n00bzRtehgey]

Some Carmack quotes in there. I love that guy.

[SonySoldierEternaL]

you're finally down to 1 bubble.

HAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH AHAHAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAH
AHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHHAHAH AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Solid_Snake666]

hate you that much as to downgrade you

[kevin1122]

i seriously doubt the next gen consoles are coming soon, devs are complaining about developement costs right now. you think they want to start over on new hardware and it cost them even more and the way the wii and ps2 are selling it proves they dont have to. I expect this gen to last longer than the previous ones.

[Product]

since every fanboy on here think graphics are what games are made out of these days.....why not just buy a gaming pc?

Look at the new re5 yea looks great plays like last gen....no body cares.why? are fanboys that into graphics that they like last gen gameplay???makes you wonder if people really do care about gameplay or eye candy.

Love how graphics are what make something "next gen".

[jtucker78]

No not graphics.
The thing that makes this gen is physics.
See:
Euphoria, DDM, destructible environments, soft body physics, HDR lighting.

Those are the things that completely change game experiences and makes this generation what it is.

[Judge Mental]

I repeat I hate the Wii!

[TheDeadMetalhead]

*Punches in face*

[Big Jim]

The Wii is such an incredibly disappointing console. Nintendo is not even a videogame company anymore, because Nintendo products don't qualify as games. Nintendo makes body mass index calculators, yoga equipment, and toys for small children. They don't make videogames.

[juuken]

Microsoft's newest console will be coming out first. I can see it now.

[TheDeadMetalhead]

Kewl XD

[juuken]

^^;

[riskibusiness]

Both the XBOX 360 and Cell are PPC based processors, and if both stick with current, upgraded options with some new IBM tweaks both will scream. I know IBM is toying around with some full PPC 6+ghz processor speeds. Strip down to PS3 Cell or Xbox 360 PPC units and these could even be higher. By the time either launch they will be even more multi core. As long a branch prediction can be improved on the Cell and larger CPU caches on both, and at least 1GB of memory they will both be interesting.

It is all going to be about slightly better graphic quality and more about AI and physics when talking about hardware capability. Sony and Nintendo will have to level up on software and networking. MS will need to level up on first party titles. As for my strongest opinion, I would like to see the industry commoditize the hardware and the big three just utilize DLC to the hardware. As a developer this would be great!

We got to remember though Sony wanted to run the PS3 on Cell and no GPU. It will probably be their goal next gen too. I find it hard MS won't do the same by trying to go with some sort of CPGPU. Both of these companies must have learned that it is imperative they keep hardware costs down. It is taking too long to reach the 199.00 price point this gen.

I think we will see something a little more souped up but gimmicky like the Wii, next gen from Sony and MS.

[N4g_null]

The Cell is dead in the water, face down at this point. SONY and IBM though about making work stations with it but saw what intel could pull off with current GPU tech. Hell even apple went intel so that tells you some thing. Most cell super computers have to have opterons also that is not impressive.

Intel and Nvidia are about to rage war over the CPUvsGPU battle for the whole system. Which is crazy when you think about it. If SONY is tight with nvidia I could see them trying to be the first to use it. Yet if intel and MS work together you can forget every thing. The only thing they would lack is 1st party development other than HAlO. SONY does not have the expertise nor money to best an Intel neither does IBM. Yet this is gaming and most of you guy are wowed by GPUs. You could just see dual GPUs instead with the same old stuff and more ram.

IBM may get them all again on the we are cheap to buy mentality. Gaming AI isn't as advance as every one is claiming yet. It would be interesting to see more stuff on die in these chips though. A system on a chip would be crazy and a lot harder to crack if it also has the GPU on it. They should experiment more with this because then it's less likely to over heat unless they do it wrong.

These are exciting times because there are some very power things in the works. I hope IBM does some thing new with the power chips yet the bus bandwidth in these systems would do wonders also. I'm hoping these guys invest in looking a little deeper. The blue prints are out there in the wild right now the next wave of GPUs for PC are what we should expect from our consoles if they are still in a tech race.

I just hope SONY chooses some thing that actually is better for gaming.

[GIJeff]

where do you get your crack?

[N4g_null]

Let me know when SONY has their own chip fab and 2 to 4 chip development teams. Oyeah when can I get a Cell for my new computer? Or better yet can I get a mother board? Sure you can have some of this crack it's called facts though. Get the drugs off your mind. SONY can not do what intel does other wise they would be using the cell to power their own laptops. Only a fanboy believes SONY is bigger.

[Big Jim]

The Playstation 4 will have a processor with 60,000 seperate cells and will be capable of 1000 teraflops a second. It will have the most powerfull CPU of any computer on the planet. However, it will only have 200 MB of RAM and an NVIDIA 7300 LE graphics card. Of course, the graphics card and RAM can work in tandem with the cell processors in order to create amazing graphics, but the PS4 will be so difficult to program for that only four people in the world will be able to do it. The PS4 will cost $7000.

[GIJeff]

If I had to guess on the PS4, I would say it is going to be built into bravia tv's, taking the "buy a bravia, get a playstation" to the next level. I would not expect the PS4 to be weak in power either, I fully expect HD Graphics, 1080p STANDARD, Blu-Ray, 4-8GB DDR5-6-7(whatever is hot in 2012), multiple cell-like processors(im not sure if they will keep using a form of the cell, or go for something even more spectacular with floating points like the newer video cards.) It will make the ps3's best games look a bit Wii like in terms of graphics. Technology is making a huge leap right now, we are going into heavy paralel processing thanks to innovations like the cell, the PS4 is going to be the all in one media center for the house. All you will have to do is plug your surround sound(optional) into your bravia, and BAM. The ps4 will essentually do everything the ps3 is capable but 4-8 times faster and be connected to the tv.

[dcbronco]

Wouldn't that be asking people to spend over a $1000 to get a console. If I remember right, that's a big part of what got Sony into the mess they're in now. Also, if you think Sony can't compete with Intel, what makes you think they can continue to compete with Microsoft. Microsoft's profit are a little higher than Intel's. A little.

[GIJeff]

i think sony can EASILY compete with intel. Intel has been anything but innovative. AMD should be given more credit than intel. By 2012, do you really think it will cost 1000 for an HDTV? 32 inch 720p/1080i tv's go for 500 RIGHT NOW. In 4-5 years, they will cost half that.

also, sony is in anything but a mess. MS is in a mess if anyone, vista is a failure, and they are acting desprately right now and trying to push windows 7 ASAP to try not to lose too many windows users to apple.

PS. I hate apple.

[dcbronco]

@CP The Cell has realistic lighting, so real it blinds you when you crash in Prologue so you can't see all the damage.

@Reason Stop laughing. You're just blinded by the light.

@Runner Put down those scissors before someone gets hurt. Just because the Cell doesn't have fat bandwidth so you can see how great it is is no reason to criticize it.

You guys leave the Cell alone...leave it alone, leave it alone! It's trying to bring something beautiful into your lives and light the way and you don't appreciate it. Just leave Cell alone!

[N4g_null]

SONY needs a new trick next time around. I'll keep running with scissor thank you just watch as I round the corners, ok that could be fatal!

The real cell is in ATI terascale chip go look it up. It has about 800 little cores and it does a teraflop by it self. That's what the cell was to be like and also you can use all of it right away. It is designed to actualy run code like a CPU!

Sorry to rag on the cell but I had to throw these facts out there. People are going to buy this thing and end up pissed when it is out done. This way they can say they got it for blu ray or some thing.

[REDZEV]

Its very very simple.
1. Cut your losses on the POS3. bring out all scheduled games and then stop future development. Bring back the Backward compability that you promised but lied really miserably about and bring out new psn arcade games to tie us over till the PS4 comes out
2. Regroup. Make sure to consider all the complaints that developers had with the design of the "Cell" when making the new cpu and gpu for the PS4
3. Dump Blu-Ray. BD player is responsible for 80% of all your problems. Can you say BD+JAVA??? Digital download is emminent.
4. Try to bring out The PS4 before microsoft & nintendo can bring out there next gen consoles.
This is a basic strategy Sony should follow which I think would put them back on track. For anyone in this forum to say that they should take there time Well.... is a complete Idiot and doesnt know the diferrence between Monopoly and simple economics. console wars dont wait for anyone to take there time. thats why you have a complete console design before you bring it out to the public. and thats why Sony has failed miserably this generation.

[themyk]

don't worry i've got this page bookmarked. and i'll be reminding you of that comment from time to time.

mkay

[gersh]

Playstation 4?
Nooooooo.
I haven't even fully started on my PS3 yet. I don't have that many games :[

[IPlayGames]

when the 720 comes out

they dont drop all the 360 users

like they did with the OG Xbox.

[N4g_null]

Uncharted was a great peace of work but a boring game. From what I've played and it easily has some of the best character skin maps with dirt detailing but that's not power that artistic expression and execution.

If the epic guys wanted to I'm sure they could crank out the same just with more shiny graphics LOL. Luckily you guys have that game to hold on to! Also if you are talking about graphics just know that the cell was not really used for that. Other wise the PS3 would have two cells in it instead of an RSX.

[lewis]

a ps4 would be a bad idea to start with.I mean like the ps3 is 400 bucks!!!!!!!!1