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GC '07: Don Daglow's laws of next-gen

By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UKPosted Aug 20, 2007 8:49 am PT

Industry veteran thinks that the Wii should be classed as next-gen, as it challenges what games are and do.

LEIPZIG, Germany--The latest next-generation console wars? Simply history repeating itself as part of a cycle, believes Don Daglow, president of Stormfront Studios (Eragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) and 36-year game industry veteran, speaking at the Game Convention Developer Conference. He gave examples from the past including the console war of 1984, which Nintendo won, and the battle between the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, of which the PS2 won. These cycles go in three distinct phases, he notes.

Daglow says that as a developer, the first phase of the face off between the so-called "next-gen" consoles has been incredibly frustrating to developers. He said, "It's like getting into a new apartment after midnight, and the lights don't work, and your furniture's been delivered and you don't know where it is." After a while, developers start to recognise how to do things on the new machines, or, in his analogy, work out where "the furniture" is. It's also a great time for new IP, and the console will be adopted by only the hardcore, early-adopter audience.

The second phase is evident when there are more than three magazines dedicated to a particular console on the market. That's when other people who have been waiting to see which way the wind blows make a choice and opt for a particular machine.

The third and final phase of the cycle sees the prior generation fade away, and the size of the installed base allows major hits. Then, every five years or so, it all starts over.

"So what is next-gen?" Daglow asked, before telling the audience "Daglow's Law of Next Gen 2007." Simply put: "next-gen hardware is any platform, that, upon its introduction, dramatically changes players' view of the potential for interactive entertainment."

Therefore, the Wii is next-gen hardware because people are playing with it in new ways, although Daglow agrees that he can understand why some people think it's not. He said, "You can make a consistent argument that without the processing power, it cannot be next-gen. But the great thing is we can decide that for ourselves."

The best next-gen software titles are usually only recognised in hindsight, believes Daglow, who put up a long list of nominees he believes are worthy. So, software-wise, he believes Guitar Hero is next-gen, because "people played it in a different way." Sim City is too, even though, "a lot of people said that that's not a game." Geometry Wars is also next-gen, because "it proved that old games can be new again." And World of Warcraft is too, because it "proved that a large audience existed for something that we didn’t know it existed for."

Daglow concluded his talk by saying, "There is always a next-gen tomorrow."

205 Comments

  • Myugenjin

    Posted Aug 27, 2007 2:47 pm PT

    This dudes a skinhead! STORMFRONT Studios...indo european myth lore games. Thats right up Hitlers alley!!!

    But on a second note, his comments are pretty moot! Even though imma Sony fan im not here to bash the Wii. Simply put the Xavix game system by this mans definition is next gen since it did what the Wii can like 2-3 years before the Wii ever came out.

    Hell even Ultima Online/Everquest did what he claims WOW did (i don know which game came 1st) but the point is that those games/systems by his definition are at best only changing game play within a generation. Seeing as how WoW came out in 2004!

    Nextgen gaming should be defined by the new hardware thats released in its respective time bracket...so sure we all know the 360 was launched a year early (and suffered h/w failure and that the GF 8800GTX came out a few months after the PS3's release! But with such an assortment of hardware all systems (minus tha Wii) can play relatively the same games with pros and cons in each system! Thus allowing multi platform games to be made to a specification defined by a generation of H/W performance or aka "next gen"!

  • bf-medic

    Posted Aug 27, 2007 2:20 pm PT

    For me the Wii is the essential console. It got easy access to lots of old-school games with VC, and got great potential for multi-player fun in-front of the tv. And for me graphics aren't that important, and since Wii is currently outselling the other machines, more and more 3.party dev. will make games for it, and I guess in a year we will see a lot of great games on it, using the controller and online cap. to it's fully potential.

    I see some here are saying there are no decent games for it yet?
    Jesus Christ, have you ever played Zelda? Off course, we got different taste, but saying its not a decent game is just silly. And it looks like we are in for a treat when Metroid Prime comes our way (Europe), the reviews are looking really good.

    I consider ourself lucky, to have 3 great consoles on the market to choose from Stop complaining, and have some fun.

  • K_r_a_u_s_e_r

    Posted Aug 25, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    "All those Wii's are now dust collectors and/or paperweights."

    Lucky enough for me, I was able to re-sell it for twice its value.

  • schitzonix

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 10:24 pm PT

    "Are you sure you are not talking about the PS3?"

    Theres a system called Playstation 3?... I forgot it existed

  • LivingMachine

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 4:32 pm PT

    Schitzonic wrote;
    I'm so glad that through reading these comments people are finally seeing the Wii for what it truly is. Ridiculously hyped console with a stupidly overrated controller."
    You forgot to mention ZERO decent games...

    Are you sure you are not talking about the PS3? (has less games than the wii, no rumble, gimmicky last gen controller...kirby tilt and roll was a six axis game that you played by tilting the GAMEBOY color LEFT or RIGHT, UP or DOWN....sound like the ps3 controller....hmmmm.....

  • schitzonix

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 3:43 pm PT

    " But the great thing is we can decide that for ourselves."

    That's a scapegoat argument for just about anything in life...

    While the Wiimote is a good idea, its NOT REVOLUTIONARY. It does deserve praise BUT remember this... the best way to interact with a videogame is not the Wiimote, its a MOUSE AND A KEYBOARD. Remember that. The Wiimote is just a step forward towards the freedom and precision that the mouse + keyboard setup allows (but still WAYS off...).

  • schitzonix

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 3:20 pm PT

    Games look the same on the Wii as they did on the Gamecube. End of story. Praise the Wiimote all you like, it deserves it. But don't start giving praise where its not due... Nintendo cut corners on every aspect of the Wii sans the controller and thats a fact, everything other than that is lackluster or virtually nonexistant (online gaming).

    Sales numbers won't make a BUDGET system better than it is. When parents of 8 year olds are faced with the decision of buying their son a console for X-mas, they will see that the Wii is nearly half the price of the Xbox and PS3 and the decision will be made.

    The Wii also has an initial "ohh this is innovative" feel that goes away after a few days... and never comes back. I speak from experience since this is what happened to me and my friends when we bought into the Wii hype at launch and went to a bunch of stores getting one for all of us. All those Wii's are now dust collectors and/or paperweights.

  • Mtlguy

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 2:37 pm PT

    ... Schitzonix... RE4, looks the same on the Wii as the gamecube because all they did was reprogram the controls... which they had
    done before to make use of the chainsaw controller that was sold when it launched. So they slapped together another development
    kit and away they went. The Wii, is said to have double the graphical
    capability of the Wii. And yes., Nintendo is the best developer for their
    systems, and 3rd parties have a way to go. Take a look at the marketing numbers that have been published and you'll notice that Nintendo has overtaken Sony in market share. There were more GBA's sold than Ps2's, The DS is killing the PSP, especially in Japan and Europe, and you still have a hard time finding a Wii on the shelf at the store. Say what you will about the Wii, but the numbers are in and Wii is number one.

  • schitzonix

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 12:02 pm PT

    "Like I said, it's a Gamecube with a new controller."

    I own both a Wii and a Gamecube (and obviously a 360 or i'd shoot myself), and I can vouch for that statement. Too bad most Nintendo zealots get mad at that argument even though its stupidly obvious.

    The worst part is that the overhyped wiimote is YET to be put to good use by a 3rd party. The only one who has gotten it right is Capcom with Resident Evil 4. Also sad is that RE4 is a 2005 game that looks exactly the same on the Gamecube as it does on the Wii... because the Wii is a Gamecube with a gimmicky controller... and so the argument goes in circles, theres no way to deny it.

  • schitzonix

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 11:59 am PT

    "I'm so glad that through reading these comments people are finally seeing the Wii for what it truly is. Ridiculously hyped console with a stupidly overrated controller."

    You forgot to mention ZERO decent games...

  • Icarusmk3

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 11:57 am PT

    After reading/skimming through this article, I think Don Daglow has done us the justice of wasting our time telling us stuff we already know. 36-year game industry veteran?? I didn't come here to listen to what an old folk who makes crappy games, tell us what he thinks the next-gen is all about. Maybe Don should put more time polishing his games rather than lecture all of us on what is good or bad in gaming.

  • Franzkill

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 3:50 am PT

    I'm so glad that through reading these comments people are finally seeing the Wii for what it truly is. Ridiculously hyped console with a stupidly overrated controller.

  • K_r_a_u_s_e_r

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 2:14 am PT

    Like I said, it's a Gamecube with a new controller.

    No matter how badly you wii fanboys wish it, a game graphically intense such as Gears of War WILL NEVER COME TO THE WII, your ONLY good game is Brawl.

    By the way, what games are you guys playing for it right now? Mario Party 8? Red Steel? That's what I thought, I'm so jealous by the way... Oh wait, Zelda too? Wait a second, isn't that for Gamecube as well, I mean Wii... I mean Gamecube... Wii... Get the picture yet?

  • Silicon_Noob

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 9:37 pm PT

    "Wii IS next gen since like he said it changes the way we play games (And its fun as hell)"

    Perhaps the Wii's innovative control scheme is next gen according to his definition, yet this is nothing that couldn't have been accomplished by a peripheral. So is it the Wii that is next-gen or just it's controller?

  • Kcube

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 1:09 pm PT

    Wii IS next gen since like he said it changes the way we play games (And its fun as hell)
    PS3 IMO is next gen as well just for the cell chip and also the FOLDING@Home.It is genius IMO to use the PS3 processing power to do some good and for THAT Sony deserves a damn medal ^_^

  • ColdstoneX3

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 12:16 pm PT

    Consoles tend to improve every generation, how they improve is different, I think its sad when people say, i want to go wow everytime i turn on my x360 or ps3....i could get a high resolution, colorful screensaver for my laptop and have the same thing. Why is the wii successful? well for one thing its an inovation, its the first step in the direction of human interface, which is nice, the logic that its simply a gamecube with a new controller is junk, it challenges things that neither sony nor X360 had the balls to touch, simply cause its new and might backfire, while i am not bashing on sony or the x360, i can't help but admire nintendo for trying something new. The x360 is a good console, great games are coming out, but even with improved AI or Graphics, its just the same of what we all allready had. The Ps3 like i said once before, is a decent cheap blu ray player, but sadly its the only thing that it has going for it, Great Gaming power? sure? but look at the statistics and see whats selling. also id like to encourage normal talking in here, cause i see some very heated arguments coming this way.

    peace

    cold

  • sigma8

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 10:46 am PT

    K_r_a_u_s_e_r: "all it is and trust me when I say it... It's a Gamecube with a new controller"

    And all the Xbox 360 is, is just an Xbox1 with a new cpu and videocard. It has the same "feel" to all the games. If all you want to do is play the same types of junk, the same way, with slightly better graphics, go go xbox360.

    No offense to the 360.. I just really hate that "gamecube with new controllers" logic. Every console is just the same as the old one with a few improvements. And often, those improvements are superficial.

  • sigma8

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 10:43 am PT

    rihan_z: What I don't get is how the Wii is next gen?

    Well, if you want to get REALLY technical.. Next gen is just the "next" console a company releases. You are the next generation of your parents...but you're not necessarily better. Your brain isn't bigger (probably not, anyway). Next-gen just means it's later in time, and belongs to the same family of things or beings.

    Of course, we have this preconceived notion with technology that time = better. And that's mostly true. But we also somehow got the notion in our heads that faster cpu's and gpu's is the only thing that equates to "better", which is a dicey proposition at best.

    The Wii hasn't substantially improved on the cpu or gpu (although they are an improvement over its predecessor), but its big power play is its input method, which represents the first major step forward in human interfaces on consoles since the original NES.

  • king_bobo

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 8:49 am PT

    It's all a matter of opinion really, except the fact that the Wii is different and new...

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