Why a New Console Generation Would Be Terrible for Gaming

The longer this generation goes on, the more clear it becomes that a new set of machines would be pretty damn dangerous for the health of the industry itself. It would also be pretty damn dangerous for creative game design, and it would be very damn dangerous for your wallet. Here’s why you should go home and give your console a big hug tonight, and forget all thoughts of casting it out into the cold for a new model.

[Godmars290]

Given that game devs are still trying to find their balance, publishers trying to come to terms with online - which can possibly be read as rob gamers blind - this gen has to last another 2-3 years at least.

There's also the general response of common, casual, consumer to consider. People who are playing on the Wii, DS and PSP while being clueless if not fearful of the PS3 and 360.

[ebgeer]

"There's also the general response of common, casual, consumer to consider. People who are playing on the Wii, DS and PSP while being clueless if not fearful of the PS3 and 360"

We are very aware of these systems and their capabilities. The buy in cost to even start playing them is just too much...the Benefits of a Wii per dollar far outway either the PS3/360 per dollar. Maybe I will get one when the price comes down another $100.

[Cregan4584onYouTube]

Agreed. More beer money.

[Shang-Long]

there is so much life left in this Gen. i dont see a need for the next Gen.

i think MS should take this time to invest in some new IPS.
Sony should keep doing what its doing. but more RPGs wouldnt hurt.

[Godmars290]

Sorry, but if you're on this site, you're not the casual gamer I was talking about.

[Hideo_Kojima]

If a PS4 would = all games looking better than Uncharted 2 in the same way all the PS3 games looked better than the best looking PS2 games than I want it and I want it RIGHT NOW!

a new PS comes out every 6 years even though there was an EyeToy release and a PSP release between PS2 and 3.
Look:
PS1 1994
PS2 2000
PS3 2006

PS4 2012? announced at E3 or TGS (September) 2011/12?

That is what the pattern shows.

People need to realize that we are squeezing the juice out of the PS3 very well and games get better and better but when the PS4 comes out even the first few games will all look better than any game on PS3.

[Donny]

next gen will be bitchin when ps3 develepers help build the ps4! just imagine how MORE badass the ps4 will be. ;)

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

I think it is complete BS that it is too expensive to move to the next generation. I favor faster console cycles, with minor hardware upgrades.

Don't give me a $600 console at launch that is going to loose you $300 on every sale. By the time you hit 2 years into the life of the console, it is obsolete compared to reasonably priced technology that is out there. Give me a $300-400 box that you can make money on and re-introduce a new box 3-4 years down the line.

That is how smart consumers should behave anyhow. I don't buy the latest and greatest TV planning on keeping it for 10 years. I buy the average/budget priced TV and upgrade in 3-5 years. Granted, I haven't had too, but glad I paid $1200 for my 40" Sony LCD 3 years ago. Now I can buy a new TV if needed and it will outdo your 3 year old TV for less than half the price.

If it is too expensive to develop, then you build tools that make it more cost effective. XNA developers can create games that previously took a large team of people to do. Why is that? It is the tools available!

Stop looking at electronics as an investment, because it is NOT. It is a disposable product that quickly get's obsolete!!!

[Chris_TC]

You're right, electronics become obsolete quickly. Moore's Law roughly holds true to this very day. Average transistor count doubles every two years.

A $500 gaming machine sold today would be about four times as powerful as a $500 gaming machine sold four years ago.

[ExPresident]

If your waiting that long to buy a TV your not an early adopter either, and there are a large chunk of people that are early adopters.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

I didn't say I was an early adopter... However, for consoles I probably would. I stopped playing console games almost ten years ago and moved over to PC to play RTS. College started and I gave that up, but got the original Xbox very late into the cycle due to the awesome modding scene.

I didn't get my Xbox 360 and Wii until maybe two years into the cycle and I got a PS3 the year after. So no, I wouldn't call myself early adopter.

However, now I would say I am. I even pre-ordered Kinect and if a new Playstation, Wii or Xbox would come, I'm likely to pick that up on launch day.

[LordMarius]

Wait until this economic downturn ends, because right now I dont have the money for a $400 dollar console.

mhmmm 1 bubble, guess I will go back to trolling

[D4RkNIKON]

Just like how I have two.. It sucks too because even if you stop trolling, it takes 5x longer to build them back than it does to lose 'em. I just learn to deal with only leaving 2 comments in each article and I don't troll about in articles that I have no business in.

On Topic - I would be pissed if the next gen came out so soon. I want another 2-3 years from my PS3 before upgrading it. I hope that MS learned not to rush into the next gen too

[deadreckoning666]

Well, for me, this ill definetly be my last console generation. Next-gen gaming is getting too expensive. I'd rather spend my money on beer and clubing.

[Spenok]

Im pretty sure you dont have much to worry about. It seems all the console developers and even the game developers are all saying that it will be a while before we see a next gen. With all consoles (except the Wii) Showing improvements each year i can see this gen running for a longer period of time then normal.

[fossilfern]

This is why i have had money stored since 07 for the next generation of machines all i do is put £10 in each week and iv done that since April 07

[Red-Dead-Roar]

damn... even £10 a month would have done it..

[Omega Zues]

I think for both view points on Developer/Consumers can both wait for the next generation and continue to enjoy the current. When a new consoles comes out, the Developers have to spend millions in to creating new tool sets to build off the hardware and not to mention the amount of time it takes causing delays for highly anticipated games.

Its best to stick with whats available now, keeping cost low and currently consumers cant get enough.

[jazzking2001]

its still WAY to early

[SuperStrokey1123]

I dont want one right now, the consoles are just starting to hit their stride!

I would like one in 2013, they could make a huge jump and still be well priced i think at that point.

[Jake360]

I don't think there will be a huge jump at all. The next leap would be CGI graphics or virtual reality or something, and that wont happen by 2013. :P

[Chris_TC]

You think we will go from Uncharted 2 to Pirates of the Caribbean in real-time? Think again.

[SuperStrokey1123]

When the hell did i say that? I said, and still say, we will see a huge jump. 7-8 years of hardware changes would indeed create a rather large jump. The online infrastructure would be superior too.

[Colonel-Killzone]

Way to early for a New console. None of the consoles are truly maxed we are just beginning to see them show the true power of all 3 consoles.

[jdktech2010]

It would be terrible for my wallet....forget gaming

[Gamer_89]

lets face it this year just 3 exclusive games from m$ and 2 already failed no new games announce for this year or even 2011 and more developers are shifting to the ps3.I am no fanboy but this is a fact i have a xbox but its losing the mojo even xbox live is stopping to improve.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Definitely am not ready for a next gen just yet. It only feels like this gen just started.

[darkcharizard]

At least one new generation console is inevitable by holiday 2012, if not two. Most likely, it's going to be the Wii's successor because of obvious hardware limitations.

But it won't be just a Wii in HD. It will support 3D, Blu-ray, an online service like Xbox Live, DLC and have some innovative capability. That's for sure.

[dustgavin]

There is at least 2-3 more good years of gaming on each of the current consoles. I cannot wait to see what the next couple of years bring!

[Jake360]

There are many years left on each console, but there is no inovation left on atleast one.

[daxicus]

its way to early! I dont even think the big N will release a new console for another 2 years. Because they are making a killing on the wii and its still selling like crack. Sony has dumped a shit ton of money in to the ps3 and developers are just now getting comfy with it. Plus the move will extend the life a little longer ill 4 years befor its even shown maybe 3 years. Microsoft i would hope would wait but they need blue ray or stop charging extra for developers for using more then one disc. Plus they got kinect and one would hope they know what they are doing. But i could see them jumping the gun and get one out the door befor the other two.

[Scotland-The-Brave]

As every one is saying above its to early, if a new ps comes out then i can see hardly anyone buying it (even hardcore gamers) because theres still so much to squeeze out

[J-Smith]

i will stick with my ps3 thanks. its got loads of years left in it

[IRetrouk]

soon as a new console comes out im buying it. FACT

[bunfighterii]

Im with the article though, I dropped a whole lot of money on this gen and not keen to see it be yesterday's news any time soon... I hope it lasts a while.

[dcbronco]

New consoles don't have to be all new tech. While Sony seems to thinking about moving away from the Cell, Microsoft could bring out another Xenon with 8 cores. They could use an updated ATI GPU. The CPU would most likely be 32nm so it could be made cheap(probably less than the launch price of the original). The processor is the same tech so it wouldn't be harder or more expensive for devs. In fact it should be cheaper because the things they learned from the 360 could be moved over to the new machine. Plus they could add 1.5 gbs of RAM(devs would appreciate that). There should be no reason they couldn't bring it out for $399 and not lose money day one. They could also continue to use the 360 with a price cut and Kinect to keep it alive.

[gcolley]

we are in a new console generation. if you are playing xbox 1 and Ps2 then you are not in the new generation. and maybe wii haha