The Bitbag Asks Developers, “What does next generation gaming mean to you?”

Torrence Davis from The BitBag writes "Over the last 2 years I’ve compiled a list of answers to the question, “What does next generation gaming mean to you?” I asked several developers and producers this question and here are the answers they gave me:

Gabe Newell
Managing Director
Valve Software
“The end of the distinction between gpus and cpus.”

[xTHRASHx]

This is one of those articles that isn't an article but is really quite good and interesting! I enjoyed :D thanks for not being flamebait like most posts here are (reference 10 Hottest Girls Playing Games post)

[OOG]

oops that comment below was meant for you

[tordavis]

Thanks! Took awhile to put this together.

[rkimoto]

Thanks Torrence!

Maybe you can also do one that can define what "hardcore" means, because I think that's a term that's badly misused.

Cheers

[SilverSlug]

Glad there are sites that put together good articles and not just rely on 'boobs' to get hits.

[UnSelf]

gabe got boobs.

nah im kidding, we here at Sony loves ya Gabe *points finger and winks*

[sid4gamerfreak]

Nex gen hopefully isnt about more casual games and motion controls. I sick of that sh** already

hardcore games FTW

oh yea, and make nex gen consoles actually run full hd on ALL of its games...

[OOG]

yeah nice short little article.... asking some developers what next gen gaming means to them... hopefullly down the road it will continue to grow and see more developers thoughts.

[dirtybirdphoenix]

i love hearing what the industry thinks about stuff

[RoX_TimE_BomB]

I would like to see something from Jaffe etc... interesting idea tho..

[OOG]

yeah I would like to see as many industry people as possible... keep continuing to gather info etc and see how it changes from this gen to next etc... i'm sure their opinion changes as the industry does

[DarkSpawnClone]

“Everyone started out this next generation looking for a pretty picture. In the pursuit of pretty pictures and Hollywood style budgets, people forgot core gameplay.”

that is soo true ^ but i think the "pretty pictures" are just as important as gameplay. :P

[OOG]

lmao this is a common debate.... I personally think gameplay is more important.. but really there is no way to weigh them.. I guess its different strokes for different folks or something like that

I do however think a lot of developers have been thinking gameplay second in order to push games out good and bad looking.. not all developers but a lot

[LordMarius]

Over 2 years you only got 5 answers, huh

[Sitris]

.

[OneSneakyMofo]

Lol, I didn't even see two years - I just read the quotes. The guy's done more than me though so I give him props.

[Spenok]

"Bringing people together" Doesnt gameing already do that?

[Whoooop]

I'm a visual whore... There I said it.

I think that graphical improvement holds the torch of what I think next-gen is. Gameplay is basically the most important thing, but gameplay has never been limited like graphics have been.

We've seen some ingenious and awesome gameplay throughout every gen, but visuals always were limited by the hardware... This gen we've been able to witness what I think is the biggest graphical improvement from one gen to the next. (Consoles of course).

So to me, next gen (this gen) is graphical tech improvement.

[Ult iMate]

Graphical improvements always bring more budget: for developing a console, that would end up in overall console cost (where were you at the start of PS3 sales?); for developing a game, that would end up in narrowing the variety of genres only to shooters and casual staff because they sell more to recoup the budget.
So graphical improvements just mean that gamers would be playing only shooters for a $80 on a console for a $800.
Console gameplay was always not about graphics, you know. We played more than a decade in 320*240 resolution, and then another decade in 640*480 (if you consider Wii and continuing PS2 sales - I still play both of them).

[Whoooop]

Well I don't know about you, but I've been playing quite a variety of games and genres on the PS3... Also I was just giving my opinion on why I consider graphical improvement next gen (this gen).

What does "lack of varied genres or more expensive consoles/games" have to do with what I think is next gen?

[mikemadden]

this is why i love thebitbag.com they out quailty articles. thanks guys.

[King Hippo]

It means having a reliable console, not having last gen tech or even having last gen parts like a disc tray, and it's means the games looking great like God of War 3 and not something with bland last gen graphics like Gears of War.

[SOAD]

If I marked you down for trolling, would you ask, "hey, why did I get flagged? I was just stating the truth."?

Gears of War, last gen graphics? Gears of War was the game that marked the beginning of this generation.

[peowpeow]

Gears of War is definitely not bland las gen graphics!

The game which marked the beginning of this generation is debatable, though graphics wise I noticed the biggest jump with Gears of War (referring to early console days)

[solar]

innovation.

[pixelsword]

Another great bit-bag article; why am I not surprised?

[xino]

it's such a shame that these developers don't even know what next gen games mean:/

to them, it's all about graphics, some online only and others single player only.

This is one of my complaints when new games get released, they are not always up to the standard of being a next gen game!
Next Gen games supposed to have Better graphics (duh obviously)
Next Gen games supposed to have amazing single player
Next Gen games supposed to have great multiplayer
Next Gen games supposed to have new intuitive gameplays!
And you see other next gen games that abuse the system and just doesn't look next gen!

Half of all next gen games doesn't contain one of the list or some contains only one in the list.
We see next gen games only have single player game content, others have trash single player and awesome multiplayer etc.

We are paying higher price for a next gen game then we might as well deserve to have all contents in a next gen game!

Alone in Da Dark 5 only contains Single Player content
Bad Ass Company 2 contains trash single player and great multiplayer
Bayonetta, great gameplay, bad graphics and trash single player
list goes on

The only game so far that I say it's a true next gen game is Uncharted 2! Great single player, great multiplayer, SICK graphics and redefining gameplay! All content in a single package!
Another game is Super Mario Galaxy, though the graphics may not be next gen. But it brought out new gameplay.